Make Stainless Steel Shine Again With This Secret Ingredient
It's true, you can make stainless steel pots, pans, and appliances as shiny as the day you originally purchased them. Caked-on food particles, streaky lines, water spots, and grease marks are no match for one environment-friendly, low-budget cleaning wizard you likely already have on hand. All you need is freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Mild acids, like lemon juice, shake up the molecular structure of grimy handprints and clingy food by attracting these elements to the compounds in the fragrant, citrus juice. Lemon juice contains citric acid, a powerful organic compound that naturally breaks down tough stains and stubborn sauces. Citric acid is a chelating agent, which means it helps to pull other chemical elements away from stainless steel. When these particles meet lemon juice, they loosen their grip, so you can easily wipe them away with a paper towel; leaving your stainless steel cookware and kitchen gadgets spotless and shiny.
Other ways to clean with lemon juice
Lemon juice is one of the best natural, multi-purpose cleaners. Beyond rescuing stainless steel appliances, lemon juice has a myriad of uses around the kitchen. Give your wooden cutting boards a thorough cleanse by scrubbing them with lemon juice and salt to remove pungent food odors and dirty residue. Deep clean the microwave by squeezing lemon juice into a microwave-safe bowl filled with water. Toss the lemon halves into the water, and let the mixture heat in the microwave for about 3 minutes. Let the bowl sit for another 5 minutes to steam which will loosen leftover food scraps so you can wipe them off with a sponge. You can even use lemon halves to remove junk from a box grater.
Don't forget to take the aromatic lemon scent into consideration when cleaning. My grandmother used to put lemon wedges into the garbage disposal before running it so her kitchen smelled fresh for a couple of weeks. You can also fill a spritzer bottle with water, lemon juice, and distilled white vinegar to clean countertops, glass, and chrome faucets around the house. Happy cleaning.