'It gets on my nerves' – we've found the worst cleaning tips being shared on Reddit, so you don't have to

Take it from us, this is advice you really won't want to follow

Wooden shelves in a kitchen filled with eclectic plants, bowls, vases, lamps and glassware. On either side are brown cupboards, and in the foreground is a marble island with grey rattan chairs, and a silver faucet is seen to the bottom right hand corner.
(Image credit: Future)

What's the worst cleaning tip you've ever heard? Sure, you may have heard some good, or even great, ones, but what are the ones which really didn't work?

Reddit is filled with really helpful advice when it comes to cleaning, but also, unfortunately, some not so useful tips. From using pumice stones on porcelain to cleaning windows with cola, we've trawled the site so you don't have to, and these are the worst home cleaning mistakes we came across, and wish we never encountered.

Reddit's worst cleaning tips

1. Mixing toilet cleaners

A bright bathroom with white basins with tiled backsplash, mirrored cabinets and a glass shower screen

Cleaning chemicals should never be mixed.

(Image credit: Future)

I'm sure we've all seen those videos online of people mixing seemingly every toilet cleaner they own in their toilet bowl, in the hopes of a sparkling shine. This, unsurprisingly, is the worst mistake u/Catlady515 has seen, sharing on the Worst cleaning “tips” you’ve seen recently? Reddit thread, 'Mixing tons of different cleaners in your toilet.'

While one user, u/sparksaflowin, replies, 'But that’s my cauldron!' another replies 'Bubble bubble toilet trouble,' and they're not wrong – mixing chemicals not only risks damaging you're toilet bowl, it's also extremely and seriously dangerous to inhale, which is why there are plenty of cleaning products you should never mix.

Instead, stick to one specific product to tackle your toilet bowl when cleaning your bathroom, such as the Lysol® Power Toilet Bowl Cleaner Gel available at Walmart. And, if you prefer not to use harsh chemicals at all, you can clean your toilet tank with vinegar.

2. Using excessive amounts of laundry detergent

A bright orange laundry room with a white basin and brown wooden countertops with matching washer and dryers and an antique wooden cabinet, and open door to a green wallpapered room behind with a turquoise radiator and orange and green open blind

Just like using too little, using too much detergent will result in an ineffective clean.

(Image credit: Future)

Of course, using laundry detergent is an integral part of any washing routine, and using too little may result in an ineffective clean. But, as u/maya_star444 highlights, it's also a big washing machine mistake to use too much.

'It gets on my nerves when I see friends and family using excessive amounts of laundry detergent with the mindset that their clothes will be "cleaner" and "smell better,"' they say. 'I have a friend who fills the cap to the very top for every load. I'm so grateful that I've learned through experience that less is more.'

u/cryingstlfan agrees, adding, 'My stepmom thinks she needs to use a whole cap for her laundry, she even told me that she'll use a cap and a half if she needs to. Whatever, ruin your clothes.'

Recently, after spotting warnings signs she was using the wrong amount of detergent, Chiana Dickson, content editor on Solved, cut down on laundry detergent, and says her clothes feel 'feel better than ever.'

So, swerve any mistakes you're making with powder detergent or mistakes you're making with laundry pods by cutting down for good.

3. Cleaning porcelain with pumice

blue kitchen with freestanding antique storage unit, glazed upper cabinetry, pearlescent backsplash tiles, marble countertop, fluted sink, brass taps, island to fore, deVOL

Pumice stone can leave porcelain scratched and damaged.

(Image credit: deVOL Kitchens)

Like u/shehasamazinghair, you may have heard of using pumice stone to clean a porcelain sink. 'I see insta/tiktok cleaning influencers recommending cleaning porcelain with pumice stone and swearing in the comments it doesn't scratch,' they say. 'I've seen a few posts here that show the opposite.'

Indeed, u/JerkRussell has, unsuccessfully, tried it for themselves and regretted it. 'I just used a pumice stone for the first time because I needed something done fast before visitors arrived,' they share. 'Sorry, not sorry but it’s not a good solution. You can feel that it’s wrong as you’re using it. All of the admonitions about not doing it right is ridiculous. Yes, I wet the stone and the bowl. Yes, I didn’t scrub hard.

'It still scratches your toilet bowl. It’s only worth it if you were going to replace the toilet anyways. Oh and they’re kinda pricey. I paid $9.99 for that thing.'

To avoid the same fate as u/JerkRussell, stick to cleaning with The Pink Stuff, or cleaning with Bar Keepers Friend, with a soft microfiber cloth, such as the Great Value Multipurpose Microfiber Household Cleaning Cloth, available at Walmart. Don't forget about the dry/damp cleaning rule either, unless using a Scrub Daddy Damp Duster, available at Amazon.

4. Using cola to wash windows

A bright white bathroom with open windows and white shutters, a white standing bath, and a striped rug. There is a wooden chair with cushions, and a wooden stool opposite it, but with white jug filled with colorful flowers. On the floor is a white and brown basket filled with rolled towels, and a white lantern with a candle. Hanging on the bath are two striped towels in orange, red and blue. Above the bath is a green hanging plant in a wicker pot.

As a sweet substance, cola will leave your windows streaky and sticky.

(Image credit: Dan Duchars / Future)

There are some nostalgic cleaning tips which have stood the test of time but, perhaps unsurprisingly, using cola to clean your windows is not one of them.

Shared by u/MrMag00, who simply writes 'Cola to wash windows,' u/typhoidmarry replies 'The amount of bugs attached to my windows would be incredible!' with u/HumbleAbbreviations chiming in, 'Sudsy ammonia is dirt cheap. Why waste a Coke on windows?'

Interesting, u/Playful-Natural-4626 says it does work well on toilet bowls, but our experts have that down as one of the bathroom cleaning hacks that don't really work.

Either way, to clean your windows, use a dish soap solution for streak-free windows, make the best homemade window cleaner with Castille soap, such as Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap available at Walmart, and distilled water, or even try a magnetic window cleaning tool. Just stick to drinking cola, rather than cleaning with it.

5. Adding salt to mop water

Sheer curtains in front of a wood panelled window with a tiled marble floor, wicker chair with geometric black and white cushion and pink lacquered table

Cleanse bad energy with salt, not your floors.

(Image credit: Future)

Finally, as u/archiearcher found out, not only is adding salt to mop water a mistake, it's actually not a cleaning tip at all. Or at least not as such.

'I Googled if you could add salt to mop water,' they share. 'Was thinking maybe the grit could help clean stains.

'Google says YES! Adding salt to your mop water is a great way to CLEANSE YOUR HOUSE OF EVIL SPIRITS.'

Indeed, cleansing your home with salt might banish bad energy, but it's certainly not an effective way to clean a floor without streaks. Who knew?

What to shop


It's not all bad. Reddit's people swear by commercial washing machine cleaner, and there are plenty of Reddit highly-rated toilet limescale cleaners, too.

Ottilie joined Homes & Gardens last year, after finishing a Master's in Magazine Journalism at City, University of London. With previous contributions in Livingetc and Motorsport Magazine, she produces content for the Solved section on the website, focusing on clever tips and tricks to keep your home beautiful, organized and clean. She also has a Master's degree in English Literature and History of Art from the University of Edinburgh, where she developed a love for inspiring interiors and architecture.

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