Lemons are an essential in any kitchen, from citrusy desserts to hearty stews, and a common addition to a Sunday roast chicken, they’re a great way to experiment with flavour, and carry a number of health benefits. Rich in vitamin C, lemons are an important part of our diet, and can help strengthen our immune system.
But the benefits of lemons also go far beyond the kitchen. Their citrusy kick is also an effective natural cleaner, with citric acid working as an effective antibacterial and antiseptic. So, if you haven’t already tried using lemons to clean around the home, you might want to start, and one cleaning guru has shared the top five places to use them. In a video shared to Instagram, the cleaning blogger @juliahunt shared the five places in her home that she cleans with a lemon for a “fresh, effective and non-toxic” sparkle.
After all that cooking, your kitchen sink could probably do with a scrub. In fact, we should be cleaning our sinks daily with hot water and soap, and disinfecting them at least once a week. An effective disinfectant, Julia recommends using lemons for this part of the home.
In the video, she simply applies some baking soda to a lemon cut in half before scrubbing this directly around the sink and tap. Mixing baking soda with lemon is a great way to remove any build-up, creating a paste that effectively scrubs away dirt and grime, removing any stains.
This can also be repeated in the bathroom sink, especially if you live in an area with hard water where limescale can easily build up. The citric acid in lemon breaks down calcium and magnesium deposits found in limescale, swiftly removing build up from bathroom sinks and taps.
Lemon and baking soda will also “effortlessly” wipe away soap scum from the shower glass, with the sudsy foam lifting any soap scum and water stains that have built up over time. Once cleaned with a lemon, rinse the mix off the glass and go over with a squeegee to prevent any further water stains.
If instead of glass, you have a shower curtain, lemon will also get rid of any mildew that’s built up here. Soak your shower curtains in warm water for 20 minutes before going over and scrubbing them with a lemon to remove any mildew. Rinse and repeat if necessary until the mildew has gone.
Back in the kitchen, lemons can be used as a scrub for wooden chopping boards. Adding salt to the board will help lemons lift any built up dirt and bacteria, and Julia follows this step by applying coconut oil to the board. This helps moisturise the wood, preventing it from cracking.
Finally, placing a tray of lemons with a cup of water in the oven, and leaving it to bake for 20 minutes at 200C will help break down grease that’s built up from cooking. Once the lemons have steamed in the oven, you can go in again with half a lemon and baking soda to scrub away any dirt, making for a quick and effective clean.
