Lemons are great for cleaning.
Did you know that lemons are great for eco-friendly cleaning? Due to their low pH and citric acid content, lemons are fabulous at safely bleaching, disinfecting, removing soap scum, eliminating hard water stains, and more! In fact, many cleaning manufacturers know this and often employ citric acid and/or lemon essential oil, which has antiseptic, antimicrobial, and bactericidal properties, in their formulations. But you can easily whip-up your own green cleaning recipes with lemons and lemon essential oil at home and save some cash while you’re at it!
I especially love using lemon juice in this easy-to-make, all-purpose citrus vinegar spray. You can clean your whole your kitchen and bathroom with it and its uplifting scent makes cleaning so much more pleasant! In the kitchen, the spray’s citrus juice and vinegar combo powers through grease on cook tops, removes hard water stains from faucet fixtures, deodorizes trashcans, and kills viruses and bacteria on counter tops, including E-coli and the Human Influenza A/H1N1 virus. In the bathroom, it zaps mold and mildew and removes soap scum from tile and shower doors. It’s also useful for removing rust stains, so if you’ve got a spot from leaving a wet razor out, for example, it will take care of it. (By the way, add a little salt to the spot if the first treatment with the spray doesn’t work on its own.)
Lemon juice is also heavenly when combined with a little baking soda to create an easy scrub in the kitchen that will naturally bleach and disinfect your sink without the need for using toxic, chlorine bleach cleansers. You can also use lemon essential oil, which is a top essential oil used in green cleaning, to create a non-toxic powdered or creamy scrub cleanser that you can store under your sink, such as this do-it-yourself Aromatherapy Cleanser and Earth Friendly Disinfecting Cream Cleanser.
For some more great ways to use lemons to clean, check out my About.com article, “10 Bright Ways to Use Lemons to Green Clean” and enjoy using this safe, non-toxic ingredient for your cleaning needs.
How do you use lemons to clean?
Caution: Don’t use lemon juice or vinegar on delicate, porous stone surfaces, such as marble, because the citric and acetic acids may etch and dull the surface. Always test your cleaning formulations in an inconspicuous area first if you aren’t sure!
Other Articles About Lemons You May Be Interested In:
- 5 Bright Ways to Brighten Your Beauty Care Routine With Lemons
- 5 Reasons to Add Lemon Water to Your Wellness Routine
Copyright © Karen Peltier and Well Gal, 2013 – 2018. All rights reserved.
Photo © Karen Peltier and Well Gal, 2013 – 2018.