The Viral Fast Food Hack That Uses Sauce Cups As A Makeshift Lid

For many fast food patrons, one of the best parts of picking up your order is getting the side sauces that go with it. Even if you love your favorite chain's underrated sauces, there's something nostalgic and classic about a simple side of ketchup. If you've ever dined inside places like In-N-Out or McDonald's, you've probably seen the self-serve ketchup dispenser and stacks of tiny white paper cups. It's easy to fill a few cups, take them to your table, and enjoy your meal. However, unopened sauce containers can lead to disaster if you're taking your food to-go or planning to eat in the car.

Thanks to a TikTok hack, the threat of spilling an open sauce container may no longer be an issue. A video posted to the platform shows how it's done: After ketchup is poured into one little paper cup, another cup is taken, flipped upside down, and smashed. The result looks like a miniature chef's hat — and works perfectly as a lid. As we saw with the McDonald's ketchup cup hack, some people have wondered if making a lid for these paper containers is worth the effort, especially when ketchup packets are readily available. Regardless, the video has already garnered over 1.2 million views and ignited quite the conversation.

While many people were shocked they had never thought to do this, several worried about the cleanliness factor. Since the cup is turned upside down onto the counters before being smashed into a lid, this may not be the best option if you're trying to avoid germs. According to the CDC, any surfaces frequently touched by customers — like a condiment counter — are more likely to contribute to the spread of germs. The TikTok creator claimed they wiped the counter down before showing how the hack was done, but viewers were still skeptical. 

@peruvianmami_x2

Don’t worry wiped it down so no germs 😅 #fyp #foryou #InNOut #Diy

♬ original sound – 💗 Margaret 💗

Several people suggested asking for a lid or asking for to-go ketchup packets. If you want to try this hack, another commenter suggested that it might be better to smash the cup into the palm of your hand. In that case, the only germs you potentially consume will be yours. Some people even suggested getting creative with the hack to make tiny chef hats for toys or pet frogs. No matter what you choose to do with paper condiment cups, there's certainly no shortage of fast food hacks to try, such as the viral McDonald's french fry hack. However, when it comes to getting dipping sauces, we know the lengths people will go to to ensure the perfect bite.