Cleaning around the house can be a tedious and seemingly endless chore, but one woman has shared a low-effort cleaning solution she found that helped her save her grimy bathtub.
The scoop
In a video posted to TikTok, Gabbiey (@gabieyg), shared how she used a hack she learned online to clean her bathtub. Gabbiey's TikTok mostly focuses on her chronic health issues, so her cleaning clip is captioned, "If you're sensitive to chemicals or scents, I found bathtub cleaning advice that is inexpensive and actually works." She also says this tip is great if you don't wash your tub frequently.
@gabieyg If you're sensitive to chemicals or scents, I found #bathtub #cleaningadvice that is inexpensive and actually works #mcas #pots #heds #potssyndrome #chronicillness #neurodivergent #neurospicy #adhd #autism #adhdtiktok #adhdcleaning #mcascleaning #chronicillnesscleaning #chemicalsensitivity #chemicalsensitivities #scenttrigger ♬ original sound - Gabbiey
She tells viewers, "Combine dish soap and white vinegar and microwave it." She was skeptical of this simple combination but "realized it was working as I was scrubbing."
In the TikTok, she shows the tub in progress and finished, and you can see how well this cleaning solution is working. She also notes that while she scrubs with a sponge, she doesn't have to scrub hard to get great results. Gabbiey finishes by saying, "It's not perfect, but it is so much better."
How it's helping
Cleaning tips like this can save you time, money, and effort. Using natural and multipurpose products can save you close to $100 a year when swapped out for typical chemical cleaners. Plus, as this creator shows, this particular hack also cuts out a lot of time and effort as the warm soap and vinegar do the majority of the work.
The National Sanitation Foundation says vinegar is such an effective cleaner because it "is about five percent acetic acid, which helps it break down the structure of some dirt, oils, films, stains, and bacteria." In addition to being a very effective cleaner, vinegar is also fairly cheap; a large jug of white vinegar is typically under $20. Vinegar can also be used around your house on windows, faucets, and cookware.
Using fewer cleaning products can also cut back your waste. Most chemical cleaning supplies come in plastic containers and often have very specific uses, so we end up buying a different product for every cleaning need, when that specialization may often be unnecessary.
What everyone's saying
Folks in the comments were interested in this hack. One person said, "I have done this and it's amazing. You can use gentle essential oils in it too."
Another commenter wrote, "Neat! I've been trying to figure out how to get sink drains to not smell so moldy."
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