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10 popular TikTok cleaning hacks explained
We scoured the internet, trawled TikTok and asked Which? members to send in their favourite cleaning hacks. From dishwasher tablets in washing machines to peanut butter on chewing gum, the suggestions were fascinating.
But do they really work? To discover the science behind the kooky cleaning hacks, we spoke with cleaning expert Dr Primrose Freestone, Associate Professor in Clinical Microbiology at the University of Leicester.
Read on for a full breakdown of how the cleaning magic happens, and whether it's really a good idea to follow these tips.
Discover 7 ways to whizz through the spring cleaning – plus, the common mistakes that can make it more of a chore
1. Using dishwasher tablets to clean your washing machine
This was actually recommended to me by a washing machine engineer over using more expensive tablets and machine cleaning products. When I get a notification to run a drum clean, I put a dishwasher capsule in the drum and run the cleaning cycle at 60°C.
The chemical formulations of dishwasher tablets are different to washing machine cleaners and are not designed to clean a washing machine. As such we recommend using proper washing machine cleaner to ensure yours lasts as long as possible.
However, dishwasher tablets and washing machine cleaners do share similarities. They both contain surfactants (which increase the 'wetting capacity' of water by reducing surface tension), detergents and hard water softening chemicals, which remove limescale build-up. Other cleaning agents include various bleaches.
Collectively these chemicals make water more effective at washing away any stains, which can be a mixture of fats, proteins and carbohydrates.
Dishwasher tablets also include enzymes, which help with protein build-up. For sparkling dishes, choose one of the best dishwasher tablets from our tests.
Find out how to clean a smelly washing machine properly
2. Denture cleaning tablets get rid of tea stains
When I want to de-stain cups, teapots, coffee pots or anything that has a food or drink stain (including wine glasses), I fill the item with water (cold or warm) and then drop one denture cleaning tablet in. Leave overnight or for a few hours and then empty out. Stain gone.
Denture cleaning tablets contain cleaning agents, which while designed to remove protein, plaque, tartar or other types of deposits on teeth, will work on stains on other hard surfaces.
The tablets can contain enzymes (such as the protease subtilisin), bleaches (such as sodium carbonate peroxide) and solubilising detergents (such as PEG-180 and sodium lauryl sulphate).
All of these can help remove stains.
3. Laundry detergent blasts through burnt-on marks
Some time ago I was given a tip about cleaning grimy grids from the grill and oven with laundry gel diluted in a little water. It really does shift the stubborn bits so they may only need a wipe with a washing-up sponge to have them sparkling again.
Laundry detergents contain hard water softeners, surfactants, detergents, bleaches, enzymes and other additions specific to laundry cleaning.
Burnt-on food will likely be a mixture of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, which the enzymes will degrade, so a laundry detergent could help with this.
As you're cleaning items intended for food, we recommend washing the items as normal afterwards and rinsing thoroughly to get rid of any traces of detergent that could be left.
To keep your pots and pans cleaner for longer, choose one of our best washing-up liquids – they excel in shifting fatty foods and baked-on grease
4. Bicarbonate of soda gets rid of stains
Bicarbonate of soda will clean many stains, the fridge and also yellowing white fabrics so no bleach required. Tried and tested.
Sodium bicarbonate forms a mild alkaline solution in water (around pH 8-8.5) and is a common ingredient in many cleaning products.
Because it is an alkali it can act as a buffer and increase the pH of water. Doing this can affect the charge (positive or negative) of stains, which can help them to dissolve more easily.
Sodium bicarbonate can also work as an abrasive, which could help to mechanically remove oil or food-based stains from surfaces.
The best washing powders and laundry detergents will shift everyday dirt, but for stubborn stains, pick up one of the best stain removers for clothes and fabrics according to our tests
5. Make wood cleaner at home using lemon juice and olive oil
Lemon juice and olive oil is perfect as a wood furniture spray/cleaner and cleans my piano much better and less harmfully than any horrible smelling and polluting furniture polish.
Lemon juice contains citric acid which has many properties relevant to cleaning, such as softening hard water or solubilisation of fats. Similar to sodium bicarbonate, it can also affect the charge of stains to aid removal.
Olive oil in the wood cleaner helps improve the appearance of the wood, adding shine. The hydrophobic nature of the oil would also help to remove fat-based stains.
But we caution against using lemon juice or vinegar on everything in your home.
The corrosive nature of them will damage some things over time, including wood furniture and flooring.
Read our spring cleaning tips to learn what you should and shouldn't clean with vinegar
6. Ammonia cleans tiles and carpet stains
To clean tiles, I put a little neat liquid ammonia on a damp cloth. It shines up wall tiles a treat, removing grease and water marks. To clean rugs and carpets, I put one tablespoon of liquid ammonia in two pints of warm water as a cleaning solution.
We'd warn against cleaning with ammonia. Ammonia's toxicity means it's not recommended for household use, especially in a concentrated form.
