Be it your kitchen, your bathroom, your clothes or many other items in your home, lemon is surely a jack of all trades. Lemon has loads of health benefits, but this bright yellow citrus fruit can turn out to be your best friend when it comes to cleaning.

how to use lemons for cleaning hacks

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Naturally acidic in nature, lemon helps cut through the grime and also imparts a fresh smell to whatever it touches. It is also antibacterial in nature, which means you can keep your home germ-free without burning a hole in your pocket. Another brownie point for lemons!

If you are intrigued by the idea of saving money by replacing costly cleaning products with lemons, read on to learn several hacks to clean your home using lemons.

Contents

Lemon Cleaning Hacks for Your Kitchen

Method 1: Clean a Wooden Cutting Board and Knife

before and after cleaning wooden cutting board and knife

Using lemon, salt and olive oil, you can clean and polish your wood cutting board and knives. This method also works well for cleaning countertops.

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Things you’ll need:

things you'll need for cleaning wooden cutting board and knife

  • Lemon, cut into halves or quarters (cleaning agent) – 1
  • Salt (cleaning agent)
  • Olive oil (natural polish) – 2 teaspoons
  • Water
  • Terry cloth
  • Cotton towel
  • Paper towel

# Clean a Wooden Cutting Board

Step 1. Sprinkle salt on the cutting board

sprinkle salt on cutting board

  • Sprinkle salt generously over the cutting board.

Step 2. Rub the cutting board with lemon

 scrub lemon on cutting board

  • Scour the wood surface with a lemon half. Squeeze the lemon slightly to release the juice while scrubbing.
  • Let it sit for 5 minutes, then wipe it off with a terry cloth.

Step 3. Wipe the cutting board with a wet towel

 wipe with wet towel

  • Wet a cotton towel with water and wipe off any salt and lemon remaining on the board.

Step 4. Prepare the polish using olive oil and lemon

prepare polish with olive oil and lemon

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  • Put 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a bowl.
  • Squeeze the juice from half a lemon into the oil.
  • Stir it well, then transfer the solution to a spray bottle.

Step 5. Spray the polish on the cutting board

 spray polish on cutting board

  • Spray the polish generously on the wood cutting board.
  • Wipe off any excess polish with a paper towel.

# Clean a Knife

Step 1. Scrub the knife blade with lemon and salt

rub knife with lemon and salt

  • Dip the pulpy side of half a lemon in salt.
  • Scrub the blade of your knife with the lemon, squeezing it gently to release the juice.

Step 2. Wipe clean and polish

wipe and polish knife

  • Wait 5 minutes, then wipe off the lemon and salt with a wet towel.
  • Spray the polish on the knife and wipe it with a paper towel.

final cleaning wooden cutting board and knife

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Method 2: Fruit and Vegetable Cleaner

Things you’ll need:

things you'll need for cleaning fruits and vegetables

  • Lemon juice (cleaning agent) – 2 tablespoons
  • Water – 1 cup
  • Paper towels

Step 1. Prepare the cleaning solution

 prepare cleaning solution

  • Pour 2 tablespoons of lemon juice into a spray bottle.
  • Add 1 cup of water to the lemon juice.
  • Close the spray bottle and shake it well to mix the ingredients.

Step 2. Spray the lemon solution on your fruits and vegetables

 spray lemon solution on fruits and vegetables

  • Spray the lemon cleaner generously over your fruits and vegetables.

Step 3. Wipe them with paper towels

wipe with paper towels

  • Wipe the fruits and vegetables with paper towels to remove any dirt and soak up any excess cleaning solution.

Method 3: Remove Odor from the Refrigerator

If cleaning your refrigerator is not enough to make it smell fresh, tackle the stale odor with lemon.

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Single-Step Method: Place lemon slices in the refrigerator

deodorize refrigerator with lemon

  • Place 3 or 4 lemon slices in your refrigerator. Remember, the bigger your refrigerator, the more lemons you’ll need.
  • Leave them for 1 to 2 hours, and your refrigerator will smell lemony fresh.

