Not every spring cleaning task deserves a place in your spring reset. According to Emma Mannion, cleaning specialist at Astonish, many of the most popular hacks found online look impressive online but offer little real payoff.
"Some viral hacks are far more performative than practical," Emma explains. "Mixing products together for dramatic fizz, polishing stainless steel with baby oil, or using shaving foam on mirrors all look clever online, but in reality, they leave residues that attract dust or simply don’t clean effectively."
Here are the spring cleaning trends to skip, and what to do instead.
1. Mixing vinegar and baking soda
Why you shouldn't do this
The dramatic fizz may look powerful, but chemically it’s ineffective.
"The bubbling you see when vinegar and bicarbonate meet looks powerful, but chemically they cancel each other out," Emma says. "Once the fizzing stops, you’re left with a weak, salty liquid that does very little – which is why this is one of the most misleading viral hacks online."
What to do instead
Use each product separately for its strengths. Vinegar is effective on mineral deposits such as limescale on taps, kettles and shower screens. Baking soda gently lifts grime and neutralizes odors without scratching.
"Treat them as individual tools – not a duo," stresses Emma.
2. Leaving the oven until it’s a “big job”
Why you shouldn't do this
Let's be honest, most of us see the deep oven clean as time-consuming and laborious – and it's so easy to allow grease to build up and bake on without noticing until it's too late. But a gentle clean after each use saves all that.
"Most oven-cleaning dread comes from leaving grease until it becomes burnt-on carbon," Emma explains. "A quick wipe once the oven has cooled prevents splashes from hardening and stops the job from escalating."
What to do instead
Wipe fresh splashes as soon as the oven cools. Start with the oven door glass — it delivers an instant visual improvement.
For older residue, Emma advises that "a dedicated oven cleaner is far more effective than general sprays or viral scrubbing hacks." Tin foil can work on glass in emergencies, but "it must be used extremely gently."
3. Ignoring radiator dust
Why you shouldn't do this
Radiators are rarely cleaned properly and it's very easy to forget to dust them, yet they trap large amounts of dirt that recirculate when the heating is on.
"Radiators are one of the biggest hidden dust traps," Emma says.
What to do instead
"A quick blast of warm air from a hairdryer through the vents pushes dust down onto a damp towel, instantly improving air freshness and heating efficiency."
Follow up with a wipe using a gentle antibacterial cleaner. It’s a small job with a noticeable payoff.
4. Cleaning the dishwasher but not the filter
Why you shouldn't do this
If glasses look cloudy or the appliance smells unpleasant, the filter is usually the culprit.
"Dishwasher filters are another neglected area – if they’re clogged, you’ll get cloudy glasses and lingering smells," Emma explains.
What to do instead
Remove and rinse the filter monthly. "Give the filter a good rinse monthly and run an empty hot cycle with bicarbonate to freshen the interior."
It’s one of the simplest maintenance tasks and one that immediately improves results.
5. Overdoing laundry stripping
Why you shouldn't do this
For those not clued-up, 'laundry stripping' is a deep-cleaning technique that can remove residue build-up from textiles and involves soaking them for 4-5 hours in hot water, borax, washing soda (sodium carbonate), and laundry detergent.
The viral soak may look satisfying, but it isn’t designed for regular use.
"Laundry stripping looks dramatic, but repeated hot soaks and strong chemical mixes can weaken fibres over time," Emma says. "It’s best treated as an occasional 'reset', not a regular routine."
What to do instead
Wash at the correct temperature with an enzyme-based detergent, use an oxygen-based stain remover when needed, and regularly clean your washing machine to prevent residue build-up in the first place.
