The toothpaste hack, plus 13 other genius cleaning tips courtesy of the internet.

Every now and then a cleaning hack comes along that makes us question our entire existence.

From strip soaking to cleaning our washing machine (yeah, apparently that’s a thing we’re meant to do), the internet is full of time-saving hacks to help us get through the dreaded weekly cleaning ritual.

And while we’ve all been spending more time at home over the last year, people have been sharing their genius cleaning ideas online. Here are 14 of the best that will change the way you clean forever.

Watch: Four cleaning hacks that will make your life so much easier. Post continues below.

The three-step trick to remove scratches from your oven or fridge. 

Anyone who has a stainless steel oven, fridge or microwave knows that they tend to get scratched... a lot. 

Thankfully, Brisbane mum and stylist Liz Amaya has shared the surprisingly simple way to remove scratch marks from your appliances. And the good news is, you pretty much have everything you need in your bathroom.

Sharing her genius hack on TikTok, Liz explains that you want to "scrub over the scratch using whitening toothpaste" and an old toothbrush.

"Go with the grain of the stainless steel. [Then] wipe over with a damp microfibre towel."

To make things extra shiny, simply wipe over the spot with an oil of your choice.

THAT'S IT. 

@lizamaya_style

Reducing scratches on your stainless appliances ✨💪🏼 ##tipsandtricks ##homehack ##cleaningtips ##cleaninghacks ##cleantok

♬ original sound - Liz Amaya

Bloody genius.  

The cheap as chips product for a shiny sink.

A professional cleaner has shared her two product recommendations for cleaning a stainless steel sink, and we're listening. 

Posting to TikTok, Australian woman Kacie recommended using a cream cleanser (such as Jif or Ajax, priced roughly from $2 to $4) to keep your sink looking shiny.

If you're looking for a natural alternative, Kacie recommended bicarbonate of soda, which you can find at any local supermarket for under $2.

"If you're looking for something non-toxic, bicarb soda, you can touch it; but if chemicals don't phase you, just go with a cream cleanser, but wear gloves," she said in the clip. 

In the video, Kacie applied the cream cleanser to the entire sink before scrubbing it with a scour. And the results were incredibly satisfying. 

@thebigcleanco

Stainless steel sink ##cleaning ##cleaningtips ##howtoclean ##cleaningtiktok

♬ original sound - The Big Clean Co

Yep, it's the perfect hack for a shiny sink.

The $10 brush that instantly cleans grout.

Cleaning grout is one of those chores that we like to put off for as long as possible. There’s just something about spending hours ferociously scrubbing the tiny cracks in between tiles that just doesn’t appeal to a lot of people.¯\_(ツ)_/¯

But it turns out a $10 brush from Bunnings is all you need to clean your bathroom floors.

Sharing the discovery to Facebook, one woman explained that the Oates Long Handle Grout Brush works a treat at removing the grime from your grout.

Image: Facebook. "So I just got the grout scrubbing brush from Bunnings and oh my gosh, it’s amazing!" the woman wrote on Facebook. "No more down on hands and knees with [a] toothbrush should have bought a long time ago."

"The difference is unbelievable my day tomorrow is filled yay!"

While another said, "Love it. I store mine in the shower no more back-breaking cleaning. Easy peasy."

Clean as a whistle. Image: Facebook. But one user did suggest that before you go to town with it, make sure to go gently.

"The brush is awesome and does a great job but be careful not to scrub your grout away," they warned.

The simple way to clean the bottom of your kettle.

When it comes to using the kettle, most of us fill it up with water, turn it on and pour it into a mug. We don't usually think to look inside and check how clean it is.

Think again.

A mum has shared a photo to the Mums Who Clean Facebook group, showing us just how dirty the inside of her kettle is.

Image: Facebook. Gross. Right?

But thankfully, she also shared a quick and effective fix. "Quick fix with a chopped lemon and let it boil," she wrote. 

Image: Facebook. 

Image: Facebook. 

Boom. 

The cheap as chips product that cleans dirty grout.

All you need is two items, both of which you probably already have in your bathroom. 

The genius hack was shared by TikTok user @sarah_nde, who uploaded a video of herself using toilet cleaner to remove the build-up of dirt from her tiles. 

Sarah started off by pouring a thin layer of toilet cleaner on the grout before letting it sit for a few minutes. She then scrubbed the grout using a toothbrush. And the results were grossly satisfying.

