7 Ways To Use Lemon When Cleaning Your Home

Discover the power of lemon as a natural cleaning agent.

With bright green lawns, sunnier days on the horizon, and fresh flowers in pots, it’s clear that spring has sprung. For many of us, spring also signals that it’s cleaning time. We begin to shake off the winter blues, spruce up neglected areas, and pull out the cleaning products and tools with the goal of a fresh start in our spaces.

Before pulling out all the cleaning chemicals and products, consider the all-natural cleaning ingredients readily available in your home, pantry, or fruit bowl. Not only is using all-natural ingredients economically friendly, but it’s also ecologically friendly.

Meet The Expert

• Katie Dills is the Brand President for The Cleaning Authority.

“Environmentally responsible cleaning products are non-toxic, and sustainable, meaning they have less impact on the environment,” explains Mount Airy, Maryland-based Katie Dills, the Brand President for The Cleaning Authority. Using all-natural ingredients when cleaning ensures safety for yourself and others.

“Other chemical cleaning products may contain harsher, toxic ingredients that may not be safe for you, your family, or your pets,” she says. The good news is that many all-natural cleaning items are under your kitchen or bathroom sink. “Items like vinegar, baking soda, and lemon can be used in a variety of different cleaning solutions that you can easily make at home,” she says. Lemon is one of these items.

Before you throw out that slightly soft lemon, consider using it for cleaning, or better yet, purchase an entire bag of lemons and put this all-natural cleaning agent to work for you during your spring cleaning routines. Here are the best ways to use lemon as a cleaning and deodorizing agent for your home.

Clean Your Microwave

Using lemon to clean your microwave is as simple as grabbing a mug, a lemon wedge (or a few lemon juice drops), and water. Simply mix the lemon and water in the mug, then microwave the mug and mixture for a couple of minutes. Once the lemon water has warmed, allow the mug to stand in the microwave for a few more minutes while the inside walls collect steam. After a few minutes, open the door and wipe the inside tops, bottom, and sides down with a clean cloth. The steam created from the heated lemon water loosens the debris, and the lemon creates a clean, fresh scent throughout.

Freshen Bed Linens

If your spring cleaning routine involves tackling the bed linens, consider adding lemon juice to this process to keep them fresh. “Take a ½ cup of lemon juice and hot water to soak the sheets before running through the washer machine with detergent to keep it fresh and remaining white,” explains Dills.

Eliminate Food Smells

Many of us have experienced the bothersome odor of lingering food smells after cooking a homemade meal. A quick and simple way to tackle the leftover odor is to use a mixture of lemon and water to spritz in the kitchen. “Mix a few drops of lemon with water and spray throughout the kitchen,” explains Dills. Just be sure that if any surfaces in your kitchen are made of marble, you avoid using lemon on them. “Lemons contain a high amount of citric acid, so when lemon juice touches marble countertops, it quickly starts to eat away at the surface,” explains Dills.

Deodorize Your Drain

Using slices of lemon is an easy trick for keeping the blades of an in-sink garbage disposal clear of debris and grime and creating a fresh scent in the sink area. “Running a couple of lemon rinds through the garbage disposal will eliminate any odors coming from the sink,” says Dills. Just slice up pieces of lemon, place them in the garbage disposal, and turn it on. Cleaning the disposal with a lemon is a great way to use a slightly soft, overripe lemon that you otherwise wouldn’t use when cooking.

Clean Your Cutting Board

When used often, cutting boards can begin to wear out over time and may even start to emit an odor. If this is the case with your board, Dills suggests cleaning it with salt and lemon. Begin with ⅓ cup of salt sprinkled all over the board. “Let it sit for 10 minutes, and then take half of a lemon and gently scrub the salt into the board,” she says. Finish the process by rinsing the board with hot water to clean the materials off, then allow it to air dry.

Remove Stains From Clothing

If you have a tough stain, grab the lemon. “Lemon can also be useful to remove tough stains from clothing,” says Dills. A stain such as pasta sauce on clothing can be loosened with the use of lemon. She suggests blotting the stain with a clean cloth soaked in cold water. Next, use a slice of lemon and gently run into the stain. “Once the splatter appears to be mostly gone, pour a generous amount of water to cover the area and blot again with a clean cloth.”

Deodorize the Food Areas

The trash can, and the refrigerator can potentially accumulate more odors than any other items in a home. Because it’s the place that holds our food and food scraps, both can sometimes tend to emit unpleasant odors. Along with keeping the trash can and refrigerator as clean as possible by wiping down the inside and out, lemon can also combat odors in this space. “If the odor lives in the fridge or garbage can, add two drops of lemon to a cotton ball and stick it in the back of the fridge or bottom of the trash can to absorb, “ suggests Dills. 

Related: I Use This 3-Ingredient Homemade Cleaner For Every Surface In My Kitchen

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