These 7 Popular Cleaning Hacks Are A Waste Of Your Time

One of the best things about the internet is that it makes so much information available to people all over the world. The internet helps us stay informed, learn new things, and solve problems much faster than we used to be able to. But there’s a downside to having so much information available online, which is that not all of the information you’ll find is true, accurate, or helpful!

“Fake news” isn’t just a problem in the worlds of journalism and politics—it’s a problem everywhere! Misinformation is lurking everywhere you go online, even within the realm of household tips and tricks. In fact, I’ve started seeing certain home cleaning hacks getting shared around that I know don’t actually work.

So to help you separate the helpful advice from the misinformation, I decided to do a little “myth-busting” of my own! Today I’ll be sharing 7 popular or viral cleaning hacks and explaining why they don’t actually work. I’ve also included some alternatives for those hacks that I know do work, so you can get the job done and get on with your day! 🙂

7 Popular Cleaning Hacks That Don’t Actually Work

1. “Placing A Magic Eraser In Your Toilet Tank/Bowl Will Remove Stains”

Magic erasers are a great tool for cleaning tasks that require scrubbing, wiping, or “erasing” dirt and grime. The melamine foam acts like a superfine sandpaper to remove tough messes. But they need your elbow grease to work, which is why placing a magic eraser in your toilet tank or bowl overnight won’t do anything to help clean it!

If you’re interested in learning more about magic erasers and what you can do with them, check out my post on the topic below!

2. “Coca-Cola Is The Best Toilet Bowl Cleaner”

Can you clean your toilet bowl with Coca-Cola? Technically yes, you can. But should you? No! Most carbonated sodas contain citric and phosphoric acids, which can help dissolve rusty deposits and some other stains. However, pouring a bunch of soda into your toilet will do nothing to kill bacteria, and it will leave behind a sticky residue you’ll have to clean up afterwards.

So you can use soda every once in a while as a stain treatment, but for regular cleanings, stick with more traditional toilet bowl cleaners.

3. “More Detergent Means Cleaner Laundry”

More is not always better when it comes to doing laundry. Using more detergent than necessary makes it impossible for your washer to rinse all the detergent out of your clothes. The lingering detergent trapped in the fabric of your clothes will make them look dull, and they’ll likely attract more dirt too.

To ensure your clothes are getting cleaned and properly rinsed, follow the instructions on your preferred bottle or box of laundry detergent. And be sure to follow any special instructions for cold water loads or HE machines, as applicable.

4. “Hot Water Kills All Germs”

Hot water can kill some bacteria, but it has to be really hot (212°F, in fact!) Since most home water heaters are set to 120°F, the hot water from your faucet isn’t going to do you much good in terms of killing germs and bacteria. Instead, use antibacterial cleaners or hydrogen peroxide to sanitize the surfaces around your home.

5. “Baking Soda And Vinegar Make A Great All-Purpose Cleaner”

This particular cleaning myth is really pervasive! I’ve seen it so many times around the internet at this point that I felt compelled to post about it here. Check out that post at the link below to learn when baking soda and vinegar can make an effective cleaning duo, and when you should leave them on the shelf.

6. “Put A Lemon Wedge In Your Dishwasher For Cleaner Dishes”

While this tip may make your dishes smell fresh and clean, it won’t actually do anything to make them cleaner. The amount of juice in one lemon wedge is just not enough to make a difference in the amount of water that is going through your dishwasher. If your dishwasher detergent isn’t leaving your dishes as clean as you’d like, you may want to try another brand of detergent to see if there’s a better one out there!

If the detergent doesn’t make a difference, it could be that your dishwasher needs a good cleaning. Check out the link below to learn how to keep the inside of your dishwasher clean and running right!

7. “You Can Clean Your Washing Machine With Mouthwash”

While it’s true that mouthwash kills germs inside your mouth, it is not the right tool for killing germs in your washing machine. A small amount of mouthwash would get too diluted in a wash cycle to do any good!

You should absolutely clean your washing machine every few months to keep it running well, but skip the mouthwash. Instead, check out the links below to learn how to properly clean your particular kind of washer!

Have you ever tried a cleaning hack that turned out to be bogus?