Spring is the perfect time to reset your space, whether it’s purging, organizing or giving your home a good old-fashioned deep clean.
Social media has become a go-to resource for helpful videos and tutorials, particularly in home cleaning. On TikTok and Instagram, #cleaninghacks, which include organizational tips, cleaning product recommendations and natural DIY solutions, are trending.
Sam Nirenberg, an on-air radio personality with Cox Media Group in St. Petersburg, Florida, says she uses TikTok like another Google. “If I want to look something up, I’ll look there first. I love it because I get a real person’s take on what I’m looking up.”
While some #cleantoks are great, not every tip you see online is worthwhile. Some can do more harm than good to your home. Here are some #cleanhacks that homeowners and cleaning experts say actually work and some cleaning advice to steer clear of.
[Read: Spring Cleaning Checklist for Your Home]
Use a Pumice Stone to Clean the Toilet
Like countless other homeowners, Nirenberg couldn’t figure out how to remove the persistent toilet bowl ring that often plagues toilets after routine use. “I tried everything to get rid of the ring, from bleach and toilet bowl cleaner, but nothing worked. So I typed in ‘clean ring from the toilet‘ on TikTok and found a video where you scrub the toilet with a pumice stone. And it totally worked,” said Nirenberg.
The best part? This hack cost her less than $5 at the local hardware store.
Add Vinegar to the Dishwasher to Remove Tarnish
If you live in an area with hard water you might find your dishes, glasses and silverware tarnish after going through the dishwasher. A popular #cleantok to combat this is adding an aluminum foil ball to the silverware tray.
“I think this hack came from people trying to clean their silver silverware. But it’s rare to find truly silver silverware these days. Most silverware is made from stainless steel so there really is no need to use aluminum foil,” says Bethany Montlary of Gunnison, Colorado, a professional cleaner for over 20 years who gives science-backed and time-tested tips for cleaning as Bethany Jean The Professional Cleaner on social media.
But for the aluminum foil to do its magic on silver, it needs direct contact — and a crumpled ball in the silverware holder isn’t doing that. Instead, Montlary adds a cup of 5% white distilled vinegar to the dishwasher once a month. “The acetic acid in vinegar helps remove the hard water buildup from the dishwasher filter, along with your utensils and plates,” she says.
You can put the vinegar in your rinse aid dispenser or toss it into your dishwasher before starting it. Just make sure you don’t overdo it. Vinegar has a high pH and can potentially damage the gaskets of your dishwasher if used too often or in too large of quantities, Montlary says. However, she adds, she has used this hack for decades in her and her clients’ dishwashers and has yet to have a gasket failure.
Use Baking Soda and Essential Oil While Vacuuming
Derwynn Matthews is one of the top #cleantock influencers and goes by the social media handle @derwynnwho. Matthews, who lives in Detroit, has amassed nearly 855,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok thanks to his natural DIY cleaning tips.
I started following Matthews after buying our first home in St. Petersburg this summer and finding myself cleaning more. One of his tips I’ve found most useful is to sprinkle a small amount of baking soda on carpets or rugs to help remove stains and neutralize odors. He also adds a few drops of natural essential oils to cotton balls, placing them in the vacuum bin.
I let the baking soda sit for about 10 minutes before vacuuming and love the subtle smell the essential oil cotton balls give the space after vacuuming. It’s a small hack, but I enjoy vacuuming more than ever because of it.
[READ: How to Maintain Your Furnace]
Clean Your Garbage Disposal with Baking Soda and Ice
If you watched #cleantoks or #cleanigrams on social media, you’ve likely seen people pour a bucket of ice into a sink to clean the garbage disposal. It’s certainly eye-catching to watch, with impressive before-and-afters. However, Montlary says, you don’t have to use an entire bucket for this trick to work.
“All you need is a handful of ice,” she says. “It’s important not to cram too much down there because it will overwork your disposal. You also don’t want to do this too often because ice can dull your garbage disposal blades over time.”
Montlary prefers to clean the disposal by adding some lemon rind. “I cut off some of the peels from my lemon, not the entire half of a lemon, and run it with some water. It cleans the blades wonderfully and makes the sink smell fresh,” she says.
If the disposal is really rancid or hasn’t ever been cleaned, you can pour a quarter cup of bleach in the disposal and let it sit for five minutes before rinsing it with water.
DIY Countertop Cleaner
Montlary emphasizes how important it is not to try every #cleantok you see before doing further research. For example, using vinegar or lemon on stone or wood countertops can damage them due to the high pH levels of these products.
“Vinegar can only kill 80% of pathogens or germs and requires 30 minutes of dwell time,” she says. “Under no circumstances can it kill salmonella, E. coli, flu-like viruses like COVID-19, mold or even mold spores.” This makes it a less-than-ideal countertop solution.
Instead, Montlary recommends using a clean disinfected towel with a gentle dish soap and warm water.
[How to Care for Your Kitchen Countertop]
DIY Fabric Spray
You don’t have to buy all the new fancy gadgets or products you see on TikTok to clean your home. Kathryn Kellogg, author of the blog and social account Going Zero Waste of Portland, Maine, shares one of her top #DIYcleaningrecipes for fabric spray. If you want to avoid heavily scented fabric sprays with harmful chemicals and fragrances, Kellogg suggests making your own fabric spray by mixing one part water and one part vodka. Vodka is better at deodorizing and removing bacteria in fabrics than traditional rubbing alcohol. “It doesn’t have to be good vodka,” she says. “I spray this on my sweaters to extend wear between washes. But you can also spray it on curtains, couches or other upholstery. Just be cautious with silk or other fragile materials.”
Use what you have and take advantage of natural, affordable ingredients like vinegar, baking soda and lemons. But make sure the method and materials are safe for your intended application.
More from U.S. News
How to Organize an Overcrowded Bookcase
A Home Maintenance Checklist for Every Season
12 Home Improvements That Don’t Add Value
The Best TikTok Cleaning Hacks originally appeared on usnews.com
