Oh, the lemon, the most noble and acidic of all citrus fruits. Not only are you the very definition of sour, but you’re the one with the most bite — that take-no-prisoners sour attitude has brought you high esteem in the world of man. We need you more than ever and not just to aid our lemonades or garnish our food, but to clean our houses! Here are a couple unexpected yet powerful ways you can use lemons to deal with everyday stains.
Remove Water Stains from Dishware
Take a lemon, cut it in half, and rub it directly on the stains. You could also use lemon juice and a sponge to try and scrub them out — it’s nature’s soap!
Make a Refrigerator Smell Lemon Fresh
Soak a sponge in lemon juice, put it on a plate, and leave it in the fridge. The power of lemon will waft gently in every nook and cranny, turning must into zest. Lemon really is the best.
Steam Clean a Microwave
Fill a bowl with half sliced lemons and half water. Microwave it for four minutes, and then let it sit for another four minutes. The citrus steam will loosen food splatters and let you easily wipe it away. And, it smells great!
Remove Rust
Create a paste of one part lemon juice and two parts salt. Scrub the paste into the rust affected area, and then rinse. It should burn that sucker right off.
Clean Mirrors and Windows
Mix two parts lemon juice with one part lemon juice. Add some hot (but not boiling) water, stir, and pour into a spray bottle. Squirt on mirrors, windows, or add even more lemon/vinegar to the mix to deal with grout grime.
Clean a Dishwasher
Place lemon juice into a mug, put it in the bottom rack, and make the dishwasher go for a rinse cycle. The lemon juice will evaporate and the fresh-smelling and invigorating vapors will be sure to dissipate all those messy food particles.
Remove Stains from a Chopping Board
Sprinkle salt onto the chopping board, and then scrub the surface with the juicy end of a cut lemon. Squeeze it a little bit, and let the lemon-salt scrub work its magic. Keep scrubbing for a five minutes, let it sit, and then rinse.
Clean Pots and Pans
These sure are a pain! Luckily, our yellow friend, a lot of salt, and a bit of steel wool can do the job. Use the lemon and salt to melt and scratch away at the grimy residue, and then finish it off with the steel wool. Buff with a clean cloth to make it sparkle.
Remove Limescale from Kettles
Fill the kettle with water and throw in a few cut lemons. Turn on the stove, let it come to a boil, turn the stove off, and then let it sit overnight. Boil it again in the morning, rinse it, and your kettle is good to go. Make some tea (and don’t forget to add a little bit of lemon and honey!)
Oh lemons… where would we be without you? Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
