If you spend enough time on the internet, you’ll soon discover you’ve been doing everything wrong your entire life. For example, wringing out the excess cleaning solution from a gas station squeegee.
Branon (@pipe.beard) posted a viral TikTok showing that most squeegee bins come with a hidden feature. These apparently are designed to help folks eke out the liquid from a squeegee’s sponge. Upon delineating this practice, however, numerous folks on the app still weren’t impressed.
That’s because they believe a squeegee needs to be nice and wet to get the job done. Moreover, other folks cautioned against using these cleaning fixtures at all costs.
The protocol
Branon begins his video recording a squeegee tub you’d commonly find at a gas station. He then extracts the squeegee from the plastic bin and explains how to properly use it.
“Just in case you forgot,” he begins, “the way that you operate these, instead of taking this out and slinging it around on the ground.”
Next, he swishes the cleaning apparatus through the air. Following this, he places it near the brick column, demonstrating what not to do.
“All you gotta do is flip it over,” he says. Following this, he turns the squeegee upside down inside the bin. It then rests within a small groove inside the outer rim of the tub. Branon says this indentation serves a specific purpose.
“There’s a little notch right here. And a little ledge, and you just, use a lever action,” he says, pushing the squeegee toward the back of the notch. Branon then pushes down on the handle of the window cleaning tool. The sound of liquid dripping down from the sponge and falling into the reservoir of cleaning solution can be heard.
“Wring that out. And now you don’t have any drips,” he says.
Gas station squeegee hate
Although many fuel stops sport gas station squeegee buckets, numerous car owners advise against their use.
Windshield repair business Centennial Auto Glass clarifies that generally, the cleaning agent in these buckets is safe to use. In a website post dedicated to gas station squeegees, the company calls the solvent “fairly harmless.” Adding that it’s “likely an alcohol-based glass cleaner diluted with some plain water. Which is essentially the same type of glass cleaner you probably have at home.”
However, according to Centennial, the problem lies in the squeegee itself. Firstly, many of these sponges are often very dirty. This is because replacing the squeegee bucket solution isn’t a top priority for gas station attendants. This could mean that you’re more than likely getting a sponge soaked in tons of bird poop and detriment.
The company sums it up: “Given the number of times that squeegee gets used each day, that cleaning solution is likely more dirt than it is detergent.”
Furthermore, “dirt, sand, and other small particles” can cling to the squeegee sponge. This means when you’re dragging it across your car windows, you could be creating tiny microabrasions. So ultimately, you may be doing more harm than good.
More squeegee disdain
Additionally, folks in this 8th Civic forum advised against using gas station squeegees. One user on the site stated that they suffered from the aforementioned worst-case scenario. “I now have all kinds of little scratches in my windshield,” they wrote. “Happened within the last week. All I wanted was a clean windshield, now I’ve got scratches all over.”
This Toyota dealership also cautioned against using them. The business wrote that in a pinch they could be helpful. However, they ultimately cautioned against making gas station squeegee use regular practice. Moreover, the car sales group echoed concerns over dirty water and sediment messing up your car’s windows and paint. And this Nissan dealership’s website says more or less the same thing about squeegees.
@pipe.beard Your weekly #psa #windowwashing #squeegie #clean #tips #cleantok #howtotiktok ♬ Baptized and Buried – Will Harrison
Viewers weigh in
TikTok users who replied to Branon’s post also voiced their disapproval of gas station squeegees.
One person wrote, “Never been to a gas station where these were clean. All of them had filthy brown liquid instead of the cleaner.”
Someone else said every time they visit a gas station, the squeegee buckets are dry: “I’ve never even been to a gas station where these are filled. ALWAYS empty.”
Others said they prefer their own moisture extraction methods. One wrote, “I feel a lot more cool slinging it around.”
And several expressed that they liked slapping a wet sponge on their car’s glass. “If you’re wringing it out your aren’t cleaning it properly,” one said.
“Nah. I want to wet my windows when I clean them,” another penned.
But there was at least one person who seemed to appreciate Branon’s advice. “I just learned something new,” they said.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Branon via TikTok comment for further information.
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