New 'product overload' TikTok trend is 'extremely dangerous' and should not be tried

Over on TikTok's cleaning-obsessed 'CleanTok' subculture, there's a home-sprucing trend that experts say is really dangerous.

Countless accounts on TikTok are dedicated to posting oddly cathartic videos of themselves cleaning bathrooms, windows, sinks, and much more in an extreme way - it's a new trend dubbed "product overload."

It essentially encourages people to combine multiple cleaning products in one area.

And the goal is simple: mixing different hues of cleaning chemicals in a drain or toilet.

Some people also take requests from others and can clog up their drains with desired color combinations as a result.

Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

The videos, which have over 700 million views, have experts putting out a warning against the trend, which they say can be both detrimental to human life and wildlife and is a waste of resources.

In a report from HuffPost, a spokesperson for the Unblocker campaign spoke about the dangers of mixing chemicals without knowledge.

"Not only is it incredibly dangerous to mix chemicals in an uncontrolled setting without prior knowledge or expertise, but excessive use of cleaning products – even those deemed to be eco-friendly and safe to use in our kitchens and bathrooms – can have devastating effects on our environment," they told the outlet.

These chemical compounds mixed in the drains and toilets can also hinder marine life.

Insiderspoke with marine resilience specialist Dr Deborah Brosnan, who said that the chlorine-based bleach is damaging as purifying systems in the waterways fail to remove all the bleach.

She also said that when chlorine reacts with other chemicals in water, it forms dioxins that are harmful to humans and animals.

"When dumped in water, chlorine in bleach reacts with other chemicals and causes the formation of dioxins which are harmful to human health and wildlife. Studies indicate that they contribute to the lowering of bird and fish populations," Brosnan said.

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.