That viral “trick” is not a good idea. The plastic bottle is presumably being used to create extra agitation or movement among the clothes, but it isn’t a proven way to improve washing performance.

In fact, putting a loose plastic bottle in a washing machine can cause problems:

• It can get trapped between clothes and the drum.
• It may crack or break, leaving plastic pieces behind.
• A rigid bottle can create unnecessary noise and impact during the spin cycle.
• It doesn’t replace proper detergent, water circulation, or the machine’s normal agitation.

If you’re trying to get clothes cleaner, a better approach is to avoid overloading the drum, use the correct detergent amount, and select the appropriate wash cycle.

So the caption is catchy—but “high IQ” is definitely an exaggeration.