They are great at breaking down stains and grime buildup, making your cleaning routine so much simpler
But why is that?
There are 3 key components in lemons that make them so powerful
- Citric Acid: Dissolve hard water stain, break down stains and grime
- Lemon Oil: A potent anti bacterial agent that create prevent bacterial growth
- D-Limonene: Dissolves and break down grease, making it easy to clean.
In today’s post, i am going to share with you how you can combine lemon and other easily obtainable ingredients to create powerful cleaning agent so you’ll save money and elbow grease!
1. Remove Hard Water Stains
Hard water are basically dissolved calcium and magnesium in higher concentration.
They stain your sink, faucet shower glass and shower head and cannot be removed with soap and regular cleaner
Wrap in towel paper so that the lemon gets to soak entirely on the faucet.
Soak the towel in lemon juice and white vinegar if you have some for 10-30 minutes.
Remove the toilet paper and start scrubbing at the remaining minerals and rinse off.
To make your faucet really shine, use some baby oil on your faucet.
2. Create Your All Purpose Spray
Don’t throw away your lemon peels, they can be made into a natural cleaner that’s effective and have a great fragrance.
Here’s how you can make one:
You’ll need as much lemon peels as possible, 1 glass jar with lid and a bottle of white vinegar
- Fill the glass jar halfway full with the lemon peels
- Fill the jar to the brim with white vinegar and cover the lid
- Store the solution in a dark place for 3 weeks
- Strain the peels and keep the store the citrus cleaner.
Combine equal parts of citrus cleaner and water into a spray bottle for your all purpose spray.
How to use this spray?
- Hard water removal: Spray and let it sit for 10-20 minutes before scrubbing with an old toothbrush
- Deodorize: Spray on cutting board, washing machine and inside the dishwasher
- Clean Surfaces: Wipe kitchen counter, sink, bathtub, inside the fridge
- Disinfecting: When disinfecting, allow the spray to sit for at least 5 minutes before wiping up.
3. Make Some Natural Toilet Bombs
Here’s is a recipe that’ll simplify your toilet cleaning routine.
No more holding your breath each time you can clean the bathroom!
Here’s what you’ll need for the natural toilet cleaner:
- 1 cup of Baking soda
- Quarter Cup Citric Acid
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 30 Drops of essential oil
- 1 Tbsp hydrogen peroxide
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
Here are the steps to make them:
- Add a cup of baking soda, 2 tbsp of lemon and quarter cup of citric acid into the large bowl and start whisking.
- Add 30 drops of tea tree oil and 1 tbsp hydrogen peroxide into the small bowl and combine
- Transfer the content in the small bowl over to the large one and whisk slowly, to prevent too much foaming.
- At this point, you should test if the mixture is of the right moisture. If the mixture does not hold its shape, add more baking soda and if it’s too dry, add more hydrogen peroxide.
- If the moisture is right, add the mixture into a silicone mould or ice cube making mould and leave it to dry uncovered for 12 hrs.
- Store in a cool, dry place for future use.
We recommend to drop a toilet bomb into the bowl and let is soak overnight before flushing it the next day.
Your toilet bowl will be freshen up, disinfected and you’ll tell the difference.
4. Easy Toilet Cleaner
Because lemon is a great stain remover and deodorizer, pairing lemon juice with borax is a great way to make yourself a powerful toilet cleaner.
To make this, combine 1/2 cup Borax with half a lemon, pour into the toilet bowl and let it sit for awhile before scrubbing with a brush.
This is an inexpensive recipes that smells great, non-toxic and it gives your toilet bowl that sparkling white finish.
5. Eliminate Soap Scums
Here’s how to remove the unsightly and impossible to remove white layer that covers your shower tub, shower glass and bath tiles.
Combine 1 tbsp of dawn dish soap with the juice of 1 lemon and some water.
Dip a sponge or scour pad into the mixture and apply it onto your shower glass while scrubbing simultaneously.
Let it sit for 30 minutes before scrubbing with a sponge.
Rinse with warm water and leave it to dry.
This works on shower glass, tiles and mirror with soap stains.
Tired of regular squeegee that leaves streaks of water behind that is not comfortable to hold?
With this all in purpose squeegee, streak almost never happens because of it’s innovative design that uses only the best materials.
6. Deodorize & Disinfect Wooden Utensils & Board
Have wooden cutting board or utensils that have started to smell despite being cleaned?
Here’s what you can do
Prepare half a lemon, coarse salt, bench warm water, dry cloth then follow the 4 simple steps below:
- Sprinkle the coarse salt evenly on the wood surface
- Squeeze the lemon slightly as you use it like a brush to scrub the cutting board or utensils.
- Leave it to sit for 6 minutes before rinsing off with warm water and dry clean
This method is safe for deep cleaning and disinfecting without toxic chemical hence, keeping your food safe.
7. Descale Your Kettle
If you are affected by hard water stains then chances are your kettle has calcium deposit at the base and they look eeky.
Simply add 2 tbsp of lemon juice and vinegar into half a litre of water before leaving it to boil.
Pour out the mixture and boil again with plain water to get a clean and descaled kettle.
8. Clean Your Coffee Maker
After extended use, your coffee maker needs a cleanse to get fresher, cleaner brew.
The good news is that it only takes 5 minutes!
Start by running a cycle with just water to flush out the coffee residues.
Next, add a cup of lemon juice and a cup of water into the pot turn on the coffee maker to let the mixture run through
After the brew cycle is completed, flush the coffeemaker 2 more times with plain water to remove any remaining residue and lemon juice before use.
9. Remove Strong Smells On Your Hands
You’ve probably have garlic or onion smell on your hands that never seems to go away.
No worries! Squeeze some lemon juice and add some baking soda to your hands and rub them together.
