5 TikTok-Viral Cleaning Products That Are a Waste of Money

We’re all trying to make our homes cleaner these days, but life gets dirty. So when we see a viral cleaning product on TikTok, we might be tempted to buy it—after all, your favorite cleaning content creator recommended it! But will it live up to the hype or be a big waste of money? Or are you better off just using what you already have? Before you add it to your digital cart, here’s what one professional cleaner thinks.

Window Cleaning Robots

Logan Taylor, the founder of Dazzle Cleaning Company, says he had high hopes for window cleaning robots. After all, cleaning windows can be such a time-consuming task. Unfortunately, it doesn’t live up to the hype. “The problem with it is that it leaves streaks, so that’s a total deal breaker for us,” he explains. “We were excited to use it, but the streaks were the problem, and it also has to stay plugged in while you’re using it, so, it limits the size of the window you can clean.”

Wet-Dry Vacuum Cleaners

There are several models of those wet-dry vacuum cleaners, but overall, Taylor found this product to be disappointing. “We tested three of these, and we really put them through the paces, but they are pretty limited as to the type of floors you can clean with them, and they leak,” he says. 

Another issue he had was that the machine needed cleaning between uses, which can take a few minutes. He also notes it isn’t as practical as you might think it is. “It’s also not the type of thing where your kid knocks over cereal and you grab it and it does the job,” he says.

Lastly, Taylor notes this gadget could potentially damage your floor. “I would also say the bigger issue is that all of these steam mop types of products can damage finished and sealed wood and laminate floors,” he says. “You can probably get away with using it on linoleum or polished concrete floors, maybe tile and porcelain—but not without risk. I still think it could crack tiles. Overall, this is definitely a no.”

Electric Spin Scrubbers

While Taylor likes the electric spin scrubber, he doesn’t think it’s the very best way to get the job done. “My general issue with a lot of new products is I don’t think people are going to use them. Because while they’re cool, there are easier and simpler ways to clean things,” he says. “I feel like items like this just add clutter and end up in a landfill.”

While he notes the product can even extend several feet (a useful feature!), he finds that many TikTok creators are just a little too enthusiastic about its practicality “You literally have people drenching a bathroom in soapy, foamy water and cleaning every surface,” he says. “If you don’t end up with water damage, which is entirely possible, you’re never going to get all the product and water up, and there’s just no way you’d ever clean that way.” 

Spray Dish Soap

While Taylor likes the idea of spray dish soap and finds it to be an effective multipurpose cleaner, the problem is it can leave a residue, which gives you something else to clean. “If you use too much of it on a shiny surface, it could leave a residue. So, I wouldn’t use it on mirrors or glass shower doors,” he explains.

Dual-Compartment Mop Systems

Dual-compartment (or dual-chamber) mop systems are all over TikTok. While Taylor is a fan of the concept, he finds this cleaning tool complicated to use. “The thing that’s cool about this is that it has two compartments, so you always have clean water,” he says. “However, the dual compartment mop system has so many little pieces, and it’s just way more complicated than it needs to be”.  

He prefers the less trendy “shmop” instead. “It’s just a broad flathead mop and it has terry cloth covers so you use the terry cloth covers until they’re dirty and you flip it over to the other side and you just grab another one when you’re done,” Taylor says. “We use it at Dazzle, and I don’t know why it’s not more popular.”