10 of the Cleverest Ways to Clean Your House, According to TikTok

Housekeepers and pro cleaners know the best tricks when it comes to cleaning hard-to-reach places, and sometimes they use platforms like TikTok to help the rest of us. But the best hacks get mixed in with a lot of bad ones that don’t actually work, so we sorted through and found some of our favourites. Here are some of the best cleaning hacks from TikTokers who know what they’re doing.

Clean the gunk out of your sliding door track

Sliding doors can get pretty grimy, and finding the right brush to scrub out the gunk is next to impossible. Fortunately, Mr. Gardeners shows viewers how to clean out the gunk without scrubbing by using hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. First, vacuum out any visible dirt, then sprinkle a liberal amount of baking soda into the track. Next, pour hydrogen peroxide and let it sit for five minutes as it pulls out all of the dirt and grime. Finally, take a paper towel or cleaning cloth, and wipe it clean.

Clean out your vacuum brush

Hair, lint, and dirt get caught in your vacuum’s spinning brush, causing it to slow down or stop altogether. Cleaning it out is easier than you think, and TikToker and professional housekeeper Vanessa Amaro demonstrates just how to do it. Most vacuums will have a lever or button to open the brush compartment to remove it for cleaning. Find it on your vacuum, and once the brush is removed, use scissors to cut off the tangled hair and lint. Make sure you wear gloves.

Clean in between your oven doors

Over doors are double-paned for both heat protection and to cook your food well. Unfortunately, it means that the glass surfaces in between can get pretty dirty, and you wouldn’t know how to get in there without some instruction. Housekeeper Vanessa Amaro saves the day again with her detailed TikTok video.

Depending on the type of oven you have, you can remove the bottom drawer and use a microfiber cloth wrapped around a yardstick (or long microfiber duster) to get in between the glass (like Vanessa shows). Other oven door hinges unclick, allowing you to remove the door and open it up to clean the glass thoroughly.

Dust ceiling fans with a pillowcase

Dusting a ceiling fan can be a messier job than you think: Wipe the blades with a regular duster, and the particles and dirt falls right onto your floors and furniture. You can avoid extra clean-up though by using a pillowcase to dust the blades and catch any dirt that falls.

We’ve reported the many unique ways to dust your home, but the TikTok page Clean That Up made dusting with a pillowcase go viral. All you need to do is cover the blades with the pillowcase and then pull off, making sure to grab all the dust inside the case.

Use bleach or baby aspirin to keep flowers clean

There are several ways to keep cut flowers fresh for longer — from vinegar in the water, to mouthwash — but TikToker Allison’s Cleanin shows how to keep the water clean as well. With a few spritzes of household bleach cleaner (or regular bottled bleach) in the flower water, the plants will stay fresh, and the water will remain clean and clear for longer. In addition, you can reach the same results with a couple of tablets of baby aspirin dissolved in the water after cutting (or recutting) your flowers.

Buff your bathroom mirror with shaving cream

Having a spotless mirror is hard to manage, but TikToker Sharonscleaningva found a perfect way to keep your mirror looking flawless, even after a steamy shower. First, clean the mirror with warm water soap and a microfiber cloth. Then dry the mirror and spray the cleaning cloth with shaving gel. You want to evenly coat the mirror, then buff it with the microfiber cloth until the mirror is completely clear and dry. You’ll notice the protective layer repels condensation the next time you get out of the shower.

Use a squeegee to pull up pet hair and dust

Just when you think the vacuum has done its job, you find a hack that proves you wrong. TikToker miaslaterxo found that running a squeegee over your carpet releases pet hair, dust, and dirt you didn’t know was hiding in the fibres. To try it out, take a handheld squeegee and brush it in one direction along the carpet using enough force to release the hair and dirt.

Strip your towels to bring back their absorbency

When your bath towels (or bath sheets) don’t look as plush anymore and stop drying like they used to, TikToker Renee Alyse Bell, with her page mommyhasntshowered, shows how to revitalize them in the washer.

First, add a few towels, then baking soda and vinegar, then a few more towels, and then more baking soda and vinegar, and so on. After you’ve completed the layering, turn on the rinse and spin cycle with hot water, but stop the wash before the water is gone. Let the wash sit for four hours, then wash as normal. Be careful not to use detergent or fabric softener, which will derail your progress; the vinegar will do the cleaning and softening on its own.

Clean paint off your rug with a vacuum

TikToker Kayteehaas discovered that warm water and a vacuum will save your carpet from any spills when you’re painting indoors. When the accident happens, squeegee the carpet to remove as much paint as you can. Next, pour warm water on the spot saturating the area. Then use a vacuum with a hose attachment (a shop vac works best) to vacuum up the paint, and repeat as needed until the paint spot is gone.

Use a little dish soap on your TV

TikToker Carolina Mccauley shares what she feels is the best way to wipe down your flatscreen TV. First, take a dry microfiber towel and wipe down the surface and surrounding frame. Next, add one cup of water and one teaspoon of dish soap to a spray bottle, and shake. Finally, spray a light mist of the solution onto the microfiber cloth and wipe down the TV again, paying careful attention to any scuffs.