Barbara Costello captivated the globe when she became an internet phenomenon during the pandemic, and now Babs — as she’s affectionately called online — is getting people talking again.
On September 27, the 73-year-old Connecticut grandmother uploaded a video about the importance of car cleaning…
“Did your mother ever tell you that the average person spends 8.5 hours each week driving? That’s 18 days out of the year!”
Costello narrated a video in which she offers quick and easy auto cleaning advice, such as removing items from the car each night and using vinegar to counteract odors…
People were talking about Costello’s tip for utilizing “Babs’ Magical Car Gummy Cleaner.”
“Clean the hard-to-reach nooks and crannies in your car or on your devices with this. It detects ugliness you were unaware existed “Costello penned a letter.
Costello is seen in the video making the gummy-like substance, which is made of glue, baking soda, and saline solution, in her car’s cupholder.
Costello stated in the description, “Ingredients: 1 cup white glue (like Elmer’s); 2 tsp baking soda; 2 tbsp contact lens solution.”
She went on, “Pour all ingredients into the cup holder of your car. Combine until entirely mixed. Allow the mixture to settle in the cupholder for 5-10 minutes.
Then knead the Gummy Cleaner a little and start cleaning!”
The post rapidly accumulated over 56,000 likes and nearly 900 comments.
Followers were quick to comment on attempting the gummy recipe and tagging others who could benefit from some auto cleaning suggestions.
“I got the recipe from my days as a preschool teacher,” Costello explained.
“We used to manufacture comical slime, but we recognized that slime might serve more than one purpose in terms of entertaining children. It’s an excellent cleaner for hard-to-reach areas.”
Some commenters wondered if the gummy substance could, in fact, be combined in the cupholder. Yes, says Costello.
“You have to stir it for a little time, and it will set and thicken,” Costello said of the combination. “It does not adhere to anything. It leaves no residue. It simply adheres all dirt, grime, and dust. It simply sucks up the dirt.”
Other commenters wanted to know if the combination could be reused. According to Costello, the mixture makes “a lot” and can be divided for different uses.
It’s a good idea to know ahead of time that the “gummy cleanser” will expand if left in the car. But don’t worry: “It rolls straight back up,” remarked Costello.
Costello created “Brunch With Babs” in 2020 with her daughter, Liz Ariola, and began by filming TikTok videos.
She immediately built a fan base and today has over 3 million followers across social media platforms.
In 2022, she released “Celebrate With Babs,” a cookbook that debuted on the USA TODAY Best-Selling Books list within the first week.
“Everything has been very unexpected,” Costello told. “You just can’t plan everything. We’re having a good time, sharing stuff, and treating our followers like family.”
“It’s been so much fun being behind the camera (and) has been a really great journey with my mom,” Ariola added.