L.A. Times Test Kitchen Tips: Lemons (a natural kitchen cleanser)

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Lemons can be so handy in the kitchen. Sure, they’re great for flavor, but it’s so easy to overlook how indispensable they can be as a natural kitchen cleanser. Here are just a few quick tips and cleaning uses for lemons.

• Garbage disposal deodorizer. Chop up a lemon (or lemon peel, or orange) and throw it in the disposal before running. Your kitchen will go from funky to fresh in no time.
• Soak mineral deposits, scum and build-up with a little lemon juice. The juice will soften the build-up for easy removal.
• Run a cut lemon over your cutting boards to rid them of heavy odors before chopping (it will kill the odor of the garlic you were just chopping so you can slice into that fragrant melon without worry).
• Use lemon juice squeezed into a cup of water to clean plates before serving. The acidulated water will remove fingerprints and dirt.

I know I’m covering just the tip of the iceberg here. I’ve heard you can combine lemon juice with salt, or make pastes with the juice and baking soda, to clean everything from copper to your oven. How do you use it? Please share your tips below.

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-- Noelle Carter
Twitter.com/noellecarter