Method 4: Clean the Microwave

In addition to cleaning the microwave, you can use this method similarly to clean other kitchen appliances like your coffee maker, dishwasher or oven.

Step 1. Squeeze lemon juice into a bowl of water

put lemon juice in water

  • Fill a microwave-safe bowl with water.
  • Cut 2 lemons (or 3 small ones) into halves.
  • Squeeze all the juice out of the lemons into the water.
  • Do not throw away the peels. Put them in the bowl as well.

Step 2. Heat the lemon water in the microwave, then wipe it clean

heat lemon juice water in microwave

  • Place the bowl of lemon-water in your microwave and close the door.
  • Set the microwave on medium heat for 7 minutes and turn it on.
  • Once the timer goes off, let it sit for an additional minute so that the vapors can condense on all the surfaces, thus loosening the dried and sticky grime.
  • Carefully remove the bowl after a minute. Remember to wear oven mitts to avoid burning your hand.
  • Wipe off the loosened grime with a kitchen towel.

Method 5: Clean Stainless Steel Cookware

before and after cleaning stainless steel cookware

Lemon can make cleaning burnt stainless steel cookware easy.

Things you’ll need:

things you'll need for cleaning stainless steel cookware

  • Lemon (cleaning agent) – 1
  • Water – 1 cup
  • Burnt stainless steel pan

Step 1. Pour water and lemon juice into a pan

pour water and baking soda into the pan

  • Pour 1 cup of water into the dirty pan.
  • Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into the pan.

Step 2. Bring the water to a boil

bring it to boil

  • Boil the lemon water for 3 to 4 minutes or until you notice the burnt residue coming off the pan.
  • Remove it from the heat.

Step 3. Scrub off the residue with the lemon peel

scrub off the residue with lemon peel

  • Pour out the lemon water and scrub the remaining residue off the pan with the lemon peel.
  • Finish by washing and rinsing the pan with regular dish soap and water.

finalcleaning stainless steel cookware

Method 6: Clean Brassware

before and after cleaning brassware

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You can also clean and shine your brassware with the help of lemons.

Things you’ll need:

things you'll need for cleaning brassware

  • Water
  • Lemon (Stain-removal agent)
  • Table salt (Stain-removal agent)

Step 1. Scrub the brass item with lemon and salt

scrub brass with lemon and salt

  • Dip the cut side of half a lemon into salt.
  • Scrub your brassware with the salted lemon until it shines.
  • You can also use a nailbrush or toothbrush to clean the crannies.

Step 2. Rinse the brassware with water

rinse and dry the brass

  • Rinse the brass item with plain water to remove the grime along with the lemon and salt residue.
  • Dry the item thoroughly with a kitchen towel.

Method 7: Refresh Wood Utensils and Bowls

Single-Step Method: Rub the utensils and bowls with a cut lemon

rub lemon on wooden bowl

  • Clean the utensils and bowls with regular dish soap before applying lemon.
  • Cut a lemon into halves or quarters. Rub the wood utensils and bowls with the inner part of the lemon, slightly squeezing it to release its juice.
  • Do not rinse the utensils or bowls. The lemon will remove the odor from them as it dries.

final refresh wood

Lemon Cleaning Hacks for Your Bathroom

Method 1: Remove Soap Scum

before and after removing soap scum

Lemon will help break down the soap scum as well as bacteria accumulated in it. Remember to wear cleaning gloves to avoid skin contact with any bacteria.

Things you’ll need:

things you'll need for removing soap scum

  • Lemon juice or lemon slices (Stain-removal agent)
  • Cotton towel
  • Old toothbrush

Step 1. Spray lemon juice on the soap scum

spray lemon juice on soap scum

  • Generously spray lemon juice on the bathroom fixture that needs cleaning.

Step 2. Scrub the fixture with a toothbrush

scrub with toothbrush

  • Scrub the surface thoroughly with an old toothbrush.

