Doesn't it always seem like grandmas have the best life hacks? They might hit you with a "back in my day," and before you know it, you are learning a valuable lesson that could change the way you do just about everything.
TikToker Barbara Costello, who uses the handle @BrunchwithBabs, took the world by storm during lockdown when she shared lots of delicious meal ideas for us to try. And now she's back with some advice on keeping our cars clean, and #cleantok followers are absolutely obsessed. Your kids might even want to help clean the car this time around!
Babs' boot camp is no joke.
Babs starts the viral video with a blow of her whistle, which lets viewers know that she means business. She tells us that the first thing we need to do to keep our cars clean is to make sure that everything comes out of the vehicle at the end of the night.
"Absolutely everything out of the car. Nothing remains in the car," she instructs. OK, OK, easy enough. But Babs doesn't stop there. She doesn't want your car decluttered, she wants that sucker clean.
Her gummy cleaner is a game changer.
This gummy cleaner is a gunk collector, and it's three simple ingredients that you probably have at home. Grab 1 cup of Elmer's Glue, 2 teaspoons of baking soda, and 2 tablespoons of contact solution. You stir and let it sit for five to 10 minutes.
Recipe sound familiar? If you have little kids, you've probably helped them make slime the exact same way. Bet you didn't know it could be used to help you clean hard-to-reach places.
Babs quickly gets to work.
After her magic mixture is ready, Babs dabs the gummy cleaner all over the car in hard-to-clean places like cupholders and air vents. She pulls out dust and debris in seconds. She bets you'll have a clean car in no time. The she offers another great tip about stinky smells in the car.
If you're a parent, those mystery smells have likely popped up, and they can be pretty gross. Babs recommends placing a cup of vinegar in the car overnight, and says the smell will disappear. Finally, Babs wants you to be ready for an emergency, so grab a tote and pack some essentials like an umbrella, blanket, and first-aid kit — just in case.
Babs' followers love her.
This savvy granny is beloved. She has 1.3 million followers on Instagram and over 2 million on TikTok. People flock to her pages for tips and the entertainment. Her car cleaning video has almost 60,000 likes and hundred of comments on IG.
"Did your Mother ever tell you that the average person spends 8.5 hours each week in the car!? That's 18 days a year! The tidiness of your home, office and CAR impacts your stress level, your performance and even your happiness. That's right. A clean car can affect the way you think."
Her boot camp series has several videos, with the latest installment intended to help you clean your washing machine.
Babs started her social media career during lockdown and hasn't looked back.
According to Today Parents, "Brunch With Babs" is a joint effort with her daughter, Liz Ariola. The team started making TikTok videos in 2020. The brand has since amassed 3 million followers across social platforms and helped Babs launch a cookbook earlier in 2022. Celebrate With Babs reached USA Today's Best-Selling Books list within its first week.
"Everything has been a total surprise to me," Babs told Today. "Sometimes you just can't plan things. We're having fun, we're sharing things and we feel like our followers are family."
