Shower Onions Are TikTok’s Latest Trend — And It’s Not as Absurd as It Sounds

There’s actually a valid reason to keep these veggies in the bathroom.

March 09, 2021

Photo by: @karalynndunton/TikTok

@karalynndunton/TikTok

Another day, another TikTok trend involving food. While some of the crazes that have emerged from the social media platform are useful and delicious (we’re looking at you, baked feta pasta) others, like a nacho table, don’t really seem to have much of a purpose.

The latest food-centric trend with TikTok involves something called “shower onions,” and while that might sound like a nonsensical prank, it turns out there actually is a logical and practical reason why some people opt to keep onions in their shower or bathroom.

The shower onion trend on TikTok seemingly started gaining traction in February, when a user named @karalynndunton posted a video of herself inspecting the bathroom of a guy she met on Tinder. While the bathroom was home to standard items like shampoo, dental flosss and toilet paper, Karalynn’s clip also included a peek at a bowl of “shower onions” resting on the toilet tank.

“Look at his shower onions,” the video nonchalantly declared, as if everyone just keeps an array of onions in the bathroom at all times. “He even has shallots.”

@karalynndunton

Uh oh I hope I don’t fall 😳 #toolate #checkhisbathroom #loveatfirstsight #cleaningtiktok #showeronion

♬ Steven Universe - L.Dre

While Karalynn was seemingly unfazed by her acquaintance’s choice of bathroom decor, and even included a brief look at herself jokingly chowing down on an onion in the bathroom, it didn’t take long before other TikTok users began to pose a bevy of shower onion-related questions in the comments, leading to more views and causing the video to go viral.

“I’m sorry but …. bAtHrOoM oNiOns?!?!?!” one TikTok user wrote.

Another wondered: “What the fawk are bathroom onions????”

Though Karalynn later told BuzzFeed she planted the “shower onions” in the bathroom as part of a joke, it turns out that placing onions in the bathroom is a totally normal thing that some people do.

According to many other users who were already familiar with the concept of shower onions, keeping these veggies in your bathroom actually helps to neutralize any unwanted odors. That’s because onions act as a natural deodorizer, meaning they can basically absorb smells, unpleasant and otherwise. This can be especially useful if you’ve got a bathroom without a window or air vent.

“What I didn't know at the time is that cut onions can be used as a natural deodorizer, which was a weird coincidence,” Karalynn explained to the outlet. “I didn't expect the video to go viral, and I couldn't have imagined that 'shower onions' would be trending on Google because of that.”

What on Earth will TikTok think up next?!

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