Common Areas Around Your Kitchen That You Can Deodorize With Lemons

Lemons can add a delightful tang to recipes, yet they also yield great use in cleaning. Using a lemon to clean is simply the zest, pun intended, because it's an antibacterial option for various surfaces throughout the home. There are a variety of common areas you can naturally deodorize with lemons, banishing sneaky smells with the fruit's citrus scent. Whether it's in the garbage disposal, in the trash can, or anywhere else smells accumulate, you'll want to use lemon to deodorize all of the common areas in your kitchen.

If you want to switch to eco-friendly ways of cleaning your home, lemons are perfect. Lemons are affordable, plus when you clean, you can use the bulk of the fruit: lemon, rind, peel, and juice. Lemons' citric acid neutralizes alkaline odors with ease, plus it masks harsh smells along with bacteria. Next time you make a glass of lemonade, keep your lemon halves for these handy smell-busting hacks. 

Garbage disposals, as useful as they are, can harbor some nasty smells in the kitchen if not cleaned regularly. Using lemon peels is one of the easiest ways to clean your garbage disposal, and the hack is even recommended by plumbing brands like Drano. Drop a cup of lemon peels with a cup of ice into the disposal, let it run for 30 seconds, then follow it by running cold water for 30 more seconds. The lemon's citric acid will target the organic smells, deodorizing the disposal.

Did you forget to cover your food and splatter chili or other ingredients all over the interior of your microwave, only to face gnarly smells each time you open it? Clean your microwave by mixing 3 tablespoons of lemon juice or a whole sliced lemon and 1 cup of water in a bowl. Microwave the bowl high for five minutes, then let the steam break down all of the gunk for an additional 15 minutes. You can wipe it up in seconds with nothing left behind but a light lemony scent. 

If you have a wooden cutting board and wonder how to clean it, consider using salt and lemon for the task. Using harsh cleaning solutions to clean a cutting board is never recommended. Not only are these chemicals abrasive and can lead to wood damage, but wooden boards are porous, which means they can harbor chemical traces in the wood, possibly leading to contamination. Use a cut lemon along with a sprinkle of salt on the surface and let it sit for 10 minutes, then start using the lemon to scrub the salt along the board. The combination of the citrus as a disinfectant and the salt as a light abrasive will make it easier to remove any build up of oils and other materials. Rinse lightly with warm water, and let air dry.

While you're at it, you can use lemon and salt, along with a few tablespoons of baking soda, to deodorize your fridge. First slice your lemon, then place it on a plate. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of baking soda and salt on top. Store the plated lemon in the refrigerator for six days, and the smell should abate.