Basic Household Uses for Lemons ~ Citrus Series

"Lemon juice is another natural cleaner and deoderizer. Fill a handy spray bottle with equal parts of water and lemon juice (you can use pre-squeezed lemon juice from a bottle); use it to freshen the air in your home. Rub a cut lemon over a wooden cutting board to sanitize it. Or rub the cut end of the lemon over a faucet to remove lime scale. You can also put lemon peel and baking soda in your vacuum cleaner bag to deodorize it." 

~ Donna Smallin, Excerpt from Cleaning Plain & Simple

Housecleaning:

• Lemons boast antibacterial properties. Because of their acidity, they are able to cut grease. You can wash floors with them and sanitize countertops. Simple squeeze a lemon into a small bucket with hot water and use as a cleaning solution.
• Sprinkle sea salt on your cutting board, and scrub it with half of a lemon for a thorough cleaning. Once dry, apply a coat of butcher block oil (do not use vegetable or olive oils since they may turn rancid) to further preserve your board. 
• Dip a half of lemon in salt and use as a scourer in the kitchen and bathroom. Lemons help to cut through limescale and soap scum. This method can also help to remove rust from floors and brighten your chrome fixtures.
• When lemon peels are infused in white vinegar for a month, it is an effective and aromatic cleaner. Simply use lemon peels in place of lavender from this recipe for an all purpose cleaner.
• When mixed with baking soda, it can remove stains from plastic storage containers and clean tarnish from brass, copper, or stainless steel cookware.
• If you run out of dish soap, add 1 tbsp. baking soda along with the juice of 1/2 lemon to your dishwater. I have done this before but it is really my emergency method because I need to see bubbles in my water. 
• Make your own furniture polish by mixing the juice from one lemon with one tsp. of olive oil and one tsp. water. Apply a thin coat onto wood furniture and buff out with a clean rag (I love microfiber towels for these types of projects). This recipe was found here.
• When implementing any of these ideas, keep in mind that you are also helping to kill fleas and other bugs which don't appreciate lemon juice.
• Simmer your leftover lemon parts in a pot of water for a few hours to freshen up your home. If you have a wood-stove, place it on top of that for some frugal aromatherapy. This would also act as a humidifier to keep that dry, croup cough away. Lemon scent is said to give your brain a boost and we could all use that!

In the Laundry Room:

• Lemons are a natural stain fighter. Add the juice of half a lemon to a bucket of cold/warm water and use as a pre-soak solution for "bleaching" whites.
• You can also add 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice to the rinse cycle of your washing machine for a mild bleaching treatment. Note: I have not personally tried this idea yet.

"To Remove Stains from the Hands, rub them with a piece of lemon."

~ Fowler's Household Helps by A.L. Fowler, 1916

This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: Modest Mom Monday's, Make it Yourself Mondays,  Homestead Barn Hop, Natural Living Tuesday's, Teach Me Tuesday, Domestically Divine Tuesday, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways, Simple Living Wednesdays and Deep Roots at Home. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. Some of these ideas were gleaned from Household Cleaning by Rachelle Strauss.