18 unexpected ways to clean with lemons around your home

While you may keep lemons in your home to make lemonade or bake a delicious lemon meringue pie, the common citrus is so much more than an ingredient to use in the kitchen: Lemons are actually an invaluable supply to have on hand for everyday chores.

With a single lemon, you can brighten your clothes, clean your home from top to bottom, and mask unwanted odors. Here, we're sharing the many surprising ways you can clean with lemon—and some of the methods on our list will change the way you look at the fruit forever.

Related: Your Complete Home Cleaning Schedule: What to Clean Weekly, Monthly, and Seasonally

Natural Home Fragrance

If you have any unwanted odors in your home, lemon can help you mask them until you figure out the source. To do so, simmer a half dozen lemon slices and a handful of cloves in a pan of water. The mixture will leave the air lemony fresh.

Polish Copper

Copper pieces naturally tarnish over time, giving them a dingy appearance. But you can easily restore these items to their former glory with some lemon. Dip half a lemon in a small dish of coarse salt, then rub it over tarnished copper. Be sure to rinse off any residue after cleaning and wipe dry.

4 Natural Ways to Clean Copper—and Prevent Future Tarnishing

Brighten Whites

If you want to brighten your whites, this natural cleaning solution will do the trick. Fill a large pot with water, add a few lemon slices, and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, add linens, and let them soak for a few hours or even overnight. After soaking, launder your clothes like usual.

Keep in mind that lemon juice, like other natural bleaching agents, may not be suitable for all fabrics. "Always test a small, inconspicuous area of the fabric first to check for any adverse reactions," says Alicia Sokolowski, the president and co-CEO of Aspen Clean. 

Remove Stubborn Stains

Have a spot that just won't come out? Try this: Soak the stained areas in lemon juice for about an hour. If some of the stain remains, then dampen the area, make a paste of equal parts baking soda and water, and scrub gently. This works especially well for berry, coffee, and tea stains.

Prevent Fruit from Oxidizing

When the flesh of some fruits, such as apples, fennel, and avocados, are exposed to air, it turns an unattractive brown color. You can slow this natural oxidation process by squeezing some lemon juice over the fruit. "Keep in mind that lemon juice might alter the flavor slightly, so use it judiciously and according to your taste preferences," says Sokolowski.

Clean Your Cutting Board

When slicing garlic or chopping onions on a board, tough stains and smells can be left behind. To clean it naturally, take a cut lemon, rub it on the surface, and allow the cutting board to soak for 20 minutes before rinsing.

Sanitize the Garbage Disposal

If the odor in your garbage disposal has you pinching your nose, try dropping in half a lemon along with 1 tablespoon of baking soda. It eliminates odors quickly.

Clean the Microwave

Grease stains and splatters make a mess in your microwave. Clean it by microwaving 4 tablespoons of lemon juice with 1 cup of water for three to five minutes on high power. "Let it sit for a few minutes to allow the steam to continue working on any stubborn stains," says Sokolowski. This mixture will loosen dried food particles on the interior surfaces and allow you to easily wipe them away.

Related: How to Clean Your Microwave the Right Way

Detox the Dishwasher

Place a lemon wedge in the top rack of your dishwasher, and run it with your dishes to freshen up the appliance.

Clean Glassware

Restore dingy glassware to its former glory by mixing lemon juice with a small amount of vinegar and water. This natural glass cleaner will leave your drinkware sparkling and streak-free, says Sokolowski.

Remove Rust

Instead of using a sponge to clean the sharp edges of a crusty pair of shears or a knife (which can be dangerous), squeeze lemon juice over the blade. Then sprinkle with coarse salt and rub with a cork. Rinse with water and wipe dry to prevent rusting. Keep in mind that this technique will only work for mild or surface-level rust.

Shampoo Carpets

Use lemon to brighten your carpets during your next deep clean. To do so, fill a bucket with water, add a bit of natural cleaner, and squeeze in half a lemon. "Your carpets will be much brighter, and the aroma left behind is fresh and uplifting," says Melissa Maker, a cleaning expert and the founder of Clean My Space.

Related: How to Clean Your Carpet the Right Way

Clean Sinks and Tubs

You can even use lemon to deep clean (almost) your entire home. To do so, mix 1/2 a cup of baking soda with enough liquid dish soap to make a paste. Spread on half a lemon, and use it to scrub basins, bathtubs, and stainless-steel sinks.

Refresh Your Refrigerator

Does your refrigerator have a lingering odor you can't get rid of? Freshen it up by placing a sliced lemon or a cotton ball soaked in lemon juice in the fridge to absorb odors and leave a pleasant scent, says Sokolowski.

How to Get Rid of That Bad Smell in Your Refrigerator and Freezer

Remove Mineral Deposits 

Lemon juice can help dissolve mineral deposits, like limescale on showerheads and faucets. "Simply rub a cut lemon or soak the affected area in lemon juice to loosen the deposits, and then wipe it clean," says Sokolowski.

Remove Soap Scum

Have stubborn soap scum on your shower door or walls? Remove it by combining lemon juice and vinegar in equal parts and spraying the solution on bathroom surfaces; then scrub them clean and rinse off any remaining residue.

Polish Wood

Make a natural wood polish by combining 1/2 a cup of sweet almond oil and the juice of half a lemon and applying it to any wood surfaces in your home. "Although olive oil is commonly suggested, I prefer sweet almond oil as it is lighter viscosity and will absorb into wood furniture nicer than olive oil, which can leave a residue that tends to collect dust," says Poepping.

Clean Your Stovetop

If you have any burnt debris or stuck-on food scraps on your stovetop, you can remove them with a bit of lemon juice and baking soda. "Cut your lemons in half and squeeze the juice all over your glass cook top," says Kathy Cohoon, the director of franchise operations of Two Maids. "Use the lemon half as a scrubber. The citric acid in the lemon juice will help break down the cooked-on mess." Next, sprinkle baking soda over the lemon juice and cover the stove-top with a warm wet towel for 30 minutes. Wipe the surface clean, making sure there's no leftover baking soda or lemon residue.

Related: How to Clean Stove Burners (and the Rest of Your Stovetop)