We all know that lemon is great in cake.... or a gin and tonic (hic!). But did you know that it's also the eco-savvy cleaners best friend? The humble lemon and its juice can be used to tackle all manner of cleaning tasks, and is a safe alternative to toxic chemicals.
Related: These pan cleaning hacks using cola, tin foil and a 2p coin are genius
On last week's This Morning. Queen of Clean Lynsey Crombie described three ways that a little lemon aid can transform your cleaning routine...
Kettle descaling hack with lemon juice
'I don't like to use chemicals when I'm descaling my kettle,' says Lynsey, who reveals she accidentally once made a frothy hot chocolate, not knowing her husband had put descaler in the kettle. Crikey!
Instead Lynsey pours half a bottle of lemon juice from the cooking aisle in the supermarket into the kettle, fills the rest with water, leaves it for 15-20 minutes to sit, then boils it. Finally, she rinses the kettle, and the job is done.
She also reveals that baby oil on a microfibre cloth is just the thing to bring the shine back to a kettle with a dull stainless-steel finish.
Lemon cleaning hack for microwave ovens
Lynsey likes to pop four pieces lemon into a small microwavable bowl of water, and put it into the microwave for five minutes, with the setting on full power. Then she just takes a cloth and wipes the residue away.
'All the grease and grime falls off with ease – no scrubbing, nothing!' says Lynsey.
Salt and lemon cleaning hack for chopping boards
To clean a dirty chopping board, Lynsey says to sprinkle it with salt, then take half a lemon, squeeze it, and then rub it into the salted board.
Get more affordable cleaning tips from our care and cleaning channel
This chemical-free method will bring up the wood beautifully and shifts any dirt. It leaves a lovely odour, too.
Right, we're off to the greengrocer.
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