That one TikTok 'life hack' for cleaning shower heads was a disaster

I tried that viral trick where you put a bag of vinegar over your shower head to remove buildup. Did it in my apartment in Austin last Tuesday, left it on for 2 hours like the video said. When I took the bag off, the vinegar had eaten through some rubber seal inside and water started spraying everywhere. Had to call my landlord and explain why there was a puddle in the bathroom and a broken fixture. The repair guy charged me $60 for a new part. Has anyone else had a DIY cleaning hack backfire like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

thea6028d ago

Wait did you check what kind of rubber seal was in there before you did it? Some of those TikTok hacks just assume every shower head is built the same and that's where they get you. My friend in Dallas tried the same thing and her shower head was fine but I think she has one of those newer plastic ones. The vinegar thing is supposed to be for metal parts only right? I'd be curious what the repair guy actually said about the seal because I bet most landlords don't even know what kind of rubber is in their fixtures. Kinda makes you wonder how many people are gonna wreck their shower heads before TikTok stops pushing this one.

morganmartinez8d ago

Yeah that TikTok hack needs a warning label, honestly worse than the time I tried the lighter trick to open a beer bottle and just melted the cap into the bottle. At least your landlord didn't charge you for the puddle too, small victories I guess.

logan_wood8d ago

Three hundred bucks is what it cost my buddy when he tried that lighter trick with a beer bottle. He ended up with melted plastic in his drink and a nasty burn on his thumb. @thea602 is right about the rubber seals being different on every shower head, you gotta check that before messing with anything. Most people don't realize that cheap shower heads use a rubber that just dissolves if you hit it with vinegar or heat. Landlords probably buy the cheapest fixtures they can find so they don't even know what's in there. TikTok should at least put a warning that says check your materials first or you'll be paying for a plumber.