Don’t microwave these gel toys
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The online world can be a beautiful yet confusing series of tubes. On Thursdays, the Brew’s Molly Liebergall untangles them for you.
Not microwaving a chemical-filled squishy toy may sound obvious, but then again, so did “Don’t eat Tide Pods.” The latest dangerous internet trend is called the “NeeDoh challenge,” a nonsensical call to throw your NeeDoh—a popular gel-filled squishy toy—in the microwave to make it more pliable.
PSA: Do not do that. Heating the toys can cause them to explode, sending scalding goo everywhere—so this has happened after NeeDohs were left in hot cars, too. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has received about a half dozen reports of kids needing emergency treatment after their NeeDohs exploded. Hospitals have treated several children and teens who suffered second- or third-degree burns.
Damage control: NeeDoh added a warning to its packaging, and its parent company is working with social media companies to “remove influential content containing NeeDoh product misuse,” its president said.
