Whether you’ve been watching TikTok cleaning hacks with no intention of trying them or have adopted many new cleaning tips and tricks in your daily life, we all know that some bathroom cleaning tricks just don’t work.
There’s a difference between cleaning a bathroom so it’s “socially clean”—shiny glass shower doors, neatly rolled towels, stunning shiny grout—and cleaning it hygienically.
Here are some bathroom cleaning hacks to skip and what to do instead to get a satisfying clean that effectively sanitizes surfaces without harming you or the planet.
Bathroom cleaning hacks that don’t work
(Image credit: Future PLC)
1. Use Coca-Cola to clean the toilet bowl
We’ve all heard of how Coca-Cola doubles as an unexpected cleaning agent, removing rust and limescale and ultimately leading us to wonder how much damage it is doing to our teeth. I’ve tried it as a way to clean my shower head (tie a sandwich bag around it, fill it with Coca-Cola, and let it sit for a few hours) and found it to work pretty well.
Many cleaning fans pour it down the toilet to remove stains, but others say it’s an expensive and ineffective bathroom cleaning trick to avoid. “While this may make your toilet look shiny, it won’t be enough to get rid of bacteria or grime,” insists Raquel Keller of Room Crush. (Opens in a new tab).
Instead, she recommends toilet tablets from Blueland, at Walmart (Opens in a new tab) Which melts in the bowl and is easy to clean. “Plus, it smells great and is planet-friendly,” she says.
Alternatively, you can use a pumice stone, $4 at Amazon (Opens in a new tab) To clean your bathroom sink. There are no strong chemicals that are harmful to the environment and bad for you, especially if you have asthma. You can simply moisten it, wear thick rubber gloves, and scrub the porcelain. It is hard to work with limescale but soft enough not to damage the surface of the bowl.
(Image credit: Future PLC)
2. Mix baking soda with vinegar
“Another popular method is to mix baking soda and vinegar to clean, but this doesn’t have enough cleaning power to remove dirt, caked-on soap or grease,” Raquel says. Instead, invest in an effective all-purpose cleaner that’s safe to use on most surfaces, then apply hydrogen peroxide to tricky areas.
“For soap scum in the shower, I like to make a paste of 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 2 parts baking soda and scrub the area well with a stiff brush,” she says. You can also spray hydrogen peroxide directly on mold or mildew or use it to clean mirrors without streaks.
(Image credit: Future PLC)
3. Use fabric softener on the towels
If you want to keep your towels soft, avoid using fabric softener. “To keep them looking and feeling their best for as long as possible, simply use laundry detergent when washing your towels,” he says. Homes and gardensDeputy Editor (Digital) Jennifer Ebert. “Otherwise, you could end up with product buildup within the fibers, making the towels rough and less absorbent.”
More isn’t necessarily more when it comes to laundry detergent, either. If you use too much, it can leave the towels stiff and scratchy. Those dirty towels in your bathroom cabinet can be revived – learn how to strip cloths to give them a deep clean and make them as fresh as when you first bought them.
Jennifer is the digital editor at Homes & Gardens. It’s a powerful tool for maintaining a clean and tidy home, so it’s always on top of the latest cleaning trends and TikTok and Instagram tricks.
4. Mix bathroom cleaning products
There are many videos online showing different ways to unclog a sink etc, but it’s really important to do this with care, especially when dealing with strong chemicals. Many of us have both bleach and vinegar as part of our cleaning supplies, and when used independently, they are powerful cleaning agents for disinfecting and getting rid of grime. However, if you mix it up, it produces deadly chlorine gas.
(Image credit: Future PLC)
5. Use baby oil on bathroom fixtures and fittings
Some cleaning enthusiasts suggest using baby oil to clean faucets and stainless steel sinks. Elizabeth Grace, interior designer and home expert at Dream Home Making (Opens in a new tab) Not an advocate of this hack and recommends keeping baby oil for its original purpose.
“Using baby oil to remove water stains from faucets and shower heads doesn’t work,” she says. “Baby oil may not be strong enough to remove hard water stains, and it can also leave residue on the fixtures.” Instead, try baking soda and lemon juice to make a paste for cleaning tough stains.
What is the fastest way to clean the bathroom?
Raquel Keller says the quickest way to clean a bathroom is to remove the clutter and then start with the areas that need the most cleaning. “I like to use a paste of 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 2 parts baking soda on any areas that have scum, mold, discoloration, or odor,” she shares.
Scrub in with a stiff-bristle brush, let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe off the paste with a damp cloth. Once you’re done, clean out the sink and bathtub, then apply an all-purpose cleaner to your countertops. Finally, you can finish with the mirror and then the floor. Doesn’t sound too painful, is anyone else up for some spring cleaning?
How do I make cleaning my bathroom easier?
Raquel suggests that you remove mold, mildew, and soap scum as soon as you see them so they are easier to remove. “You’ll also want to clean your sink and shower/bathtub once a week so that stuff doesn’t build up,” she says. Keep a soap dispenser brush at walmart (Opens in a new tab)in the shower so you can scrub your bath while waiting for the leave-in conditioner to work its magic.
