Twelve Ways to Clean with Lemons

Going green doesn't have to be expensive!  Save the environment and money by cleaning your house with lemons!  Your house will smell great and your surfaces will be disinfected.  Read more after the jump...

1. Loosen microwave splatters.  In a small, microwave-safe bowl or cup, stir together one part water and one part lemon juice (a couple tablespoons of each).  Microwave the mixture on high for several minutes, letting the steam loosen any spots or stains.  Then, wipe the inside of the microwave with a microfiber cloth.
2. Clean and disinfect your kitchen naturally.  Make a paste with salt and a couple of drops of lemon juice and scrub away.
3. Disinfect a cutting board.  Sprinkle a little baking soda on your cutting board and rub the entire surface with a slice of lemon.  This will kill germs and get rid of any bad odors.
4. Keep ants out!  Drip some lemon juice around windows, doorways, cracks and other places where ants might enter your house.  The smell is too strong for the little guys so they stay away.
5. Make an all-purpose cleaner.  A paste of lemon juice and baking soda will clean and disinfect any non-porous surface in your home.  Use it to clean your sink, stove, microwave, bathtub, faucet, counters and more!
6. Freshen your kitchen sponge.  Soak your sponge in lemon juice for a couple hours or overnight.  Rinse well and use as usual.
7. Freshen your garbage disposal.  Grind up a few slices of lemon (or just the rind) in the disposal to clear away any foul smells.  For extra freshening power, run extra hot water over the lemons before grinding them.
8. Clear drains.  Pour one cup of baking soda down your drain, followed by one cup of lemon juice.  When the bubbling stops, pour in 4 cups of very hot water.
9. Degrease surfaces.  Rub lemon juice or a slice of lemon directly on the greasy spot.
10. Remove ink stains from fabrics.  Squirt a little lemon juice directly on the stain and let it sit for five minutes before washing regularly.
11. Remove underarm stains from shirts.  Mix one part lemon juice, one part white vinegar and two parts water.  Soak shirts for one hour before washing regularly.
12. Polish your furniture.  Mix 2 parts olive oil and 1 part lemon juice and use it as a furniture polish.