Tina Tsakonas has been documenting life on the ‘outs’ for almost a decade – and has shared what she learnt during her time behind bars, including how to clean trainers
A woman who’s been in and out of jail has revealed the ‘genius’ cleaning tips she learned while incarcerated. Recovering addict Tina Tsakonas, who has been sharing her post-prison life on social media for nearly ten years, has divulged some of the savvy tricks she picked up during her time inside.
Despite now having access to ‘real’ cleaning products, she swears by toothpaste for sprucing up her grubby trainers, insisting it’s the top trick in the book. In a recent TikTok video, she exposed the four “jail hacks” she still swears by – which includes gulping down mustard to quell heartburn, slathering conditioner on her skin to “smell good”, and applying deodorant to soothe razor burn.
But it was her toothpaste method for cleaning shoes that really had her 1.3 million followers buzzing, as she demonstrated just how simple it is to banish grime with the common bathroom staple. Tina’s path to prison was paved by heroin addiction, which spiralled into prostitution, overdoses and homelessness.
She’s been holding down her current job for about six years and doesn’t shy away from talking about her past to get where she is today. Fans of her video have been quick to comment, with one saying: “The toothpaste on shoes works so well.” Another chimed in: “I’m about to try the conditioner thing.”
A curious third added: “Wait, does the mustard one actually work?!” And yet another said: “Not my pregnant self literally climbing out of bed at 11pm to try the mustard hack.” It comes after a cleaning expert shared her trick to dissolving irritating limescale deposits in the bathroom overnight.
Specialists from Kind Water advised: “Fill a bottle with equal parts white vinegar and water, spraying the vinegar solution directly onto the areas affected by limescale in the shower. Let the solution sit for about 10 to 15 minutes to allow the vinegar to break down the limescale.”
Then, scrub the affected areas and rinse with water to remove the vinegar residue. White vinegar can be purchased from Tesco for just 29p and can also be used to remove watermarks and stains from the shower head.
The experts said: “Fill a plastic bag or container large enough to fit the shower head with white vinegar and submerge it in the white vinegar, ensuring that it is fully covered. Secure the bag or container in place, allowing the shower head to soak in the white vinegar for several hours or overnight.”
“Once that’s been done, gently scrub where the limescale had been, ensuring that it’s all been removed. The same method can also be used with taps. If your loo is looking unsightly because of limescale, you can also pour a cup of vinegar into the bowl and let it work its magic overnight. You’ll then need to give it a good scrub, and you can sprinkle some baking soda on it too for extra freshness.”
