After sitting unused for more than three months, a man opened up a toilet tank to find a decaying orange in the water.
The discovery ended up on Reddit's r/Plumbing forum, where the person who removed it suggested a TikTok freshening hack was likely behind the mess.
Here's what to know
"I really didn't know what I was looking at until I scooped it out and was hit with the most putrid smell," the original poster wrote in the Reddit thread. "I can only imagine this is a result of someone giving TikTok hack/cleaning tips again."
(If video doesn't play, click here.)
Commenters quickly jumped into the thread to share their horror, amusement, and similar stories.
"I see the problem. It has to be one of those clove oranges or it won't work," one commenter joked, poking fun at the idea that produce belongs inside plumbing hardware at all.
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Other commenters suggested the orange-in-the-tank trick fits into a broader wave of improvised cleaning advice.
"My dad put Covid masks filled with cut limes and forgot about them and it was awful cleaning it out," one wrote.
"I found out that my landlord had put plastic bottles full of pebbles into the toilet tank to force it to use less water. But he hadn't removed the labels, so they rotted and clogged up the works," another user added.
What can be done?
When food, fragrance items, or homemade deodorizing bundles end up in toilets, tanks, or drains, someone almost always has to remove them. In this case, the OP needed to scoop the object out after it had been sitting in stagnant water for months.
A hack meant to save money or avoid harsher products often backfires if it involves putting the wrong material inside plumbing fixtures, especially in a toilet that may go unused for long stretches. Never put fruit or other organic material in a toilet tank.
Where can I learn more?
Bathroom cleaning shortcuts can go wrong fast, so these articles look at cheaper DIY deodorizers, homemade toilet cleaners, and other bathroom tips circulating on social media.
• A homeowner used DIY toilet bomb tablets to freshen the bowl, not the tank.
• One bathroom deodorizing trick relied on just two kitchen ingredients and skipped gimmicks entirely.
• A bathroom scrub using citric acid for toilet grime offered a cleaner fix.
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