Lemons are a great way to add flavor into cooking such as a marinade for chicken or fish to tenderize the protein. Lemons are also used for drinks such as the classic ice lemonade and the lemon drop cocktail. Many of us do not know that lemons are an excellent cleaning agent, especially in the kitchen. The acidity of the lemon can help break down difficult stains and eliminate odors. These are the 2 ways to use lemon on your kitchen.
#1: Microwave
The microwave is a convenient tool to warm up food. Unfortunately, some food containing fish, garlic and other smelly dishes can leave a stinky odor in the microwave. Instead of cleaning your microwave with soap and water which can still leave odors behind, why not try a cup of water with lemon. First, you take a cup of water and squeeze one lemon into the cup and drop the lemon rinds in it. Then, microwave the cup with lemon for 3 minutes or until you see it start to boil. Do not touch your microwave for 5 minutes to help loosen up the food particles so it can easily be cleaned off. Lastly, open the microwave door to remove the cup and start wiping the insides. This not only will clean your microwave but also leave a pleasant smell.
#2: Cutting Board
How many times have we thoroughly cleaned our chopping boards? The conventional way of cleaning it is by using soap and water. However, this old school way of cleaning still leaves an unpleasant smell and stain. The smell can be due to weeks of chopping onion, garlic and other stinky ingredients. One way to clean your chopping board is by scrubbing it with salt then squeezing half a lemon on to the board evenly. The salt helps to limit bacterial growth and the lemon removes stains and odor. Let the board sit for 5 minutes and then rinse it with water. This can be done once a week or when you start smelling a slight odor coming from your cutting board.
