Sustainability guru Brennan Kai (@brennan.kai) took to TikTok with a PSA reminding everyone of the importance of maintenance where people forget it the most.
The scoop
"The things that we use to clean also need to be cleaned themselves," the TikToker explains.
@brennan.kai Your dishwasher cleans your dishes… but who cleans your dishwasher??? 🧼🫧🧽 Maintaining & cleaning the things we own helps to extend their life. This is inherently sustainable, as it keeps things like appliances out of landfill which leads to less demand for new ones. I was shocked to learn after almost a decade of living on my own that dishwashers need to be cleaned routinely… the first time I washed my dishwasher filter was a nightmare, to say the least. I encourage you to open yours up and give it a nice deep clean today. I promise you'll be so glad you did. Stay tuned for tomorrow— we're cleaning the washing machine too! 🧺 #minimalism #sustainability #zerowaste #lowwaste #plasticfree #sustainable #ecohome #environmentalist #foodwaste #minimalist #overconsumption #consumerism #deinfluencing #deinfluence #dishwasher #righttorepair #dishwashercleaning #dishwasherfilter ♬ Brunch (Lofi) - Muspace Lofi
In the video, Brennan cleans the dishwasher with boiling water and soap, taking the spray arm and filter outside for a deep clean with a hose.
Once those parts are popped back in, Brennan puts a bowl of vinegar on the top shelf and runs a cycle on the highest heat possible. After the vinegar wash, Brennan sprinkles baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher and runs it again — just to be safe.
"I encourage you to open yours up and give it a nice deep clean today. I promise you'll be so glad you did," Brennan wrote.
How it's helping
The best part about Brennan's hack is that it gives appliances a longer life while saving money. Cheaper, eco-friendly, natural alternatives are just as effective and, oftentimes, safer for our lungs.
There's no need to go to the store or search out overpriced, chemical-filled products that are typically sold in single-use plastics. Baking soda and vinegar can be used to clean stainless steel stovetops, dirty baking sheets, and rusty garden tools too. You can even use this powerful duo to unclog drains.
Onions also have natural antibacterial properties and can be used to clean the grates on your grill. White vinegar and lemon peel ice cubes are a great way to clean your garbage disposal while keeping the kitchen smelling fresh.
As Brennan mentions in the video, making sure your appliances last as long as possible keeps them out of landfills and reduces the demand for new products.
What people are saying
Brennan's cleaning hack was liked by over 2,000 TikTokers.
"This is a great topic! Love it," one applauded.
"Thank you. No one in my house understands this," another wrote.
"Love this! Also another aspect of sustainability is trying to fix something like the rack or filter instead of buying a whole new appliance!" a third said.
Brennan replied: "100%! Look into the Right to Repair movement!"
The Right to Repair movement is working toward repair-friendly legislation, regulation, and standards across all industries and products by advocating for a competitive repair market in an effort to expand access to and make more affordable, durable products.
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