Step 3. Wipe off the loosened grime

wipe loosened grime

  • Wipe off the loosened grime with a clean, dry towel.
  • Clean your bathroom fixtures and tiles once a week to maintain good hygiene.

Method 2: Remove Rust Stains

before and after removing rust stains

Things you’ll need:

things you'll need for removing rust stains

  • Lemon juice or lemon slices (Stain-removal agent)
  • Terry cloth
  • Old toothbrush

Step 1. Spray lemon juice on the stain

spray lemon juice on stain

  • Spray lemon juice on the rust stain and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Step 2. Scrub the stain with the toothbrush, then wipe it clean

scrub with toothbrushand wipe clean

  • Scrub the stain firmly with an old toothbrush.
  • Wipe off the loosened rust with a clean towel.

final remove rust stains

Method 3: Remove Stains from Grout

before and after removing stains from grout

Keeping tiles clean is a tad bit easier than keeping those grouts white, but you can easily restore your tile grouts with lemon.

Things you’ll need:

things you'll need for removing stains from grout

  • Lemon juice (stain-removal agent)
  • Water
  • Old toothbrush
  • Terry cloth

Step 1. Use a toothbrush to scrub the lemon juice on the grout lines

scrub lemon juice on tile grout with toothbrush

  • Pour lemon juice on the grout and let it sit for 10 minutes.
  • The quantity will vary according to the surface area. The juice should be sufficient to wet the grout completely. You can also use half a lemon and rub the inner flesh directly on the grout.
  • Scour the grout with an old toothbrush.
  • Wipe off the loosened dirt with a terry cloth.

Step 2. Rinse the surface with water

rinse with water

  • Rinse the cleaned grout with water.
  • Wipe the surface with the terry cloth.

final remove staine from grout with lemon

Method 4: Lemon Juice and Dish Soap for Stubborn Stains

Things you’ll need:

things you'll need to make lemon dish soap mix

  • Lemon juice (stain-removal agent) – 2 tablespoons
  • Liquid dish soap (cleaning agent) – 1 tablespoon

Single-Step Treatment: Mix lemon juice and dish soap together

pout lemon juice, and dish soap in a jar

  • Pour 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice into a jar.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap to the lemon juice.
  • Stir the solution.
  • Apply it on the stain and scrub it with a sponge.
  • Rinse the area with water to wash away the stain and cleaning solution.
  • Put the lid on the jar to store the solution for future use.

final lemon juice dish soap for stubborn stains

Method 5: Remove Hard Water Stains on Metal Fixtures

before and after removing hard water stains

Things you’ll need:

things you'll need for removing hard water stains

  • Lemon juice, freshly squeezed (stain-removal agent)
  • Spray bottle
  • Old toothbrush
  • Towel

Step 1. Spray lemon juice on the hard water stain

spray lemon juice on hard water stain

  • Squirt fresh lemon juice on the stained faucet. Alternatively, you can also cut a lemon in half and rub it directly on the faucet.

Step 2. Scrub the faucet and wipe it clean

scrub the faucet and wipe clean

final removing hard water stain with lemon

Lemon Cleaning Hacks for around Your Home

Method 1: Homemade Glass Cleaner

Lemon can be used to make a chemical free glass cleaner to keep the glass doors and windows of your house sparkling.

Things you’ll need:

things you'll need for homemade glass cleaner

  • Lemon juice, freshly squeezed (stain-removal agent) – 2 tablespoons
  • Liquid dish soap (cleaning agent) – ¼ teaspoon
  • Rubbing alcohol (cleaning agent)– ½ cup
  • Water

Step 1. Put lemon juice, dish soap and rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle

put rubbing alcohol, dish soap and lemon juice in a spray bottle

  • Pour 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice into a spray bottle.
  • Add ¼ teaspoon of liquid dish soap and ½ cup of rubbing alcohol.

