At some point in our lives, we’ve all attempted to utilize a “brilliant” tip we read on the Internet to remove a stain from our clothes or clean off old dirt using only the items we have on hand. Some of these techniques work, but some don’t, and who wants to waste time and effort for no gain?
To save you time and stress, we’ve compiled some popular household tips that have a very slim probability of actually working.
A dryer sheet placed in the vent for a pleasant odor
The flow of air goes out of the room and into the vent, not the other way around. Moreover, blocking the air flow is not the best idea – it’s much safer and easier to buy an air freshener.
A lemon wedge in the dishwasher for sparkling dishes
Even if you put a whole lemon inside the dishwasher, it won’t affect the cleanliness of your dishes. The large volumes of water flowing within the machine make the citric acid from the lemon just a drop in the ocean. If you want your dishes to shine, it’s best to use a special rinser.
Car wax to protect your stove top from grease stains
Don’t even think about doing this. Ever. Car wax is toxic and sometimes even flammable. Many modern stove cleaners leave a thin film behind that makes future cleanings easier – better use them, or just get rid of stains as soon as they appear.
Baking soda and vinegar as a universal detergent
This method doesn’t work at all. Soda is alkaline, while vinegar is acidic, and all they do is neutralize each other – the only result we get when mixing them is a solution of water and salt. And many pretty bubbles, of course. These bubbles, by the way, may be able to help you clean some dirt from your sink, but that’s it. You’ll achieve the best results if you use the two substances separately.
Cornstarch as a hot-iron stain remover
This will definitely not help you revive your clothes from a burn. However, if you wash the spoiled item with a stain remover right after the incident, you might be pleasantly surprised.
Lemon plus salt to clean a cutting board
Actually, this method will help you get rid of small stains and freshen your board, but it won’t ever help you with burn spots or ingrained stains – even if you add baking soda as some websites recommend.
Mouthwash as a cleaner for the washing machine
Another useless idea. All you need to do to keep your washing machine clean is pour a little bleach into the detergent container once a month and run the machine on the rinse or regular wash mode.
Magic Eraser as a toilet cleaner
This magic sponge is sure to help you get rid of many kinds of stains in your house. But will it be able to remove rust or limescale from a toilet? The answer is no. Better leave it to the special detergents – they exist for a reason.
Hair spray as a stain remover
If your hair spray contains alcohol, then yes, this trick will help you dispose of an ink blotch perfectly. However, there are very few manufacturers that produce such sprays – it’s actually much easier to take some alcohol and rub it into the stain with a sponge.
Salt solution to preserve the color of your clothes
If the fabric is not colored well enough, no ‘tried-and-tested’ methods will help you prevent its gradual discoloration with every wash.