Clean with lemon juice
12 things you can clean with lemon |
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Lemon juice is perfect for adding to tea and, of course, it makes great lemonade. But did you know that there are also plenty of things you can clean with lemon juice, too?
'I love having a bowl full of lemons in my house,' says Queen of Clean Lynsey Crombie. 'Not only do they help brighten up my kitchen but they can be really handy and help out with the cleaning. Making changes like this and using less toxins is so good for you and the environment. Lemons not only smell gorgeous but can really help improve shine. It’s really surprising how well you can clean with lemon juice in your home.'
We’ve picked our top cleaning tips using this popular citrus fruit.
Clean with lemon juice
Cleaning with lemon juice isn't a new thing – we have been using it for years to cut through grease and grime, just as we've been cleaning with vinegar for decades. Below, you'll find our favorite things to clean with lemon juice – you will find some tips for combining it when cleaning with baking soda, too.
1. Wooden chopping boards
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'You can clean your wooden cutting board with half a lemon and a little coarse salt,' says Lynsey Crombie . 'All you have to do is cut a lemon in half and sprinkle the salt over the chopping board. Then with the lemon facing downwards simply scour the surface of the chopping board, squeezing slightly to release the lemon juice as you go. Let sit for about 15 minutes to give the lemon and salt some time to work, Then scrape away any lemon bits and rinse with warm water and a clean sponge or cloth.'
2. The refrigerator
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The inside of the refrigerator can soon start to smell icky if food goes off or is well-past its sell-by date. To prevent this from turning the whole of the fridge sour, without cleaning a refrigerator, cut a lemon in half and place it inside.
Leave for about 30 minutes and you’ll have a fresh-smelling refrigerator.
3. The microwave
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While we may remember to clean the oven every now and then, cleaning a microwave is often forgotten. 'Microwaves can be easily cleaned with hot soapy water but another trick is to heat up a slice of lemon in a water bath, which will remove odors and keep your microwave smelling fresh,' advises Clare Edwards, home economist at Smeg .
'Dishwashers can also be freshened up with lemons by adding a few wedges of lemon to the cutlery basket or tray.'
The key is to microwave the bowl of water and fresh lemon for about five minutes until boiling. Wait another five minutes before you open the door to let the steam do its magic.
4. Furniture
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Making your own natural cleaning products at home is not only better for the environment but it also saves money, too.
'One trick is to create your own furniture polish with lemon juice,' says Lucy Searle, Global Editor in Chief for Homes & Gardens. 'Just mix two parts of olive oil to one part lemon juice and taking a clean cloth, use it to polish rustic wooden furniture such as tables, chairs, dressers and sideboards. Before you go ahead, make sure you try it out on a hidden area – inside a drawer or the underside of a tabletop – to make sure it doesn’t stain, as not all woods are suitable.'
5. Faucets
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You can tackle limescale by cleaning with lemon juice. If you live in a hard water area, limescale deposits soon build up on everything from faucets and sinks to shower screens, showerheads, kettles and coffee machines. You can remove those mineral deposits on faucets by spraying some lemon juice on the area. Simply wait about 15 minutes before wiping off and rinsing with cold water.
6. Floors
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'High in citric acid, lemon juice is one of the best natural cleaners due to its low pH and antibacterial properties,' confirms @missblissclean .
'Lemons also smell great and aren’t likely to cause damage to materials around what you are cleaning such as fabric or wood.'
For floors, rather than using harsh chemical liquids or sprays, use a mix of one part lemon juice, one part white vinegar and two parts water. Apply with a mop or sponge, working into really dirty areas with more elbow grease, then finish with clean water.
7. The oven
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For the inside of the oven, don’t pay a professional oven cleaner to do the job. And no more harsh, toxic-smelling chemicals either. Instead, you can clean an oven by filling an oven-safe baking dish with lemon juice and water. Bake for 30 minutes at 482˚F/250˚C. Leave to cool, take the dish out and wipe away any leftover grease or grime, which should now be loosened fully.
8. Windows
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One of the best and most natural ways to clean windows and glass, including cleaning mirrors without streaks, is to make up your own lemon juice and water solution in a refillable spray bottle.
Spray onto the surface and wipe with newspaper for a streak-free shine.
