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Unusual cleaning hack wows Aussies: 'Works like a charm'

These days we'll follow just about any hack that promises to easily give us a cleaner house, without spending big. That's just what this cleaning latest hack offers.

"I just tried the vinegar and fabric softener hack to clean the ceiling, (didn't think it was dirty). Mind blown," Donna shared in a Facebook cleaning and organising group.

She then showed a photo of her sparkling clean white ceiling, and members couldn't believe the results.

A kitchen scene showing a sparling white ceiling after using a cleaning hack with vinegar and fabric softener. The ceiling shines and has overhead fans.
Donna shared her ceiling cleaning hack results on a popular cleaning group on Facebook. Photo: Facebook

Responding to requests for details, Donna said she used one cup of vinegar and a splash of fabric softener, applied with a flat mop.

"Never heard of that one before," one person commented.

"I've used sugar soap and a splash of bleach, thinking I might try this when I run out of sugar soap.

"Would it work on coloured walls?"

Donna replied she thought it would.

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Another member remembered car dealers used to use fabric softener as a dust repellent.

"It has an anti-static property," she shared.

"The cars lasted longer without needing washing during warmer months."

"Gosh I'm interested to see how it works," another commented.

"I've tried cleaning ours with sugar soap and I've stuffed it."

While Donna admitted she didn't know why it worked, she did reveal the sponge was filthy afterwards.

Influencers clean up

The idea is not new, however, with cleanfluencers sharing it with slightly different proportions on social media.

Savanah's similar recipe on TikTok has had almost 600,000 views.

"It doesn’t [leave a film] at all ... and it lasts for up to two weeks after a clean," she said.

"The softener keeps down dust for sure," one follower wrote.

"Works like a charm," another added.

However, some were concerned fabric softeners were flammable and perhaps dangerous on walls or ceilings.

When CHOICE looked at the ingredients of Australian fabric softeners they didn't list any dangerous ones.

They did however say that conditioning agents in the products to reduce static may reduce the fire retardancy of some fabrics.

It is worth being cautious, though, as laundry expert Deyan Dimitrov, CEO of Laundryheap, told Fabulous Digital last year.

"Using fabric softener can dramatically reduce the flame resistance of baby clothing and other materials," Deyan said.

"The Flammable Fabrics Act of 1953 revealed that fabric softener can reduce the flame resistance of textiles due to the build-up of chemicals present.

"This is because fabric softeners contain emulsifiers and alcohol ethoxylates, both of which are flammable."

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