We’ve all been there, scrolling through TikTok and getting sucked into a vortex of satisfying cleaning hacks. Who doesn’t love the promise of a sparkling home achieved with a single product and minimal effort?
But hold on to your sponges not all that glitters on #cleantok is gold.
Cleaning expert Joyce French at HomeHow.co.uk has debunked some of the most popular TikTok cleaning hacks that can actually damage your home, endanger your health, or simply be a waste of time.
From questionable concoctions to cleaning methods that might look good on camera but wreak havoc in real life, Sylvia is here to help you navigate the world of viral cleaning trends and keep your home sparkling safely and effectively.
So check out the hacks to make sure you’re not doing them.
Using Bleach and Soap to Clean Drains
One TikTok hack involves pouring both bleach and dish soap down the drain to clean it. However, this should be avoided, says the expert.
You should never pour bleach directly down the drain as it can be potentially very dangerous.
In addition to weakening the plumbing system, the bleach may also mix with chemicals that are already in the drain. This could then cause a chemical reaction which emits toxic fumes.
Dish soap often contains ammonia. Mixing this with bleach can be very dangerous and may cause respiratory problems or burns to the throat, nose, skin, or eyes.
Certain gases released by mixing cleaning products could cause some very serious health problems.
Cleaning Carpets With Unsuitable Products
One particularly risky TikTok carpet cleaning hack involves using household products not designed for carpets. This might include sprinkling laundry detergent on the fibres, mixing vinegar with dish soap for a DIY solution, or even using shaving cream to tackle stains.
While these concoctions might seem harmless, they can leave behind a sticky residue that attracts more dirt. Worse yet, some combinations can damage carpet fibres or even discolour them.
In the end, you might be left with a dirtier, duller carpet than you started with and potentially facing a more expensive professional cleaning job down the line.
Using Bleach on Grout
Another TikTok trend includes using bleach on grout to help make sure your grout stays sparkling white. However, this is not advisable.
Bleach is a harsh chemical. Using bleach on grout can end up weakening or even cracking the grout.
Additionally, you could end up discolouring the grout, which goes against the purpose of using it in the first place. Damaging your grout could mean that you need to hire professionals to fix the issues, which could result in some high costs.
Storing Laundry Products in Stylish Displays
One of the most popular hacks on TikTok involves the way we store things. We are seeing a huge rise in people using things like jars, glass containers, and plastic boxes to store essential items needed for cleaning, cooking and laundry.
While it’s acceptable to store items like food in separate containers, one should refrain from storing loose cleaning or laundry products in these types of storage containers.
The popularity of detergent pods has seen a significant increase in calls to poison control centres regarding the colourful packs. This highlighted the risks associated with detergent pods, especially concerning children who were consuming the product.
This prompted detergent manufacturers to revamp their packaging to enhance safety for children and prevent them from accessing the raw products.
Transferring these types of products to a different container could compromise this safety feature, posing a potential risk to your children.
Therefore, it’s far safer to retain laundry and cleaning products in their original packaging to ensure their safety.
Storing Laundry Products in Stylish Displays
