These days, there are so many sources throwing cleaning advice and warnings around, it’s hard to keep track of what’s true and what isn’t. Here, we’ve hauled up some of the most popular cleaning myths.

Carpet Cleaning Shrinks your Carpet

In most cases this isn’t true. Carpet shrinkage was much more of an issue when they were made from natural fibres. Today, synthetics are used in most carpets, therefore they’re not prone to shrinkage. Even if you have a natural carpet, expert companies can do a good job on it without turning it into a doormat. If you decide to clean your carpet yourself, the key thing to remember is don’t leave it wet.

Vinegar is an all-round winner

Don’t get us wrong, as eco-friendly cleaners, we love and respect vinegar when it comes to shining up ceramic and glass surfaces. However, use it on things like wood, stone or grout, and it’s a different story altogether. Always check before you crack out the Sarson’s!

More Soap=Cleaner results

It’s a common misconception to heap on more soap for more dirt. In reality, this often backfires. Soap and detergents are attractors of dirt. Therefore, if there’s too much of it to rinse out of, say, your sofa, then you may well be left with a worse problem that what you started out with, as more dirt will continue to be attracted. Oops.

Cola is the best toilet Cleaner

Certainly, the popular soft drink has enough citric acid in it to make the toilet bowl look considerably cleaner. It will also leave you bathroom smelling pleasant enough (provided you like cola in the first place!). However, what cola doesn’t have is the bacteria-killing properties a toilet cleaner really needs. Do you really want a sticky toilet bowl?!