Expanding the longevity of products made to break is a fail-safe way to save money and keep them from ending up in a landfill.
One man, the Truest Reviews (@thetruestreviews) on TikTok, gave helpful advice on exactly how to do this with a product you use every day.
@thetruestreviews I hope this helps someone fix their toothbrush. #philipssonicare #lifehack #badangle ♬ original sound - Brenden 🫡
"When your Philips Sonicare starts to sound [crazy loud] they want you to buy another one," he says at the start of the video. "They make them so they could break."
The scoop
Using a tool, the man explains that you squeeze the end of the toothbrush so that the bottom will come off.
Once you're inside, the OP says that there are two little tabs that you can use to shimmy the electric rod out of the toothbrush. He then states that the problem is a small screw in the center of the electric rod. That screw needs to be tightened so that the loud sound will diminish. Once that's done, you can slip the electric rod back into the toothbrush, and it's back to new.
How it's helping
"They didn't have to make it like that but they did so that you would keep buying it," says the man.
"Planned obsolescence is a marketing strategy where products are intentionally designed to break down or become unusable after a set amount of time, ensuring consumers continually return," the Climate Change Review explained. This practice has become a tried-and-true method within numerous industries.
Such marketing is a tremendous force in increasing endless production and consumption and leads to more demand for energy resources, contributing to planet-warming pollution.
This man's dedication to expanding the lifespan of his electric toothbrush is a meaningful example of how to reduce the constant consumption brought on by planned obsolescence.
Looking out for planned obsolescence strategies is also imperative to stay ahead of the game with consumption. Purchasing high-quality, meant-to-last items instead of those made from cheap and shoddy materials will uplift longevity, so you don't have to constantly go back to buying new.
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The way it looks 😍 Searching for ways to shop secondhand, whether for appliances, technology, or clothes, is another way you can reduce the impact of planned obsolescence.
What everyone's saying
"Damn this gotta be [one of the] Top Three most useful videos I've seen," said one TikTok user in the comments.
Another mentioned that this helps with their volunteer work.
"I volunteer at a repair cafe and I will 100% be using this knowledge," they wrote. "Thank you for sharing!"
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