When our oven broke down recently, part of me was overjoyed that I wouldn’t have to give it a long-overdue scrub. I’m not saying the flat I share with my partner isn’t clean, but I’d love to learn how to clean things properly – without fighting back tears of boredom and frustration as I give the sink a desultory wipe. I’d also love to tackle those seemingly impossible jobs such as descaling the taps, more effectively.
The trouble with learning more about cleaning, however, is why would I spend time schooling up on things I already don’t want to spend time on?
Solution: I consult the “cleanfluencers” – social media influencers who have created a repository of short and snappy 60-second TikTok videos demonstrating handy cleaning hacks. “Clean TikTok”, as the genre is known by fans, proves to be an ideal place to find out how to overhaul my home without wasting any more of my free time than strictly necessary.
I’m already a big fan of learning via TikTok, which has revolutionised the way I fold fitted sheets, eat tortilla wraps, and chop peppers. Ever since I started clicking on the Like button, my feed has been greeting me with lessons on the things I’m actually interested in.
As I start exploring the cleaning corner of the app, I find myself mesmerised by just how pin-neat these cleanfluencers’ homes are. They’re so committed that they even clean their cleaning cupboards with alarming regularity.
I start by investing in a few crucial tools: some sponges in the shape of smiley faces – which I later discover are called Scrub Daddy – a toothbrush, and Pink Stuff cleaning products, all of which make regular appearances under the #cleanTikTok hashtag.
First, I tackle the bathroom sink, where Welsh mum-of-two @sparklingwithdemi uses her toothbrush together with the popular Pink Stuff to bring limescale-crusted taps and plugs to a high shine (the taps in question belong to her brother – no self-respecting #cleanTikTok pro would allow limescale to build up in the first place, and Demi has more than half a million followers).
Although my taps look OK to me, they turn out to be like a Christmas tree, with a whole mess happening around the back. So I set to work, and after scrubbing then polishing them with some microfibre cloths – no streaks! – I’m left with shiny, stain-free chrome. Next, I use a toothbrush along with white vinegar to tackle my shower head, as recommended by @homewithchloex, a house-proud Scot with 2.9 million followers. And 10 minutes later, I’ve easily removed all the limescale and brought it to a gleaming shine.
I finish up in the bathroom by wiping my mirrors with shaving gel to stop them steaming up. This hack is so clever, it’s attracted huge amounts of views for @sharonscleaningva – whose motto is, appropriately: “Always stay a student.”
Bathroom done, I head for the kitchen, where the grease lurks. Armed with the right tools, and after giving the sink a satisfyingly foamy scrub, I’m inspired to tackle the pan supports on the hob for the first time in aeons, feeling truly saintly. It helps that I’ve learned a hack that had evaded me until now: some cleaning bottles come with a little flap over the nozzle, which you can open to adjust the spray pattern. So handy!
Thanks to @homewithleah, a relatively new cleanfluencer with a sparkling future ahead of her, I’ve also discovered that washing machine drawers are actually removable, rather than essentially self-cleaning as I’d always assumed. Digging out the instructions to find out how to remove mine, I’m suddenly faced with two years of mould and claggy washing powder. Not so self-cleaning after all – although the trusty kit that I’ve picked up works speedy wonders.
As my bumper day of cleaning wears on, I discover it’s not just the useful tips that I learn from, it’s also the sheer enthusiasm of the cleanfluencers, who could inspire even the most committed layabout to get to work. I even find myself cleaning my blinds and the edge of the hob by wrapping disinfectant wipes around a butter knife. I now understand why the pride gleams from their videos as brightly as their polished chrome.
Once I’m done, I display my cleaning products next to the washing-up liquid like trophies – which, it turns out, is another good tip: the closer these things are to hand, the more likely you are to clean up your mess immediately. I’m not quite ready to start cleaning the cleaning products shelf, but I’ve certainly taken a wipe in the right direction.
Why not try something new? Discover the benefits of just having a go #LearnOnTikTok
