45 internet hacks that just don’t work

Vinegar is often touted as an ‘all-natural’ floor cleaner in various hacks, but it could do more harm than good. “Whoa. Stop. Do not ever do this,” Cherry says. “Vinegar is acidic and will break down the finish of your floor. Stick to a neutral pH wood floor cleaner and save yourself from hiring someone to refinish your wood floors.”

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There are lots of Internet hacks to purge your closet, but one bit of oft-repeated advice – to donate your clothes to charity – needs to be more thought out, says organising expert, Patty Morrissey. Know that clothing recycling has become a big business, and those convenient metal bins in parking lots are often run by for-profit recycling companies, not charities. And if you do donate directly to a charity, sometimes less than 20 per cent of clothing actually gets re-worn. Some items, however, can really make a difference to those in need.

A super popular organising hack on Instagram is to colour-code your closet, bookshelves, pantry and other areas to make items easier to find and use. But while those shelves of rainbow-hued books make for a pretty Instagram picture, it’s just not practical. “This is not reflective of how people really live or use their space. Who looks for snacks based on colour?” Morrissey says. “Our homes should help us live and make us feel safe and supported and not set up oppressive standards that are more for show than practicality.” Even clothing is better sorted by type – the style, season and use – than by colour, she adds.

Check out these brilliant home organising hacks you wish you knew sooner.

This popular diet hack doesn’t work on its own – there’s nothing magical about kilojoules eaten after a certain time, says dietician, Lauren Smith. “It might be tempting to think it’s this simple, but the truth is, the only way to gain body fat is by eating more kilojoules than what your body needs and the only way to lose it is to eat [fewer] kilojoules than your body needs,” she says. “Your metabolism doesn’t just turn off at 7pm.”

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Many health ‘gurus’ claim that activated charcoal can detoxify the body, lower cholesterol, reduce IBS symptoms, improve skin and remove stains from teeth. For a brighter smile, they recommend simply putting it on your toothbrush and cleaning your teeth as normal. However, none of these claims are backed by credible science – and charcoal can actually be very harsh on your teeth, wearing away enamel and making them more sensitive over time, says dietitian, Kim Melton.

There is no cure for food allergies, and a true food allergy can be fatal, says Dr David Stukus. But even if you’re just trying to treat a food sensitivity, essential oils or herbal supplements are ineffective at best, and they may actually make the problem worse. “Remember these are tactics used by people trying to sell you something, so you need to be suspicious, being wary of information claiming to be scientific, personal anecdotes and paid celebrity endorsements,” advises Dr Stukus. “If it sounds too good to be true, it likely is a myth, regardless of how many likes, shares or retweets it has.”

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The idea is that caffeine stimulates tear production, but the research for this is limited, and even if it’s true, it would translate into a small, short effect. Chronic dry eye requires treatments that go beyond Internet hacks like coffee or rinsing with water, says Dr Leigh Plowman. “There are over two thousand components in normal tears, and each of these is necessary,” he says. Drinking coffee doesn’t affect these at all. Plus, washing your eyes with water can make dry eyes worse and could even give you a serious infection, he adds.

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Tightlining – the practice of putting eyeliner directly on the waterline of your eyes – is a common hack touted by makeup artists for making eyes look bigger or stand out. However, drawing a tight black line around the inside of your eye can make them actually look smaller and more closed – in addition to being unsafe, Dr Plowman says. “You want to avoid using cosmetics on or near the waterline, as it can get into your eyes and clog up your oil glands,” he explains.

Read on for some clever tricks for naturally glowing skin (no makeup or expensive products required!).

There are a lot of hacks for brightening the whites of your eyes, and most of them don’t work, Dr Plowman says. This includes the ‘trick’ of putting a spoon in the refrigerator for five minutes and then holding it over your eye. While the cold might temporarily reduce puffiness around your eye, it won’t do a thing for the whites of your eye. You should also avoid regularly using ‘whitening’ eye drops, as you can become dependent on them, he adds. If you have chronically dry eyes, talk to your doctor about effective long-term treatments.

Beauty aficionados will recognise this as one of many strange hacks targeted at getting clearer skin. But according to Dr Marisa Garshick, baking soda is too harsh to use as an exfoliant. “While some degree of exfoliation is helpful to get rid of dead skin cells and help give the skin a nice glow, it is just as important to avoid over-exfoliation, which can be harsh and irritating to skin,” she says. And the tomato juice? It likely has very little effect, but it can redden your skin if you leave it on for too long.