Now, I know what you're thinking: how long can I really leave a lemon in water before it starts to go bad? The answer is, it depends on a few things, like the temperature of the water and how fresh the lemon is. Generally speaking, you can leave a lemon in water for anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours without it losing its potency.
How Long Until Lemons Go Bad? Here's What You Should Know
But if you leave it in for too long, the lemon can start to bitter and lose its flavor. And if you're not careful, you might even end up with a good dose of bacteria in your water, which is definitely not what you want. So, just be sure to keep an eye on it and change out the lemon every few hours to keep things fresh.
