by Ruby Ernica Samy

Created on: June 11, 2009

It's high time that we should put a stop to all the toxic chemicals which we have been using till date to clean our house. We have messed up with our environment to a great extent and it's time to go green in whatever way we can.

Lemon is an effective green cleaner, and can be used for non toxic house cleaning easily. The acid content in lemon is efficient antibacterial against the household bacteria. It is very useful as a mild de greaser and whitener in day to day cleaning.

TIPS TO GREEN CLEAN

DISHWASHER The next time you use your dishwasher add a cup of lemon juice to your load of dishes during the rinse cycle to get rid of grease easily. Lemon aids in disinfecting the dishes while adding a sparkle to the glassware.

For disinfecting and to deodorize the dishwasher place a cup of lemon juice in the bottom of an empty dishwasher, and run the rinse cycle. The lemon juice aids to get rid of odor completely.

MICROWAVE You can deodorize and freshen your microwave in seconds with the help of lemon slices. Simply place a few slices of lemon into a bowl of water in the microwave and heat it on high just for 30 to 45 seconds and then wipe it completely. The easiest way to clean your microwave in seconds.

CHOPPING BOARD Keep your chopping block germs free, by rubbing the surface with a slice of lemon to disinfect it. To get rid of the tough stains on the board squeeze some lemon juice over the stains and leave the chopping board for 10 minutes. In the end wipe it away and wash thoroughly. You will be amazed to see the results.

Lemon can also help to deodorize your chopping board easily. Just wash the board with lemon juice to get rid of the smell of garlic, onions or fish .

MIRRORS AND WINDOWS Make a cleaning solution by mixing equal parts of lemon juice and water into a spray bottle, and clean your mirrors and windows with this solution. For best results dry with newspapers for a sparkling shine. You can use this solution for kitchen and bathroom cleaning as well.

SHINY TILES Get rid of the mildew and mold from the tiles and other surfaces in the house by making a paste of lemon juice and salt in equal proportion. Scrub this paste over the affected area and green clean.

GET RID OF RUST Cut a lemon in half and sprinkle some salt over it and then rub it against the rusted area. Leave it for half an hour and clean it with a cloth. You can also squeeze some fresh lemon juice directly on the rusted spot, leave it for 30 minutes and clean it later with a cloth.

HUMIDIFIER Lemon juice can be used to eliminate odours from the humidifier. All you got to do is just pour three or four teaspoons of lemon juice into the water.

INK SPOTS You can clean the ink spots from your clothes without using any chemicals. While the ink is still wet, apply little amount of lemon juice liberally to the spot and then wash the cloth in cold water.

FRESH AIR - To freshen the air in the house, squeeze a few drops of lemon juice into the vacuum cleaner bag before vacuuming.

By now you know that lemon and lemon juice both offer a fragrant, refreshing non-toxic alternative to chemical-based cleaning products. So, when you pop over your supermarket this time do not forget to pick up some lemons.

Lemon is much much more than an aromatic addition to your iced tea - it's a great green cleaner , and do not forget it is very easy on your pocket!

From now on only GREEN CLEAN !

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