Lemons are a great way to clean your home in an eco-friendly manner. They are used for far more than cooking, as their contents give them quite a bit of flexibility. We’re all aware of their lovely addition to food and drink, but there are many ways lemons can help you with the chores around your home. They are non-toxic, cheap and might be bought without the use of plastic packaging.
You can deodorise it and make the interior much easier to wipe down with the simple addition of lemon slices to a bowl of water. Heat the water until the microwave oven window is steamed up. Let the bowl sit there and evaporate for about 15 minutes before you open the door. The vapours will cut through the grease and grime, making it much easier to wipe.
You can put a few lemon rinds through the disposal and follow them up with cold water, getting rid of any sour odours in the process.
You can use this even for delicate and older fabrics, just cover the stain with a paste of salt and lemon juice and let it sit there for half an hour. Rinse the results with white vinegar and warm water.
Run the side of half a lemon on the board to remove any food stains and unpleasant smells. You can sprinkle it with salt first to give it some scrubbing power. If the stains are too stubborn, just let it sit like that overnight before you rinse it away with water. Wipe the wooden boards with food-grade oil to seal them.
Slicing a lemon in half, you should rub it on any metal surfaces that need cleaning, such as copper pans or stainless steel. This will make them shine again. You can use the same to polish copper, brass, chrome, bronze, aluminium, stainless steel and even pewter. Avoid using it on gold or silver plated items, as it may have a damaging effect.
You can try the time-tested combination of lemon juice and salt to get rid of rust stains and mildew. Let the item sit in the sun and dry, then reapply the mixture if you need to before you wash it away as usual. If your clothes have been stained by sweat, then you can rub that away using lemon juice or white vinegar before you toss the clothes in the wash.
Running the cut side of a lemon over the drains and faucets can remove the mineral deposits and make them sparkle again. You should rinse and dry them well when you’re done. Avoid using the same approach on gold-plated faucets, as it might cause pitting on the surface. Lemon juice can also help remove water stains from glass shower screens or glass in general. Straight lemon juice on a sponge for tougher stains is a great approach too.
Spray those with a little lemon juice to kill them and rid your yard of their presence. Keep the juice away from the plants you want to survive, as the acidity will damage them or kill them too.
Use a saucepan and some lemon slices to simmer water, helping you fight the dry indoor air and making your home smell lemony fresh in a pinch.