There are travel hacks.
And then there are moments when you stop mid-scroll and think:
WHY?
Not “why didn’t I think of this.”
But: why would anyone think this is a good idea?
I’ve been in travel long enough to love smart shortcuts. I’ve written about them. I share them in my guides. I even have an entire article inspired by flight attendants explaining what not to wear on a plane and why.
I am absolutely pro-hack.
But what I saw this week crossed into something else entirely.
The Viral Video That Sparked Outrage
A content creator suggested the following solution for travelers who run out of underwear mid-trip:
“Say you’re traveling and you didn’t pack enough underwear and you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, what am I going to wear tomorrow?’ Every room has a coffee pot thing in it. All you have to do is put your underwear where you put the coffee grounds, you close it, you press brew and it puts scorching hot water through it,” she said in the video.
“The hair dryer in the bathroom? You blow-dry those bad boys and you’ve got yourself a cleaner pair of underwear to wear. I did not realize how many people already knew this hack. I learned it years ago from a friend that was a flight attendant and it’s brilliant,” she added.
Yes.
You read that correctly.
Using a hotel coffee maker to “wash” underwear.
What Shocked Me The Most
She says that people knew this hack!
So there are other people using it????
This, for me, is shocking.
She says that she learned this from a flight attendant years ago.
Again – scary – thinking how many people have heard – and shared – this hack.
My immediate reaction when I saw the video?
WHY???
There Is a Sink. There Is Soap. There Is Water.
Let’s be practical.
Every hotel bathroom has:
- A sink
- Soap (or at least shower gel)
- Running water
- Towels
- Often, a hair dryer
If you absolutely need to wash something urgently, you can:
- Use the sink.
- Use soap.
- Rinse thoroughly.
- Roll the garment in a towel to absorb excess water.
- Finish drying with a hair dryer if necessary.
Or – radical thought- buy a pair. Or two.
But to even consider placing underwear inside a coffee brewer?
That’s not a hack. That’s a lapse in judgment.
This Is About Responsibility
I’m all for recommending clever solutions.
I share practical tips in my travel guides constantly.
I maintain a section dedicated to useful tricks.
I’m in favor of practical, field-tested shortcuts.
And I’m not even an influencer.
But I am a business owner – for 21 years – working in communication and public relations. I am also a coach. So I can say this:
But the moment you recommend something publicly, you carry responsibility.
Before posting a “hack,” basic filters should apply:
- Is this hygienic?
- Is this safe?
- Is this respectful of others?
- Could this affect someone else negatively?
- Does this violate hotel policy or health codes?
- Would I be comfortable if a stranger did this before I used the same equipment?
- Would I say this advice face-to-face to a room full of hotel managers?
HOW can anyone consider, even for a second, the idea of “washing” underwear in a coffee brewer – an appliance designed for consumption?
Influence amplifies impact.
And amplification requires discernment.
Now, I am not accusing the influencer of trying to do harm – to hotels and other people who will use the coffee machines that were used for the… purpose mentioned above.
I do not think she meant anything harm.
I think she really wanted to provide a hack. To genuinely help.
But she did not think things through.
She was, maybe, so caught up in the idea that this is a hack, a useful trick – especially as shared by a friend who is a flight attendant, that she did not think things through. She did not question the trick.
And this is the lesson we should all learn: question everything from multiple perspectives!
The Internet Reacted – And It Wasn’t Subtle
It is not surprising that the reaction was immediate and intense.
Here are just some of the responses circulating online:
“If your mission was to get everyone on the planet to stop using hotel coffee makers you just did it. Congrats! 👏🏼 😂”
“Hotel needs to sue.”
“What? That is the most disturbing thing I’ve heard.”
“I’ll never use a keurig in a hotel room ever again. 🤮”
“I actually expected the video to have been taken down 😩 This isn’t a hack; it’s nasty and inconsiderate. If it’s a joke, it’s not funny.”
“This is a health code violation. You can and should be charged.”
“Thanks for contaminating the coffee machine.”
“Please keep us posted where you go and stay and give the room numbers so we don’t get those rooms.”
“There should be ‘no booking’ lists like the no fly list.”
And countless variations of what many people instinctively thought:
Wash it the usual way. Or buy a new pair.
The outrage wasn’t performative. It was instinctive.
Because some lines feel obvious.
The Follow-Up: “I Never Actually Did It”
According to a newer report, the influencer later clarified she never personally used the hack.
Even so – and this is important – recommending something publicly carries weight regardless of whether you personally executed it.
Once an idea is broadcast to millions, it becomes behavior.
And this is where discernment matters most.
If you believe you’ve discovered a genius travel trick, here’s a simple test:
- Tell one friend first (or more, to be safe!).
- Watch their face.
If the reaction includes visible discomfort, disbelief, or a slow blink followed by “You can’t be serious”… that’s useful data.
Sometimes, clarity arrives before publish.
Hacks Are Helpful. Hygiene Is Not Optional.
Travel is full of improvisation. Things go wrong. You forget items. You adapt.
But creativity does not override basic hygiene or communal respect.
There is a difference between:
- Rolling clothes in towels to dry faster.
- Using packing cubes smarter.
- Choosing wrinkle-resistant fabrics.
And using shared appliances for unintended purposes that could affect the next guest.
Hotels already struggle with guest misuse of amenities. Encouraging more of it – even hypothetically – is not innovation.
It’s negligence.
The Bigger Conversation About Influence
This isn’t about canceling someone.
It’s about responsibility in the era of viral advice.
When millions watch, “it was just a joke” doesn’t undo the idea.
The internet rewards shock.
But long-term credibility rewards judgment.
And in travel – a space built on shared environments – mindfulness matters more than ever.
Some hacks save time.
Some hacks save money.
Some hacks make you more efficient.
And some should never leave a group chat.
This one?
It should have stayed there.
The video
You know I try to stay impartial when presenting a hack/trick – or something new that went viral.
I try to keep an open mind. I try to present different perspectives – again, trying to understand reactions (like removing the wheels of the carry-on when boarding or even doing this during a flight), ideas, and everything in between.
But, I admit, I cannot understand how this got to be labeled as a hack – not by the travel attendant who the influencer says recommended years ago the trick, nor by the influencer herself.
As I mentioned, I am terrified that others knew it and used it. That is what scares me the most.
I know that what I wrote might seem unbelievable.
So here is the video – with the note that I saw it reshared on X and in numerous articles. Again: I am sharing it not to shame her, but to point out something differently
A) DO NOT do this
B) ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS analyse everything – travel related or not! – from multiple perspectives before implementing it!
@tarawoodcox11 Travel hacks! #fyp #foryoupage #travel #clean #wow ♬ original sound – Tara Woodcox
And this is the article where she says she never used it – just heard it from a friend.
Photo source: Pexels
