There are a wide variety of ways you can start using lemons for cleaning. The acidity of lemons makes them a great all-natural cleaner. Keep them on hand for a variety of tasks, especially if you are trying to eliminate chemicals from your cleaning routine. Be sure to test any of the methods on an inconspicuous area before going over the entire surface. Also, any surface that has been cleaned with lemons should be rinsed well with water prior to use. Do not clean brass-plated, marble and granite items with lemon. Lemon juice can act as a natural bleach in some cases, so be cautious!
Start by trying a lemon to clean your wooden cutting board. Use diluted or full-strength lemon juice on stubborn stains. You can also scour the entire surface with coarse salt and a half of a lemon. You will be surprised at how much grime this scouring action will lift from the surface. Freshen up all of your wood cutting boards with this method.
Speaking of wood, you can make a great all-natural furniture polish with lemon as well. Just combine 1 cup of olive oil with 1/2 cup of lemon juice and mix well. This will restore your wood and remove rings in many cases. Use a squirt bottle to apply to a microfiber cloth and go with the grain when polishing.
Need help with your pots and pans? Yes, a lemon can help you there as well. Try using half of a lemon sprinkled with baking soda. This makes an excellent scrubber for pots and pans. Scour off a variety of messes and restore your pots and pans with the all-natural cleaning power of lemons. Please note that you can expect some foaming anytime you mix baking soda and lemons.
You can also try lemons for cleaning up the grout on tile around your home. Mix a paste of lemon juice and cream of tartar, then use it to scrub along your grout lines. This will naturally bleach away any grout stains and leave you with white grout lines. Both lemons and cream of tartar are natural bleaching agents, so their combined power is incredible.
Do you have some messy spills on your stovetop or in your oven? Just mix a paste of lemon juice, water and baking soda. Apply it to stubborn stains, allow it to sit a few minutes, then scrub away. Remember that anytime you mix baking soda and lemon juice, you can expect some foaming. These ideas for using lemons in cleaning will help you eliminate harmful chemicals from your home and still keep it clean. You should also try these other DIY cleaning recipes around your home.