These Cleaning Tricks Don’t Work Like People Say They Do

There’s no shortage of cleaning hacks floating around online. Problem is, a lot of them either don’t work, waste your time, or flat-out make the problem worse. Some are based on half-truths, while others were never a good idea to begin with.

If you’ve been trying these so-called tricks and wondering why your house doesn’t feel cleaner… you’re not imagining it. These are the ones I skip every time.

Using Vinegar on Everything

Vinegar gets hyped like it’s a cure-all, but it doesn’t clean everything. It’s great for hard water and some surfaces but useless on grease and grime.

It also damages natural stone, hardwood floors, and some rubber seals. So if you’re wiping down granite or marble with vinegar, you’re breaking it down—not cleaning it.

Lemon to Clean Faucets

Rubbing a lemon on your faucet sounds nice, but it won’t magically remove hard water stains the way people claim.

The acid helps a little, but it’s not strong enough for serious buildup. You’ll usually need vinegar or a proper limescale remover to actually do the job.

Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano

Mixing baking soda and vinegar doesn’t create a cleaner—it’s a science fair project. They cancel each other out into mostly water.

Sure, there’s fizzing, but it’s not breaking down grease or disinfecting. You’re better off using them separately depending on what you’re cleaning.

Dryer Sheets for Dusting

Some folks swear dryer sheets pick up dust, but they mostly just push it around. They also leave behind a residue that attracts more dust later.

A microfiber cloth works way better. It actually traps dust instead of smearing it into corners or onto other surfaces.

Newspaper for Cleaning Windows

This one used to work when newspapers were made differently. Today’s papers use thinner ink and cheaper paper that leaves streaks—and sometimes stains.

You’ll get a much cleaner finish with a microfiber cloth or a squeegee. No risk of ink transfers, and it works way faster.

Bleach for Mold Removal

Bleach only works on non-porous surfaces. On drywall, grout, or wood, it doesn’t penetrate deep enough to kill mold at the root.

The mold looks gone but usually grows back worse. You need a mold-killing cleaner designed for porous materials—or cut the damaged material out completely.

Coca-Cola for Toilet Cleaning

Yeah, it’s acidic. No, it doesn’t clean toilets well. Coke might help loosen some surface stains, but it’s nowhere near strong enough to disinfect or deep clean.

It leaves behind a sticky residue if you don’t rinse like crazy, which attracts even more grime later.

Salt to Scrub Pans Clean

Salt helps a little with cast iron, but it’s not magic. You’ll still need hot water, a scraper, or a brush to actually get gunk off.

Plus, using salt on anything with a nonstick coating or stainless steel can scratch the surface. It’s not as universal as folks say.

Hair Dryer to Remove Stickers

It works… sometimes. But if the sticker’s been on there a while or has a waterproof adhesive, a hair dryer won’t do much.

You usually need heat plus a scraper and adhesive remover. A hair dryer by itself leaves you standing there longer than you should be.

*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.