A “Hack” That Shocked Viewers
A travel and lifestyle influencer has ignited widespread backlash after revealing she washes her underwear using hotel coffee makers and kettles when she runs out of clean clothes.
Tara Wood shared the tip in a now-viral video, casually demonstrating how she places underwear into a hotel coffee maker basket or kettle and runs boiling water through it.
She framed the method as a practical travel hack, claiming it was something “tons of people already knew” and said she learned it from a flight attendant.
Instead of praise, the video triggered immediate outrage.
“Never Again”: Social Media Reacts in Disgust
Viewers flooded the comments with horror, calling the practice unhygienic and disrespectful to other hotel guests. Screenshots and reposts of the clip spread rapidly across platforms, even after the original video was reportedly removed.
Many users declared they would never use hotel coffee makers or kettles again, while others said the video confirmed long-held fears about shared hotel appliances.
“This is exactly why I don’t touch those,” was a common refrain across comment sections.
Old Behaviour, New Backlash
While the reaction was intense, the behaviour itself is not new. Past media reports have quoted former hotel cleaners who claimed they had seen guests boil underwear, socks and even seafood in room kettles.
The difference now is scale. A single social media video has pushed what was once an industry horror story into a global conversation about hotel hygiene.
Why Hotels Can’t Catch Everything
Hospitality workers note that hotel coffee makers and kettles are not designed to be taken apart and deep-cleaned between guests. Internal components are rarely dismantled during routine housekeeping, meaning residue could remain unseen.
Critics argue that boiling water alone does not equal proper cleaning, especially without detergent. More importantly, they say, shared appliances rely on basic trust between guests.
When Travel Hacks Go Too Far
The incident has renewed criticism of viral “travel hacks” that prioritise shock value over common sense. While sink-washing clothes or buying cheap replacements are widely accepted solutions, using shared drink appliances for laundry crosses an unspoken line for many.
What was presented as a clever shortcut has instead left travellers uneasy—and far more suspicious of what really happens inside hotel coffee makers once the door closes.
Watch the video here:
@tarawoodcox11 Travel hacks! #fyp #foryoupage #travel #clean #wow
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