book 3

Lemon and Bicarb the ultimate scrubber

by Cleaning Tips

I absolutely love, using a lemon and bicarbonate of soda for a natural cleaning solution for various surfaces, including my kitchen sink. Lemons contain citric acid, which helps break down grease and stains, while bicarb acts as a gentle abrasive and deodoriser.

Grab your lemons later in the day from the supermarket where they are often price dropped.

Here’s how you can use this mixture for the ultimate cleaning power:

Materials Needed:

  • Lemon
  • Bicarbonate of soda
  • Microfiber or cleaning cloth

Steps:

  1. Cut the Lemon: Cut a lemon in half, ensuring that it’s fresh and juicy.
  2. Sprinkle Bicarbaonate of soda: Sprinkle a small amount of baking soda directly onto the cut side of one of the lemon halves.
  3. Scrub: Use the lemon half with the bicarb to scrub the sink surface. Focus on areas with stains, limescale, discolouration, gunk and grime.
  4. Squeeze Juice: As you scrub, you’ll naturally squeeze out lemon juice. The citric acid in the lemon juice helps break down stains and grease.
  5. Scrub Tough Areas: For tougher stains or areas with mineral deposits, you can use a soft scrub brush along with the lemon and baking soda mixture.
  6. Rinse and Wipe: Once you’ve scrubbed the sink, rinse it thoroughly with water to remove the lemon juice and bicarb residue.
  7. Dry and Polish: Use a clean cloth or paper towel to dry the sink and polish the surface. This can help remove any remaining residue and leave your sink looking shiny.
  8. Dispose of the Lemon: You can dispose of the used lemon in your compost or food waste bin to help give off a fresher scent.

This method not only cleans but also imparts a pleasant citrus scent to your sink area. It’s a natural and environmentally friendly way to deep clean and deodorise your kitchen sink.

However, be cautious when using this method on natural stone sinks, as the citric acid in the lemon could potentially damage the stone over time.

Remember that regular maintenance and cleaning can help prevent excessive buildup, making your deep cleaning efforts more effective and less frequent.

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Dishwasher cleaning

by Cleaning Tips

Your dishwasher cleans your plates and dishes so if your dishwasher isn’t clean your plates and dishes certainly aren’t going to be clean.  Lots of people forget about cleaning the dishwasher and washing machine but these items really need to be looked after.

I have covered washing machine care before so todays it’s the turn of the dishwasher.

Cleaning the dishwasher is something I aim to do fortnightly.  I have shown this on my instastoriesbefore so  a lot of you will already know my process.

Before using my dishwasher I always ensure the dishwasher is fully filled and then I  set it on an overnight setting using the ecological wash option.

To clean here is what I do using all natural products.

Empty the filter of your dishwasher (mine simply twists and pulls). You can find how to do this in your instruction manual or on your washer manufactures website.

Wipe down all your seals and around the door with a solution of 50% white vinegar, 20% neat lemon juice and 30% water. I put the solution in a spray bottle as it can be used for other household cleaning jobs. I use Lemon juice as this leaves a fresh clean smell and lemons are also great for breaking down dirt and grim.

Place a cup of white vinegar mixed with lemon juice in the top of your dishwasher and run it on a hot cycle this will help break down any grease and gunk.

Once cycle has completed sprinkle the bottom of your dishwasher with bicarbonate of soda, bicarbonate of soda is great at eliminating any nasty smells.

You do not have to rinse this from your dishwasher just leave until the next time you use.

I hope you have enjoyed this post, this really is a simple cleaning method that takes no time at all.  I love cleaning with natural products especially lemons. Take a look at other ideas I have for cleaning with lemons.

Buying white wine vinegar and neat lemon juice in supermarkets can be expensive or not always easy to find so I have found some cheaper options for you.

White wine vinegar – CLICK HERE

Lemon Juice – CLICK HERE

As Always thank you for reading
Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxo

This post contains affiliate links 

book 3

Cleaning your home with Lemons

by Cleaning Tips

When life gives you lemons clean with them.

