Getting a stain on your clothes is always an annoyance, and it always seems to happen to our crisp white shirts or our new favourite jumper. But according to one cleaning expert, we don't need to spend a fortune on stain-removing products in order to get our clothes looking good as new - as one 30p item can do the trick.
Deyan Dimitrov told Express.co.uk that the only item you'll need to remove even the toughest of stains is a lemon, which can help to resolve a number of laundry mishaps from dull whites to ingrained stains. And the best part is you won't risk ruining your delicate fabrics, as the acidic juice from the lemon isn't as harsh as chemical stain removers.
The cleaning expert, who is the CEO of Laundryheap, said lemon juice can be used to remove grease and fat stains from your clothes, and while your first thought might be to reach for the branded cleaning products, the fruit juice is much more gentle for the job.
Deyan explained: "Rub neat lemon juice onto any grease marks and let it do its work. Once the juice has dried, place the garment in the washing machine with your weekly wash. The garment will be as good as new!"
And a few drops of lemon juice won't only clean up grease marks, as it's also perfect for banishing stains created by tomatoes, watermelon, and other watery substances.
The expert added: "For a cost-effective alternative to expensive stain remover, mix one-third of a cup of lemon juice with two-thirds water in a bowl. Place your garment in the solution and leave to soak for half an hour."
Finish by washing the item on a normal wash cycle to remove all traces of the stain.
You can even use lemons - which can be purchased individually from Asda for 30p, or in a four-pack for 50p as part of the Just Essentials range - to restore sparkle to your lacklustre whites when they've lost their brightness over time.
Adding some lemon juice to your load when you put it in the washing machine will "naturally brighten" fabrics and can even "revive tired-looking garments", according to Deyan.
He said: "Lemons can be used to brighten and freshen your laundry with minimal additional effort. Next time you pop on a load of washing, add half a cup of lemon juice and let it do its work. It will transform your white laundry to naturally brighten fabrics and revive tired-looking garments."
And the magic properties of lemon juice don't just stop there either, as you can also use the citrus fruit as a fabric conditioner to naturally soften "crispy" towels and bedding.
By adding half a cup of lemon juice to your wash cycle, your can keep your clothes and linen feeling soft and fluffy without having to splash out on fancy fabric conditioners and risking the products irritating those with sensitive skin.
Lemon juice can even be used as a non-toxic mould cleaner, so you can stop garments from going mouldy as well as ensure your washing machine is thoroughly cleaned out to prevent mould around the seal or in the drawer.
The five per cent acid content in lemon juice makes it incredibly effective in eliminating mould spores both on the surface and deep down in clothing fibres.
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