LEMONS –
GREAT CLEANING TIPS
Forget the cleaning products under your sink. You probably have a
very powerful one right in your fridge: Lemon, which adds such welcome zest to
food and cocktails, is also a mild but highly effective cleaning agent.
What makes lemon
such a powerful cleanser? Its high acid content, which enables the fruit to
work as a powerful antibacterial sanitizer that combats common household
bacteria.
Put a shine
on metal
When it comes to copper, brass and chrome, nix harsh chemical
polishes and instead put some elbow grease behind half a lemon. “Lemons are
highly acidic, which enables them to cut through and loosen mineral deposits,
making them easier to wipe away. For extra oomph, before scrubbing, dip the
fruit half in salt—it will help exfoliate the surface for added shine.
Sanitize
the microwave
The lingering smell of popcorn, pizza and whatever you might have
heated up recently can overwhelm a microwave. Cut a whole lemon into super-thin
slices and put the pieces in a microwavable bowl. Fill the bowl with hot water,
place in the microwave and cook on high for one minute. The citric acid’s
antibacterial properties will kill bacteria while the heat works like a
humidifier to loosen icky, caked-on food. Afterward, wipe the oven with a damp
cloth.
Nix soap
scum in the shower
Instead of tending to the shower tiles, doors and fixtures with an
abrasive chemical treatment, use this homemade natural remedy: Juice six lemons
and pour the contents into a spray bottle. The citric acid will break down hard
water deposits and dissolve filmy soap scum. Also, the antibacterial and
antiseptic properties will sanitize the space.
Hand-wash
dishes
When you run out of dish soap, slice a lemon in half and sprinkle
baking soda on top, working the lemon half like you would a Brillo pad. Watch
as the citric acid cuts, loosens and then dissolves grease, giving your pots
and pans a shiny glow. Oh, and your dishpan hands will smell sweet!
Deodorize
the laundry
It doesn’t take much to combat the odors of work, the gym and the
everyday grind. Adding just one teaspoon of lemon juice to the laundry along
with detergent will provide a fresh, clean scent to socks, undergarments and
other clothing.
Wash the windows
Four tablespoons of lemon juice (either fresh or out of the
bottle) mixed with a half-gallon of water makes an effective window
cleaner—sans chemicals and streaking. The powerful citric acid dissolves dirt,
grime and water stains, leaving your windows sparkling.
Sanitize a
cutting board
Spruce up that kitchen workhorse—the cutting board—by squeezing a
lemon half over the top and letting the juice absorb for 10 minutes. (It soaks
into wood especially well, but this also works on plastic cutting boards.) This
will loosen stains. Next, kill bacteria by using the fruit to scrub the board.
Clean
hard-to-reach places
Make a paste of lemon juice and borax. With a toothbrush, use the
fresh-smelling cleanser to scrub tiles and around drains. This mixture is also
ideal for all those evil nooks and crannies!