9. Cheese graters
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It may sound odd but you can also use lemon to clean the cheese grater. 'Wipe with half a lemon before washing and it will loosen up any stuck remains in the small cracks,' says Chris Wootton, Managing Director of Poppies cleaning service. Remember to use the fleshy side rather than the rind and grate on both sides of the grater, as the acidity will break up the proteins of the dairy.
10. Electric kettles
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You can clean an electric kettle and clean a coffee maker with lemon juice – both can be descaled with lemon. Make your own combination of 1oz lemon juice to two cups of water and pour into the kettle or coffee maker. Bring to the boil then leave to cool. Empty the kettle out or run a coffee cycle (without the coffee) and give it a rinse a few times, ideally with filtered water, to remove the lemony taste.
11. Dishes
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'Use a lemon to cut grease from your dishes,’ says @neatasapin . 'Cut a lemon in half and use it on greasy plates or pans. Scrub with the lemon then follow up with your normal dish soap.'
12. Toilets
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No-one enjoys cleaning the WC but you can make life easier – and more fragrant – by making a lemon juice and laundry Borax paste and applying it to rust stains and water lines then leaving it for two hours or more before scrubbing.
Why are lemons good for cleaning?
High in citric acid, lemon juice is one of the best natural cleaners due to its low pH and antibacterial properties. Lemons also smell great and aren’t likely to cause damage to materials around what you are cleaning such as fabric or wood.
Does lemon juice disinfect?
Though lemon is great for cleaning and has antibacterial qualities, it is not a disinfectant. When you really need to remove bacteria from a surface, you’ll need to turn to a stronger cleaning agent.
Hayley is an interiors journalist, content provider and copywriter with 26 years experience who has contributed to a wide range of consumer magazines, trade titles, newspapers, blogs and online content. Specialising in kitchens and bathrooms, she has twice won the CEDIA Award for Best Technology feature. Hayley writes for H&G about kitchens, bathrooms, cleaning, DIY and organizing.
20 Fresh Ways to Clean with Lemon
Goodbye, harsh chemical cleaning products! Surprisingly versatile cleaners, lemons leave the house sparkling and spotless (and smelling nice, to boot!)
When life gives you lemons, clean with them! That’s our mantra when it comes to keeping our homes fresh and shining. In addition to being delicious, lemons can clean a surprising number of places in the house, replacing several commercial cleaning products (and nixing the harsh chemicals they can contain). Read on for a roundup of just about every household nook and cranny you can tidy up with lemon.
Remove crusty, caked-on gunk by microwaving a bowl of water and fresh lemon juice (or rinds) for 3 to 5 minutes or until boiling. Wait another 5 minutes before opening the door; this allows the steam to do its work on the walls. Finally, remove the lemon water and wipe down the inside walls of the microwave.
2. Refresh wooden cutting boards.Is your wooden cutting board stained or smelling like garlic? Sprinkle some salt on it, then scrub with the cut side of half a lemon. Rinse, then repeat if needed. Your board will be refreshed and ready to use.
3. Deodorize your drain.Run a few lemon rinds through the garbage disposal to eliminate sink stink.
4. Polish furniture.Make your own natural furniture polish by combining 2 parts olive oil with 1 part lemon juice. Apply with a cloth to wood tables and chairs. (Note: Not all finishes are created equal, so before committing to the whole piece, try the DIY polish on a small, out-of-the-way section to confirm that it won’t stain.
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To get rid of the residue last week’s spaghetti sauce left on your Tupperware, rub lemon juice on the stains. Let sit for 15 minutes before rinsing.
6. Freshen your fridge.Icky odors every time you open the doors? Cut a lemon in half and place it inside the refrigerator. Leave it in there for about 30 minutes. That’ll do the trick! (Decluttering your fridge will help keep it stink free.)
7. Clean a cheese grater.Save sponges from getting shredded by wiping graters with a lemon before washing. It’ll loosen up any debris stuck in the small crevices.
8. Give the dishwasher a boost.Fill a dishwasher-safe container with a cup of lemon juice (or toss in a few lemon wedges), set on the top rack, and run the load as normal for perfectly clean, shiny plates.
9. Brighten up faucets.Remove hard water buildup or mineral deposits from your faucets by spritzing lemon juice on the affected area.
Wait 10-15 minutes before wiping off. (Got a grungy showerhead? A Ziploc bag can help with that.)
