5 TikTok Cleaning Tricks that Work and 3 That Don't

Dare to discover which are those viral cleaning tricks that triumph on TikTok and that do work. But also beware of those that only waste your time.
5 TikTok Cleaning Tricks that Work and 3 That Don't

Last update: 03 March, 2023

Social media contents are charming – especially those like TikTok cleaning tricks, which often end up going viral. Everything seems so easy to clean, fix, and clean, so you can spend hours and hours looking at short videos on your phone screen!

However, despite the success they may have, there are some that do work and some that don’t. If you haven’t had time to try them out on your own, we’ll do the homework for you and tell you which ones do and which ones don’t work. Read on to find out!

The TikTok cleaning tricks that have gone viral and do work

Let’s start with the positive, with the cleaning tricks that are viral and do work. Rest assured that they will deliver!

1. Hot water to clean wooden utensils

One of the most viral cleaning tricks on TikTok is the simplest thing in the world. It consists of using boiled or very hot water to clean wooden spoons and utensils, among other utensils made of this material.

Well, this is a trick that works, although the results turn out to be no big surprise. It works to remove food debris, but you’ll notice that it feels like you need to use soap to remove the grease.

As it is, you could try it with a little soap in the water, and you can be sure it will do the trick.

We think you may also like to read this article: Try These 10 Ideas for Using Lemon in Household Cleaning

2. Baking soda and lemon for the dishwasher is one of the best TikTok cleaning tricks

The dishwasher is an appliance that makes our life easier, but it requires a cleaning protocol to work properly. Otherwise, it will start to accumulate dirt, grease, and residues that will spoil it over time.

Well, a cleaning trick with baking soda and lemon has gone viral on TikTok. It consists of sprinkling baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher and putting a lemon cut in two on the top rack. Then, set it on the preferred cycle and you’re done.

As advertised in the header, this trick does work. However, if you’ve never cleaned your dishwasher, don’t expect the homemade trick to work magic. It might take a couple more cleanings.

Bicarbonato
One of TikTok’s viral cleaning tricks that do work involves the use of baking soda. This substance always comes in handy when cleaning.

3. Oven cleaning with hot water and lemon

The third of the viral tricks that does work helps us clean the oven in a simple way. What you should do is pour water into a bowl with two lemons cut in half.

Turn on the oven for a few minutes, open it, and let it cool down a little. Then, use a soft sponge to clean the inside. Be sure to wash the sponge as you go. You will see how the accumulated grease and food residues come out.

4. Remove grease from your pans with dish detergent

Detergent has fallen into disuse. It’s increasingly being replaced by liquid soap, both for laundry and dishes. However, detergent powder is a great ally in household cleaning, especially when it comes to grease.

According to the viral trick that does work, to remove grease from pans and trays simply boil water, add a tablespoon of soap powder and use the mixture to immerse the utensils. When the water cools, take the materials out and notice how the grease has come off.

5. Say goodbye to the annoying fridge smell with ground coffee

The nasty fridge smell, as many of us call it, is annoying and permeates the food stored there. To eliminate it, you need to remove rotting food or leftovers that are no longer going to be consumed.

Then, apply TikTok’s viral trick. Fill a cup with ground coffee and put it inside the fridge. You’ll notice how this delicious aroma takes over the environment and eliminates the smell. However, if you’re not a coffee lover, this won’t be a good idea for you.

Now for the TikTok cleaning tricks that don’t work

Although they’re very viral cleaning tricks, it must be said that not all of these tricks work. This can be frustrating. Don’t let the thousands of views and plays fool you. While you can try on your own, know that the results will not be what you expect.

3. The salt trick for frying pans

One of the most viral cleaning tricks consists of using a series of homemade products to make the bottom of frying pans “like new”. According to videos, you first have to cover this area of the pan with a good amount of salt and baking soda.

Then, you have to add liquid detergent on top and rub it with a sponge or scouring pad. After all this, it’s necessary to pour vinegar and place aluminum foil, leaving it like this for a few hours. After putting the process into practice, the truth is that the result is a bit disappointing and even more so if it’s a very dirty pan.

El truco de limpieza que se hizo viral en TikTok incluye el uso de sal y otros productos, pero este no es muy efectivo.
The pan cleaning trick that went viral on TikTok includes the use of salt and other products, but it’s actually not very effective.

2. The tea bag trick to remove grease

Another viral cleaning trick that doesn’t work as well as advertised is the famous tea bag trick to remove grease from oven pans. According to the different social network accounts that have talked about this tip, just place a tea bag in the tray and add hot water. Once it cools down, throw the water away and all the grease should fall out.

The truth is that some grease stains do come out, but the tougher ones stay there. Some influencers indicate that in that case, you should pour vinegar; however, the hard stains will not come out that way, either. On the other hand, there are those who have done the same thing without using the tea bag, obtaining the same poor results.

3. The stain remover trick for plastic storage containers

Another trick that doesn’t work is the magic homemade stain remover for the plastic storage containers. According to the tiktokers, placing hot water, dish soap, and a paper towel inside the lid and then shaking it for a few minutes is enough to make the yellow stains disappear.

It must be said that after trying the above, this only works if the stains are recent. Those containers that have had them for a long time will stay that way without any improvement.

Have you already tried these viral cleaning tricks?

As you can tell, there’s a lot of information and tricks out there on social networks, but not all of it is as real as it seems. So, by trying these viral cleaning tricks we realized that there are some that are effective, some that more or less work, and some that just represent a waste of time and products.

While you are free to try them, the advice is not to get your hopes up about the results. Rather than social media, you can look for professional cleaning guides that have been put together by experts in the field.


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • Díaz, R. A. (2017). La Limpieza del hogar. In La Limpieza del hogar (pp. 131-131).

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.