Rinse with water and the smell should quickly disappear
10. Polish Your Brass
Have your brass lost their shininess?
Here’s what you can do to get it sparkling again.
You’ll need:
- Half a lemon
- 1 tsp of baking soda
Here are the steps:
- Squeeze the lemon into a small bowl and combine 1 tsp of baking soda.
- It should fizz up and form a nice smelling paste.
- Apply the paste onto the brass and rub with a cloth until it starts to shine
- Rinse the paste off and dry with a dry towel.
This should make your brass decor stand out again
11. Freshen Up Your Fridge
Is there a bad odor coming out of your refrigerator?
Ensure that you’ve thrown out the source of the odor then, grab a lemon.
Dab lemon juice onto a cotton ball or a nice clean sponge and leave it in different sections of the fridge overnight
Tip: Place them near the vents to help clean out the bad smell faster
12. Remove Plastic Stain
Plastic food containers can retain stain and food smells and are almost impossible to remove.
Simply Squeeze some lemon juice and add baking soda into the plastic container and let it sit for 5 minutes before flushing with water.
These 2 ingredients work together to break down stains, grease and odor quickly so you’ll be able to reuse your containers.
13. Freshen Up Your Bathroom
Grab a lemon, cut it into half and stick cloves into the flesh.
Leave this on the toilet and it will remove any odor present while giving your bathroom a fresh lemony smell.
14. Makes a Bleach Substitute
Bleach is a powerful cleaning and disinfecting agent, but, it is not safe for the human body and can cause environmental damage.
Here’s a safer alternative that you can make with lemons.
You’ll need these ingredients:
- 0.75 gallon of water
- half cup of lemon juice
- 1 cup hydrogen peroxide
- Large Glass Jar
Combine all the ingredients into a large glass jar and stir.
How to use?
- For laundries, add 2.5 cups of the mixture to each laundry load and you’ll get bright and fresh looking clothes and towel.
- For removal of mold and mildew, Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spray liberally over the affected area.
15. Clean Out Your Microwave Oven
Want to get your microwave oven fresh and clean with no scrubbing or harsh chemicals?
All you need are 2-4 lemon slices, 2 tbsp of white vinegar and some water!
Add, 2 tbsp of white vinegar, a cup of water and 2-4 slices of lemon into a microwave safe bowl.
Place the bowl into the microwave oven and choose the high setting to cook for 4 minutes.
After it sit in the microwave oven for another 4 minutes before wiping clean with a damp cloth.
You’ll notice that the grimes and stain has come off pretty effortlessly, leaving the microwave oven’s interior bright and clean.
16. Make Your Glass Surfaces Sparkle
Do you have cloudy dull looking glass that you want to beautify but don’t know how to clean?
Here’s a natural glass cleaner spray that you can make with lemon.
You’ll need:
- Half cup of Rubbing Alcohol
- 1/2 teaspoon dawn dish soap
- 4 Tbsp of Lemon Juice
You will want to combine all 3 ingredients into a spray bottle and fill the rest with regular water.
Spray, the glass with the glass cleaner you’ve made and wipe dry with a microfiber cloth or newspaper.
17. Freshen Up Your Carpet
You can freshen up your carpet simply with just 2 ingredients!
Combine 3 tbsp of lemon juice with a cup of baking soda then spread the mixture over your carpet.
Ensure that the mixture isn’t too wet or it’ll take a long time to dry.
Leave the mixture to dry overnight so that you can vacuum it up the next day
18. Neutralize Odor in Cat Box
Is your cat box making the room smell? It probably does!
Here’s what you can do:
Cut up 6-8 slices of lemon and place them into a bowl. Then, place the bowl into the room where the box is.
The odor will disappear leaving a fresh lemony smell.
19. Freshen up The Trash Can
If you garbage can is starting to smell and you can’t seem to get rid of the stench even after cleaning it then it’s time for lemons!
Simply squirt a tbsp worth of lemon juice and add 2 tbsp of baking soda into the disposal opening, allowing it to sit for 15-20 minutes before flushing with water.
This may be used for deodorizing new trash can with terrible odor.
20. Whiten Grout Line
Did you know that you can use lemon to whiten your grout line?
With a little help of dawn dish soap, these duo makes for the perfect grout whitener!
Squeeze some lemon onto the grout line and add 2 drops of dawn dish soap and start scrubbing.
I scrubbed for about a minute and the grout line seems to already whiten.
I wipe it down with a clean cloth and my grout line is shiny white!
I did this on a small area just to demonstrate the power of these 2 ingredients and so you can see the difference it made.
21. Make a Natural Dishwasher Detergent
Are you searching for an alternative to regular dishwasher detergent?
Then, I’ve got a recipe for you
This lemon made dishwasher detergent uses natural ingredients that are both effective and safe.
Here’s what you will need:
- 5 small lemons (Remove All seeds)
- a cup of salt
- 8 Tbsp of White Vinegar
- 4 cups of water
Follow the steps below to get your natural dishwasher:
- Dice the lemons into thick pieces.
- Boil the lemons with 2 cups of water gently for 15-25 minutes until it becomes slightly thick.
- Add the cooked mixture and 2 cups of water to blend until smooth.
- Filter out the rinds and pulps
- Add a cup of salt and 8 tbsp of white vinegar to the filtered mixture and stir
- Boil the mixture for another 20 minutes on slow head and you should end up with a starchy liquid like mixture
- Pour the final mixture into a glass jar to store for future use.
Whenever you run the dishwasher, add 4 tablespoon of the detergent into the dispenser and run on high temperature wash.
This mixture is a powerful grease remover, antibacterial agent and helps to dissolve mineral deposits for a fresh and clean smelling dishwasher.
