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The things that clean your home can actually become dirty themselves. Here’s everything you need to clean them.

Griffin Wynne (they/them) is a Staff Writer for HuffPost cover shopping, trends and digital culture.

What you may not think about is cleaning the things that clean. I’m talking vacuums, brushes, rags and appliances: things that get a lot of use, and likely, not a lot of cleaning. To help you keep your sanitation supplies sanitized, I took to the cleaning topic of TikTok — also known as #cleantok — to ask about the best ways to scrub your scrubbers. 

“I upkeep [my cleaning appliances] monthly to prevent a buildup of germs and maintain the efficiency of the machines!” said Sharon Garcia, who shares cleaning tips via Instagram and TikTok to thousands of followers. “I do like to wipe them down weekly because the outside needs to look as clean as the rest of my home!” 

Garcia added that getting into a recurring routine of maintaining your appliances and cleaning supplies can make cleaning a little bit easier. When you don’t have to deal with gross and grimy supplies, it will be easier and quicker to give your home a wipe-down. 

Meg Agan, whose cleaning videos have earned her over 500,000 followers on TikTok, added that the frequency and depth of cleaning your cleaning supplies and appliances “depends on how often you use them and how dirty the items are [that] you’re putting in regularly!” I.e, If you wash a ton of super sweat gym clothes or sauce-covered plates, your machines do need a little extra TLC. 

To keep your cleaning things clean, Garcia, Agan and more names from #cleantok break down all the supplies you need. 

The experts consulted for this story do not necessarily endorse the products ahead unless otherwise noted.

For tackling limescale, Katariina runs an empty dishwasher on its hottest setting with citric acid, noting that you can't remove grease and limescale at the same time. She said alkaline products and cleaning tabs tackle grease, while combatting limescale requires acidic tabs or actual citric acid. 

GE recommends adding 3-4 ounces of citric acid to the dishwasher for a cleaning cycle — you can find our pick for citric acid here.

Get it from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in two pack sizes).

A preemptive way to clean your dishwasher: Wash your dishes before they go in, said Garcia.

"My favorite sponges are Scrub Daddy sponges because they don’t hold any odors," she said. "And they have a smile [on them] to remember to smile while cleaning. Keeping a clean home helps you focus on your family; your mental health will thank you later."

Get a three-pack from Amazon for $13.99 (also available in other pack sizes).

Garcia also suggests giving your dishes a good scrub before putting them in the dishwasher, though she knows people don't always have the time and energy. If you tend to put dirty dishes in the dishwasher, she recommends frequently cleaning its filter, so you're not inadvertently soaking your dishes in gross food-water when you run a cycle. 

"I like to pour distilled white vinegar into a dishwasher-safe cup — I usually use a two-cup Pyrex measuring cup — and place the cup upright on an empty dishwasher's top rack," she said. "I like to also spray it down with vinegar to ensure it all gets washed evenly."

Get the vinegar from Walmart for $2.66 and the measuring cup from Amazon for $13.47.

The best tip for cleaning your rags, mop heads, gloves and aprons? All the cleaning experts agreed: Wash them after every use, but separately from your regular laundry. "Gloves, aprons and sponges should be cleaned after each use to avoid any germ buildup and maintaining your tools is essential to stay clean!" Garcia said. 

The best way to wash? According to Agan, it's hot water and a small amount of detergent and bleach.

Another trick for keeping your rags clean? Color coding them for different surfaces. "Rags are used for one surface each," Agan said. "I do not cross-contaminate!" 

We are big fans of Swedish Dishcloths, and these multi-packs come in a variety of colors.

If you have a shedding pet, little ones or just tend to vacuum a lot, Agan said, you should clean your vacuum filter pretty regularly, too. "I clean my vacuum filter at least once a month," she said. "Just soap and warm water and leaving it out to completely dry does the trick. If your vacuum has bristles, clean those out after every use depending on how dirty the area is you just cleaned." 

We selected a reliable and affordable dish soap.

Garcia also said to to empty your vacuum after every use. "Most vacuums get dusty after cleaning so a quick wipe down after each use is essential to avoid dust buildup and germs," she said.