Best Ways To Use Citric Acid For Cleaning At Home

by John Griffith Feb 6, 2023 @ 09:15

You’ve probably heard of citric acid in one form or another. Citric acid is the main cleaning ingredients in lemons. And it’s pretty much in everything, from food (like wine) to beauty products, and cleaning solutions. However, not a lot of people know what a versatile, all-natural cleaning ingredient it is. While baking soda usually gets the most praise when it comes to homemade cleaning ingredients, citric acid is often overlooked, and it’s just as good if not better at sprucing up your home. It’s a natural, safe (when used correctly) cleaner, and a powerhouse at breaking down gunk, grime, bacteria, mildew, mold and more. That’s why today we are going to show you how to safely use citric acid for cleaning around the house.

Citric acid is the main cleaning ingredients in lemons

It’s a natural and safe (when used correctly) cleaner

In this article

Before You Begin
How To Use Citric Acid For Cleaning
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Before You Begin

This is very important to remember. In general, citric acid is recognized by EPA as safe. However, it does have some safety and health concerns. Since it is sold as powder, breathing it in this form can cause nose and throat irritation. It can also be an eye and skin irritant. So, make sure to protect both skin (gloves) and eyes (glasses) and establish proper ventilation while working with it.

In general, citric acid is recognized by EPA as safe

How To Use Citric Acid For Cleaning

If you don’t have any lemons, baking soda, or vinegar on hand, then some citric acid will get the job done. Dare we say even better than the other ingredients would have. Plus, this way you harness the full potential power of lemons without having to use them. And since citric acid is a food-safe product, so it’s an easy pick for a cleaner when it comes to cleaning items that come into contact with our food.

This way you harness the full potential power of lemons without having to use them

#Descale your kettle

Mineral deposit buildup from hard water often cause limescale on your appliances. Most often on tea kettles and coffee makers. And the more it builds p the more weird your beverages may start to taste. On the bright side, you can easily clean away all the mineral buildup with some citric acid. Just fill the water reservoir with one tablespoon of acid per one cup of water. Run a complete cycle, empty, and run another cycle with just water. You can also try some of our other methods.

Mineral deposits from hard water often cause limescale on your appliances

#Deodorize a Microwave

If your microwave is starting to get a bit stinky, you can use some citric acid to clean and deodorize it. All you need to do is take a microwaveable container and fill it with two cups of water and two tablespoons of citric acid. The place the container in the microwave and heat until the solution inside is boiling, and it fills the microwave with steam. Let the steam sit between 5 and 10 minutes and then remove the container. Wipe away any mess with a cloth and you’re done!

Use some citric acid to clean and deodorize your microwave

#Wipe down kitchen surfaces

The first thing you need to do is make a general citric acid cleaning solution. Just add a tablespoon of citric acid per one cup of hot water in a spray bottle. Shake to mix. You can store this in a cool, dry location, far away from children. Before using make sure to always give a good shake. Then take it and lightly spray your kitchen surfaces – butcher block, stainless steel, laminated counters and so on. Wipe them down with a cloth to get rid of any stains and smudges.

The first thing you need to do is make a general citric acid cleaning solution

#Remove stains from plastic

Ugh. There is nothing more annoying than seeing your plastic containers stained. On the bright side, you can remove them with citric acid. Just fill up a large container or your sink with some boiling water. Then add a tablespoon of citric acid per cup of water. Then add the containers and soak for three to four hours. Finally, wash them as usual. You can also use this for melamine dishes and ceramic plates.

There is nothing more annoying than seeing your plastic containers stained

#Get rid of soap scum

You would think soap wouldn’t be causing you extra cleaning in the bathroom, yet soap scum is a thing. You can use a citric acid and water solution, like the one for surfaces, and spray it on the bathroom tiles, the shower doors, and the fiberglass stalls to cut through any soap scum. Let the solution work for around ten minutes and then clean your bathroom as usual.

You can use a citric acid and water solution to clean soap scum

This was how to use citric acid for cleaning and all the things you can clean with it in your home. We hope you found this article useful. Now you can enjoy a squeaky clean home thanks to this natural cleaner.

This was how to use citric acid for cleaning

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John Griffith

John Griffith is a young, passionate journalist. Writing has been John’s hobby ever since he was a boy. He has worked in some of the UK’s most successful news portals over the course of his professional career but found his forever home at Archzine.