Queen of Clean shares her cleaning hacks using lemons
One way to reduce the number of cleaning products you bring into your home is to clean with products you already have. People have been cleaning with household staples like vinegar, baking soda, and lemons (or lemon juice) for a long time, and believe it or not, these items are safe and effective. If you clean with these natural cleaners, you may buy less, spend less money, and have fewer harsh chemicals to worry about.
DIY cleaning hacks using lemons
Have extra lemons or a bottle of lemon juice you rarely use lying about the kitchen?
There’s a reason that plenty of cleaning supplies have citrus in them, lemons are a natural disinfectant and stain remover because of their acidity.
As an added bonus, lemons will leave your house with a fresh scent.
Here are some great cleaning tips using lemons.
Remove rust stains from clothes
Apply lemon juice to the stain, sprinkle with cream of tartar, and rub into the fabric.
Let it sit until the stain is gone and then wash in the washing machine.
Remove limescale from taps
Rub the fixtures with lemon juice and let sit overnight.
Rinse in the morning and say hello to sparkling taps.
Clean grout stains
Make a paste from lemon juice and a teaspoon of cream of tartar (a natural bleaching agent) and apply to the area with a toothbrush.
Once the stain is gone, rinse with water.
22 household cleaning hacks using baking soda, vinegar and lemons (Image: getty)
Clean laminate countertops
Squeeze the juice of a lemon onto the counter.
Rub the lemon into any stains and let sit until the stains disappear, then rinse.
Clean your microwave
Slice a lemon, put it in a bowl of water, and microwave for 45 seconds.
This should make stains easier to wipe away and eliminate any unpleasant whiffs.
Keep your fridge fresh
Store half an uncovered lemon in your fridge to help eliminate bad smells.
Polish furniture
Mix a teaspoon of lemon juice with a pint of vegetable or mineral oil.
Using plenty of elbow grease, rub onto your furniture and let it sit for a few minutes.
Use a clean cloth to remove any excess oil and enjoy.
There’s a reason that plenty of cleaning supplies have citrus in them, lemons are a natural disinfectant and stain remover because of their acidity. (Image: getty)
Vinegar cleaning hacks
Although vinegar is not registered as a disinfectant it will kill both salmonella and E.coli, two bacteria you definitely should avoid.
Here are just a few suggestions for what you can clean with vinegar.
Banish limescale from the showerhead
Disconnect the showerhead, and using an old toothbrush, scrub it with vinegar to loosen debris.
Use a toothpick to poke out stubborn bits and soak the showerhead in a bowl of white vinegar overnight.
In the morning, rinse the showerhead and reconnect it, it should be as good as new.
Removing sticker residue
A lifesaver for those of you with kids, all you need to do is soak a cloth in vinegar and lay it across the sticky area.
Let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe off the loosened residue.
Preventing mould in the shower
Spray vinegar on shower walls and curtains whenever they get wet, this should keep the mould at bay.
Baking soda can do more than keep your fridge smelling fresh and aid with baking. (Image: getty)
Cleaning the windows
Mix equal parts warm water and vinegar into a solution and spray onto windows before wiping dry.
This will give your windows a fresh shine for virtually no cost.
Clean your coffee machine
Start your coffee maker using equal parts water and vinegar where the water would normally be.
Halfway through the cycle, turn it off and let it sit for an hour before turning it on again.
Unclog the drains
Squirt some washing up liquid down the sink followed by at least a mugful of boiling water. Next, pour in a cup of baking soda and then a cup of white vinegar.
After the baking soda/vinegar mixture stops fizzing, wait an additional five minutes before flushing the drain with more boiling water.
Cleaning hack: Woman cleans oven with baking soda and vinegar
Clean your microwave
Use equal parts vinegar and water in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for about 10 minutes.
After doing this, stains and dried food should be easy to wipe away.
Make your glasses shine
Soak cloudy glassware in a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water.
After 30 minutes, rinse one glass with water, if it’s still cloudy, continue soaking for another half hour.
Rinse your glasses with warm water and scrub dry with a clean cloth.
Baking soda’s deodorising properties are useful throughout the home, it’s a great mild abrasive which removes stains without scratching, and is also completely non-toxic. (Image: getty)
Baking soda cleaning tips
Baking soda can do more than keep your fridge smelling fresh and aid with baking.
Its deodourising properties are useful throughout the home, it’s a great mild abrasive which removes stains without scratching, and is also completely non-toxic.
Remove stains from coffee and tea mugs
Fill mugs with one part baking soda and two parts water and let sit overnight.
Scrub and rinse in the morning and they should be as good as new.
Remove lingering smells from food containers
We all have a few of those stained smelly Tupperwares lying about the kitchen, ruined after storing some saucy leftovers!
Get them back fresh by rubbing a paste of baking soda and water over the inside of the container.
Let it sit for a day or two and wash it off.
Clean hairbrushes and combs
Remove any hair from the bristles, then dunk the brushes and combs in a baking soda/water solution.
Let them soak for at least 30 minutes, then rinse well in hot water.
Remove odours from upholstered furniture
Simply sprinkle the fabric with baking soda and then vacuum, et voila! Your own DIY Shake N’ Vac!
Erase crayon marks from white walls
Make a paste of equal parts baking soda and water, and apply it generously to the walls.
Wait for it to dry completely before wiping away.
This method will not work on coloured walls, only apply to white walls.
Clean tile floors
For sparkling clean floors without the risk of scratching them, mix a generous helping of baking soda in a bucket of warm water.
Mop the floor and rinse.