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One woman's ceiling fan cleaning "hack" has gone viral with nearly 8 million views.
Christina Lynch (@tina.coastalcraftaholics) shared the hack on TikTok last week, where it has amassed more than 190,000 likes and nearly 2,000 comments from TikTokers who couldn't agree on whether the hack was "genius" or time-consuming.
"Show me the life hack that you randomly saw one day, that is now an unconscious standard practice in your life," said the video's narrator. "I'll go first."
In the video, Lynch's husband slips a pillowcase over one of their ceiling fan's blades. Once the pillowcase is secured, he drags the case back down the blade, trapping all the dust inside.
"Best hack EVER!" read the video's text overlay.
As it turns out, Lynch isn't the first person to try this cleaning method. In fact, TV host and "cleaning guru" Bob Vila recommended the method when speaking to the Today Show back in 2017.
He reminded homeowners to "press lightly" on the blades while cleaning, as pressing too hard could damage the fan. And, once the process is over, he said individuals should take the pillowcase outside, turn it inside-out, shake out the dust and then clean the case as usual.
To prevent clumps of dust from flying about the room "every time you turn [your fan] on," Vila recommended cleaning the blades every week.
Many of Lynch's viewers said they love the "hack."
"Genius," said Emily Tuccker802.
"I love doing it this way! It's the only way," wrote Digital Designs Small Business.
"I think my life has just changed," commented Pablo Rodriguez.
"God that's clever," said Elisha.
Lightworkleigha added: "Yepp, I live in north Las Vegas, with 5 dogs...best advice EVER."
Others, however, aren't convinced it's the best way to clean a fan.
"I clean professionally, that's not a hack...that takes too long!!" exclaimed Lag.
"I just vacuum mine," shared Ashleebcreates. "The Dyson is great."
"Why not just clean the ceiling fan the proper way with a rag, cleaner and Swiffer duster?" asked Kate Smith.
One commenter named "people suck" joked: "I just leave them dirty...it's easier that way."
Newsweek reached out to Christina Lynch for comment.
Of course, Lynch isn't the first TikToker to go viral for sharing a cleaning hack. In March, a woman's dishwasher cleaning hack to prevent mold went viral with more than 1.6 million views. That same month, another woman garnered more than 8 million views with a hack to get rid of garbage disposal grime.
And last May, a TikToker went viral for sharing a car cleaning hack that could reportedly save hundreds of dollars.
About the writer
Sara Santora is a Newsweek reporter based in Florida. Her focus is reporting on viral social media posts and trends. ... Read more