Mother says they ‘are lucky to be alive’ after trying a social media hack

Mother says her family are ‘lucky to be alive’ after her clothes dryer caught on fire when she tried a viral sponge hack instead of using dryer sheets

  • Hailee Clarke has claimed a social media laundry hack sparked a fire in her dryer
  • UK-based TikTok user placed sponges soaked in fabric softener in the appliance 
  • Told her 20,000 followers her family is lucky to be alive following the hack


A mother has claimed that she and her family are lucky to be alive after her clothes dryer went on fire when she tried a viral social media hack.

Posting on TikTok, Hailee Clarke, from Merseyside, explained that she soaked sponges in fabric softener and water instead of using dryer sheets after seeing the hack shared on social media.

The hack is designed to save money on dryer sheets – which reduce static to leave clothes softer – because they sponges can be reused. 

She said her tumble dryer had never had any problems before trying the viral advice – which has been circulating since 2014. However her family awoke the next day to find the house filled with smoke and the inside of the dryer burning.

The mother told her over 20,000 followers to share her video to raise awareness of the risks associated with the trend.

Hailee Clarke, from Merseyside, has racked up over a million views on a TikTok video warning against a viral laundry that may have sparked her tumble dryer fire (pictured)

Hailee said she used sponges soaked in fabric softener and water (pictured) as replacements for dryer sheets after seeing the trend on social media

Hailee said her family woke up to find their house filled with smoke. Pictured: the tumble dryer after the fire

Hailee said she used sponges soaked in fabric softener and water  (pictured left) as replacements for dryer sheets after seeing the trend on social media. Pictured right: Hailee’s dryer after the fire 

Hailee shared the shocking aftermath of the fire, saying: ‘I just wanted to spread awareness really. I tried this hack yesterday with the cloths, fabric softener and water as tumble dryer sheets in my tumble dryer.

‘This is my first time I’ve ever used it, I’ve never had a problem with my dryer in anyway shape or form.

‘We were woken up this morning to the house filled with smoke. The dryer had been smoking and was on fire from the inside through the night, burning slowly. 

‘I’m not really sure what happened but it was absolutely terrifying. 

‘We are really lucky to be alive and I just wanted to spread some awareness. Be careful of the hacks that you try.’ 

Hailee explained to Insider that her dryer wasn’t left running throughout the night and unexpectedly ‘caught alight’, but she can’t confirm that it was the hack that sparked the blaze. 

Hailee (pictured) claims she has never had any problems with her tumble dryer before trying the hack, which has been circulating since 2014

Hailee (pictured) claims she has never had any problems with her tumble dryer before trying the hack, which has been circulating since 2014 

Hailee said her family 'are lucky to be alive' as they didn't have batteries in their smoke detector. Pictured: Inside of the burnt tumble dryer

Hailee said her family ‘are lucky to be alive’ as they didn’t have batteries in their smoke detector. Pictured: Inside of the burnt tumble dryer 

Hailee is urging her 20,000 followers to share her video and raise awareness of the risks associated with the hack

Hailee is urging her 20,000 followers to share her video and raise awareness of the risks associated with the hack 

She added that it was unlikely her family would have been able to get out of the house in time if her eldest daughter hadn’t discovered the smoke early, because their household smoke detector needs batteries. 

Liquid fabric softeners often come with a warning about their flammability, however it is unconfirmed if the product caused Hailee’s blaze.

Responses to her video have been quick to praise her for sharing her experience with many people admitting they’ve considered trying the hack for themselves after seeing it shared on social media.

One person wrote: ‘I’m so glad you and your family are ok, I can only imagine how scared you must be. Thanks for spreading the awareness, you’ve saved lives now I’m sure.’

Another said: ‘People don’t realise how dangerous this can be. The bottle says don’t use on kids clothes because it can make them more flammable.’

A third added: ‘OMG I was gonna try this hack, I bought some sponges and softener to do it tomorrow and I’m definitely not doing it now.’

Many responses to Hailee's video have praised her for being honest about her experience of trying the hack

Many responses to Hailee’s video have praised her for being honest about her experience of trying the hack 

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