Better Homes & Gardens/Margot Cavin
You don’t need to turn to harsh chemicals to keep your home clean.
Cleaning expertMary Findleyadvises keeping fresh and frozen lemons on hand for all sorts of cleaning chores.
“If you only need a small section of the lemon, quarter the rest and freeze it.
Credit:Better Homes & Gardens/Margot Cavin
Lemons freeze for long periods,” she says.
(Before microwaving a lemon, poke holes in the peel to prevent explosions.)
These are our favorite expert-recommended ways to clean with lemon.
Clean Windows and Glass
Place club soda in a spray bottle and add a teaspoon of lemon juice.
Use distilled water spiked with a splash of lemon juice to create your ownglass cleaning spray.
Lower the heat, let brushes sit for 15 minutes, then wash them with soapy water.
Remove dried paint fromwindow glassby wiping the drips with a soft cloth and hot lemon juice.
When the lemon juice is nearly dry, wipe off the juice and the drips.
Steam-Clean a Microwave
Put a bowl of lemon juice in the microwave and let it boil away.
The juice will mix in with the cycling water to remove hard water spots and iron build up.
Eliminate Laundry Stains
Use lemon toeliminate laundry stainsandwashing machine odors.
Freshly washedtowels smelling musty?
Boil the water, add the tea bags, and let the mix cool.
Put the mixture into a spray bottle with a teaspoon of lemon juice.
Lightly spray the mixture on a microfiber cloth and dust.
Remove stains from plasticware by rinsing them with lemon juice.
Clean Tile Grout
Carefully apply the juice of a lemon to grout lines toremove mold and stains.
Reichert recommends the followinggrout cleaningformula: Mix concentrated lemon juice with borax or baking soda to create a paste.
Sharpen Small Appliances
Pop frozen lemon peels into blenders and coffee grinders to clean the blades.
Turn on the power and let blades whirl.
The lemon oil and juice help to cut the dairy fat and break up any of those proteins.
Clean Bathroom Fixtures
Rub a cut lemon on metal shower door frames andbathroom faucetsto remove water spots and stains.
Rinse well and follow-up with a natural cleaner if necessary.
Rub the polish into furniture surfaces using a soft cloth.
Brighten white washables by adding a splash of lemon juice to the rinse cycle.
Clean Wood Cutting Boards
Wood cutting boards are notoriously hard to keep clean because they’re so porous.
They shouldn’t be put in the dishwasher, and you shouldn’t use them to cut raw meat.
But even so, they can become stinky after several uses.
Then, soak the board in hot water and lemon juice before rinsing and drying.
