TikTok Drain-Cleaning Hacks That Use Bleach Are Dangerous, Experts Say

  • TikToker pour bleach down their sink drains to clean them, but a pro cleaner disapproves of it.
  • Bailey Carson cleaner warns that bleach can react to chemical residue in the drain and create toxic fumes.
  • Carson is supposed to use dish soap and boiling water or baking soda and vinegar to safely clean the drain.
  • You can find more stories on the Insider homepage.

A TikToker generated millions of views with a video showing how they clog their drains with bleach and dish soap.

In the video released in September, user Vanesa Amaro (known as @ vaneamaro91 on TikTok) showed her millions of followers how she poured “pretty much” detergent and bleached the drain on her kitchen sink to clean it. Then they turn on the hot water and garbage disposal to rinse the drain and scrub the sink drain a little with a brush. Amaro warns viewers in the video not to mix vinegar and bleach.

The video had nearly 2 million views and 250,000 likes on Friday, and it appears that many TikTok users have tried the hack themselves as well.

“I literally just got up and cleaned mine,” commented one TikToker. “Thanks for the reminder. It’s one of those tasks that gets overlooked because I don’t see the mess.”

“Omg, thank you girl,” wrote another, “after that I just cleaned my sink. Thank you again!”

Other TikTok videos highlighting similar drain cleaning hacks using bleach have also caused a stir on TikTok.

But pouring bleach down the sewer is actually quite dangerous, professional cleaner Bailey Carson told Insider, and the TikTok trend could do more harm than good.

A professional cleaner said it was dangerous to pour bleach into the sink

“Don’t try this at home!” Carson said about the cleaning hack.

Carson said pouring bleach directly down the drain can be dangerous as it may leave chemicals in the drain that, if mixed with bleach, would cause a chemical reaction that creates toxic fumes.

Mixing bleach with dish detergent is especially dangerous, Carson said, because dish detergents tend to contain ammonia, which when mixed with bleach can release toxic chloramine gas.

“Being fatal may not be enough, but it’s best to avoid that risk,” Carson said as he poured bleach down the drain, “especially if you forget to ventilate the area you’re cleaning.”

Instead, Carson recommends simply using a few dashes of dish soap and then using boiling water to melt away any grease and grease clogs.

Carson also recommends using baking soda and vinegar to safely plug the drain.

Amaro did not immediately respond to Insiders’ request for comment.

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