Cook or Clean Part 2: Lemon Juice

In the second of our articles about turning foodstuff into cleaning aids, we look at what you can use your lemon for, beyond jazzing up your pancakes…

As a shower cleaner… use half a lemon to wipe a glass shower screen which should cut through the dirt and help remove hard water stains. You can squeeze the juice onto a sponge to scrub tougher deposits. Rinse with warm water after for a shiny finish.

As a microwave cleaner… cut a lemon in half, squeeze the juice into a small microwave safe jug of water, drop the lemon halves into the water and then microwave until the water boils. Then leave the door closed for another ten minutes before wiping away the gunk with a clean cloth. It’ll leave the oven smelling much fresher too!

As a tap cleaner… in much the same way as cleaning the shower glass, half a lemon rubbed on chrome fittings will bring them up shiny and new. Coarse salt can also be used as a helpful scrubbing agent

As a chopping board cleaner… scrubbing a wooden chopping board with half a lemon and coarse salt is a great way to clean deep and remove stains. After working the juice into the board over the salt, leave to “soak” for 5 minutes then rinse off under warm water and dry with a clean cloth.

As a dishwasher cleaner… if you put half a cup of lemon juice in the lower rack of a dishwasher and activate the rinse cycle, your machine will be left clean and odour free. You can also put lemon juice into the smaller soap compartment next to your regular detergent or tablet to boost the cleaning power of the cycle.

As a glass and window cleaner… add a few tablespoons of lemon juice to water in a spray bottle and apply to the glass. Use scrunched up newspaper instead of a cloth for a streak free finish.

As a plastic container cleaner… cleaning plastic containers with lemon juice will help remove the annoying stains and smells that sometimes stick. Use our old friend baking soda to boost scrubbing power.

As a pan cleaner… copper, brass and aluminium pans can be scoured using the salt and lemon juice trick to clean the metallic surfaces.

And finally, if you’re one of the few households in the UK to have a waste disposal unit under the sink, throw your used up lemons down it and give it a citrus blast clean as they go through!

Enjoy your pancakes!

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