TIKTOK is being taken over with cleaning hacks for all types of different purposes. Whether it’s for laundry, toilets or just making your house smell nice.
The growing cleaning hashtags ‘#CleanTok’ and ‘#LaundryTok’ have gathered over 15 billion views in recent months, with many people turning to the app for it’s nifty laundry and cleaning tricks.
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Whilst there’s no shame in picking up handy tips from other users about cleaning around your home, laundry expert and the CEO of Laundryheap Deyan Dimitrov wants to warn users that some of these hacks are not as helpful as they may seem.
Dimitrov is urging users who are a fan of these hacks to err on the side of caution before trying some of the most popular cleaning hacks found on the platform.
Below are some of the popular hacks you’ve seen on your TikTok feed which are best to be avoided.
Tumble Drying Pillows
TikTok videos involving heating up pillows enough to kill the germs and bacteria festering inside began to circulate the app, in response to people’s fears of sleeping on unhygienic pillows.
Tumble drying pillows is supposedly a great way to keep them fresh and bacteria free, but, it’s worth noting that treating memory foam pillows this way will likely break down their structure, causing them to disintegrate.
Dimitrov suggests replacing your pillows every few years instead, and to definitely not try this hack if you have memory foam pillows.
Scenting Your Mattress
Another popular TikTok hack tells users to mix baking soda with essential oils, and sprinkle the mixture over their mattress and leave it to soak into the fabric for a few hours, before hoovering the blended mix up to leave a pleasant scent on your bed.
Dimitrov advises against coating a mattress with scented products, and also points out that baking soda can block filters of some Dyson hoover models.
He says even if the product is natural, scented products can create certain health hazards.
Leaving a baking soda and oil paste on your mattress can be messy, and failure to remove it all could cause allergic reactions from people with fragrance allergies or sensitive skin.
Ingesting the powder could also be dangerous for children and pets if large amounts are comsumed.
It’s also important to not that some essential oils can be toxic to pets, particularly those containing pine, sage and excessive amounts of tea tree.
Stripping Laundry
Stripping laundry involves soaking items (typically bedding) in hot water for a long time, to remove dirt, grime and detergent residue.
Whilst laundry stripping has become a popular viral sensation on TikTok, you should know that if item aren’t drained properly it can cause more problems, and you may even have to throw them away.
Soaking items all day can lead to your laundry developing mould pores if they’re not completely dried out afterwards.
One TikTok user even revealed the horror of the amount of water retained by her rug, after she stripped it and left it to dry on her kitchen table, her house came close to flooding.
In order to deep clean tricky items whilst keeping them in good condition, Dimitrov advises you to have laundry and large items dry cleaned professionally, rather than attempting laundry stripping at home.
Mixing Cleaning Products
As a general rule of thumb, Dimitrov also advises homeowners to check the ingredients of any cleaning products before replicating any trending videos of mixing products. Whilst bleach is often a go-to cleaning product, most bleach-based products can’t be mixed with products that contain ammonia, and the resulting mixture can be very harmful to our health and can be toxic.
Any hacks encouraging the combination of the following products should NOT be copied:
- Bleach and Vinegar
- Bleach and Rubbing Alcohol
- Baking Soda and Vinegar
- Bleach and Ammonia
- Hydrogen Peroxide and Vinegar
Staying Mindful of the Latest Trends
Whilst most of the cleaning hacks we see on TikTok are nothing but harmless and helpful, it’s always worth checking with experts whether to use these tips and if they are safe for you to try.
Certain trends and hacks are not worth your time and can do more harm than good.
Always err on the side of caution before trying a new TikTok cleaning hack says Dimitrov, and to be on the safe side, look out for tried and tested cleaning methods and natural products to protect your health and the items your cleaning.
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