Cleaning Hacks

Embark on a journey through our collection of cleaning hacks, reporting on the latest from CleanTok and testing the tried-and-true traditional cleaning methods from generations ago.

spilled can of brown substance in on floor next to pants on rack in Walmart (l) Walmart worker arms up caption 'What I've found while working at Walmart' (c) Walmart floor covered in soaking wet paper towels next to backpacks on rack (r)

‘I once found a positive pregnancy test while I was shopping for paint’: Walmart worker shows the mysterious messes she finds in the aisles

'I feel like it gets worse and worse the longer you work.'

On Aug 21, 2022 by Dan Latu

IRL

Wendy's cooktop coated in mold (l) Wendy's restaurant with sign (c) man speaking in car (r)

‘This is what y’all been eating off of’: Wendy’s worker exposes the store’s moldy cooktop, unsanitary conditions

'The mold! That did not happen overnight.'

On Aug 21, 2022 by Dan Latu

IRL

food on floor spilled from garbage bag and shoes caption 'About a month ago I stopped cleaning the house and putting away clean laundry to prove to my husband that I was the only one doing everything this whole time' (l) man holding garbage standing on laundry caption 'He freaked out and started throwing away my cleaning supplies. He said I won't need it since I don't clean anymore' (c) Laundry on floor next to organizational shelf caption 'About a month ago I stopped cleaning the house and putting away clean laundry to prove to my husband that I was the only one doing everything this whole time' (r)

‘He said I won’t need it since I don’t clean anymore’: Woman says she stopped cleaning up after her husband—so he threw her cleaning supplies away

'That's a child, not a partner.'

On Jun 25, 2022 by Jack Alban

IRL

bathroom wall with clear shelf attached (l) Woman fixing wall holding scraper with paste over damage (c) damaged wall after 'renter friendly' wall shelf is removed (r)

‘This one off-brand just destroyed my wall’: Woman’s ‘rental-friendly’ shelf ripped up her wall, sparking debate

'Spoiler alert: they're not rental friendly.'

On Jun 10, 2022 by Braden Bjella

IRL

Note on door caption 'Please pack all clothes and ALL furniture and everything in the bedroom don't worry about the kitchen' (l) two men in masks in the house (c) the house bedroom with garbage and clothes scattered bed and shelf (r)

‘I’d decline service’: Movers share ‘the sh*t they have to deal with’ in viral TikTok

'The nerve to leave that note.'

On May 20, 2022 by Siobhan Ball

IRL

‘They don’t care at all about their customers’: TikToker says her Airbnb was dirty—and customer service responded too late for her to get a refund

'This reaffirms my decision to never try Airbnb.'

On Apr 28, 2022 by Kathleen Wong

IRL

small dog being pet caption 'Mom why don't we use lysol anymore?' (l) Dog looking ill on carpet (r)

Woman says her dachshund was ‘poisoned’ by Lysol

'There are so many innocent mistakes we make that jeopardize their health.'

On Apr 23, 2022 by Braden Bjella

IRL

fridge (l) hand reaching for fridge door (m) open fridge showing a bug infestation and rotten food (r)

‘If they don’t throw that damn fridge away’: Cleaner shows bug-infested fridge in viral TikTok—commenters call out ‘cheap’ landlord

'I could smell it through the phone.'

On Feb 14, 2022 by Kathleen Wong

Internet Culture

The joy—and horror—of CleanTok

Many creators in the cleaning corner of TikTok are making videos for ASMR purposes.

On Oct 14, 2021 by Audra Schroeder

Internet Culture

Inside TikTokers’ quest to make the platform more transparent

TikTok's black-box content moderation sparks creator activism.

On May 13, 2021 by Viola Stefanello

Tech

How to clean your phone amid the coronavirus

Phones carry a lot of germs.

On Mar 4, 2020 by Brooke Sjoberg

IRL

TikTok’s ‘clean queen’ says videos are helping her figure out ‘adulting’

Abby Jones' tub-cleaning video is not for the faint of heart.

On Feb 27, 2020 by Audra Schroeder

Internet Culture

Men are blaming Marie Kondo for having to actually tidy up

Being a clean, responsible adult is tough!

On Feb 28, 2019 by Alex Dalbey

IRL

The new Roomba is probably smarter and more responsible than you

The i7 knows where it's cleaned and empties its own dirt bin.

On Sep 6, 2018 by Christina Bonnington

Tech

Jordan Peterson of ‘Clean up your room!’ fame can’t clean his room, apparently

Twitter is roasting the 'alt-right' hero for not living up to his own standards.

On Jul 6, 2018 by Joseph Knoop

Internet Culture