Maybe you’ve made a resolution to keep your house clean in 2019. Maybe you’ve been inspired by decluttering diva Marie Kondo.

Whatever the reason might be, you’re ready to join over 90 percent of Americans and tackle spring cleaning head on. Before you grab that mop and bucket, there are a few things you should know.

The Internet is full of housekeeping tips to help cut down the time spent decluttering. Not all of them are effective, though.

Don’t waste your time on cleaning hacks that don’t work. Check out these five useless hacks and what you can do instead to get your house the cleanest it has ever been!

1) Use a Magic Eraser to Erase Toilet Stains

Have you heard this one? Drop a Magic Eraser in your toilet tank and poof, your stains instantly vanish.

Those sponges are surely magic, but you won’t get anywhere without using some elbow grease.

What to do instead: Still got tough toilet stains left over after your usual cleaning? Gently use a stiff bristled brush or a pumice stone to get rid of them.

2) Use Hairspray to Get Rid of Stains on Clothing

Back in the day, hairspray used to contain alcohol. That helped lift tricky stains from clothing, but the past is the past.

What to do instead: Don’t pour alcohol on your stained clothes. Instead, let your clothes soak in color-safe oxygenated bleach and water followed by a pretreat solution before washing them.

3) Hot Water Gets Rid of Germs

Think you can just wipe down a counter with some hot water and you’ll be good to go? That’s a surefire recipe for disaster.

To kill bacteria, water needs to be heated to 212 degrees Fahrenheit. The hottest water in your water heater is only 120 degrees F.

What to do instead: Use a disinfectant on countertops that have been touched by raw meat or other contaminants. Products with chlorine bleach or pine oil work perfectly.

4) Microwave Your Sponge to Kill Bacteria

This is one of those DIY cleaning hacks that seems too good to be true. Sponges can get really gross and dirty, but a trip to the microwave will only kill a little over half of the bacteria.

What to do instead: Switch to microfiber cleaning cloths. That way, you can wash them in the washing machine with hot water and bleach to get rid of any bacteria

5) Baking Soda and Vinegar Together Make a Great Cleaning Solution

This one can be a little tricky because there are situations where they can be a miracle crew working together.

However, baking soda and vinegar might produce a fun and bubbly chemical reaction when mixed together. They also neutralize each other, so you end up with salt water.

What to do instead: Baking soda and vinegar can be used together to unclog a drain, but they do their best work alone.

Avoid Useless Cleaning Hacks

There are plenty of ways to make your house sparkle, but these DIY house cleaning hacks definitely don’t work. Make sure to do your research before you decide on old wife’s tales to better clean your place!

The best way to get your Chicago area home the cleanest it can be? Call in the professionals.

Contact us today and we’ll take the hard work out of cleaning!