Experts warn against putting a frozen towel on a fan

LIFESTYLE

As citizens of the UK struggle to stay cool amid the ongoing heatwave, experts are warning against a potentially deadly heat-beating hack going viral on TikTok, in which users place a frozen towel over a fan so it blows cold air.

Dubbed “the towel hack,” the technique came to light via a tutorial by TikTok user @tiabagha, in which she instructs her viewers to “put a towel under some cold water and then freeze it.”

While this might seem like an ingenious way to MacGyver an air conditioner, Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at UK company Electrical Safety First, warns that the risks outweigh the benefits.

Giuseppe Capanna Product safety engineer

“Placing a freezing towel on a plugged-in fan could destabilize the device and cause it to fall over, causing the blades to hit the guard and put the motor under pressure, and could even break the device altogether."

Not only that, but this so-called cooling method could potentially cause things to heat up by electrocuting the user.

Giuseppe Capanna Product safety engineer

“The biggest risk comes from the towel, which would eventually thaw and become sopping wet. Water and electricity do not mix and, by copying this hack, water could come into contact with the motor or the plug and its socket, increasing the risk of an electric shock.”

New study claims chemical found in Splenda damages DNA

SEE ALSO