Cleaning up with citrus , Spring Cleaning

Cleaning up with citrus - 06/07/2008

Lemons can be used to remove built up grime in microwaves, according to one domestic cleaning expert.

The citrus fruit may have already established itself in the kitchen as a food-favourite among many households, but its full use seems yet to be realised.

According to the author of Clean, Michael De Jong, lemons are an excellent deodoriser, but can also be used to clean even the most stubborn kitchen stains.

He told Mercury News: "You hack one in half and use it as a scrub brush. It's also a great way to clean a microwave.

"Put it in the microwave for about one-and-a-half minutes. (The juice) permeates and softens the baked-on goo. The acid coats the entire interior and all you have to do is wipe it off."

Meanwhile, Laura Dellutri, author of Speed Cleaning 101, claims that lemon oil can also be used to repel soap scum on glass bathroom surfaces.

She even advises avid domestic cleaners to keep a small amount of the solution in the bathroom for ease of use.