Lemon Oil for Cleaning

The use of essential oils for a variety of purposes is gaining popularity these days. Many of us have resorted to the use of essential oils for the purpose of house cleaning and disinfecting, instead of the hazardous chemical cleaners. Lemon oil is one such essential oil that can be used for a multitude of purposes. Lemon oil cleaning is an effective way to keep your wood furniture and many other household items free from dust and grime as well as acting as an effective grout cleaner.

Lemon Oil
As I said earlier, lemon oil is an essential oil, extracted from the lemon peels or lemon rinds. This oil, which smells like a freshly cut lemon, is yellowish to light green in color. It is blessed with a number of beneficial properties and finds use in several different applications, ranging from personal care products and home cleaning products to furniture polishes. The main chemicals contained in lemon oil that are responsible for its various properties include alpha pinene, myrcene,alpha terpinene, linalool, camphene, limonene and beta bisabolene. Unlike most other essential oils that are obtained by the process of steam distillation, lemon oil is generally manufactured by the process of cold extraction.

Using Lemon Oil for Cleaning
Lemon oil can be used to clean almost everything, from hardwood floors, bathroom shower stalls to kitchen countertops. If the shining appearance is what you are looking for, lemon oil cleaning is just the right choice for you! Lemon oil is known to restore the luster and enrich wood furniture. Be it any type of wood, lemon oil acts as a powerful cleansing agent and protects the wood from drying out by retaining its lost moisture. It penetrates the wood and nourishes it to prevent cracking of the wood. Here are tips on how to clean wood furniture with lemon oil.

Wood furniture should be polished with lemon oil at least once every year. Take a small amount of lemon oil on a soft non abrasive cloth and apply on the surface of your wood furniture, rubbing gently. You can use a combination of lemon oil and an all purpose cleaner for cleaning heavily soiled surfaces such as painted or plastic-laminated surfaces, fiberglass showers stalls and glass shower doors. Spray a small amount of lemon oil on the surface before you spray it with the all purpose cleaner. The oil penetrates deep and helps in loosening the dirt. You will find it easier to clean the surface with the cleaning solution after treating it with lemon oil. Lemon oil is excellent for cleaning wood furniture, however, using lemon oil on high gloss veneers is not recommended. Lemon oil can also be used for cleaning the scuff marks on the floors. Take a small amount of oil on a soft cloth or a sponge and gently rub to remove the marks. Once you have managed to remove the scuff marks with the oil, mop the floors as usual.

Lemon oil works the same way on things made of stainless steel, silver and brass. Besides cleaning them, lemon oil cleaning gives them a brilliant shine which lasts for long. It can also be used for cleaning the surface of dishwashers and microwaves. It takes a very small amount of oil to remove the grease from these surfaces. When using lemon oil to clean fiberglass, make sure to rinse it well to take off any excess oil that is left after cleaning. This should be followed by drying the surface with a soft cotton cloth as it helps in retaining the shine on the surface.

The secret to getting the best results with lemon oil cleaning is to use a very small dab of oil. This is the key to getting a lustrous shine on the surfaces you use it on. So, go ahead, clean and refresh your homes with lemon oil!