(NEW YORK) — Cleaning videos are sweeping social media with the hashtag “cleantok” garnering over 32 billion views on TikTok.
Influencers have pointed to a surprising source for savings on cleaning products — dollar stores.
“Dollar stores are growing in popularity simply because we are being so careful about how much we spend and we’re seeing such a big jump in inflation as well that shoppers are looking for ways to save however they can,” smart shopping expert Trae Bodge told ABC News’ Good Morning America.
Brittany Kiepke is part of the “cleantok” community and posts about her own dollar store deals.
“You can get bags full of things for around the house for a fraction of the cost of what it would cost to go to other chains,” the influencer told GMA. “You can save on sponges and cleaning brushes.”
To see what is available in stores, ABC News technology and consumer correspondent Becky Worley and her team visited three top dollar stores: Dollar General, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree in New Jersey and California to compare inventory and prices with big box stores.
Most cleaning brushes were priced below $1.25 at dollar stores. At a big box store Worley visited, the least expensive brushes sold for $3.69.
For a pack of six sponges, the dollar stores charged $1.25 and big box stores sold three for $2.69.
“Those things typically can be lower priced at the dollar store and they tend to be high quality,” Bodge said.
All dollar stores that GMA visited were stocked with recognizable cleaning brands, but the price per ounce showed less significant savings.
Clorox cleaner and bleach spray, for example, were less expensive at a big box store for 11 cents per fluid ounce. It cost up to 14 cents an ounce at some of the dollar stores.
Fabuloso ranged from 5 cents an ounce at the cheapest dollar stores to 7 cents an ounce at Dollar Tree, whereas a big box store came in at 6 cents per ounce.
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