The Genius TikTok Hack Is The Perfect Way To Get Around TSA Liquid Rules

Name one organization that is a stickler for rules more than the TSA. Spoiler alert: You can't. Fine, you probably can, but it's hard not to put the TSA on top when they can't so much as allow passengers to bring peanut butter on board. As we all know by now, liquids, aerosols, gels, creams, and pastes must be placed in no bigger than 3.4-ounce or 100-milliliter containers, and said containers must be inside a separate, compact bag for easier screening.

In March 2023, one passenger took to Twitter to express frustration over their jar of peanut butter getting confiscated by an agent, causing an online ruckus and for TSA to issue a PSA regarding their rule. They took to Instagram to remind everyone that "a liquid has no definite shape and takes a shape dictated by its container." Considering how peanut butter most definitely fits these criteria, it is, therefore, a liquid. "You may not be nuts about it, but TSA considers your PB a liquid. In carry-on, it needs to be 3.4oz or less," they reiterated in the caption.

It is definitely frustrating to have your creamy peanut butter, or any liquid, for that matter, get confiscated at a TSA checkpoint, but as it turns out, there's one genius way to outsmart the rule. All you have to do is freeze your liquids — in which case, it becomes a "solid."

"As we frequently seek to remind travelers: If you can spill it, spray it, spread it, pump it or pour it, then it's subject to the 3.4-ounce limitation," TSA spokesman R. Carter Langston pointed out to The New York Times after the great peanut butter debacle. But what if said liquid is something that can "read as solids through TSA"? That's the trick TikTok user @cocotakes noted in a viral video.

She said that she frequently brings liquids over the limit, adding that the only way she gets away with it is by freezing them. Apparently, it's TSA-approved, too. "A TSA agent told me this maybe 10 years ago, and I've never forgotten it," she dished. "I do it all the time." She's not lying, though. The TSA website states that frozen items are allowed as long as they remain in their solid state during the inspection. The kicker? If they notice even the slightest melting, you may be asked to throw the item away.

A couple of commenters corroborated her claim, including someone who had worked in an airport in the past. "Verified. I worked at an airport for a year and for packed lunches with soup or sauces we were told to do this hack," they wrote. A Reddit user also confirmed this "hack," saying: "I got through security with frozen soup once. It was in a plastic container and I had taped the lid shut. They didn't even bother me about it."

It's worth noting that TSA agents can also be wishy-washy about their rules, so the frozen liquid hack may not work all the time. In that case, you're better off finding alternatives, like bringing the solid counterpart of the items you want on board. Want some cream cheese? There are lots of cheese blocks available at your disposal. Want to munch on peanut butter while you're thousands of feet up in the air? Peanut butter bars are yours for the taking.

Meanwhile, for packing your must-have toiletries, there's a multitude of options you can try. Solid soaps, shampoos, and deodorants exist, as do solid lotions, perfumes, and even solid moisturizers and serums. There are even insect-repellent towelettes that you can bring in lieu of the aerosol options. Toothpaste now also comes in powder and tablet form. Instead of taking your usual toiletries and hygiene products with you, you may want to look into solid toiletries to bypass TSA rules. The best part of doing this? You won't have to pay hefty baggage fees.