A woman dents her vehicle and decides to try a DIY fix before taking it to an auto repair shop. She says she has seen online that using a plunger and boiling water can fix a dent. Considering these are common household items and the process appears straightforward, she gives this repair a go. Well, turns out, it’s a bit more complicated. Jenna Musselman (@jennamusselman) reveals how she tried using the plunger and boiling water, and it didn’t exactly go the way she saw online. The TikTok went viral with over 19.1 million views as of this writing. In the TikTok, Jenna pours the boiling hot water onto the spot where the dent is. She cautiously pours an entire pot of steaming hot water from a distance onto the dent. After pouring the hot water into the pot, she quickly grabs the plunger. The small plunger is placed onto the dent. It struggles to gain enough traction and suction to truly lift up the dent. "Whoever told me to use a plunger and boiling water to get the dent out of my car. YALL LIED," the onscreen text reads. After a few goes, Musselman is defeated and doubts whether this DIY dent removal hack is legit. "Me and my ‘Dollar Tree’ plunger," the caption reads. Turns out, the "Dollar Tree" plunger wasn’t the right tool for the job. Hot Water And Plunger DIY Dent Fix: Why Didn’t It Work? Viewers of the viral video didn’t hold back in the comments section, first calling out that it’s not supposed to be a cheap plunger. "It was working, but you need to have a plunger that didn’t come from the dollar tree," one TikTok commenter shared. "Girl a dent puller. not a toilet plunger," another added. "You can get dent pullers on Amazon too in a bigger size," a third commented. In a follow-up TikTok, Musselman reveals how she bought a car dent removal kit from Amazon. She mentions she’ll post an update when the package gets delivered, which has not yet occurred. Meanwhile, other viewers chimed in, mentioning that the DIY hack was starting to work. "You almost had it actually," one said. "It was working. The dent is just too big and you have a small plunger. You need either a dent puller or a bigger plunger," a second added. Musselman addressed these comments by mouthing a trending audio that says, "Shut up, Mom. Silence from you. You’re cut off from talking." How Do You DIY Fix A Dent? Being a car owner, you may have to deal with a car dent. Whether this is caused by another driver in a parking lot or by extreme heat, this type of repair can be common. However, taking your car to a mechanic can be expensive, which has led to DIY repairs gaining popularity. Using boiling water and a plunger has become a popular DIY method for fixing a dent in your vehicle. The success rate can vary depending on the size and scale of the dent. The TikTok car hack is widely debated over whether it’s effective. For small, minor dents on the door panels and fenders, there’s a good chance hot water will do the trick. According to Caliber, the right amount of pressure needs to be applied to pop the dent out. This is where the plunger comes into play, popping the dent out of the exterior after pouring hot water onto the vehicle. Now, if you don’t have a plunger, hot water and a bowl of ice water can be used to repair a dent. Instead of reaching for the plunger, a bowl of ice water can be poured onto the dent, making the dent pop out. This method is considered an example of thermal expansion . Another thing to consider when doing the hot water trick is pushing the dent out from inside the bumper. The plunger may not be enough from the outside, and people have found success doing it from underneath the bumper. In addition to the boiling hot water method, Caliber gives the following methods for DIY car dent removal: Use A Blow Dryer To Heat Up The Car Panel: Instead of dealing with boiling hot water, a blow dryer can be used to heat up the area. Once heated up, the metal can be pushed back into place. One thing to note is that hot metal can be brutal to touch with bare skin. Use A Suction Cup To Pull Out The Car Dent: This method refers to using the plunger or suction cup if you don’t have access behind the dent. Use Dry Ice On The Dent To Pop It Out: Using dry ice can shock the metal and have it pop back into place. This is done by heating up the area, then quickly applying cold conditions to the area. Use Tools To Manipulate The Metal: Tools such as rubber mallets can be used to pop out the dent. However, it’s best to be careful doing this, as this can potentially cause more damage. Use A Car Dent Puller Tool: You can buy the tools that the professionals use and give it a go yourself. This tool can be used while massaging the dent out of the panel. What Are The Dangers Of Using Hot Water To Remove A Dent? One thing to consider is that doing this may damage the clear coat of the paint job. Adding boiling hot water to your car can potentially damage the paint job. An expert mechanic with Ratchets and Wrenches explains why boiling water can damage the clear coat on your car when doing this in winter conditions. "The clear coat absorbs most of the temperature coming from the boiling water, and it expands quickly, and since it’s cold outside, it contracts quickly. That expansion and contraction is going to damage or weaken the clear coat," per Ratches and Wrenches. The expert mechanic suggests using cold water instead of hot water when trying the DIY TikTok hack to protect the clear coat. Additionally, Caliber reports that people may be hurt, cause more dents, damage the paint, or make the dent worse. Motor1 has contacted Musselman via Instagram and TikTok direct messages. We will update this story if she responds. We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motor1.com? Take our 3 minute survey. - The Motor1.com Team