lemons Archives - Graceful Order

Creating a healthy home has been a process for me. I started buying more organic ingredients years ago and the more I read about pesticides and toxic chemicals, I started to turn my attention towards the things that I was feeding my home, not just the kids. I slowly realized that I was helping our family in one way but still allowing products in our home that could potentially hurt us. While I still used the other products that I already had, I integrated more natural products into my home cleaning routine. I wasn’t ready to pull the plug until I knew that these new, more natural products actually worked. I mean, could I really consider my home “clean” if I wasn’t using anything toxic to really get in there and do the work?

Well the new products worked and I no longer had to run out of the bathroom to avoid the fumes after I had sprayed down the area. I also continued being cautious about where I store my cleaning supplies but I wasn’t worried about my toddler putting a piece of cereal in his mouth that had just fallen on the floor. My kids don’t eat meals off the floor, but it feels good to know that I am creating a healthy home for them to live in and also a more economical way to clean the home.

Natural cleaners can be expensive but you can also make your own cleaners at home and save a ton. Some of my favorite natural brands are Mrs. Meyers, Honest Company, Shaklee but I also like to make my own ever so often and I wanted to share with you how I use essential oils to clean. There are so many essential oils and recipes that I could feature, but I decided to start with lemon.

The following recipes are sure to bring back your zest for life! Well no, they won’t – but your house will be super clean and that will make you happy, so yeah…

Bathroom Fixtures: Use a towel soaked with several drops of Lemon oil to sanitize bathroom fixtures.

Dishes: I add 2 drops of Lemon oil to the bottom of my dishwasher before the wash cycle. Dishes will shine and the dishwasher smells great.

Window Cleaner: Pour into a glass spray bottle 1 cup distilled white vinegar and 10 drops of lemon essential oil and fill the rest with water. Mix well.

Natural Disinfectant – This also works great for a moldy shower. Add 30 drops lemon oil and 20 drops tea tree oil to a glass spray bottle, add a splash of vinegar and fill the rest with water.

Wood Furniture Polish: Add 4-5 drops lemon essential oil to a small amount of olive oil for polishing wood.

Floor Cleaner: Add a splash of vinegar and 10-20 drops of lemon essential oil to your bucket of water.

Of course, always test a little spot on your furniture before you use a new cleaner.

I encourage you to take small but consistent steps towards creating a healthier home. Enjoy your green cleaning!

Got lemons? A week ago I shared how I clean my microwave using lemons, and I thought I would also share some of the many ways of cleaning with lemons. Going green has been a priority for me, and it has also been a process. I have slowly replaced my old cleaners with more natural store-bought ones or even homemade cleaners. I think we are all second guessing our cleaning supplies and we want to get away from anything potentially toxic. Of course, we need to replace them with alternatives that are natural and effective. Lemons are both.

Since lemons are acidic, they have antibacterial and also antiseptic properties that can help clean our homes, the natural way.

I use lemons to clean:

The Sink

Surprisingly, sinks can be one of the dirtiest places in the home. You can clean the sink by sprinkling some baking soda and scrubbing it clean. Once you clean and dry it, you can use a lemon half to scrub the sink some more. Squeeze as you clean and use both sides of the lemon and even the pulp. If you have any rust stains in the sink, you can try a mixture of salt and lemon (paste consistency) to scrub that area.

Cutting Boards

I recently shared in detail how I clean my cutting boards. I use a mixture of salt and lemon to scrub the board, before oiling it. You can also remove food stains from plastic cutting boards by using half a lemon, squeezing it into the board and letting it sit a while. Then rinse.

Garbage Disposal

To get rid of odors in the garbage disposal, you can cut up a lemon, throw it in and grind it up. I usually do this after I have already used the lemon to deodorize my microwave. If its just a drain, pouring a little hot water with some lemon juice will help to deodorize the drain!

Microwaves

For details on how I clean the microwave, you can read about it here. You can use a microwave-safe bowl and fill it up halfway with water and a couple tablespoons of vinegar and add a lemon half to the mix. Microwave this for 5 minutes and let stand for a couple of minutes. (Don’t stand in front of the microwave while it’s heating up the water, just in case your microwave is super strong and 5 minutes is too much.) Wipe down the microwave. Squeaky-clean!

Kitchen Odors

To get rid of lingering smells, fill a pot with water and add slices of lemon rind and bring to a boil. This will not only do the trick in the kitchen but your home will smell so fresh! You can also add a cinnamon stick to the mix if you like the scent.

Stovetops and Ovens

I have a glass stovetop and anytime that food splatters, or worse, boils over, a simple wiping down of the stove won’t do. You can make a paste of lemon juice, water, and baking soda and spread on the food spill. Let this paste sit for about 20 minutes and then scrub the area as much as needed before rinsing. The same will work for cleaning the oven.

We know that lemons have great properties for our bodies, but they are also great for maintaining the home!

Let’s remove toxins from our homes and let’s clean the natural way. It’s like cleaning with a “twist” 🙂 . Are you also trying to go “greener” with your cleaners? Do you already use lemon as an alternative?

Maria

Cleaning with Lemon Essential Oil

Cleaning with Lemons