A comprehensive list of the best TikTok cleaning hacks to spruce up your grotty uni house

Okay, I think it’s fair to admit that student houses always start out a bit gross, it’s part of the charm of living at university. However, four weeks into term and a couple too many spillages later, they tend to end up being a downright disgusting place to live. Luckily for you, TikTok is full of easy cleaning hacks that means you can swap out Shrek’s swamp for Lord Farquaard’s castle xxx

Here are the best cleaning hacks TikTok has to offer, which will leave you no longer living in uni-house-filth:

Mopping walls

You read that right. Several TikTok users have discovered that using a paint roller or an actual mop to clean your walls and ceilings is SO much easier than having to wipe them down. Those wine stains you have running down the side of your wall? Gone. It’s actually quite surprising how much cleaner everything looks when the walls are clean (and trust me after trying this one, you’ll realise they really aren’t).

@momthatlovestocleanI have you ALL #mopping your walls, ceilings etc & wow you are all loving it like I do 🙂 #mopsquad #cleantok #cleaninghacks #cleaningtips #cleantok101 #easyclean #moveinclean #spinmop #easycleaningtips #easycleaning #tide #fabuloso

♬ Two Moons by BoyWithUke – BoyWithUke

Deodoriser and a vacuum cleaner for stinky cushions

Bit mouthy, but I feel like we all have those fabric cushions that had something (or a few things) spilt on them once and now smell pretty bad, no matter how much you wash them. Or if you have even tried to wash them. This TikTok hack is a little more complex but doesn’t require much.

All you have to do is spray the cushion with a deodoriser (like white vinegar, or lemon water. Not sure if Febreeze works but give it a go and let us know), place it in a bin bag and suck all the air out with a vacuum cleaner. Then, tie it up and leave it for four to five hours. Take it out, let it dry and it should smell so much better.

@cleanthatupHow to remove odors from furniture cushions. #howto #education #cleaning #cleantok #cleanthatup #cleaningtips #cleaninghacks #satisfyingvideo

♬ La Vie En Rose – Louis Armstrong

Using dryer sheets to clean skirting boards

Another one of those things that is super easy to do but actually makes a house look so much cleaner. Dryer sheets apparently attract the debris and dust already on the skirting boards, and also coat them in antistatic residue which repels dust, debris and pet hair, keeping them looking nice and clean for way longer!

@lifeonwillowcreekWhat’s your favorite cleaning hack? #cleaninghacks #lifehack #cleantok #house #SummerMashup

♬ original sound – Morgan | DIY & Home Renovation

Tooth pick in a paper towel

This one is SO simple. All you have to do is wrap a tooth pick in a paper towel, and it makes it so much easier to get into those (gross) corners or edges that you couldn’t reach before! Perfect.

@cleanwithnessaone my favourite hacks learnt 🙌🏼 #clean #cleanwithnessa #satisfying #cleaning #kitchenhack #cleaninghack #hack

♬ Thot Shit – Megan Thee Stallion

Fairy liquid for clothing stains

So this TikTok actually says you should use Dawn washing liquid, which you can get on Amazon, but after a quick Google it turns out Fairy liquid is basically the UK equivalent of Dawn. Everyone on TikTok seems to be using the blue one, so I guess get the blue Fairy liquid?

Basically, as it’s a degreaser, it gets oil stains out of clothing really easily. You’re supposed to coat the stained section in the washing up liquid, let it rest for 30 mins and then rinse off. Then, put the clothing in the wash as normal – and it when it comes out the stain will be gone! Some people in the comments are even saying it’s the only thing they use in the washer.

@katiebujnowskiReply to @xoxocarrie_ Thanks for the tips! #KeepItRealMeals #cleaningtiktok #cleaninghacks #dawndishsoap #stainremoval #beforeandafter

♬ original sound – Katie

Make sure to wash it out properly before putting it in the wash though! One person in the comments did say they flooded their garage with bubbles, but they did look like the only one.

The Pink Stuff

If you haven’t seen this on TikTok, where have you been?? The Pink Stuff is a brand that has gone viral particularly for its paste, which is a vegan cleaning product and not too expensive off Amazon. It can be used for literally anything, people have done shoes, countertops, pans, ovens, you name it – someone has probably cleaned it with The Pink Stuff.

However, I thought it would be best to put in another review of The Pink Stuff, which says that even though it’s great for general cleaning, it apparently doesn’t do much for really tough stains or basically anything for plastic and removing grime from grout. This would still be fine for houses though, given that they don’t need to be (or ever will be) super shiny and clean, and it’s so multi-purpose it’s just way more convenient than other products!

@wirecutterHere’s why you should think twice before buying The Pink Stuff. #pinkstuff #clean #cleantok #learnontiktok #testing #review #science #fypシ #cleaning

♬ Sunset Vibes – Lofi Network

A couple of cleaning tips before you get scrubbing:

While we’re here, here is a small list of things you should NOT be doing whilst cleaning, according to TikTok and Good Housekeeping:

-Do not mix bleach and vinegar (it makes a toxic gas)

-Do not mix bleach and alcohol (it makes chloroform)

-Do not mix vinegar and hydrogen peroxide (it makes peracetic acid, which is corrosive)

-Do not mix bleach and ammonia (it makes a toxic gas called chloramine)

-Do not mix drain cleaner with other types of drain cleaner (it could possibly explode!)

Featured image via @katiebujnowski, @momthatlovestoclean, @jemscleaning_x3 on TikTok

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