How to Use Citric Acid to Clean, Descale, and Restore Just About Anything

The most basic source of citric acid is to squeeze the juice from a lemon, as it contains 5% to 8% citric acid. Ekaterina43/Shutterstock

Over the past month or so, I’ve been on a tear to discover all I can about citric acid. What I’ve learned, tested, and tried is nothing short of amazing. So get ready, as I lay out the case for adding citric acid to the list of cheap products we can use to keep our homes sparkling clean.

What Is Citric Acid?

Citric acid, also known as “sour salt,” is a colorless, weak, organic acid. I know, it sounds like a poisonous substance, but it’s a low-level acid that’s both safe and strong enough to break down soap scum and dirt. This acid occurs naturally in citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, and pineapple. Mixed with water, citric acid powder makes a homemade miracle solution for most of your tough stains. It’s an excellent all-purpose cleaner powerful enough to kill mold, remove soap scum, and even tackle rust. It’s not dangerous or toxic, although, as with lemon juice, you don’t want to get it in your eyes.

When added to commercial cleaning products, citric acid can help remove hard water buildup on glass. Use it to remove coffee and tea stains, yellowing/browning discolorations, hard water marks, urine stains, and much more.

Where Can I Get Citric Acid?

The most basic source is to squeeze the juice from a lemon, as it contains 5 to 8 percent citric acid. But that is neither economical nor convenient. A much easier and more reliable version of citric acid for the uses that follow is its refined powder form. You will find citric acid in most supermarkets and at Target and Walmart with canning supplies. Citric acid is also readily available online.

How to Use Citric Acid

Make All-Purpose Cleaner

To make an easy-peasy, tough-as-nails, homemade cleaning solution, boil 2 cups of water and then mix in 2 tablespoons of the powder. Let this citric acid all-purpose cleaner cool, and then apply it to a clean cloth and wipe down any dirty surfaces. If there’s any left, pour it down the toilet to disinfect.

De-Gunk the Dishwasher

With regular use, hard water deposits build up in dishwashers, their hoses, and connectors. Citric acid can get in all of those small crevices to break down and remove that buildup. I have suggested lemon Kool-Aid in the past for its high concentration of citric acid—and that works—but citric can be used directly.