A TikTok user has shared a simple method to clean a washing machine using just two common household items, eliminating the need for scrubbing. The hack, posted by Anna Louisa (@anna_louisa_at_home), involves cutting a lemon in half, removing the seeds, and squeezing a swirl of toothpaste onto each half before placing them in the drum and running a quick cycle.
The video, which has garnered over four million views, claims the mixture deodorises and cleans the appliance. Many users praised the tip, with one commenting, 'Wow super helpful,' and another saying, 'The video that I needed but didn’t know that I needed.'
However, a cautionary note was raised by a viewer who warned that the method caused a mess in their neighbour's washer, with bits of pulp and rind sticking to laundry for weeks. The original poster did not address this concern in the clip.
Anna Louisa also offered four other home hacks in the same video. She suggested spraying furniture pads with perfume or essential oil and placing them in drawers to keep them fresh. For taps, she recommended rubbing candle wax on them and buffing with a cloth to prevent water marks.
To deter spiders and insects, she advised filling a spray bottle halfway with water and adding 20 drops of peppermint oil, then spraying around windows and doors. Finally, for deep cleaning cloths, she instructed boiling them in a saucepan with bicarbonate of soda for 15 minutes, then rinsing and washing as usual.
