Cleaning HACKS
We’ve tested the lastest shortcuts to getting your home shining
Social media is filled with handy tips and tricks to help us get our homes sparkling with minimal effort. Online Cleanfluencers are dedicated to sharing their secrets to a pristine home and the magical sounds of bristles scrubbing and bottles spraying have become addictive and satisfying. But how many of these hacks actually work? We tested out some of Tiktok’s viral cleaning trends to see if they really did the job.
The hack: The Silverware Sparkle
METHOD: Scrunch up some aluminium foil into a ball and place in the dishwasher next to your cutlery and glassware.
DID IT WORK? This hack was full of promise – cheap, almost-zero effort and boasting the potential of dazzlingly clean kitchenware.
However, we were disappointed. Our glasses were no clearer and cutlery no shinier. Desperately wanting our cheapo Ikea kitchen kit to come out looking more polished, we tried again – still no luck. Having said that, we didn’t notice any negative results, either. We were worried about the foil scratching things or breaking the dishwasher, so that was a relief, at least. Nothing was made worse and it didn’t cost anything in terms of time or money.
The hack: The Pan Lid Sofa Clean
METHOD: Dissolve a dishwasher tablet in warm water, then soak a microfibre cloth in it and wring out. Wrap the cloth around a saucepan lid, hold it at the handle and wipe it over your sofa.
DID IT WORK? We have a velvet sofa that is only a year old, but messy kids make for a mucky settee. The pan lid gives you really good coverage and allows you to apply extra pressure on stubborn stains. We recommend re-dipping the cloth after each cushion, but we were shocked at how filthy the water was, so it certainly lifted the dirt. This method also stops cushions from getting too wet, and we were left with a clean, fresh-smelling sofa. Will totally be doing this every six months!
The hack: The Overnight Oven Clean
METHOD: Mix baking soda, washing up liquid and water to make a thick paste. Apply to your dirty oven and leave overnight. In the morning, scrub the dried paste off and spray with white vinegar. Rub with a cloth till it shines.
DID IT WORK? Confession: we hadn’t cleaned our oven for months. Having avoided the dreaded task for so long, when we saw this simple hack, we were blown away by the idea of it cleaning the oven while we slept. Plus, it didn’t involve any special cleaners, materials, or detergents – just standard cupboard ingredients. Scrubbing the paste off in the morning required a fair bit of elbow grease and was extremely messy. Be sure to have your hoover at the ready. Overall, we think if you did this hack every month or so, it would be a good way to keep on top of the grease and grime. But, if your oven hasn’t been cleaned in a while, stick to the hardcore stuff.
The hack: The Ketchup Limescale Remover
METHOD: Squirt ketchup over limescale and let it rest on the surface for an hour, before wiping off.
DID IT WORK? Those tricky limescale marks on taps are a pain to remove, so we were excited to try this hack. Sadly, it didn’t do the magic on the limescale and left ketchup smeared everywhere, which – FYI – is really annoying to clean up. And smelly. It’s a no from us.
The hack: The White Trainer Wash
METHOD: Begin by spraying sneakers with a prewash stain remover, then sprinkle bicarbonate of soda over and rub it in well with a sponge. After leaving to dry for about an hour, put the shoes in the washing machine, making sure to wrap them in a towel before they are placed inside. Use your preferred washing detergent and wash on a regular cycle, then leave to air dry.
DID IT WORK? Our bashed-up kicks were in desperate need of some TLC, stained with mud, scuffs and scratches. We prayed this hack would give them a new lease of life, so began the somewhat lengthy process. While we were hesitant about putting them in the washer, in fear of them shrinking, we were blown away by the results. The hack left us with dazzling, boxfresh kicks! Would definitely do this hack again.