We all love a good TikTok cleaning hack, don’t we? Saving time, saving money, and making the somewhat tedious task of cleaning seem somehow fun. They’re miracles, truly, and we’re all hooked.
It’s not just TikTok either, of course. Arguably, the first big cleaning account was Mrs Hinch who now has an empire of home products and is single-handedly responsible for rises in sales of cleaning products, cleaning accessories, and even wax melts.
In the strangest turn of events, thanks to social media, we just can’t get enough of cleaning. However, according to TikTok cleaning and mental health expert Brogan, also known as Not The Worst Cleaner, some of the tips that we’ve all had under our belts for years are actually really not all that useful and in the case of one, a fire hazard. Yikes.
@nottheworstcleaner Back to save your time with another list of viral cleaning hacks you shouldn’t be doing ????✨
♬ original sound - Not the Worst Cleaner
Baby oil on stainless steel
One popular tip is using baby oil on stainless steel surfaces to “buff” them and give them extra shine. Most often used on cooker hoods and fridges, this tip does leave steel looking more polished but at a cost.
According to Brogan, this tip isn’t cleaning any grim off and is instead, it’s building up an oil coating and will eventually attract dust. Yikes.
Boiling wooden cutting boards and utensils
Over recent years, there have been rumours that wooden chopping boards and utensils harbour bacteria but this isn’t quite true and they are actually hygienic as wood has natural antimicrobial properties. Because of these rumours, though, people have been boiling their chopping boards and utensils to limit their risk of bacteria spreading. Brogan demonstrates that not only does this cause discolouration, it also can cause cracks and remove protective coating which… will let bacteria in!
Using cleaning paste “The Pink Stuff” on glass stovetops
The Pink Stuff which was popularised by, you guessed it, Mrs Hinch, is a wonder paste. It helps to remove even the thickest of grime, it requires minimal effort and a small amount goes a long way. No complaints here
However, Brogan warns against the popular trick of using it to clean glass stove tops or on stainless steel as it can scratch both and even The Pink Stuff packaging says it shouldn’t be used on glass!
Toilet cleaner on grout
Cleaners across social media have been showcasing the dramatic results of using toilet bowl cleaner on grout but it turns out, according to Brogan, this isn’t so much ‘cleaning’ the grout as it is ‘stripping the seal’ and ‘ruining the grout underneath’.
Covering bathrooms in… shaving foam?
Admittedly, this was a new one for us but it is a real thing, people have been coating their bathrooms tiles, sinks, and floors in shaving foam before cleaning them. Er. OK. Well, anyway, according to Brogan, this isn’t necessarily ‘harmful’ but it is a waste of product and is likely taking longer than any cleaning product should to clean up.
Maybe sometimes we can’t ‘hack’ our way through chores and need to just stick to what we know works. Boring.
