5 Cleaning Myths I Believed for Years Before Learning What Actually Works
I’ve tried most of the popular cleaning hacks at least once. Vinegar everywhere, baking soda on everything, lemon juice for “natural shine,” borax when things got serious. Some of it works. A lot of it doesn’t. Over time, I realized many of the cleaning habits people swear by are based on half-truths that sound logical but don’t hold up in real homes.
These are five cleaning myths I still see people believing, even though they often lead to wasted effort or damaged surfaces.
Myth 1: Vinegar Cleans Everything
I used to reach for vinegar automatically, assuming it was safe for almost any surface. It isn’t. Vinegar works well on mineral deposits and some grease, but its acidity slowly damages natural stone, sealed countertops, hardwood floors, and certain appliance finishes. I’ve seen granite lose its polish and seals weaken from repeated vinegar use.
Now, I treat vinegar as a targeted cleaner, not a universal one.
Myth 2: Baking Soda Can Handle Heavy Cleaning
Baking soda gets credit for being a “power cleaner,” but I’ve found it’s better at deodorizing than deep cleaning. It’s great for absorbing smells, refreshing trash cans, or gently scrubbing sinks, but it struggles with baked-on grease, soap scum, and thick buildup. When I rely on baking soda alone for tough jobs, I usually end up scrubbing longer without better results.
It’s useful, just not as strong as people think.
Myth 3: Borax Is Just a Mild Natural Cleaner
Borax is often lumped in with baking soda, but it behaves very differently. I use it carefully and intentionally, because it’s much stronger. It works well as a laundry booster and for certain disinfecting tasks, but it’s not something I treat casually. It’s not food-safe, shouldn’t be inhaled, and isn’t ideal around pets or kids.
Assuming borax is harmless because it’s “natural” is a mistake.
Myth 4: Lemon Juice Is Always Gentle
Lemon juice smells fresh and cuts through grease, so it feels safe. But chemically, it’s still acidic. I avoid using it on delicate finishes, sealed stone, or surfaces that can fade or etch. It works well on glass, light stains, and some metals, but I don’t treat it as a risk-free option just because it comes from fruit.
Fresh doesn’t always mean forgiving.
Myth 5: Mixing These Ingredients Makes Them Stronger
I’ve tried the vinegar-and-baking-soda combo more times than I can count. The fizz looks impressive, but once the reaction is over, the cleaning power is mostly gone. In many cases, mixing vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, or borax just neutralizes their effectiveness instead of boosting it.
Using one ingredient correctly works far better than mixing everything together.
Once I started paying attention to what each ingredient actually does, cleaning stopped feeling like trial and error. Vinegar, baking soda, borax, and lemon juice all work, just not in the all-purpose, mix-everything way they’re often described. Using the wrong product doesn’t just waste time, it can slowly wear down surfaces or create extra work later.
Now I clean with intent. I choose the ingredient based on the material, the mess, and the goal, not the myth. It’s a small shift, but it makes cleaning faster, safer, and far more effective over time.