Why You Should Think Twice Before Trying This TikTok Dryer Sheet Hack

When you log into TikTok, you're bound to find some interesting and useful tips relating to all aspects of housekeeping and simple home repairs. From "shopping at your parents' house" to removing the toilet seat for a thorough cleaning underneath, TikTokers provide their audience with many hacks intended to make life easier. However, what happens when you try a trick that doesn't end well?

Such was the case of Hailee, a young mom in Liverpool, who tried a hack with her tumble dryer, which involved a sponge soaked in fabric softener and was supposed to result in ultra-soft and aromatic clothes once the cycle had been completed. Instead, she and her family faced great danger due to trying out this tip on the internet. So she is warning fellow members of the TikTok community to exercise caution before trying any methods featured in the videos, as mentioned in Her.

The video, created by Chelsea E P, titled "Reusable Dryer Sheets," shows the young lady gathering her supplies: sponges, fabric softener, and a clear jar with a lid. She pours the fabric softener into the jar. Next, she adds water to the fabric softener bottle and gently shakes it to mix the contents. Afterward, she pours the concoction into the jar. From there, she places a few sponges into the mixture of fabric softener and water until they are thoroughly saturated. 

Once her dryer is loaded, she throws a sponge soaked in water and the laundry product into the dryer. You can also see her placing a sponge (probably after going through a cycle in the dryer) back in the jar with the mixture to soak before the subsequent use. As mentioned in Fox 13, creating reusable dryer sheets has been a subject of blogs and social media posts among cleaning experts for a long time. Therefore, the video drew even more attention to the possibility of employing this sustainable practice.

When Hailee tried this hack, she woke up to thick smoke and a charred appliance, as mentioned in Her. The evening before, she had loaded the dryer with clothes and a sponge soaked in the solution and ran the cycle overnight. But the dryer's interior caught on fire at some point. Fortunately for Hailee and her family, the flames were contained inside the dryer without spreading any further. She explained that the appliance had been working well without mechanical or electrical issues before trying the laundry hack.

She also went on to share her experience on social media as a warning to take caution before trying any tips and tricks from videos or posts. Regardless of the source, she was grateful that the mishap didn't produce a worse result. Plus, her story reminds the TikTok audience never to leave a dryer running unless someone is present and alert enough to check on it.