Lemon, like vinegar, is an excellent cleaner. Lemon acid is naturally antibacterial and antiseptic, and also serves as a natural bleach. Not only is lemon great to use as a natural cleanser, but the citrus scent is also energizing and refreshing.
Strength and pH Level. White vinegar has a pH reading of around 2.5 and lemon juice has a pH reading of about 2 to 3. Both products have a high acidity level which makes them equally good for cleaning.
High in citric acid and full of antibacterial properties, lemon juice is one of the best all-natural cleaners. From cleaning the oven to restoring your sink's shine, it's an effective, affordable and eco-friendly way to clean the home.
Using Lemon/Citrus Cleaning Spray
Based on my research, vinegar has the most effective disinfecting powers when it is used full-strength. Thus, we do not dilute it with water. Vinegar is also most effective at killing bacteria if is is allowed to sit for several minutes before wiping up.
Mix 1/2 cup of lemon juice and 2 cups of white vinegar in a spray bottle to make your own degreasing kitchen spray. Simply spritz and wipe up with a rag or paper towels.
You'll need just a couple of ingredients: castile soap or Sal Suds and water. You may also add an essential oil, if desired. This homemade cleaner removes bacteria and germs, along with grease and dirt from surfaces (removes, not kills -->this is a cleaning spray, not a disinfectant spray).
People have been cleaning with household staples like vinegar, baking soda, and lemons (or lemon juice) for a long time. These items are safe and effective, allowing you to clean without worries about harsh chemicals.
The other thing to be careful of with baking soda is combining it with something acidic, like vinegar or lemon juice. As the chemicals combine with that satisfying fizz, they form a gas. If you combine them in a sealed container, like a soda bottle, it could potentially explode and harm you.
Separately, both vinegar and baking soda work well for cleaning. Alone, baking soda can dissolve grease and dirt, while distilled white vinegar breaks down minerals without adding any coloring to stain surfaces (as apple cider vinegar might).
Baking powder isn't suitable for cleaning because it's a mix of different ingredients that are less effective when it comes to cleaning. Baking powder is in fact a mix of bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar and cornflour.
To make a spray that will clean just about anything—countertops, the sink, light fixtures, and more—mix 13 ounces of hot water, ½ cup of white vinegar, 15 drops of grapefruit essential oil, 10 drops of lavender essential oil, and seven drops of lemon essential oil in a spray bottle, says Kimberly Button, a certified ...
Isopropyl alcohol, or rubbing alcohol, is even better than vinegar for most things! While vinegar is a great acid that can clean build up like coffee makers, steam clean the microwave, or loosen up carpet stains, it is not a registered disinfectant.
All-purpose cleaner: Mix one cup vinegar, two teaspoons of borax, four cups hot water, five drops liquid dish soap, 10 drops tea tree oil, and 10 drops your favorite essential oil (optional).
If you don't have vinegar, substitute it with lemon juice. If the recipe calls for one tablespoon vinegar, add two tablespoons of lemon juice for the same flavour.
How to Clean Glass Shower Doors Lemon Juice. For a more fragrant alternative to vinegar, mix the juice of three lemons with a cup of distilled water in a spray bottle. Spray the shower and wait five minutes before wiping the surface off with a clean microfiber cloth to remove stains from the glass.
A word of caution, never use lemon juice to clean natural stone (tile, counters, floors, or countertops), and do not use lemon juice on brass plated items due to corrosion. Aside from those two items, you can use lemon juice to clean all of the following items in the article below.
Lemon juice is an acid. When you mix an acid and an acid no reaction happens. You are simply combining two very effective cleaning ingredients into one product. The lemon also helps mask the smell of vinegar, if you are averse to the smell of vinegar.
To remove soap scum, cut a lemon (or two or three) in half and rub it on all scummy surfaces. (Alternatively, you can squeeze bottled lemon juice onto a sponge and apply it that way.) The acid in the lemon juice breaks down dirt and bacteria found in soap scum.
Baking Soda And Vinegar
Vinegar is acidic and basic soda is basic, so the by-products are sodium acetate, carbon dioxide, and water that are not toxic. The mixing reaction causes the baking soda to foam up and produce carbon dioxide gas.
First, mix one part white vinegar to four parts water in a spray bottle. Close the shower curtain so it extends the full length of the tub or stall, and, on the tub-side, spray with the vinegar and water solution. The vinegar will work to break down soap scum and mold.