I love having a bowl full of lemons in my house, not only do they help brighten up my kitchen but they can be really handy and help out with the cleaning with their sweet scent and antiseptic properties.

Making changes to your home cleaning and cleaning with lemons uses less toxins is so good for you and the environment plus you will spend money.

 Lemons leave your house sparkling and spotless.

Wooden Chopping Board

You can clean your wooden cutting board with half a lemon and a little coarse salt. All you have to do is cut a lemon in half and sprinkle the salt over the chopping board. Then with the lemon facing downwards simply scour the surface of the chopping board, squeezing slightly to release the lemon juice as you go. Let sit for about 15 minutes to give the lemon and salt some time to work. Then scrap away any lemon bits and rinse with warm water and a clean sponge or cloth.

Limescale

Lemon is great at tackling limescale. For limescale that is on your taps, very simply cut your lemon in half and run the lemon all over the tap where the limescale is present. Leave the lemon on the tap for a while so that it can get to work and then rinse away. You may need to repeat this process.

For your kettle just pop a few used lemon halves into the kettle, fill with water and boil. Leave 30 minutes and boil again before emptying.

Give it a quick rinse to remove any bits.

Microwave

Put a few lemon halves in a bowl of clean cold water in the microwave and then put the microwave on full power for 5 minutes.  

The lemon will release the grease which will make it really easy to wipe off with a cloth.

Rust

To remove rust mix lemon with salt and make a paste, apply this paste to the rust and scrub. Leave for a few minutes and rinse with warm water.

Hard water marks

Hard water marks can be a real pain but simply rubbing the mark with a half a lemon and some added bicarbonate of soda they can be easily removed.

Position onto the end of your taps to remove limescale.

Fridge Odours 

Soak a clean sponge in lemon juice, put it on a saucer or in an open tub and leave in the fridge. By the morning your fridge will smell lovely and zesty fresh.

Dishwasher

Pour lemon juice into the sealed tablet section and then run on a rinse cycle.

A few more ideas for cleaning with lemons:

  • Polish up chrome
  • Help keep insects at bay
  • Tackle grease stains
  • Remove perspiration marks
  • Restore grout
  • Degrease pans
  • Remove plastic container stains

Want to learn more cleaning tips then grab a copy of one of my books and I will show you how to clean your house and tidy up your life

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10 General Cleaning Hacks for around the home.

by Cleaning Tips

I have rounded up some of my favourite cleaning tips for you to help keep your home extra clean and pristine. Some of these are so easy and simple to do and will literally take no time at all.

1 – Cleaning cloths and sponges really do harbour germs.  My tip is to pop them in the microwave for 2 minutes to kill all those nasty germs.

2 – Use salt to clean the iron plate on your iron. Pour some salt onto a tea towel or old cloth and iron over this without the steam option this will help release any sticky patches or dirt.

3 – The best way to clean your windows is the old-fashioned way with a newspaper and white wine vinegar.

4 – Pop on you rubber cleaning gloves and dampen one of these and then you pick up stray pet hair from Cats and Dogs.

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5 – Put the kids plastic toys in the dishwasher to get them germ free.

6 – Remove hard water stains with Lemons, cut a lemon in half give the stain a good rub, leave for a while and then rinse with warm water.

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8 – Never leave your toothbrush near the toilet as when flushed the germs will jump up and can land on your brush…. Keep as far away as you can. Toothbrushes are full of bacteria from daily usage to keep them clean you can wash them with mouthwash or add a few drops of white wine vinegar to a glass and sit your toothbrush in it for around 15 minutes. White wine vinegar is a natural cleaner.

9 – When cleaning your make up brushes, got a bowl and add boiling water and a small squirt of your shampoo and then let them swirl around for a while.  You don’t want all the bacteria being spread all over your face so try to make this a weekly job.

