‘I was today years old’: Woman shows how to get last bit of detergent out of bottle. You’re probably wasting a ton

Don’t you just hate when you settle in for the laundry day long haul, only to find out you’re out of detergent? Well, one viral life hack might be able to help you out.

Ashley Garcia (@wild_ermomma) discovered that by removing the spout from the detergent bottle, you can make your purchase go way further. In a TikTok she posted on Monday, which has over 90,000 views, she shows us how. 

What’s the hack?

The video opens with Garcia taking the lid off of a bottle of Purex laundry detergent. Underneath the lid is a plastic spout, which creates a narrow tunnel for the detergent to come out of.

“I was today years old when I learned this comes out,” Garcia’s on-screen text states, followed by a laughing-crying emoji. In the video, she motions to the spout, grabbing it for a second. “I thought I was just SOL with what was left that wouldn’t come out.”

Garcia shows what she means by lifting the bottle up, spout still on, and trying to pour the remaining detergent out into the washing machine. She shakes it, tapping it against the rim of the machine, but nothing comes out.

Putting the detergent down, Garcia then takes a different tactic: she sticks two fingers in the spout and wiggles it out. This leaves the top of the laundry detergent entirely open. Garcia returns to the washing machine and easily pours out the last of the detergent.

“I was today years old,” Garcia reiterates in the caption. She tags the video “LifeHack.”

Is that the only way to get the detergent out?

Many commenters were grateful to learn about Garcia’s life hack, and a few others shared their own tried and true methods.

“I just add some water and shake,” one of the top commenters suggested.

“I used to do that too,” Garcia replied. “But still leaves a lot left. I was shocked.”

Am i the only one that flips the whole container with the lid screwed on tight?” questioned another user. “By time i’m ready for my next load it’s all dropped to the bottom of the lid ready to be poured.” Garcia noted that even when she tried this, she still found extra detergent trapped in the bottle.

Some people admitted to using more forceful means of draining the detergent.

“I just bang it against the washer,” a commenter stated. “Works everytime.” Garcia responded to them with laughter.

“34 and just learned this,” someone else said. “I usually bang the crap out of it after putting water in it till it all comes out haha.”

Wait, did everyone know this?

“Wait, you really didn’t ever think ‘there’s more in there let me take that out’ ??” a commenter asked.

“No I just was like wtf,” Garcia responded.

“That’s wild I just went to go try it,” another user said. Garcia agreed vehemently.

“You know how much laundry detergent I have thrown away because I just thought there was no other way to get to it unless I cut the thing open,” she replied. “And I guess I was just too lazy to do that lol.”

@wild_ermomma I was today years old. #lifehack ♬ COMMERCIAL - Thays B.M

Are you using too much detergent?

While Garcia is concerned with not getting enough soap out of the bottle, some sources say consumers should be worried about using too much soap. Elissa Sanci of Wirecutter investigated exactly how much detergent you need to clean a load of clothing.

“To effectively clean your clothes, you need to use only 2 tablespoons per load at most,” Sanci wrote. “And that’s for big loads weighing 12 pounds or more.” She added that sometimes detergent companies encourage using way more detergent than necessary because it means you will have to buy their product more often. Sanci also cautioned against using pods, as the portioning may be inaccurate and cause detergent buildup.

Between Sanci’s recommendations for cutting down on detergent, and Garica’s hack for squeezing all you can from a bottle, you should be set for many laundry days to come.

The Daily Dot reached out to Garcia via TikTok and Instagram direct message.

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