Thrifty Thursday – Lemons are your secret weapon….

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