If there’s one thing that social media is good at, it’s starting weird viral trends.

Because seeing someone on your little handheld screen do something is perfect motivation to do it yourself, right?

It might sound like something from the playground, but actually adults are just as prone to this as kids.

Case in point: out of nowhere, this winter, people around the world are hanging their duvets outside in the freezing cold.

Why? Well, it hasn’t entirely come out of nowhere. As Reader’s Digest explains, the practice of hanging blankets or duvets outdoors in the cold is actually a long-held Scandinavian tradition.

The reason? It’s supposed to give them a good ol’ refresh, airing them out in the same way as you might air out your house.

And there is some truth in it. When it has hung outside awhile, a duvet is likely to at least feel a fair bit cleaner and fresher, just like your laundry does when it hangs outside too.

As an added bonus, it might also deter any pesky dust mites that are hanging around.

Given your duvet spends significant periods wrapped around your sleeping body, giving it a freshen up every once in a while is never a bad idea.

But don’t mistake it for actual cleaning: any bacteria likely isn’t going anywhere, and a good launder might actually be what your duvet really needs.

So sure, hang your duvet outside in the snow if you really want it to have a fresh blast and come in a little chilly.

But if hygiene is your concern, you might want to get it laundered first.

If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read a story that reveals Earth’s priciest precious metal isn’t gold or platinum and costs over $10,000 an ounce!