Lemons, the natural household cleaner

This powerhouse fruit leaves windows shiny, microwaves odor-free and the environment happy

If you’re looking for ways to clean your home with fewer chemical-laden household products, which adversely affect the environment, cut a couple of lemons. The fruit’s citric acid makes it a natural cleaning agent. Throw out your old cleaners and get fresh with these suggestions:

Kitchen

Rub half a lemon over a wood or plastic cutting board; wait 20 minutes then rinse. Not only will the lemon get rid of smelly odors but it will remove stains too (beet salad, anyone?).

You can even use lemons on windows. Fill a spray bottle with water and lemon juice, and voila! The glass will be squeaky clean and streak free.

You know how aluminum pots and pans tend to discolor after a while? No amount of dish detergent will make them look clean. But lemon juice will. Sunkist Growers, the largest lemon producer in the United States, of fers this tip: Fill the pot or pan with water, add a few lemon slices then boil. So long, stains!

When your garbage disposal gets pungent, put lemon peel down the drain and the stinky smell will be replaced by a fresh fragrance.

Cleaning a microwave with soap and water will get rid of the leftover bits of food inside but odors may linger. To get rid of them, squeeze half of a lemon into a half cup of water, set the microwave on high, and leave for a few minutes. Wipe down the inside, which should smell clean and citrusy.

To get your copper pots or bowls to sparkle without much effort, Sunkist Growers suggests sprinkling salt on a cut lemon and rub over the surfaces.

Every room

An all-purpose cleaner is indispensable. When its main ingredient is vinegar, though, it may need some help masking that strong odor. Lemon peel to the rescue! Throw a few in the vinegar mixture and breathe in the fruity scent.

Bathroom

Use the same lemon-juice-and-water window cleaner described above to keep your glass shower door spotless.

Get rid of soap scum on tiles and bathtub by rubbing a half lemon on affected areas. Leave for 30 minutes then scrub off and rinse.

To freshen up the inside of a toilet bowl, pour some lemon juice in it, followed by salt then scrub. Use the allpurpose cleaner on the other sur faces.

Laundry

Bleach isn’t the only thing that perks up your whites. A half-cup of lemon juice added to the wash cycle works just as well as — but smells a lot better than — bleach.

GETTY IMAGES Baking soda and vinegar are well-known natural cleaners, but lemon, sometimes combined with salt, will also get the job done and leave the house smelling great.