Why You Should Avoid TikTok's Trendy Countertop Solution For A Fragrant Home

The internet can be a treasure trove of ideas to make your home more enjoyable, but it's also filled with less-than-ideal hacks that you'd be better off avoiding. One such idea, put forward by a popular TikTok account, violates a lot of fire safety basics for the purpose of making your house smell amazing.

TikTok user @laurynjoness showcases her DIY palo santo (a type of wood that Jeremiah Brent recommends for keeping your home smelling fresh) burning setup, which consists of a glass vase, stones, palo santo wood, and a tea light candle. The stones are situated in the bottom of the vase, surrounding the tealight candle. The palo santo wood is then positioned in a criss-cross configuration over the candle, which — in theory — should allow the wood to burn without catching fire. While followers of the account rave about the adorable aesthetic of the hack, and how simple it is to create, there are some obvious concerns that should have you running from, not towards, this trend.

If you're smitten with the visuals of this fragrance holder, you might wonder why anyone would have anything bad to say about it. The truth is that there are numerous bones to pick, starting with fire safety. Fire and wood should never be combined and left unsupervised. Since palo santo is wood, it is highly flammable. By mixing it with an open source of fire, one of the most elementary rules of fire safety is being broken. As the National Candle Association warns, "Never burn a candle on or near anything that might catch fire." If the palo santo catches fire while you are out of the room, the flames could easily become high enough to spread to another flammable material. Additionally, if the entire container — with the candle inside — were to be bumped onto the ground accidentally, it would be easy enough for the flammable candle wax to spill and cause a larger fire.

The next safety concern is the type of glass used in this DIY. It appears that the container is a standard glass floral vase; as such, it is likely not suited to be paired with fire. While some types of glass are designed to be exposed to heat, glass that is too thin or weak can become overheated when exposed to fire, making it dangerous to move. Instead of jumping into this particular DIY trend, it might be better to opt for a specially-designed palo santo holder, like this one on Amazon ($19.99). You can also have fun exploring some of the best candle scents you should have in your kitchen.