10 June 2023 , 13:34
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As Brits up and down the country look for innovative ways to cool down in the sweltering heat, a consumer safety expert has strongly advised against attempting a potentially dangerous 'cooling hack' that has recently gone viral.
The TikTok hack in question involves creating a makeshift fan by taping a freezing cold towel over a fan, while it's in use, with the aim of blowing refreshing, cold air all throughout their home.
Those sharing the tip say it helps cool you down during sizzling temperatures, however, there are far less precarious ways to get comfortable this summer.
According to this expert, those who attempt this trick for themselves could end up getting an electric shock. This is because the towel will eventually thaw out and become "sopping wet", posing the risk of water getting in contact with the plug socket and the motor of the fan.
Water and electricity should never mix (Stock Photo) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)As the Met Office and the UK Health Security Agency issue the first heat-health alert across parts of England, consumer safety charity Electrical Safety First has encouraged people to ignore the unsafe hack.
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Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First, said: "Yet again, we are seeing TikTok influencers who are demonstrating 'heat hacks' with their fans which are potentially unsafe.
"Placing a freezing towel on a plugged-in fan could destabilise 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.
"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."
This warning comes one year after the charity warned against a similarly dangerous hack, which saw TikTok and Twitter users fasten bags of ice to their fans.
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