Current:Home > NewsMixing cleaning products can create chemical warfare gas: The Cleantok hacks to avoid -DollarDynamic
Mixing cleaning products can create chemical warfare gas: The Cleantok hacks to avoid
View
Date:2025-04-18 07:28:46
- Some TikTok cleaning hacks can be dangerous for your health and your belongings.
- Experts say to avoid overloading your toilet with cleaning products, running water through toasters and filling your air fryer with soapy water.
- Other popular CleanTok hacks to approach with caution include couch cleaning with a pot lid microfiber towel and Tide Pods and filling your toilet tank with Fabuloso.
The plethora of cleaning videos on TikTok can be mesmerizing and inspiring, from scrubbing ASMR to novel hacks for #SundayReset.
Some of those hacks can be used for regular spring cleaning, as one professional house cleaner previously told USA TODAY. She has been sprinkling baking soda on upholstery and mattresses to draw out odors for years (and she lets the kids jump on the bed to help!)
But experts say that a few of the #CleanTok trends have gone too far, and can even be dangerous for your health and your belongings.
Here are a few #CleanTok hacks to avoid, according to House Digest experts:
More:We tried these easy cleaning hacks and they're life-changing
Overloading your toilet with cleaning products
Some Tiktokers get creative and artistic with the #ToiletOverload trend, mixing powders and colorful liquids in the toilet bowl.
Mixing cleaning products at all can be dangerous, as the chemical combinations can release harmful gasses.
According to the National Capital Poison Center:
- Mixing bleach and ammonia makes chloramine gas, which causes coughing.
- Mixing bleach with an acidic cleaner releases chlorine gas, which was used as a chemical warfare agent in World War I.
Even if you're wearing a mask, jamming your toilet with chemicals could be bad for your plumbing.
"Flushing an excessive amount of cleaning products down your toilet can result in you having to call a professional plumber to fix the damage caused by it," Joseph Wade, vice president of operations at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing told House Digest. "An excessive amount of chemicals can not only clog but also damage the pipes that they pass through."
Using water to clean your cooking appliances
House Digest said some people have been running water through toasters to clean them. But doing so can damage electrical components, and become a safety hazard, Katie Dills of The Cleaning Authority told House Digest.
Some TikTok videos also suggest filling the cooking compartment of an air fryer with soapy water and turning it on as a self-cleaning method.
"That's just a way to get soapy water into the fan system and destroy your air fryer, said TikToker and House Digest expert and TikToker Carly Castro.
Other popular CleanTok hacks to approach with caution
According to House Digest, these are the other popular CleanTok hacks that homeowners should approach with caution.
- Couch cleaning with a pot lid microfiber towel and Tide Pods. Check to ensure you're using the proper cleaning agent that won't damage the fabric.
- Do not fill your toilet tank with Fabuloso or any other all-purposes cleaners.
veryGood! (597)
Related
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Untangling the Rift Dividing Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus and Their Family
- South Carolina wants to restart executions with firing squad, electric chair and lethal injection
- Kelsea Ballerini Speaks Out After Her Candid Reaction to Grammys Loss Goes Viral
- 'Malcolm in the Middle’ to return with new episodes featuring Frankie Muniz
- 'Category 5' was considered the worst hurricane. There's something scarier, study says.
- Why Zendaya, Timothée Chalamet and Austin Butler Say Filming Dune 2 Felt Like First Day of School
- Meet the newscaster in drag making LGBTQ+ history in Mexican television
- Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
- A total solar eclipse will darken U.S. skies in April 2024. Here's what to know about the rare event.
Ranking
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- Better equipment and communications are among Maui police recommendations after Lahaina wildfire
- Bob Beckwith, FDNY firefighter in iconic 9/11 photo with President George W. Bush, dies at 91
- Eagles will host NFL’s first regular-season game in Brazil on Friday, Sept. 6
- Small twin
- Pennsylvania governor’s budget could see significant payments to schools, economic development
- Tennessee governor pitches school voucher expansion as state revenues stagnate
- What's the right way to ask your parents for money?
Recommendation
The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
Rapper Killer Mike Breaks His Silence on Arrest at 2024 Grammy Awards
Values distinguished Christian McCaffrey in high school. And led him to Super Bowl 58
Senegal's President Macky Sall postpones national election indefinitely
Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
Justice Department proposes major changes to address disparities in state crime victim funds
Taylor Swift announces new album, ‘The Tortured Poets Department,’ and song titles
Jam Master Jay dabbled in drug sales ‘to make ends meet,’ witness testifies