@sarah_nde

Cleaning my grout ##cleaning ##grout ##satisfying ##GetTheLook ##fyp ##foryou

♬ original sound - Sarah Geho

While the tiles didn't exactly turn back to Sarah's original pink colour, you can clearly see the difference as the dirt started to lift. 

@sarah_nde

Reply to @teej475 GROUT CLEANING Part 2! ##groutcleaning ##grout ##satisfying ##part2 ##fyp ##foryou ##GetTheLook

♬ original sound - Sarah Geho

It looks like any brand of toilet cleaner will work for this, so you can take your pick from brands like Duck, Harpic, White King or anything else that's on special. But before you try the hack out for yourself, it might be a good idea to water down the cleaner a little bit to protect your tiles from the harsh chemicals.

The household product that keeps your towels soft and fluffy.

Trying to keep our towels from going stiff and crunchy is a battle many of us have fought (and lost). 

From using lots of fabric softener to tumble drying, many of the age-old tricks just don't seem to cut it. 

TikTok user Mama Mila (@mama_mila_) has shared a clever hack for achieving the fluffy towels of our dreams. And it's surprisingly simple. 

All you need to do is add half a cup of white vinegar instead of fabric softener with your regular liquid detergent. 

"The vinegar breaks down the residue from detergent, leaving towels soft and fresh," she explains in the video.

She then recommends shaking and air drying the towels naturally (controversial, we know) until they are almost dry. The towels should then be placed in the tumble dryer at the very end, to help with softness and absorbency. 

"Level up your self-care routine with spa-worthy towels," she concludes the video, which has racked up over 12,000 views.

@mama_mila_

Say goodbye to stiff, crusty towels 👋 ##selfcare ##selfcaretips ##hometips ##mumsoftiktok ##tiktokwellness ##learnontiktok ##springcleaning ##bathroomcheck

♬ American Boy - Live Acoustic - VersaEmerge

Genius.  

The kitchen product that cleans your oven in three minutes.

Ovens are just one of those things that get very dirty, very quickly. But because we can shut the door to the mess inside, we tend to delay cleaning it (or is that just us?).

However, luckily for us, a mum has shared the inexpensive kitchen product (that isn’t actually designed to clean ovens) that will leave it spotless in under five minutes.

Sharing her newfound tip to the Mums Who Clean Facebook group, Nicky wrote, “Never endorsed a product but this stuff is amazing! My oven was disgusting and I sprayed this stuff on the door (just because I didn’t have time to clean it with ‘proper’ oven cleaner… ) well, imagine the worst oven you could imagine and mine was that bad.

“I wish I took a before picture but I didn’t think it would work! Anyway, I sprayed this on a cold oven and wiped it clean after literally three minutes!”

Oh, and Nicky shared that this magical product works on shower screens too.

"I then went upstairs to my shower screen and OMG... it’s brilliant there too. Get some and you won’t be disappointed... (I can’t believe I am this excited about a product) no harsh chemicals, no leaving overnight... three mins and no scrubbing!"

Finally, the best thing about this multi-purpose product? It costs $7.50. Winning.

The two-ingredient hack that will leave your microwave spotless.

TikTok user, Mama Mila (@mama_mila_), has again shared an easy hack using just two household ingredients that will leave your microwave spotless. 

According to Mama Mila, all you need is one cup of water and a teaspoon of dishwashing detergent. Mix them together and place your cup in the microwave for four minutes.

Let the mixture sit for another four minutes before removing it, and wipe down the inside with no scrubbing necessary!

@mama_mila_No more scrubbing ???? ##tipsandtricks ##homeproject ##homeroutine ##homehacks ##springcleaning ##momsoftiktok ##cleanhome ##wipeitdown♬ High Fashion (feat. Mustard) - Roddy Ricch

All that steam softens up your stubborn stains, and a usually pesky wipe down is made simple.

Voila!

The ridiculously easy way to clean your dirty oven trays.

Yep, that weird gunky stuff on the bottom of the tray can actually come off.

For those who have tried to clean oven trays before, you'll know it's no easy feat and often involves a lot of chemicals, scrubbing and bursts of pent up frustration. But according to TikTok user Mama Mila (@mama_mila_) there's a much simpler way to do it - and there's no scrubbing involved.

All you need to do is wrap your trays in aluminium foil and then place them in the bath with hot water. Then - stay with us here - add a dishwashing tablet and let them soak for two hours.

According to Mila, the chemical reaction between the dishwashing tablet and the foil will leave the trays sparkling clean.

