‘Last time I buy one of these’: Woman says viral electric scrub brush ‘exploded’ while charging. It’s not just her

For a lot of consumers, #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt isn't just a hashtag. It's a way of life. Platforms like X always needs a main character of the week, and the same can be said for TikTok— just look at Pink Sauce and Stanley Cups. The latest "it" product on the app is the spin scrubbing brush, with viral videos showcasing these rings of suds purportedly removing layer upon layer of dirt and grime.

One viral clip, which was posted on March 31, 2023, has amassed 8.9 million views. Another, posted 2 months later, racked up 3.4 million views. In the past year, interest in the product has exploded, with more than 10,000 users uploading demo videos under hashtags like #spinningbrush and #electricscrubber. But in a viral TikTok, user Lori (@loricullum) shared the less glamorous side of using these products.

She began the clip, which amassed 586,600 views, by sharing what looked like a wall burnt and turned black. As the camera panned to the shriveled, burnt handle, Lori said: "You might ask what did that [...] I have one of the scrubbing brushes, you know that you plug up and clean the shower. [...]It exploded and caught on fire while it was charging in the wall and it had only been charging for maybe 5-10 minutes because I was going to use it. Yeah. Last time I'll buy one of these." Lori didn't immediately respond to the Daily Dot's request for comment via TikTok comment.

In a subsequent video, Lori said that while she bought the product from Amazon, it didn't have a visible brand name. She also said that she bought the product four years ago. The Daily Dot was unable to identify the model of the brush, and reached out to Amazon via email.

'They are dangerous'

And judging by the comments, this TikToker didn't have a unique experience. "That's the 3rd time seeing that happen and really I want to get one smh," one wrote. "Contact the manufacturer about that they need to compensate you."

"That happened to me in the middle of the night while sleeping," another claimed. "Same one. They are dangerous, almost burnt my bathroom down."

Meanwhile, a third commenter claimed that they had the same model of the scrub brush. "The only reason mine didn't do this is cause I had took it apart and fixed it," they wrote. "The battery packs are not wired right in some of them."

@loricullum

Scrub brush exploded while charging.

♬ original sound - Lori

If the whole exploding thing doesn't deter you for some reason, it's worth noting that the New York Times' Ellen Airhart tested two of the best-selling versions of this brush on Amazon: the Labigo and Lebeein. After a thorough demonstration, she branded them the "worst cleaning tool [they've] ever tested."

"In videos, these devices churn up rings of soap suds, implying they are lifting away all the filth beneath them," Airhart wrote. "But after spending six hours attempting to scrub a soap-scum-covered shower and toothpaste-crusted sink with two top-rated spin scrubbers, I found that their cleaning method is surface level. "

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