Here ’s why you should steer clear of this # CleanTok trend — and how to efficaciously make clean your vacuum instead .
Getty Images / Aleksandr Grechanyuk
If you ’ve been scrolling on # CleanTok lately , you ’ve plausibly seen videos of people pouring scented laundry beads directly into their vacuum . The viral videohas more than half a million views on TikTok and arrogate that vacuum-clean up scented laundry beads keep the gizmo ( and your rug or piece of furniture ) smelling fresh for hebdomad . And while there may be a grain of true statement to it , it comes with a potential monetary value to your vacancy and your wellness .
Credit:Getty Images / Aleksandr Grechanyuk
Monika Stuczen , senior enquiry scientist at Dyson , breaks down why you shouldskip this TikTok cleaning hackand shares the best methods for the right way cleaning your vacuum so it smell good and lasts for years to come .
What Is the Laundry Bead Vacuum Trend?
This cleaning ' hack ' is a pretty straightforward trick that involves placing laundry beads inside your emptiness cleaner . They can either be scattered on the level and vacuumed up , or tossed forthwith into the ash bin ( this only works for bagless vacuums ) . The heat from the running vacuum supposedly releases the perfume into the air , fix both your vacuum and carpet feel ripe .
According to those who have tried it , the fragrance may last for hebdomad or until you empty the canister . I have a smallDyson vacuumand , in person , like to unload it of dust directly after vacuuming — so already , the conjuring trick does n’t seem worthwhile . Plus , legion commenters confess they did n’t discover a difference in smell at all , which seems almost as wasteful as theproduct overload trend .
Why the Viral Laundry Bead Vacuum Trend Is a Bad Idea
There are two primary reason why you should avoid essay it in your family . Stuczen explains the tendency can not only ruin your vacuum , it can also be harmful to your health .
It could ruin your vacuum cleaner (and void any warranty).
A nice vacuum is typically a bighearted expense , so you need to be indisputable to care for it right . “ We do n’t recommend that proprietor disclose their simple machine to any liquid including water supply or substantive fossil oil , ” Stuczen says . Mostscented laundry drop — even homemade versions — admit essential rock oil in their ingredients and will melt when exposed to heating . This means they can make a mess within your vacancy as it ’s running and peradventure clog it or cause it to malfunction .
Not only can this cause your vacancy to function poorly , it could prematurely avoid the vacuum ’s warrant . “ Owners should refer to the instructions in the manual provide with the machine upon purchase , as usage of their machine outside of what it ’s design to do may avoid their guaranty , ” Stuczen suppose . Be sure to check with the manufacturer to corroborate what is and is n’t covered before do any risky hack with it .
It could also cause harm to your health.
Just as theTide Pod drift for cleaning upholsterycan lead to skin rashes , respiratory topic , and headaches for someone tender to the chemicals or smell , the laundry bead vacuum hack can produce similar side effects . You should be particularly deliberate using beads around any household appendage or pets with allergy . If you would n’t mix olfactory property beads in with their washing , do n’t expose them to the product via the vacuum . And if you have little children or ducky who care to lounge on or crawl across the carpeting , they could well put a isolated bead in their mouth and requiretreatment for toxicant control .
Even if it ’s only adults in the menage , you still want to be conservative . “ We love the mind of finding ways to reduce bad odour in your nursing home , ” Stuczen state , “ but we would never advocate intentionally increasing your exposure to organic compounds . ” She says that even if you do n’t put them in your vacuum and onlyuse them as intended , laundry beads can still get harm in your household . “ Whenever potential , we advocate using unscented products as scented products , includinglaundry beads , can introduce harmful VOCs and other pollutant into the aura , " she says .
With morenaturalandgreen cleanse productson the market today , a nontoxic washables odor booster is well-off to find . But it ’s stillnot something you should vacuum up . To keep your rug and vacuum smelling fresh , Stuczen recommends a few alternative solutions .
How to Keep Your Vacuum Smelling Good
The laundry bead movement is a quick cutoff , but the best way to avoid an unpleasant odor from lingering in your vacuum is to give it a thorough cleaning .
Stuczen recommends these bakshish for cleaning your void :
How to Keep your Carpet Smelling Fresh
If you ’re not sure whether the foul-smelling olfactory property is coming from your vacuum or the rug , it ’s overbold to undertake both . Again , Stuczen discourage about the function of indispensable oil and liquids during the cleaning process . " forefend introduce liquids unnecessarily as damp carpeting create the potential for mold and bacteria to develop , stimulate it to acquire odors over time , ” she say .
