The Restaurant Hot Water Hack TikTok Didn't Understand

What do you usually get to drink when you go out to eat? Maybe you order a glass of beer or some wine if it's a Friday night, or perhaps you keep it casual and get Coke, a Pepsi, a fancy lemonade, or just plain old ice water. But there's a very good chance you've never considered getting a glass of hot water alongside your appetizers. Some people may do just that, but not for the reason you might expect.

Clearly, cleanliness and food safety are top priorities at any restaurant you go to, be it casual dining or high-class. But a study shared conducted by Ohio State University showed that certain virus-causing bacteria, such as a type of bacteria that can cause norovirus, remains on your silverware no matter how thoroughly it's washed and dried (via Women's Health). However, Bustle reports that our bodies adapt to these bacteria and we're usually no worse for wear after eating out. Other diners may be a bit more cautious of those utensils and will ask for an unconventional menu item to help clean them, as shown by one TikTok user.

A TikTok user posted a video of their shrimp and pasta dinner at a restaurant, alongside a steaming hot glass of water. According to the post, the purpose of the hot water is to disinfect their silverware and they were curious to know if anyone else did it. Not only did some commenters reveal that they did the same thing, but former servers admitted that they understood the reason behind it. If you're worried about how dirty restaurant silverware really is, the video's hack might be for you.

"I was a server at red lobster, why did everyone do this," wrote one commenter. "We'll be rolling silverware bare hands i don't blame you." One viewer said that they always do this before giving their reasons as to why. "1 restaurants don't clean very well, 2 other people had their mouths on the same silverware, 3 it's coviddd." Another viewer responded, "Put the silverware in it; my dads fiancé does that." Some, however, saw ordering the hot water in the first place as unnecessary. Boiling water, not hot water, is needed to fully disinfect and sanitize silverware.

"Hot water like that is probably making more germs." one viewer wrote. "It's not the right temperature." Others even said that they wouldn't even order hot water from a restaurant, as there may not be a water filter to keep the water clean.