19 February 2024 , 10:46
1308
0
There are many reasons your bathroom might smell, from mould and mildew that thrive in damp areas to nasty drains, but there's an ingredient that can help.
No matter how clean you try to keep your bathroom, bad smells have a habit of lingering. But a cleaner has claimed you can keep your bathroom "smelling fresh for weeks," as well as killing germs, with a 22p hack.
Bathroom cleaning products can be quite costly, but online cleaning sensation Donna Mendoza, known as The Cleaning Lady, believes you don't have to for out a fortune. Taking to TikTok, Donna explained that using laundry capsules can help clean unsightly surfaces just as well as expensive bathroom products - and leaves behind a delightful smell in its wake.
In a recent video shared to the platform, Donna shared how she would first put the pod into a bowl of warm water so that it dissolves, and helps breaking it down with a fork. Once it's fully dissolved, the savvy cleaner poured some of the mixture into the toilet brush holder.
Next, she poured the leftover liquid into the toilet itself, claiming the hack "keeps your bathroom smelling fresh for weeks". Laundry pods are designed to be placed directly into the washing machine, and dissolve during the wash cycle where they help break down dirt.
Cleaning guru shares why you shouldn't make your bed first thing in the morning
The savvy method not only helps your bathroom smell fresh, but it's very cost-effective. For example, Tesco is selling a pack of 51 Fairy Non-Biological Pods for £12, working out at only 23p per load. At Ocado you can get Ariel Colour All-in-1 Pods Washing Liquid Capsules 5 Washes for only £11, working out at 22p per pod.
Consumer experts at Which? previously looked into whether you could use laundry detergent to clean other things than clothes, and made some great discoveries.
In a test, Which? mixed laundry detergent with water in a spray bottle, and found "a fair level of success" against "visible food spills, toothpaste and soapscum", however, it's worth remembering that most laundry detergents lack disinfectant, which means they wont' kill all germs.
In their test, they found that one thing they would definitely consider using laundry detergent for is cleaning upholstery. They said: "We were very impressed by using detergent to clean sofas. But again you have to be careful that it doesn't react badly with the material, and it's vital to take care not to oversoak your settee."
Tehey used half a teaspoon of detergent mixed with a litre or two of warm water and sponge. According to the experts, this will "help to get rid of marks, freshen up your upholstery and leave a fresh smell with no trace of any sticky residue". However, they warned that before you try any of them out, you should make sure the detergent isn't going to be harmful to anything you're cleaning, as it's not being used for its intended purpose.