6 Cleaning Hack Myths To Avoid

At Unique Clean, hire & facilities, we’d like to think we know a thing or two about getting cleaning jobs done to a quality standard. All of our team are professionals in all practices of cleaning from the deep industrial cleaning of facilities to the everyday domestic cleaning we do in homes and schools.

With our in depth knowledge of cleaning practices, we often get asked about whether some ‘cleaning hacks’ actually work, and often, they don’t! So if you’ve ever considered any of these cleaning tricks, listen to our expert opinion and think twice before you try and cheat the system, so to speak.

1. Using vinegar

Vinegar seems to be universally known as the go to household solution to cleaning the difficult to shift stuff. It’s fantastic for cleaning many surfaces like kitchen work tops and anything glass. Its strong stuff, and you’d know that after drowning your chips in it a bit too heavily! However, using vinegar for your cleaning on kitchen appliances can cause some problems for the rubber parts which most of them have; don’t go using vinegar (especially apple cider vinegar) on fridges and oven doors where there is likely to be rubber seals.

2. Steam cleaning carpets causes mold to grow

This myth comes from the idea that mold likes dirty wet places as mold and mildew thrive in dirty, damp, and dark conditions. If you dumped a bucket of water on your carpets each day and just let it dry mold would take over quicker than you can say photosynthesis. What steam cleaning does, is wash away dirt and grime, while maintaining a high temperature that kills any bacteria remaining. It’s like hitting the reset button on your carpets. A professional carpet cleaning service is the go to source for this type of work.

3. Using toothpaste

There’s a popular myth that you can remove old scratches and makings on your specs when using some tooth paste and elbow grease. In reality, toothpaste has been shown to actually damage the lenses effect of glasses, and if used in excess it can seriously damage the lenses to the point that they are useless. Simply put, give the toothpaste hack a miss.

4. Coconut oil

If you’re a fella, you might have heard your missus going on about the benefits of coconut oil for all kinds of beauty regimes and household cleaning remedies. But use coconut oil near any of your fabrics and it could do some serious damage.

5. Over vacuuming will wear out carpets

Actually, the opposite here is true. Keeping carpets free of dust and dirt will extend the life of your carpets for years. It helps release tangled fibers allowing them to breath and keeps your carpets and rugs looking factory fresh. Pet stains, spills and foot traffic is what wears down carpets. But to properly take care of your carpets, a regularly cleaning is required and deep, professional clean every now and then to revitalise them. Actively vacuum, and bring in a professional carpet cleaning on an annual basis. The cost of hiring a service to extend the life of your carpets, will far outweigh the cost of replacing your carpets.

6. Hairspray removes ink stains

Hairspray has been used to clean mirrors and as a general stain remover for many years. However, the formula to hairspray has changed over time, and while alcohol-free versions are better for your hair—it’s not as good at removing stains as it once was. So next time you spill red wine all over your white dress, reach for an actual stain remover or hydrogen peroxide.