It is caustic chemical, which makes highly alkaline solutions (pH 11-12) in water. Concentrated ammonia is harmful if direct contact is made with the skin and eyes, and could cause respiratory damage.
As such, it should be used with caution and we recommend you wear gloves, an apron and a mask when handling it.
Mixed with water, ammonia can be an effective cleaner. It chemically interacts with oil in stains in a process termed ammonolysis. Oils, which aren't soluble in water, are turned into amine compounds, which are soluble in water.
As a surfactant, ammonia also acts like soap and detergents, dispersing oil into smaller droplets in water which then can be rinsed away. Ammonia solutions are also antimicrobial.
For tried and tested ways to clean bathroom and kitchen tiles, check out the best all-purpose cleaning sprays according to our tests
7. Vinegar and citric acid gets rid of hard water marks
I soak a piece of kitchen towel in distilled vinegar, wrap around the tap and leave for an hour. I repeat if any residue remains, and it brings taps back to their shiny newness.
Descaling agents are typically acidic compounds that react with the limescale of hard water stains.
Limescale is largely calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate. When coming into contact with an acid, these form carbon dioxide gas and water-soluble calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) salts, which can be more easily removed.
All acids will remove limescale and related stains, but the most frequently used are citric acid (found in lemon juice) and acetic acid (found in vinegar) as they are less likely to cause damage to the surface treated.
If hard water is a pain in your home, find out how to buy the best water softener
8. Use bleach and cotton wool on black mould
The cotton wool needs to be rolled into sausage shapes and laid over the stained area. Then saturate with bleach and leave overnight. Next day remove and rinse with water. The black stains are completely removed. The mould will not recur in the treated area for quite a time.
Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used to remove colour from a stained fabric or surface.
Most household bleaches are derived from chlorine, which in water forms an acid that is also a powerful oxidiser.
Bleach is used to whiten stained laundry and to disinfect hard surfaces. Bleaches chemically oxidise or reduce natural coloured pigments (chromophores), turning them into colourless compounds.
Bleaches are also strongly antimicrobial, killing bacteria, viruses and fungi - that's why bleach is effective in treating bathroom mildew.
Find out how to stop condensation and how to get rid of damp
9. Peanut butter will get chewing gum out of carpet
My daughter got chewing gum stuck in her carpet and had read in a story that peanut butter gets it out. We tried it and it works!
While this cleaning hack seems implausible, the science does back it up. Most chewing gum is made of three parts – resin (the main chewable part of gum), wax (which softens the gum) and elastomer (to add flexibility).
As such, chewing gum is hydrophobic and largely non-soluble in water, so you need to use something with oil instead.
The main ingredient in peanut butter is ground peanuts, but natural oils are released by the nuts, and oils such as palm oil can be added to give it a smoother texture. These oils may be softening the gum, allowing it to be prised off the carpet.
We'd recommend using a neutral-smelling and colourless oil, though, such as mineral oil.
We've tested products from Rug Doctor, Vanish and Dr. Beckmann to find the best carpet stain removers for curry, red wine, coffee and tomato ketchup
10. Paracetamol cleans an iron soleplate
Soleplates are notoriously difficult to get clean. I've found one everyday product that does actually work – paracetamol!
Using paracetamol to clean burnt-on residue from a hot iron is not a good idea – heating paracetamol causes it to be converted it into 4-aminophenol which, if ingested is toxic to the kidneys and liver. It's also an irritant to the skin, and if the vapour is inhaled, it may cause shortness of breath, wheezing and a cough.
How you clean burnt-on residue off an iron depends on what is burnt on:
- lightly burnt-on stains – clean with a cloth moistened in soapy water. The detergents and salts in the soap will help to solubilise the stain and the friction from rubbing will help remove the residues. Toothpaste is mildly abrasive, so this might also work. Take a squirt of toothpaste and rub it over the stained area with a cloth. Clean off the toothpaste using a damp sponge or paper towel.
- burnt-on plastic that's confined to a small area – first make sure the bottom of the iron is very cold (sit it on a bag of frozen peas for a few minutes), then using a flat-edge scraper or palette knife, gently chip at the plastic to create an edge, then lever it off the iron. Clean with a cloth moistened in soapy water to remove any oily residues.
- burnt-on residue that's widely distributed or carbonised to black – friction and an acidified water and salt-based remover may be needed. Place equal amounts of vinegar and salt into a saucepan and heat until just warm (don’t boil). The acetic acid in the vinegar and the sodium ions in the salt will change the charge of the stain residue molecules, which then will become more soluble. Dip a kitchen sponge into the solution and gently scrub the iron clean with circular motions (be careful not to scratch the soleplate), then wipe with a moist cloth to remove any residue.
Before you start, always turn off and unplug the iron allow it to cool completely. Wearing gloves is also a good idea as some of the cleaning formulations are skin irritants.
For more iron cleaning tips, check out how to clean an iron. Time for a new one? Check out our pick of the best steam irons.