Sprinkle some coarse salt on the cut side of a lemon and rub all over any copper, aluminum or brass kitchenware. Rinse well and dry. This’ll remove tarnished spots in a jiff.
11. Use as an air freshener.For pleasant aromas all throughout the house, fill a pot with water, lemon rinds and your favorite combination of herbs, spices or extracts. Bring to a boil, then let simmer on the stove for an hour. We love to do this (and these other quick-clean hacks) before guests come over.
12. Wipe the floors clean.Instead of using harsh chemicals to clean floorboards, scrub them with a mixture of 1 part lemon juice, 1 part vinegar and 2 parts water. The vinegar smell might bug you at first, but it will fade. This solution is ideal for people with kids and/or pets, since crawling on a dirty floor or a floor cleaned with chemicals isn’t healthy.
(That’s why we banned shoes from the house.)
Turn the grill on high, then rub with the cut side of half a lemon. (Careful! It will get hot, so work quickly. Sometimes we use a sturdy pair of heat-safe tongs for the job.) For extra abrasiveness, dip the lemon in salt first.
14. Keep insects out.Prevent potential pest problems by squeezing lemon juice along windowsills or doors. It’ll deter them from even trying to break in.
15. Restore your grout.The natural acidity in lemons is perfect for tackling any dirt or discoloration in grout. Spray lemon juice on the target area and let sit for at least 10 minutes before scrubbing.
16. Degrease pans.Adding just a teaspoon of lemon juice to your soapy dishwater helps tackle extra-greasy dishes (and it smells nice for the person who’s washing the dishes).
17. Remove rust.
Make a paste with lemon juice and salt to brighten up items that’ve been touched by rust.
18. Wipe down counters.Use lemon juice on countertops! The citric acid will lift tough stains and act as a natural disinfectant. (Though this treatment is safe for most surfaces, we recommend testing it first on a small, hidden section before taking it to the entire countertop.)
19. Clean the oven.Buildup begone! One of our best oven-cleaning tricks: Fill an oven-safe baking dish with water and lemon juice, then bake for 30 minutes at 250 degrees. After the oven has cooled, remove the dish and sponge any remaining grime from the oven’s interior.
20. Wash the windows.Skip the chemicals! Instead, combine water and lemon juice in a spray bottle to clean glass windows, mirrors and doors. (Using newspaper rather than paper towels is another excellent and economical trick for creating a streak-free shine!)
We love lemons for their sweet scent and antiseptic properties, so save those leftover rinds and juice.
A cleaner home is just a peel away.
Feeling inspired to give your cleaning routine an eco-friendly overhaul? Baking soda is another power cleaner; find 50 ideas for it here.
Lemon Juice for Clothes Stains
Lemon juice itself is an excellent bleaching agent and a common ingredient in commercial detergents. If you want to try a more natural approach to laundry, you can use natural lemon juice. Lemon juice is known to be effective in removing stains from fabrics from fruit, from wine, from mold, from lipstick, from rust.
High mild acid lemon juice is one of the best natural stain removers due to its low pH and antibacterial properties. In addition, lemons have a pleasant smell and cannot damage the fabric.
Alternative to bleach
If you feel that your whites have lost their brightness, then you can use lemon as an alternative to bleach. Not to mention, it also smells much better.
The acid in lemon juice helps break down stains and restores whiteness.
And unlike bleach, lemon juice is also safe for fabric color. Just add one cup of lemon juice to your laundry along with your regular detergent.
Remove Rust Stains
You are wearing your favorite white trousers, and while walking you have caught on something rusty and planted a stain. Bleach is great at removing chocolate, ketchup, and coffee stains, but only rust stains are more permanent. Lemon juice will help in this case!
Boil water in a kettle, dampen the rust stain with lemon juice. Hold the contaminated area directly over the steam for a few minutes, being careful not to burn yourself. Then wash the clothes as usual.
Juice Stain Removal
If fruit juice gets on your clothes, lemon will help to remove it. To do this, mix 1/3 cup lemon juice and 2/3 cup water, and then gently rub the stain. Once the juice has washed out, wash the item in the washing machine to remove the remaining stain completely.
Lemon juice against yellow spots
Lemon juice lightens yellow spots on white and light colored clothes.
