Yahoo Lifestyle 15 Surprising Ways Lemons Can Completely Change Your Cleaning Routine
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Besides their delightful smell and refreshing taste, lemons — and their freshly squeezed juices — also serve as a helpful cleaning tool around the house. Because of the natural properties found in citric acid, cleaning with lemon can help you remove odor and grime from a variety of different surfaces around the house.
We checked in with our experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute Home Care & Cleaning Lab for their advice on how to clean with lemon for a house that looks and smells good. We'll walk you through the best tips and methods you can try around your home, plus how to make an all-purpose cleaner with just a few ingredients.
Clean a Cutting Board
Sprinkle some salt on top of your cutting board, cut a lemon in half and get scrubbing! Then, wash your cutting board in the sink to get rid of any leftover residue.
Refresh Your Oven Door
Spruce up your oven door with some natural cleaner. Fill a spray bottle with water and juice from one whole lemon. Spray the oven door and let it sit for a few minutes before scrubbing and wiping it down with a cloth or sponge.
Deodorize a Garbage Disposal
Smelly garbage disposal? You're not alone. Pour half a cup of baking soda followed by half a lemon cut into slivers down the drain. Run cold water, then turn on the disposal to grind it all up.
Polish Glassware
No one likes drinking from a cloudy glass. Let your stemware soak in lemon juice for a sparkly finish. The fruit's natural acid will begin to dissolve the mineral deposits. Then, rub on some baking soda to scrub them off once and for all.
Make an Air Freshener
Whether an unwanted odor has found its way into your home or you just love the smell of citrus, consider creating your own air freshener. Add two lemons cut into slices and a handful of cloves to a pan of water and bring the mixture to a simmer for 30 minutes.
Wipe Windows
If you're distracted by fingerprints when you look out the window, it might be time to give them a good wipe. To clean the glass, follow the same instructions for cleaning the oven door and create a lemon juice and water mixture in a spray bottle. After spraying, wipe them down with a microfiber cloth.
RELATED: The Right Way to Clean Windows
Shine Metal
With just lemon juice and salt, you can break down rusty metal for a shinier finish. Squeeze lemon juice onto a sponge, pour some salt on top and scrub the rust or area of metal that needs shining. If you need something more abrasive, try adding more salt or using a tougher cleaning brush to break it down.
Remove Soap Scum
Acting as a natural acidic cleaner, lemon juice, when mixed with water to create a solution, breaks down soap scum. Spray the surface and scrub away. However, if you have marble in your bathroom, avoid using this mixture as it can damage the surface.
RELATED: How to Clean a Glass Shower Door
Freshen up a Microwave
Cut one lemon into slices and place them into a bowl with one cup of water. Put the mixture in the microwave, and warm it up on high for two to three minutes or until the window steams up. Let the bowl cool for five minutes before taking it out and wiping the inside clean with a sponge.
RELATED: The Easiest Ways to Clean a Microwave
Wipe Down Your Stovetop
When life gives you a greasy stovetop, make a lemon and baking soda paste! Sprinkle the baking soda across your stovetop. Then, cut a lemon in half and use it face down to scrub all over the surface until it forms a paste. Let it sit for a few minutes before wiping the stove with a damp cloth.
Fix Stained Containers
Add stained containers to the long list of things lemons can fix. The citric acid present in lemon juice breaks down stains so they can be easily be rinsed away with water. To get started, just scrub half a lemon face down onto the stain, squeezing out the juice. Then, wash the container as you normally would.
Restore a Grill
Cleaning the grill doesn't have to be a long and strenuous process. Turn your grill on high to heat it up. Once heated, turn it down so you can safely scrub off any grime or buildup using half of a lemon face. Make sure to use tongs to hold the lemon in place to avoid burning yourself.
RELATED: 8 Best Grill Brushes for Cleaning Your Grill
Clean a Cheese Grater
Getting in between each and every opening on your cheese grater can be nearly impossible with a standard sponge. Skip all the hard work and replace your sponge with half a lemon. Rub the surface of the cheese grater with lemon to get any leftover chunks of cheese out. Then, wash as you normally would.
Tackle Build-up on Pots and Pans
If you've ever scrubbed a burnt pot or pan for what feels like forever, try this hack. Cut up two full lemons into slices and place them in the pan. Fill it with water so it covers the burnt area and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, turn off the stove and let it cool off before dumping it into the sink. At this point, you should be able to get all the gunk off with a gentle scrubbing and rinse.
DIY a Cleaner for Miscellaneous Surfaces
For a lemon-infused all-purpose cleaner, combine one part white vinegar, one part water, a lemon rind and rosemary sprigs and pour everything into a spray bottle. Let the mixture infuse for a week before using. However, avoid using lemons and lemon-based cleaners on surfaces like natural stone, wood, electronics and upholstery as the natural acidic properties have the potential to leave them damaged.
RELATED: The Best All-Purpose Cleaners
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