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10 – To get your bath towels nice and fluffy put a big heaped spoonful of bicarbonate of soda into the washing machine try or drum and then put on a hot wash. This will help bring your towels back to life and will keep them nice and fluffy.

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I hope you have found this home hacks useful and thank you for reading.

Queen of Clean xoxox

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The many uses of Bicarbonate of soda in the home

by Cleaning Tips

As you can see from my Instagram posts I use a lot of Bicarbonate of soda in my daily cleaning.  This idea came from my great Nan who always had pots of it around the kitchen and I have memories of watching her sprinkle it all over the house.

Its a natural chemical free way of cleaning so with this you know you are being good to the environment and your home. Keeping toxins at bay.

Mattress 

Bicarbonate of soda will eliminate nasty smells so a monthly sprinkle on the mattress will keep you nice and fresh.  Lightly sprinkle over the mattress and leave for approx one hour.  Then using the mattress attachment from you vacuum, vacuum up the bicarbonate of soda.

Carpets and Rugs

Again like the mattress this will help eliminate any smells, lightly sprinkle onto the carpet area, you can use sieve if you like and spread evenly.  Leave to sit for approx 1 hour and then vacuum up. Make sure you vacuum in a few different directions so as you don’t leave any in the carpet pile.

Kitchen sink

Cut a lemon in half and sprinkle Bicarbonate of soda onto the lemon half so as you cover the whole half and then give the lemon a tiny squeeze. A fizz will appear now gently run the lemon half all over the sink and then rinse with boiling water.  This will give your sink a fabulous shine and smell.

Tupperware

Spread an even layer over stained Tupperware and leave overnight with boiled water and watch this disappear.

Whitening agent

Add a spoonful into your wash with your whites and watch your whites comes back to life. This works particular well with white trainers and converse.

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Fridge

Add a small bowl of Bicarbonate of Soda and leave this in the fridge to keep nasty smells away.

Plug Holes

Pour 200 ml of bicarbonate of soda down the plug holes every week along with boiling water to keep your sink and systems fresh.

BBQ Grills 

Sprinkle Bicarbonate of soda onto BBQ Grill and this will help loosen the grim and enable less scrubbing.

Grout

With a toothbrush or a sonic Scrubber mix Bicarbonate of soda with a little Lemon and use to clean the grout in between tiles.

Mugs

Bicarbonate of soda works great on tea stained mugs.  Sprinkle into the bottom, leave for 15 minutes and then rinse with warm water.

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How to clean your Microwave

by Cleaning Tips

The Microwave is one of those kitchen appliances many of us put off cleaning.  Its one of those items that is out of sight out of mind and as long as the outside of the appliance is clean the inside can wait.

Inside the microwave there can be food splatters and food spillages and often a nasty unclean smell.

The microwave can also be an awkward appliances to clean that you need to get the plate out and get your arm right in to reach the sides and the ceiling of the appliance.  Food can often be stuck so after a little wiping many people will just give up.

But there is such a simple easy effective way to clean the microwave and here is how.

1 – Fill a microwave safe bowl with warm water and grab a lemon from the fruit bowl and cut this into 4 quarters.

2 – Pop the lemons in to the bowl of warm water and put the bowl into the microwave.

3 – Set the microwave to 5 minutes and start.

4 – The water should boil.

5 – Once the 5 minutes cycle has finished leave as it is for another 5 minutes and let the steam from the bowl along with the lemon do its job of dissolving the grease, spilled food and grim.

6 – Remove the bowl and dispose of the water and lemons. Take out the plate if you have one and wash this is warm soapy water and then with a clean damp cloth wipe the inside of the microwave and see the dirt and grim come away really easily.

7 – If you have some really tough old food stain add a little white wine vinegar to a cloth and then rub and this should then come away easily.

8 – Dry the plate and pop this back and you will have a very fresh clean smelling microwave the looks like new.

I hope this simple tip has helped you.

Thank you for reading.
Queen of Clean xoxoxo