How To Use A Citric Acid Cleaner On Household Items

Citric acid powder is an organic acid that is primarily sourced from citrus fruit. You'll also find it in lower concentrations in other fruit and vegetables, but lemons and oranges are the most common source used. 

If the term "acid" concerns you, it's important to note that this is a weak acid and is in no way harmful to human health when used in the right way. 

In fact, citric acid is commonly used in the food industry, so it's even safe to ingest. 

You can even get it from lemon juice!

This is possibly one of the most common uses for citric acid in households. Your kettle will probably suffer from the biggest build-up of limescale if you have particularly hard water.

You can create magic, though, when you add this ingredient to hot water.

That's when the acid will attack the limescale and completely dissolve it.

Another problem with hard water is that detergents don't fully dissolve in it. This can lead to soap scum building up that can become a breeding ground for bacteria and smells.

And this is where you get another one of the great uses for citric acid. 

To fix this problem, simply add two teaspoons of powdered citric acid and one spoon sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to your dishwasher and then run in a hot cycle.

The citric acid and baking soda will get into every small part of the washing machine that you can't see or get to. It will dissolve and remove soap scum effectively, leaving the inside of the machine perfectly clean. 

In hard water homes, aim to do this every 30 cycles, and your machine will last a lot longer. 

Your washing machine can suffer the same fate as your dishwasher, but the build-up of limescale and laundry detergents tends to do more damage to a washing machine.

The solution is the same uses for citric acid as your dishwasher. 

Two teaspoons of this ingredient and one teaspoon of baking soda in an empty hot cycle every 2 to 4 weeks should do the job.

Most people just buy a spray bottle of limescale remover and never look at the chemicals in it. Not only are they harmful to the environment and possibly your health, but they often don't work as well as citric acid.

One of my favorite uses for citric acid is to keep all the faucets shiny. 

To use citric acid for cleaning all the sinks and faucets in your home, just mix up two tablespoons of it with warm water in a pint of warm water. Fill it into a spray bottle, and you're good to go. 

Your toilet bowl is another area where you'll notice a gradual build-up of water stains. No matter how hard you scrub, they seem to be impossible to remove.

To remove these stains, use the same mix as for your faucets and spray it onto the toilet bowl every time you clean it. If the stained areas in the toilet bowl don't seem to come away easily, then you might need to clean with citric acid in a stronger solution.

One of the uses for citric acid I recommend for heavy staining or mineral build-up is to double or triple the strength of the citric acid solution for those tough areas. 

Once it's clean, simply keep using the regular solution every week, and you won't have this problem again. 

Citric acid is also a potent antimicrobial, so you should favor this green cleaner for other areas in your home like kitchen counters, tables, or other surfaces where you eat or prepare food.

To disinfect those surfaces in your home, simply mix a few spoonful of it with warm water in a spray bottle, add a few drops of essential oils, and your home will smell as clean as it is. 

It's one of those uses for citric acid that can deep clean your home and leave it smelling naturally fresh without any danger from chemicals. 

7. Polish Up Stainless Steel Equipment And Surfaces

9. Deep Clean Toaster Oven Racks

Here is another one of the great uses for citric acid. When hot water and dish soap won't do the job of fully cleaning your toaster oven racks, then don't resort to using specialty chemical cleaning products. Instead, choose a green cleaning product. 

Leave the racks to soak in hot water and citric acid for an hour, and then use some steel wool to scrub them clean. 

The acid should gradually attack the carbonized food, making this an effective cleaner for even the most hated cleaning jobs. 

If this is something you haven't done in a long time, then you may need to repeat the process a few times. 

8. Descale Hot Water Heater

10. Clean Showerheads

And the final one of my recommended uses for citric acid is to remove limescale and calcium deposits from showerheads. 

If you notice that some of the small nozzles on the shower head don't spray water anymore, then remove the showerhead and place it in a bowl. 

Pour a teaspoon of citric acid into the showerhead, and then slowly fill the bowl with hot water. 

Leave it to soak for an hour and then rinse it out with cold water, and it should be looking like new again. 

This is one of the most concentrated natural green cleaners available in the market today. It allows for countless uses in pure or diluted form to clean practically every part of your house.

People also love the fresh smell of citrus fruits that it leaves behind. 

The main advantage is that you don't have to dissolve the citric acid powder and try to figure out the ideal concentration. I've used it for cleaning everything from my floors to the BBQ grill, and the small bottle seems to last for a very long time. 

If you prefer mixing up your own concentrate, Milliard provides you with perfectly fine granules to make it easier to dissolve.

It comes in a large 10-pound bag, so you'll have enough citric acid to keep you going for many months, even if you have a large home to keep clean. 

I also put a scoop of this in my washing machine every two weeks; despite having very hard water, the heating element stays limescale-free. 

It's also a food-grade product, so you could use it as a flavoring for homemade ice cream or candy. 

This Pure product is possibly one of the finer grain citric acids available. The benefit of this is that it's easier to apply directly to tough limescale and gently lift the stains. You can even make a paste by mixing it with baking soda and just a few drops of water. 

Also, as it's organically sourced, it would provide added peace of mind if you plan to use it in food. 

It's ideal for making homemade ice cream, cakes, and candy. Because it's such a fine powder, you won't have to worry about it properly mixing with the food.

I love these Lemi Shine products as they come in four different containers at different concentrations.

Simply pick one of the products depending on whether you need to deep clean one of your appliances or just want to add some extra sparkle to your glasses in the dishwasher. 

They come in convenient pods and will work wonders to cut through dirt and grime that builds up over time. 

I simply set a reminder on my phone to put one of these in an appliance every two weeks, and they always stay fresh and clean-smelling.

There are no unnecessary added anti-caking agents that might otherwise make it less effective. Simply mix it with warm water and essential oils, and enjoy the fresh smell it leaves behind.

I also find the pouch very convenient as it takes up less space on my cleaning product shelf in the pantry. And unlike other pouches, the seal closes perfectly every time to keep the granules dry and ready to use. 

You can even use it for preserving or preparing food so let your imagination go with this citric acid.