Lemon’s don’t only make gorgeous cakes like this one or like these sticky muffins. They’re also great to use for cleaning around the house – they’re cheap (I often get them reduced at the end of the day in the supermarket), they smell nice, they’re chemical free and they’re effective.
What more could you ask for….
- You’ve probably heard this one before but try cutting a lemon in half and squeezing it into a microwave proof bowl with a little warm water. Pop it in the microwave and cook for 3 or 4 minutes and you’ll then be able to easily wipe the dirt off the inside of the microwave.
- Before you squeeze the lemon for cleaning your microwave, give any stainless steel taps a rub over with it. Wipe over with a cloth soaked in warm water to get rid of the stickiness and the taps will come up shiny bright and limescale free.
- I’ve never tried this one but half a lemon on a saucer in your fridge will reduce horrible smells. Just change it once a week to keep it fresh.
- You can clean windows and mirrors by diluting a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice with water in a spray bottle. Spray on to the surface and wipe off with a dry cloth or some newspaper. This also works great on glass shower screens – especially if you give them a rub over with half a lemon first.
- Another one I haven’t tried but have been recommended is to boil a couple of lemon slices in your kettle to clean it. Leave it for a few hours and then empty and rinse it out.
- They’re also good at removing grease stains (or at least making them less obvious) by rubbing a lemon over the stain and leaving overnight before washing as normal.
- And finally, my favourite. If you make a thick paste using lemon juice and bicarbonate of soda, you set off a chemical reaction that will clean even the most stubborn stains. I made a thick paste and spread it on to a small patch on a patch of a rather dirty oven door (not mine), left it on for an hour and a half and then scrubbed it off. Even I was suprised at the results although I’m glad I’m not the one doing the full door….
And if you have any left over, they do make great cakes 😉