It's really THAT. SIMPLE.

@mama_mila_Love these hacks ##hack ##momsoftiktok ##cleaning ##springcleaning ##lifehack ##kitchenhacks ##kitchentips ##tipsandtricks ♬ Hold On - Moguai,Cheat Codes

The $8 Coles product that cleans your shower in 10 minutes.

There's no chore we despise more than trying to remove the dreaded soap stains from the shower screen (or “glass cancer” as one mum online so so aptly puts it).

Thankfully, a few wise women from the Mums Who Clean Facebook group shared a genius cleaning hack that cuts through shower grime and it doesn’t involve any elbow grease.

The secret is The Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser & Polish, or as the all-knowing mums call it, BKF. And the best thing is, it’s only $8.

Niki was one of the mums to share her success with the cleaning product on Facebook.

“I’ve tried everything to clean that shower glass, I’ve used everything under the sun! And who would have thought an eight buck can of powder would have done the trick,” Niki told Mamamia. 

And she says it’s really simple to use.

“At first I just sprinkled it on the glass and tried to clean it that way with a normal cloth. It comes up good but as soon as the glass dries it comes back with the white soap scum so I grab a scourer, made it into a paste and scrubbed the glass.

“I left it on for a good 10 min just like easy off bam. All up I think it was a good 35 minutes while my kids were asleep.”

"A fellow mum on the group gave me the idea of using it. I thought it wouldn’t have worked but it did... I’ve done both my showers now," she said.

Leah also clued onto the hack after trying countless other cleaning products.

"So mad at myself for not thinking of the BKF earlier," she commented on Facebook alongside a picture of her sparkling clean shower.

"Honestly it was SO easy to come off, I've really tried everything, my shower took me about 10 minutes all up once I picked up BKF," Leah told Mamamia. 

"It literally got rid of all my hard water stains, back to brand new!"

The $12 product that cleans the grout from your floors.

Another grout cleaning hack! 

The Queen of Clean has shared a clever hack to effortlessly clean the dirty grout on tiled floors.

The secret is Vanish Napisan Gold Pro Stain Removal Powder.

Yep, the same powder we use to whiten our clothes also helps whiten our floors, too. And the best thing is – it’s only $12.

Professional cleaning queen Rebekka Ladner adds two scoops of Napisan to a bucket of water, which she uses to mop the tiles with before scrubbing.

She then rinses the tiles and mops them one final time with hot water and methylated spirits.

And the results are oh so satisfying.

“Bunnings sell two grout brooms, one is $10 and the other is in the $20 range. Just be careful as obviously the floors are extremely slippery when mopping,” she shared on her Facebook page. 

"Napisan [is] $12 a tub... and sometimes a big tub is on sale for $20. Two scoops to a whole mop bucket of water just seems better value to me and smells so much more pleasant."

Err... did you know you’re actually supposed to clean your washing machine?

Not only can the machine be a breeding ground for salmonella and other germs and bacteria, but it can also be especially prone to build up if you prefer using the ‘cold cycle’ to save energy.

According to the Facebook Group, Mums Who Clean, you just need a couple of dishwashing tablets to clean the inside of your machine.

Lauren, a mum from Queensland, tried the tip after reading about it on the Facebook group and the results were grossly satisfying.

EWWW. Image: Facebook / Supplied.

She placed four dishwasher tablets directly into her empty frontloader drum before running the machine on its hottest cycle. While she used Fairy, All-in-One Lemon Dishwasher Tablets which retail at $19 for a pack of 44, she specified that any tablets would work.

Victorian woman Nivedita also tried the hack with Pine O Cleen's new washing machine cleaner, describing the texture of the water as "chunky dirty custard". Speaking to Mamamia, she said she added the liquid into her machine's detergent shoot, before running a complete cycle.

The simple trick to get rid of your oven door grease.

Dishwashing tablets aren't just great at cleaning your washing machine and oven trays, you can also use them to clean the grease on the inside of your oven door.

NSW mum Ellie shared the hack earlier this year on the Mums Who Clean Facebook group.

"I’ve given up because I just couldn’t get the grime off [but then] I took the dishwashing tablet advice and here we are! Clean glimmering oven door,” she wrote.

“I literally just got the dishwashing tablet and dampened it under the tap for two seconds.

“Then I scrubbed until the tablet wouldn’t do any more [before I] got a new one. It was incredibly simple and easy to do, just a bit of hard work."

For more on laundry stripping, read our earlier article here.