As the adage says, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” However, the wonders of lemons do not end there. You don’t only use lemons for drinking or garnishing, but they are also fantastic cleaning helpers. Lemon cleaning can do magic in your home – they are nature’s little hand scrubbers, a natural dirt cleaner, and a mild disinfectant.
So when life hands you a lemon, use them to clean your house. This should be the mantra for keeping your home clean, fresh, and shining. Lemons are not only healthy and delicious, but they are the best replacements for several commercial cleaning products.
A cleaner house is just a peel away! Now, grab some lemons and follow these lemon cleaning tips for your home.
Lemon Cleaning Tip 1 – How to Freshen the Garbage Disposal with Lemon
Garbage disposals are usually self-cleaning, but sludge can inevitably build up. A good thing to do is you can make your garbage disposal fresh and odor free with lemon. Here’s how to do it:
Things You’ll Need:
- Lemon peels
- Hot water
- Ice cubes
- Salt
Instructions
- Give your garbage disposal a good flush.
- Put a stopper in your sink and fill it with a few inches of hot water.
- Add dish soap and remove the stopper to allow the water to flush through.
- Throw some ice cubes and a handful of salt to the disposal. It helps remove the food off the grinder, and the salt scrubs the sides.
- Add a few lemon peels through the disposal to make it clean and fresh.
Lemon Cleaning Tip 2 – How to Make an All-Purpose Cleaner with Lemon
Do you usually put slices of lemon in your drinking water? If you do, consume the water, then save the lemon peels as you can make them an all-purpose kitchen cleaner.
Things You’ll Need:
- Lemon peels
- Mason jar
- Fine mesh sieve
- Large bowl
- Spray bottle
Instructions
- Add the lemon peel to a mason jar. More peels, the better.
- Fill a mason jar with vinegar until it is halfway full. Store it for at least two weeks to allow the peels to infuse with the vinegar.
- Strain the lemon peels with a fine mesh sieve and put the juice in a large bowl. Discard the lemon peels.
- Pour the juice or cleaner into a spray bottle. Use it as an all-purpose cleaner in the house.
Lemon Cleaning Tip 3 – How to Freshen the House with Lemon
You can use lemon to freshen up the house for a pleasant aroma. We always do this before guests come over. However, you don’t need to have guests to make your home smell good. So, keep your house fresh all the time with these simple steps.
Things You’ll Need:
- Lemon rinds
- Pot
- Water
- Extracts, herbs, and spices
Instructions
- Get a pot and fill it with water. Add lemon rinds, your favorite combination of extracts, herbs, and spices.
- Boil the pot.
- Allow the pot to simmer on the stove for an hour. Once the pot boils, you will notice the citrusy smell throughout the house.
Lemon Cleaning Tip 4 – How to Brighten Faucets or Shower with Lemon
Hard water is water that has high mineral content, commonly magnesium and calcium. This is one of the reasons why the shower and faucets look yellowish over time. The good thing is that you can clean them with lemon.
Things You’ll Need:
- Lemon Juice
- Clean Cloth
- Water
Instructions
- Wipe the faucet and shower with a clean cloth to dry.
- Eliminate hard water buildup or mineral deposits by spritzing lemon juice on the stained area. Leave it for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Rinse the faucet and shower with water and wipe them off.
If you’re temporarily out of lemons, click here to learn how to use vinegar to remove hard water stains.
Lemon Cleaning Tip 5 – How to Clean the Microwave with Lemon
Is your microwave smelly and messy? Fret not; you can make it clean with lemons. Instead of using a commercial cleaner, use this technique to keep your appliance squeaky clean and smelling fresh.
The things you’ll need:
- Lemon
- Water
- Clean cloth
Instructions
- Add ½ cup of water to a bowl. Slice the lemon in half and squeeze them into the water. Drop the peels into the bowl.
- Microwave the bowl with lemon for about 3 minutes until the liquid boils.
- After 3 minutes, don’t open the microwave for another 5 minutes. The steamed lemon inside the appliance will help remove the food gunk.
- Open the microwave and remove the bowl of lemon slowly. If the microwave has a turntable, remove it and wipe it with a clean cloth. If not, wipe the inside of the microwave from the top to the bottom.
- When you come across stubborn spots as you wipe the inside of the microwave, dish the cloth to the lemon water and scrub the spot with a non-scratch sponge until it comes off.
- Wipe the door of the microwave. If you pull out the turntable, put it back, and you’re good to go!
Lemon Cleaning Tip 6 – How to Clean a Wooden Chopping Board with Lemon
Giving your wooden cut board a spa treatment at least once a week is advisable. With a few ingredients, you can make it clean and dirt free. Follow the instructions below to give your cut boards a deep clean.
Things You’ll Need:
- Lemon
- Coarse Salt
- Bench scraper
- Sponge / Cloth
Instructions
- Sprinkle some salt on the chopping board.
- Slice the lemon in half. Squeeze and scour the surface slightly to release the lemon juice.
- Let the lemon juice sit for 5 minutes. You will notice a gray-dirty liquid coming off. Scrub it with a scraper.
- Rinse the chopping board with a clean wet sponge. Your chopping board is ready to use again.
Lemon Cleaning Tip 7 – How to Clean the Blender with Lemon
Do you often use your blender to make juice, smoothies, or a protein shake? Have you noticed that it still looks scummy after cleaning it? Well, lemon juice can help you make your blender clean and clear. Follow these steps.
Things You’ll Need:
- Lemon
- Dish Soap
- Hot water
Instructions
- Fill the blender with hot water from a tap or kettle.
- Add drops of dish soap.
- Turn on the blender. Let it run for about 10 seconds.
- Pour out the water from the blender and rinse out the appliance thoroughly.
- Now, repeat the process of steps 2 and 3 but replace dish soap with lemon. Ta-da! Your blender is now squeaky clean. You will no longer see traces of fruit or protein powder.
Conclusion
Cleaning the house is a tough job, yet it is very satisfying once it is done. A clean home is a happy home, and it can do wonders for your well-being. Thus, it is always essential to keep our house clean every day.
Avoiding commercial or harmful chemicals and using lemon juice to clean the house is an excellent method. So, every time you’re out for a grocery run, don’t forget to buy more lemons, not only for lemonade but also for house cleaning. From the kitchen to the bathroom, there are many ways to clean the house with lemons.
To learn more about lemons, read our article – “Five Quick Facts About Cleaning with Lemon”
