With each week bringing news of potentially harmful and dangerous TikTok trends, it’s easy to forget that the site has its share of clean, wholesome fun. One of our favorite TikTok trends this week? The “Wipe It Down” challenge, which people around the globe are using to show off their most outrageous fashions and cosplays.
Every “Wipe It Down” challenge follows a similar plot: a user films themselves nonchalantly wiping a mirror with disinfectant, often dressed in the standard stay-at-home outfit of sweats, P.J.s, or similar. One swipe of the cloth, however, gives the cleaner an unexpected surprise.
@misscambridge2020 Wipe it down 🧼 ##missamerica ##cambridgema ##wipeitdownchallenge ##mirrorchallenge ##transition ##missusa ##pageant ##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage
♬ Wipe It Down – BMW KENNY
For a moment, drab housework attire transforms into stunning regalia straight out of a Hollywood film, before another swipe of the cloth returns things to normal. User reactions range from speechless awe to sheer delight. Just yesterday, millionaire/dancer/colorful dresser JoJo Siwa did the challenge on the eve of her 17th birthday and switched up her hairstyle in the process. The internet nearly exploded.
Here it is.
@itsjojosiwa IT’S MY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW
♬ original sound – itsjojosiwa
“Wipe It Down” Origins
It’s hard to say for sure exactly where the idea originated, but the folks at Distractify point to a post by TikTok user Lauren Compton, who got the jump on the challenge last week. Compton went viral with a “Wipe It Down” post featuring a certain beloved comic book anti-heroine.
@iamlaurencompton Wait what? ##cosplay ##Harleyquinn ##harleyquinncosplay ##wipe ##morror ##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage
♬ Wipe It Down – BMW KENNY
Since then, users all over TikTok have been posting their own “Wipe It Down” videos, revealing everything from gorgeous formal wear to some seriously impressive cosplay. Currently, the hashtag #wipeitdown has nearly 743 million views, while the song “Wipe It Down” by BMW Kenny, a key feature to the videos, is attached to 78 thousand posts.
How to Do the “Wipe It Down” Challenge
So how are TikTokers pulling off this optical illusion? It’s as simple as getting your outfit together, filming from a consistent angle, and some creative editing. Add in the song by BMW Kenny, and you’re all set!
TikTok user McKenzi Brooke posted a helpful tutorial showing how she put together her “Wipe It Down” video.
@mckenzibrooke Posting the Results in 24 hours! It’s WILD!!! ##tutorial ##bts ##wipeitdown
♬ original sound – mckenzibrooke
It looks pretty easy, and the results speak for themselves!
@mckenzibrooke My mirror really be acting up😳😂 ##wipeitdown ##tutorial ##bts
♬ Wipe It Down – BMW KENNY
More celebrities are joining in on the fun. Will Smith faced a flash from the past in his “Wipe it Down” challenge video — his character Agent J from the Men in Black franchise. Agent J is seen holding the film’s patented neuralyzer, which wipes the memories of any human who’s seen too much of extraterrestrial life. Smith jokes that he doesn’t remember making the TikTok after being faced with the neuralyzer.
@willsmith I don’t remember making this…? @chrisashley
♬ Wipe It Down – BMW KENNY
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