A simple science experiment by a 12-year-old has turned into a viral sensation, after her mum posted the results on Instagram via littleonesclosettoronto — earning over 7.5 million views and sparking a wave of praise for the everyday hack.

While her mum was making tea, the young inventor grabbed a handful of overstretched hair ties, poured boiling water into a Canadian mug, and dropped them in — hoping to shrink them back to size. “I didn’t believe it would work,” her mum wrote, “but it did! She saved 16 hair ties that night.”

My 12 year old daughter thought that putting her outstretched hair ties in boiled water would shrink them and bring them back to life. I was making a cup of tea and she randomly brought over a bunch of outstretched hair ties and poured herself a cup of boiled water in out Canadian mug and said she wanted to do a science experiment. I didn't believe it would work but it did! She saved 16 hair ties that night.