Stumbled on a stat about how many "duct cleaning" videos are just fake dust for views

Was scrolling through TikTok yesterday and saw yet another guy "cleaning" a vent with a giant brush. Got curious and googled it. Found out from a HVAC forum that around 60% of those viral duct cleaning clips are staged with fake debris. They throw in dirt or even construction dust before filming. Makes sense why mine never looked that dramatic. Has anyone else caught these videos and wondered if they're real?

3 comments

3 Comments

williamhenderson11h ago

Nah come on, they're just satisfying to watch. Who cares if it's fake?

torres.blair8h ago

Tbh I don't get why it even matters that much. People act like they're solving a crime by pointing out a fake before and after video. You click it, you watch some dude pull a dead raccoon out of a dryer vent, you move on with your life. Not like anyone's booking a pro cleaning service based on a 30 second clip. Life's short, find something real to get worked up about.

anthonynelson10h ago

Wait, 60%? That's way higher than I figured, like maybe a third tops. @williamhenderson I get the satisfying angle, but knowing someone threw a bag of dirt in there for clicks kind of ruins it for me. Saw one video where the guy had a helper dumping insulation chunks into the duct right before he "discovered" them, super obvious on the reflection in a window. Makes you wonder how many other "satisfying" cleaning videos are totally fake too. Just feels like a weird thing to lie about for views, you know?