Woman is horrified to learn that her boyfriend washes the detergent cap in the washing machine.
I really thought I had seen it all when it came to people's weird hygiene habits, and I've definitely had more than my fill of content about men's "weaponized incompetence." There are the guys that don't know how to wash properly in the shower, men with engineering degrees who claim not to know how to operate a washing machine, people that don't clean their legs, etc. Enough!
Then I stumbled on a video that was the perfect bait and switch. It completely turned all of my expectations on their head and left me questioning the very reality we live in. It was that powerful.
It all started when a woman made a bizarre discovery after stumbling upon her boyfriend doing laundry. After putting his clothes in the washer, he filled the detergent cap up with the soap, and then chucked the entire cap into the washing machine. With the clothes. And then started it.
We all have our own unique laundry habits.Giphy
"Help??" the caption read. "I just asked my bf where the cap for the detergent is and he said 'Oh I just fill it up and throw it in?' With ALL the clothes??"
The woman, who goes by @Iluka on TikTok, called it "mental behaviour."
But her boyfriend was not quick to back down, insisting that not only was his technique normal, it was actually recommended. The tail end of the video shows him reading the fine print instructions on the back of the detergent bottle in a desperate effort to prove he's not crazy.
Throwing a plastic cup into the washing machine with all your clothes is definitely a confusing choice. In fact, Iluka found it so jarring and strange that she felt compelled to share it with her audience of followers to get some insight into where her boyfriend could have learned the unique behavior. You can watch the whole hilarious interaction here:
@ilukugh Mental behaviour in the house tonight
Ready for the big twist? Many commenters insist that the boyfriend is doing it right.
An astounding 31,000 people commented on the video, indicating that it had struck a nerve, for better or worse. People came crawling out of the woodwork to argue that, yes, washing the laundry detergent cap is a thing: The idea is to clean off all the soap scum so it doesn't get sticky or gummed up.
So, no, the boyfriend wasn't being dense after all! This is a twist that would make M. Night Shyamalan proud.
"He’s right but tell him we said that he’s wrong," a commenter said.
"Girl, don’t make me defend a man," joked another.
"i do this?? so the cap isn’t covered in gross [smelly] soap residue??" someone added.
"[So] it doesn’t get sticky" another user clarified.
This is not a new idea, apparently. There are dozens of Reddit threads over the years listing this as a "Life Hack" to prevent detergent drips and general stickiness. There's even evidence that putting the cup in the wash is the proper, manufacturer-approved way to do it! Although some people with top-loading washers will choose to start the washer and use the running water that floods in to give the cup a quick rinse rather than running it through the full cycle.
Obviously I had to go run and check the back of my own bottle of laundry detergent. I didn't see any instructions there about washing the cap, but one woman on Facebook did share indisputable proof on the back of her own bottle of Tide. Apparently, the little plastic caps can even hold up to the dryer!
Still, not everyone is on board. Many of the nearly seven million TikTok viewers had never heard of this bizarre technique and insisted that the "other side" was making it all up:
"Girl I've NEVER heard of anyone doing this either this blew my mind, are the people in these comments gaslighting"
Washing your detergent cap in a full cycle definitely sounds made-up, but it's definitively not. The proof is right there in front of us. Now I'm just wondering how I lived for 38 years without ever knowing about all the people doing this regularly.
- Violinist performs a duet with her washing machine and it's actually a banger ›
- Expert says there's only one laundry cycle you ever need, no matter what's being washed ›
- Serving over 90,000 families affected by emergencies and disasters through the Tide Loads of Hope mobile laundry program ›
- Why washing machine minutes are longer than actual minutes - Upworthy ›
- Washing machines are basically magic. Of course, more than clothes can be thrown in there. - Upworthy ›
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids…
Imagine having to go so badly but being out of euros. 
Anything hobbit-esque can't be wrong. 
But what if you need pain meds AND mascara?!
Imagine how this would affect childcare.
Honestly…where's the lie?
A brown buddha statue sits near a green mountain. Photo by 
Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
Ladybug unexpectedly found during colonoscopyPhoto credit: 
Close-up of bottom of ladybug found in colonPhoto credit: 
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."