Step 2. Fill the bottle with water and use

fill bottle with water and use

  • Fill rest of the spray bottle with water.
  • Put the cap on and shake it well to mix all the ingredients.
  • Spray the solution on the dirty glass.
  • Wipe it off with a clean cotton towel.

Method 2: Deodorize a Humidifier

Single-Step Method: Add lemon juice to the water in the humidifier

add lemon juice to the water in the dehumidifier

  • Pour 3 to 4 teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice into the water of the humidifier.
  • Repeat every few weeks to keep the funky smell at bay.

Method 3: Remove Antiperspirant Stains

before after removing antiperspirant stains

Lemon juice can also be used to get rid of deodorant and antiperspirant stains from fabric.

Things you’ll need:

things you'll need for removing antiperspirant stains

  • Lemon juice (color-safe natural bleaching agent)
  • Table salt (stain-removal agent)
  • Cleaning brush
  • Water

Step 1. Soak the stained clothing in lemon juice

coat the stained area with lemon juice

  • Soak the stained areas of your garment in lemon juice.
  • Leave it out in the sun for 15 minutes.

Step 2. Sprinkle salt on the stains and scrub with a cleaning brush

sprinkle salt and gently scrub the stain

  • Sprinkle some table salt over the stains.
  • Rub the salt gently into the stains, using a cleaning brush. This will help work the lemon juice deeper into the stained areas.

Step 3. Rinse with water and dry it out in the sun

wash in normal water and dry in sun

  • Rinse the garment with water.
  • Dry it out in the sun. Doing this enhances the bleaching effect of the lemon juice.

final antiperspirant stain removal with lemon juice

Method 4: Polish Furniture

Things you’ll need:

things you'll need for furniture polish

  • Lemon juice (cleaning agent)– 1 part
  • Olive oil (polishing agent) – 2 parts

Step 1. Combine lemon juice and olive oil in a spray bottle

combine lemon juice and olive oil

  • Mix 1 part lemon juice with 2 parts olive oil in a spray bottle.
  • Put the cap on and shake it well to mix the ingredients.

Step 2. Use the solution to polish your furniture

final furniture polish

  • Squirt some of the solution on the furniture you want to polish.
  • Wipe the furniture with a clean cloth and let it air-dry.

All-Purpose Lemon Cleaner

You can make your own all-purpose cleaner instead of buying chemical cleaners. It is pretty easy to make and also safe to use on a regular basis.

This all-purpose cleaner also contains baking soda and white vinegar. While baking soda works great as a stain remover and deodorizer, vinegar is also a degreasing cleaning agent.

Things you’ll need:

things you'll need for all purpose cleaner

  • Lemon juice, freshly squeezed (cleaning agent) – 1 tablespoon
  • Baking soda (cleaning agent) – 1 teaspoon
  • White vinegar (cleaning agent) – 1 teaspoon
  • Hot water – 1 cup

Step 1. Add lemon juice, vinegar and baking soda to hot water

add lemon juice, vinegar and baking soda to hot water

  • Pour 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice into 1 cup of hot water.
  • Add 1 teaspoon each of vinegar and baking soda.
  • Sit the ingredients and allow the water to cool down.

Step 2. Transfer the solution to a spray bottle and use

transfer the solution to a spray bottle

  • Carefully transfer the solution to a spray bottle.
  • Your lemon based all-purpose cleaner is ready. Use it as you would use a regular cleaner.

Tips

  • Lemon juice and salt can also be used to clean stubborn stuck-on food off dishes.
  • If you need to get rid of a foul smell on your hands, rub lemon peels on them.
  • Lemon and salt can also remove mineral deposits and mildew from shower curtains. First, soak the curtain in salt water for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the water and rub the stains with a cut piece of lemon. Rinse it with water and hang it up to dry.
  • Clean your kitchen sink by making a paste of lemon juice and salt. Apply it all over the sink and scrub it with a brush, then rinse the sink with water.
  • Add few drops of lemon oil to the dust cup of your vacuum cleaner to freshen it up.
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