Planet friendly home cleaning tips – Use Of Lemons Edition – Cleaner Honiton, Sidmouth, Cullompton- Country Cleaners

Are you Looking to use more environmentally friendly products instead of harmful chemicals?

Lemons could be the environmentally friendly tool you are looking for!

Lemons contain about 50 milligrams of vitamin C, which is over half the amount of vitamin C needed in your daily diet.

Lemons help support heart health, help control weight, prevent kidney stones, improve digestive health and are good for cooking too!

Vitamin C is an antioxidant, which helps protect cells from damage.

Lemons have many great uses but did you know lemons have been used for cleaning for many years?

Lemons are acidic creating a natural antibacterial and antiseptic. Lemon juice is one of the best cleaners due to its low pH and antibacterial properties.

Not only do lemons carry a pleasant smell, but it’s also acidic which is great to lift tough stains and the oils help create a sparkling shine.

Though lemon juice is great for cleaning and has antibacterial qualities, it is not a disinfectant.

Remember never to use lemons on granite or marble as the acidity can damage the surfaces.

Lemons are a great tool for cleaning and are one of the cheapest cleaning agents you can buy! And let’s be honest, we are all looking for ways to save money in this cost of living crisis.

According to a Statistica– study the average UK household spends anywhere between £2.10 and £3.20 a week on cleaning products. Now that may not sound like a lot, however across the course of a year, you could be spending as much as £166 in a year.

So what can we do about this and how can we save ourselves some money as well as protecting ourselves and the environment?

Well, we can create our own products saving us money on the product and the packaging too!

Some cleaning agents can contain harmful chemicals and we feel where possible natural cleaning agents are always the better option

Let me tell you some handy uses for lemons whilst cleaning..

Cleaning the Microwave

Cleaning the microwave is often one of those jobs people dislike doing, but with this handy trick you can let the microwave clean itself!

Ingredients:

Lemon
Water
A microwavable bowl
Cloth

Place half a lemon into a microwaveable bowl and fill halfway up with water.

Put the bowl inside the microwave for 2-3 minutes on a high heat setting.

The oils and acids in the lemon will break down and soften any build-up of grime. Then simply wipe away with a cloth, no scrubbing needed!

Warning! When removing the bowl from the microwave, it may be hot. So please remember to handle with care and never leave microwaves unattended when in use.

Making your Pots Shine

When your pans are too stubborn to clean or they have lost their shine, why not try this handy trick:

Ingredients:

Lemon
Salt
Cloth

Cut a lemon in half and sprinkle some salt into the bottom of your pan. Scrub the pan and salt using the cut side of your lemon. Rinse the residue away under the tap.

Refresh Your Wooden Chopping Boards

When your chopping board starts to look a little tired and a little stained use this cleaning trick.

Ingredients:

Lemon
Salt

Sprinkle salt onto your chopping board and cut a lemon in half. Simply scrub the cut side of the lemon onto the chopping board and salt. Wash away the residue under the tap and your board will be ready to use again.

Let us know what you thought of this handy tip in the comments!

Creating a homemade air freshener.

A natural alternative to air fresher – Lemons!

Ingredients:

Lemon
Your favourite herbs, spice and extracts
Water
A pan

This hack is very simple. Fill a pan with water and add slices of lemon along with your favourite herbs, spices and extracts. Bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer on the stove for an hour, letting your favourite smells fill your home!

Get Rid of That Fridge Odour

Another simple trick is to cut a lemon in half and place it into your fridge. Leave the cut lemon in the fridge for 30 minutes and this should remove the odour.

Refresh and Clean Your Grout

The natural acidity in lemons is great for tackling dirt and discolouration in the grout

Ingredients:

Lemon
Scrubbing cloth
Spray bottle

Spray lemon juice onto the area, and let it sit for 10 minutes before scrubbing away.

Cleaning the Dishwasher

Cleaning the dishwasher has never been so easy .. thanks to lemons!

Ingredients:

Lemon
DIshwasher-safe tub

In a dishwasher-safe tub, squeeze in the lemon juice and pop this inside the dishwasher, you could also throw a few slices in there too! Run the dishwasher as normal and then remove the slices and tubs once the cycle has finished.

Degrease your Pots and Pans

Ingredients:

Lemon
Washing up Liquid
Hot water

Did you know by adding a teaspoon of lemon juice to your washing-up liquid, in your hot soapy bowl of water, will help to degrease your pots and pans!

Removing Rust

Removing rust can always be a tough job, let this hack remove the rust for you!

Ingredients:

Lemon
Salt

To remove rust, mix lemon juice and salt into a paste and apply to the rusted area. Leave for 20 minutes and wash away.

All-purpose Kitchen Cleaner

Traditional all-purpose cleaning products purchased from stores often contain chemicals that can be harmful to the environment & your health, however, you can create your own using lemons! The citric acid within lemon juice helps lift tough stains.

Ingredients:

Lemon
Spray bottle
Water

We recommend mixing water and lemon juice into a spray bottle, this creates a fantastic all-purpose kitchen cleaner with a pleasant smell too!

Cleaning the Windows

When cleaning windows or glass, I think we have all used a product that has left streaks or smears over the window. Who knew there were household items that can clean your windows or glass free from streaks and smears?

Ingredients:

Lemon
Spray bottle
Water
Cloth

To clean the windows combine lemon juice and water into a spray bottle. Spray onto your windows and buff dry with a soft cloth. We recommend using a glass buffing cloth if possible.

Deodorise your Drains

An easy way to keep on top of your drains!

Ingredients:

Lemon
Water

Combine lemon juice and water to help degrease and deodorise your drains. We would suggest doing this weekly however you can do this as often as you like.

De-scale and Clean the Kettle

Ingredients

Lemon
Water

To de-scale the kettle combine 1oz of lemon juice with two cups of water and pour this into the kettle. Bring the kettle to a boil and then leave it to cool. Careful empty the kettle and rinse it out a few times before using it again.

Make your Chrome Shine

Did you know lemons are a great way to shine your taps, showers and other chrome?

Ingredients

Lemon
Soft cloth

Simply cut a lemon in half, and use the cut half, to scrub your chrome. Rinse off and buff dry with a soft dry cloth or a glass cloth if you have one. Lemons not only help to keep your chrome shiny but it also helps to get rid of persistent limescale and soap buildup.

Who knew lemons could have so many uses?

Please note: We would always suggest checking the manufacturer’s guide before using lemons on any items. It is advisable to do a test patch where possible.

There are many more uses for Lemons when it comes to cleaning. You can subscribe to this blog to ensure you never miss cleaning tips in the future.

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