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The Many Uses of Lemons and Lemon Juice

lemon uses

Lemons are a natural cleaner

The acid in lemon juice helps cut through grease and removes dirt and rust stains. It’s especially effective when mixed with salt, which makes “an excellent scouring paste,” says Karyn Siegel-Maier, author of The Naturally Clean Home.

The many uses of lemons include:

Air Freshener:

Combine 1/2 quart hot water with equal parts baking soda and lemon juice (about a teaspoon each)

Cleaner for…

  • Countertops: Dip the cut side of a lemon half in baking soda to tackle countertops; wipe with a wet sponge and dry. Don’t use on delicate stone, like marble, or stainless steel (it may discolor).
  • Cutting boards: To remove tough food stains from light wood and plastic cutting boards, slice a lemon in half, squeeze onto the soiled surface, rub, and let sit for 20 minutes before rinsing.
  • Dishes: To increase the grease-cutting power of your dishwashing detergent, add a teaspoon of lemon juice, but don’t use with silver.
  • Faucets: Combat lime scale by rubbing lemon juice onto the taps and letting it sit overnight. Wipe with a damp cloth.
  • Garbage disposal: Cut a lemon in half, then run both pieces through the disposal. “The lemon cleans it and makes it smell great,” says Linda Mason Hunter, a coauthor of Green Clean (Melcher Media, $17, amazon.com).
  • Grout: Spilled morning coffee on your tile countertop or backsplash? Here’s how to tackle grout stains: Add lemon juice to 1 or 2 teaspoons cream of tartar (an acidic salt that acts as a natural bleaching agent) to make a paste. Apply with a toothbrush, then rinse.
  • Hands: When you touch raw fish, the smell can linger on your fingers. Rub your hands with lemon juice, which will neutralize the odor.
  • Laundry: To brighten whites, add 1/2 cup lemon juice to the rinse cycle for a normal-size load.
  • Plastic food-storage containers: To bleach stains from tomato soup and other acidic foods on dishwasher-safe items, rub lemon juice on the spots, let dry in a sunny place, then wash as usual.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Barry Wheeler says

    August 22, 2011 at 5:31 pm

    I use lemon juice and a small bit of water for cleaning my laptop screen. It’s not as abrehesive as the other cleaners and it does a great job. A few drops and some warm water is all it takes!

    • Melinda says

      August 25, 2011 at 9:50 am

      Great idea!

  2. Mia says

    August 23, 2011 at 4:04 am

    I do use lemon juice when cleaning my kitchen, but i didn’t imagine that i could use lemon juice for laundry. That’s a great tip. Also, my colleagues – as they drink a lot of coffee (programmers!! :)) would appreciate your advice.

    Sometimes i use lemon juice – as a cleaner for my face (not very often, and not for a very long time). It has a brightening effect.

  3. Lyka Ricks says

    August 29, 2011 at 5:14 am

    Lemons are like coconuts, it has many benefits on it. It’s not only nutritious yet it’s a cleaner for the body and even at homes too.

  4. Greg says

    August 30, 2011 at 3:23 am

    They might be good at removing dirt, grease and stains, but do they kill the germs on the surface?

  5. Alexis says

    August 30, 2011 at 4:13 pm

    Lemon is one of the great antioxidant sources. This is perfect if you consume it daily, it can cleance your body system.

  6. Pete Goumas says

    September 23, 2011 at 7:11 am

    I found here so many advantages of lemon and I think it is also good in reducing weight.Thanks for sharing!

  7. Nirmal Kumar says

    December 20, 2011 at 10:53 am

    Nice tips. The laundry tip is one thing I have never imagined of. What about lemon as a juice?

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