Social media has revolutionised the way we do cleaning. From Mrs Hinch's impeccable house cleaning that has made her into a star to weird and wonderful cleaning hacks that proliferate on Instagram, the Internet is awash with tips and tricks for cleaning every room and object imaginable.
And the 'cleaning hacks' niche is fast becoming the most popular segment of the online cleaning community, with people sharing shortcuts to difficult cleaning jobs and cheap alternatives to unnecessarily expensive commercial cleaning products.
But do these hacks always work, and which ones are worth trying at home? While it's impossible to verify the efficacy of all of them, Affordable Cleaning Services give their expert opinion on whether three trending social media cleaning hacks stand up to the hype.
1. Kitchen tongs for your window blinds
One area of the house we always seem to neglect is our blinds. With how much dust they pick up, it’s always worth keeping on top of wiping them down. One hack from Instagram offered users an alternative to a typical blind cleaner – by using kitchen tongs wrapped in wet wipes to get rid of any dust build-up.
But is that really an effective way to clean your blinds? It turns out that 'If you don’t own a blind cleaner, this method may be useful to tide you over until you do, but it’s much more advisable to invest in one – as you’ll be getting through a lot of wet wipes otherwise.' Not very eco-friendly, and you are likely to end up with streaks of dirt. If you don't feel like spending money on a dedicated blind cleaner, see if your steam cleaner will do the job instead.
2. Baking soda and vinegar for your shower door tracks
Those tracks that run along the bottom of your shower cubicle are liable to a lot of dirt and mould build-up, as the warm and wet environment can consistently leave some nasty substances behind. A hack from social media suggested that a solution of vinegar and baking soda (along with a good brush) would not only clean any mould but have the tracks looking like new.
Does it work? Yes, you're unto a winner here. As ACS explain, 'the combination will have your shower tracks looking and smelling spotless, meaning you can rest easy about any build-up that could result in damage. This solution is great for your oven, too.'
Actually, we can hardly think of a bathroom or kitchen surface a combination of vinegar and baking soda won't improve – these two ingredients should be in every household cleaning arsenal.
3. Post-It notes for your keyboard
Sound dodgy? It is, a little. Our keyboards are a real haven for dirt, dust and dead skin (sorry, but it's true), and we almost never clean them (also true, admit it). One social media hack suggested using the sticky nature or post-It notes to working between the cracks and pick up any larger bits that may be lurking beneath.
Does it work? Maybe for a quick, 'surface-level job', but if you want your keyboard to be truly clean, you'll need more than a post-it note. Start by wiping the keyboard with a damp cloth that you've lightly sprayed with a disinfectant spray. Then, go into the spaces between the keys with a cotton bud, also sprayed with a cleaning spray. ACS also advise to 'invest in a can of air and use it to get into the nooks and crannies you’ll miss otherwise.'
