Homemade All-Purpose Cleanser
Mix up your own organic all-purpose cleanser. Pour equal parts water and lemon juice into a spray bottle. Spray the cleaning solution onto counter tops, appliances, walls and any other places where you would normally use an all-purpose cleanser. Make the same solution in a mop bucket to mop your floors. In addition to removing bacteria and cleaning the surface, the solution will also leave a fresh lemon scent.
Cleaning in the Kitchen
Use lemons to clean your cutting boards. Cut a lemon in half and rub it over the board while squeezing it to release the juice. The juice will remove bacteria that accumulates on the surface. For deodorizing and cleansing a drain with a garbage disposal, cut lemons in quarters and run them through the disposal. Squeeze a lemon over your dishwater to increase the power of your dish soap. Place a slice of lemon into a dish of water and microwave it for five minutes to remove grease buildup inside the microwave.
Washing Laundry
Lemon juice can help to whiten your clothing. While washing a load of white clothes, add 1/2 cup of lemon juice instead of bleach to whiten your clothing. Hang the clothes to dry outside in the sun as the sun will help activate the bleaching qualities of the juice. Add 1 tsp. of lemon juice to colored loads of clothing to add a fresh scent to your usual laundry detergent.
Cleaning Furniture and Accessories
Polish your furniture and give it a fresh scent with lemons. Mix 1 cup of olive oil with 1/2 cup of lemon juice. Mix the two together and apply the solution to wooden furniture with a dry clean cloth. Clean brass or copper furniture hardware and decorative accessories with a paste of baking soda and lemon juice. Make the paste by squeezing a lemon over baking soda and stirring until the mixture is thick and spreadable. Rinse the paste off and dry the surface with a dry cloth.
