6 Surfaces You Should Never Clean with Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is a superpower household cleaner due to its lovely fresh scent and acidity that can help take care of tough stains in what seems like an instant. Plus, it's all-natural and doesn't have any additives that we see a lot in cleaning supplies today.

But there are some surfaces and appliances it should never be used on. Here are six things lemon juice shouldn't be used on, from your kitchen surfaces to different household appliances.

Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors can be quite delicate even after staining them, so it's a given that lemon juice should never be used on them. If you do use this powerful juice, the acidity will damage the finish of your precious floors. The acidity is so strong that it could lead to a duller and damaged appearance that you definitely don't want.

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Natural Stone Counters

At The Spruce we love natural stone counters to give your kitchen a natural and cozy feel, but when you're cleaning these beloved countertops, you should never grab your lemon juice. Like hardwood floors, the acid in the lemon juice will slowly damage the seal and the stones every time you use it. This goes for all natural stone counters, like marble, granite and more.

Plastic Surfaces and Appliances

Using lemon juice to clean plastic surfaces and kitchen appliances like cutting boards is a big no-no. The lemon juice will eventually cause your plastic appliances to crack and break down which is the opposite if what you want when cleaning.

A better alternative that's natural? Warm water and a mild dish soap will do the trick

Chrome Surfaces

It's also best not to use lemon juice on chrome surfaces like chrome faucets, chrome-finished cabinets, countertops, and more. This will lead to unattractive spotting and blemishes in these surfaces that you won't be able to reverse.

Cast Iron Pans

It's likely you have many trusty cast iron pans in your kitchen, and they can be notoriously difficult to clean. The sour truth is that lemon juice will damage the cast iron pans seasoning and slowly break it down from the acidity.

It will also cause it to rust, ruining the seasoning you've worked so hard to nail. Another downside? If you clean your pans with lemon juice, it will later make your food from the particular pan taste "off" and even give it a metallic taste.

Electronic Screens

Electronic screens like television screens, smart appliances, touch screens and more should never be cleaned with lemon juice. If you do, this could lead to damage that won't be able to be reversed and no one wants that.

It's really important to be super careful when cleaning electronic screens, because they are so sensitive to liquids and other substances. When in doubt, stick to the electronic screen wipes you can get at your local grocery store.