Lemons aren’t just for eating and cooking, they’re also an excellent cleaning agent. Lemon juice is acidic, which makes it great at cutting through grease, removing stains, and freshening everything from the air you breathe to even the stinkiest of places in your house, like your garbage disposal. Lemons are also an economical and eco-friendly way to clean your house. Here are 15 ways to clean your house naturally with lemons.
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Window Cleaner
Lemon juice cuts through grease and grime on windows and glass. Combine 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 1 quart of water into an empty spray bottle. Shake to mix. Spray solution directly on your windows and use a lint-free cloth to clean. We like to use a glass spray bottle, like this one, especially since lemon juice acidic.
Clean Whites Without Bleach
Have some white clothes or linens that need to be whitened? Skip the bleach and fill a large pot (we like these) with water, add some lemon slices and bring to a boil. Turn off and remove pot from heat. Add your linens and let them soak for an hour. Remove and launder as usual.
Stubborn Stain Remover
For small area stains, try squeezing lemon juice on the stain and let sit for an hour. For tougher stains that don’t quite come out with just the lemon juice, dampen the area and apply a paste of equal parts baking soda (we like to buy it in bulk) and water. Scrub it gently, then launder as usual.
Refrigerator odors
Soak a sponge in lemon juice and let it sit in your fridge for a few hours; it works better than baking soda to remove odors.
Clean and Remove Cutting Board Odors
For particularly smelly odors, such as garlic, onions and fish, use a cut lemon and rub on the surface of the board. Let it sit and soak for about 20 minutes before rinsing.
Garbage Disposal Refreshener
Garbage disposals can smell like, well, garbage if not cleaned regularly. Drop half of a lemon in your disposal as well as a tablespoon of baking soda. Run the water, turn on your disposal and let the lemon eliminate the odors.
Coffee maker
Coffee makers need to be cleaned regularly. Just run a cycle with plain water, then add a mixture of lemon juice and water to the water tank. Let it sit then run the cycle through. Repeat this process once more, then run another plain water cycle. Make sure and wash the coffee pot and filter afterward to remove any lemon taste.
Clean the Microwave
Remove grease and splatter stains easily by boiling four tablespoons of lemon juice with a cup of water. This will loosen dried food particles on the inside of the microwave so that you can easily wipe them away.
Refreshen your Dishwasher
The next time you’re ready to run a load of dishes, place a lemon wedge or two in the top rack of dishwasher. Run the dishwasher as usual. The lemon will help refreshen and detox the dishwasher.
Cheese graters
Cheese is greasy! Remove the grease easily from your cheese grater by rubbing half a lemon over your graters than wash and rinse.
Furniture polish
Make a homemade furniture polish by combining lemon oil, lemon juice, and olive oil to make a homemade furniture polish. Buff your furniture with the polish and a soft cloth.
Toilet Stains
Remove toilet stains by adding half a cup of lemon juice to your toilet and letting it sit 20 minutes prior to scrubbing. For stubborn stains, add half a cup of borax.
Lift Stains From Carpets
Pour equal parts water and lemon juice into a spray bottle (we like glass bottles). Spray the solution directly onto the carpet stain and then coat with a thin layer of salt. Rub vigorously with a brush or cloth and rinse with water. Pat dry.
Instant Room Freshener
Simmer a pot of water and add lemon peels, orange peels, cloves, and cinnamon sticks.
Clean Stainless Steel
Add juice of 2-4 lemons to hot water. Soak a soft cloth in the lemon water mixture, and then scrub your stainless steel appliance until it shines. Rinse appliance with water and dry with soft link-free cotton cloth (we like these).