Lemons are the star of the fruit bowl and when it comes to natural cleaning. Their acidity is key to their natural cleaning power. They are great for whitening, degreasing, and have antibacterial and antifungal properties. They contain citric acid and D_Limonene, a powerful degreaser and solvent. They also contain lemon essential oil, which is antibacterial, disinfectant and uplifting. They are anti microbial, which means that they prevent infectious bugs and can get rid of them.
DON'T
Use on Marble Surfaces
Acids can etch marble and leave stains and marks - it's best to avoid applying it to marble surfaces.
Use on Brass-plated Items
While lemon comes in handy for shining real brass, brass-plated items can be damaged by lemon juice.
Mix Lemons with Bleach
Acids - including vinegar and lemon juice - and bleach should never be mixed. Mixing lemon juice with bleach can release a toxic chlorine gas, so ensure you keep these cleaning ingredients separately and avoid combining.
DO
Save Your Lemon Peels
These can be placed in the cutlery basket of the dishwasher and run along with your normal cycle. Alternatively, the peels can be sprinkled with salt and rubbed onto ceramic sinks or shopping boards to remove odours and stains.
Use on Stainless Steel
Mix with vegetable oil and apply to a microfibre cloth in order to polish stainless steel.
Use to remove stains
Lemon juice is a natural bleaching agent that works well as a stain remover. Yellow sweat and deodorant stains don’t stand a chance against the magic combination of lemon and elbow grease, and it’s also great for taking on rust stains. Don't use it on coloured fabrics, as it may bleach them.
Use to clean glass and degrease
The acid in lemon juice cuts through grease on stoves and countertops. It's also useful on glass, either with or without vinegar. Either use some lemon juice on a cloth, or apply the lemon directly to the the area you're you're treating (perhaps sprinkling on some salt or bicarbonate for a tough job).
Check out this video for some of our top lemon cleaning tips: