When you notice the sponge you use to clean your dishes starts looking ratty and gross, there's a simple solution: replace it. But the answer to keeping your machine dishwasher sanitary and clean is much less clear.
The scoop
Enter TikTok user The Mommy Ceo (@themommyceofl) who posted a simple, game-changing lifehack. In the video, she suggests simply placing leftover lemon peels in the utensil holder during your next washing cycle. "Save your money on those chemical-filled machine pods and use lemon peels instead … "
@themommyceofl Save your money on those chemical filled machine pods and use lemon peels instead to clean rhe machine inbetween dish washings. #cleaninghacks #kitchenhacks #lemonpeels ♬ original sound - The Mommy CEO
She suggests the presence of the lemon will both sanitize and clean your dishwasher as it runs.
How it's working
The reason lemons prove to be so effective in cleaning and sanitizing is their citric acid. As CNET reported, "The citric acid in lemons both kill[s] germs and removes mold, while the oil in lemon peels can cut through grease and other substances."
Using lemons to clean and sanitize your dishwasher has many immediate benefits. First off, it avoids the cost of buying chemical agents and replaces it with leftover lemons you might have been using anyway. And it is an unbelievable time-saver. Instead of spending hours scrubbing at your dishwasher, you can let the natural citric acid in lemons do the work.
It also leaves your glasses and dishes cleaner than they might have been otherwise. And of course, it leaves both your dishes and your dishwasher smelling nice.
The environmental benefits are also substantial. You don't need to run your dishwasher for extra cycles as you clean it. Plus, it allows you to get an extra use out of your lemons, preventing waste. And that's quite good news considering a recent report said that Spain alone wastes about 400,000 tons of lemons each year. Plus, when you're done, you can compost the lemons.
And lemons are not only effective for cleaning dishwashers. They can also be used to clean your sink and even your bathrooms.
What people are saying
Reactions to the video were extremely enthusiastic. One user vowed to try it. "I had no idea! Doing this!" Another was equally effusive. "Oh wow! This is such great advice, I didn't know this!"
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