9 TikTok Cleaning Hacks for a Spotless Apartment

If you’re a regular user of the popular social media app, you already know TikTok is great for sharing your dance moves. But did you know it’s also filled with top-notch cleaning hacks? That’s right: some TikTokers are making a career out of showing off the way they clean everything from their toilets to their Airpods. Here are a few we found that you can try to tidy up your apartment. Try the hashtag #cleantok for loads more.

A Fix for Dirty Fan Blades

Thrown off by your dirty ceiling fan when you’re trying to relax on your couch? Watching those cobwebs go round and round (and round) is not conducive to unwinding. But no more! TikTok user @cleanthatup suggests using a pillowcase to get that dust off. Stand on a chair, wrap your pillow case (not your best one, of course) tightly around a fan blade, and carefully pull from the inside to the outside of the blade. The dust comes off the blades but stays safely contained inside your pillowcase. And hopefully we don’t have to tell you, but turn your fan off first.

Pet Hair is Everywhere

Does your apartment allow pets? Well along with unconditional love, pets also mean pet hair. Lots of TikTokers swear by @chomchomroller, a reusable hair remover that gets cat and dog hair off couches, carpets, bedding, and car seats. No need to rip off sticky lint roller sheets. Black cat on a white couch? No problem.

Is Your Microwave Macro-Dirty?

It’s easy to ignore a dirty microwave for a while. After all, you can just close the door on it. But eventually, it’s likely that even you will be grossed out by your microwave. Tiktok user @allisonscleanin recommends making your own easy microwave cleaner. All you need is an ounce and a half of white vinegar, half of a lemon, and a bowl of water. Put this concoction in a microwave-safe container and nuke it on high for four or five minutes. Let the bowl sit for five more minutes, then use a dry cloth to wipe the insides of the microwave.

Erase Those Carpet Stains

Did you spill coffee on your rug? Or worse, on carpet that officially belongs to your landlord, and could cost you that refundable deposit you were counting on seeing again one day? Viral TikTok sensation the Bissell Little Green portable spot and stain cleaner promises to gobble up that stain. You can find a ton of short videos of TikTok users dragging the green wand over stains that magically disappear. At around $100 bucks, this isn’t a cheap fix. But if you’re accident-prone, this little machine could pay off fast.

Faster Than a Sponge and Gloves

Now for a lower tech hack. TikTok user @charlascleaninghacks suggests buying latex gloves with raised dots on them and skipping the sponge. One of her TikTok videos shows her scrubbing the crevices of a plastic baby’s dish shaped like an elephant head using her gloved fingers. It’s kind of like finger painting, where you skip the brush and get right to it.

What Color is My Grout Again?

Have you noticed that the grout on your kitchen counter is different colors? Like perhaps in a little-used area, it’s off-white. But in the coffee making region, it’s turned dark brown. This means off-white is the intended grout color. Uh-oh. TikTok user @cynthiasierra071 says toilet bowl cleaner can come to the rescue here. Squeeze it right from the bottle onto your grout, let it stand for up to 10 minutes, then scrub that nastiness away with a toothbrush – an old one, not your roommate’s.

What’s in My Kettle?!

Old minerals build up in your kettle and coffee pot, leading to some suspicious and unsavory looking particles. TikToker @eatlocally says no problem. Slice up some lemons, drop them in your kettle, and boil away the build-up.

Multitasking in the Shower

Have you ever been taking a shower when you noticed grime on the walls and thought, I’ve really got to get around to cleaning that? Instead of coming back and doing it later, why not clean the shower while you’re showering? TikTok user @vanesamaro91, aka the Queen of Cleaning, suggests a scrub brush with liquid soap in the handle. Take that minute or two while your hair conditioner is soaking in to turn off the water and give the walls a quick scrub.

The Laundry Stripping Fad

Laundry stripping is huge on TikTok, and it’s super easy to do. You can use it to wash rugs, towels, and furniture fabric. You just need a bathtub and some cleaning stuff. Some TikTok users suggest adding a quarter cup of borax, a quarter cup of Arm and Hammer, and a scoop of Tide to bathwater. Then you soak your dirty linens for a long, long time. After five hours, you’ll likely be rewarded by satisfyingly filthy water.

There are a ton more helpful hacks on TikTok. Just search #cleantok and you’ll have days’ worth of cleaning entertainment, and ideas for every room of the apartment.

Why is #cleantok so popular? It’s all about transformation – the filthy to the pristine, the thrill that something that was gross beyond words can now be clean again. Even if you just had a party that got out of hand, or you suffer from the world’s piggiest roommate, #cleantok offers hope.