Apply pure lemon juice to the entire stained area and leave your clothes in the sun all day. After that, wash as usual by hand or in the washing machine to remove the lemon juice.
Lemon juice + salt.
White clothes can get dirty easily. Squeeze lemon juice directly onto the stain and sprinkle with salt. Gently rub the lemon juice and salt into the stain, then rinse with water. Repeat until the stain is gone. Hang up your clothes to dry. After that, wash in the washing machine.
Baking soda and lemon juice
Baking soda and lemon juice are environmentally friendly and inexpensive cleaning products in their own right. When mixed, they become an all-purpose stain remover. Apply a mixture of baking soda and lemon juice to get rid of tea and coffee stains on clothes. The baking soda neutralizes the odor while the lemon naturally bleaches the fabric.
Lemon juice fights mold
Mold is a common occurrence in high humidity.
It can damage the fabric by causing discoloration or thinning the material. But, pasta with lemon and salt is an excellent remedy for mold stains. Simply apply the paste to the stain, dry in the sun, and then launder as usual, preferably in hot water, to kill any remaining mold spores.
Shoe care
To keep your leather shoes in good condition, they need to be cleaned regularly. A soft cloth dampened with lemon juice is great for cleaning your favorite shoes while keeping them beautiful and shiny.
Always pay attention to the type of fabric and special washing/cleaning instructions. While most fabrics are compatible with lemon juice, it is best to test on a swatch or on the back of a seam before applying the product in its entirety.
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| what can be cleaned with ordinary lemon | [Apr. 6th, 2012| 02:53pm ] shroomsy |
| Continuing the theme of eco-friendly care not only for the body, but also for the house)) Lemon juice is the best cleaner for chrome-plated metals, wood products and some types of fabrics. 1. Metal pots. To remove dirt and burnt fat, soap and lime stains, juice of half a lemon with salt is required. Such a mixture will easily destroy even the most severe pollution. You need to be careful with antique dishes. It is always worth testing the effect of the cleaning mixture on a small area. 2. The same cleaning method is effective for the bases of pots, pans and other utensils. 3. Lemon and salt will easily make chrome faucets and car parts shine. 4. Lemon juice diluted with water not only removes stains from cutting boards, but also kills germs. To remove stubborn dirt, pure juice is applied for a longer time until the stain completely disappears. Then rinse and wipe dry. 5. Lemon juice can revive an old toothbrush. It cleans and disinfects. 6. A special recipe for the microwave is a Russian bath. An incomplete cup of water with lemon (for ¾ of water, two tablespoons of squeezed juice) is placed in a microwave oven. Mode - close to boiling. After switching off, it is recommended not to open the door for another 10 minutes. The result is that unpleasant odors disappear and food particles are easily removed. 7. The hardest to reach parts of the grill and grate are easily cleaned with lemon juice and salt. 8. Laminate. Before the usual wet cleaning, its surface is treated with water with the addition of lemon juice. The effect of purity will not keep you waiting. And to facilitate the procedure, you can use a spray gun. 9. The same baking soda solution will remove stains and odors from plastic food storage containers. 10. Lemon removes rust from cotton and polyester. Mix the juice with liquid soap and apply the mixture on the stain. 11. Advice verified by a Georgia resident, USA. To disinfect, she pours a liter of hot water mixed with ½ cup of lemon juice down the drain. 12. Ecological washing. At the stage of soaking the laundry, a solution is added - half a cup of lemon juice per liter of hot water. Once stains are removed, continue as normal wash. The effect of cleanliness will be supported by drying clothes in the sun. Lemon juice should not be used on silks or other delicate fabrics. 13. A few drops of lemon juice added to soap will increase its degreasing ability. 14. Does the refrigerator smell? To remove it, a saucer with half a lemon is placed on one of the shelves. For prevention, change once a week. 15. A solution of lemon juice and water will quickly remove odor from hands after cooking. 16. An ambulance for your favorite dress. 
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The favorite product of our grandmothers still meets the requirements for modern household chemicals: low pH, antibacterial properties, pleasant smell and ease of use. After cleaning, the juice only needs to be washed off with soapy water and the surface wiped with a dry, clean cloth. 
Wait half an hour and proceed as you would a normal wash. For colored and delicate fabrics, it is better to conduct a test. 
