Grandma’s ecological household products are often multi-use. In addition to their good for the planet and economical aspect, this versatility is their greatest strength! Baking soda, soda crystals, black soap or Marseille soap allow you to scrub, descale and deodorize all surfaces in the house. And of course, there’s also lemon juice. The acidity of this beautiful citrus fruit and its antibacterial and antiseptic properties make it one of the most powerful cleaning products available, not to mention that it can be used in 1001 ways for cleaning. And of course, unlike white vinegar, it smells good! Here’s how to clean everything with lemon.
1) Clean and disinfect everything with lemon spray
Lemon is a outstanding non-toxic disinfectant and degreaser. Enough to quickly make you forget the chemicals from supermarket cleaners which leave harmful traces on the cleaned surfaces, in particular the worktop and the different areas of the kitchen! To replace it and leave behind the toxicity of usual products, make your own recipe. To do this, slip the peels of 3 lemons into a bottle, cover with vinegar and leave to macerate for two weeks. Then pour everything into a sprayer and possibly top up with a little water. You can add two sprigs of rosemary to increase the disinfecting power of your cleaner multi-surface home. And what’s more, it smells so good!
2) Clean your microwave with lemon
Slip a few slices of lemon or its juice directly into a bowl of water. Then microwave everything for a few minutes. Leave it to act and wipe it with a sponge. There lemon steam will melt the fat for effortless cleaning.
3) Lemon to remove stains and whiten laundry
No need for bleach for whitening laundry when you have lemon and a little sun! Leave your white cotton or polyester clothes to soak for at least 1 hour in lemon water (120 ml of juice for 3 to 4 liters of water). Then let it dry in the sun. You can also pour the lemon juice directly into the machine to replace bleach. If you notice yellow sweat stains under the armpits of your white tops, you can scrub them with an equal mixture of water, lemon juice and baking soda. After 30 minutes, head to the machine! PS: Mold and rust stains on white are not resistant either.
4) To unclog pipes and eliminate bad odors
A well-known tip is to pour bicarbonate into a pipe then cover with vinegar to unclog it. However, the same can be done with lemon juice, because its acidity will produce the same chemical reaction ! And what’s more, it removes the bad odor very effectively. Well obviously, it’s not the same price, but it’s always good to know if you’re out of vinegar or you have lemon that you don’t know what to do with.
5) To deodorize and detach plastic boxes
Rinsing with lemon juice or rubbing it on the walls is more than enough to eliminate bad odors in a plastic box. And in case of tomato sauce stains, it can also come in handy! To remove stubborn stains, scrub with lemon juice and baking soda. If possible, leave it on for a few hours in the sun and/or overnight before rinsing. Flawless !