So here's something you should probably never do:

And sure, maybe you knew not to do this, but the people who run this townhome complex in Abbotsford, British Columbia…

They had no idea!

Yes, these folks had the rooftops of all 140 units in their townhome complex covered in Tide powder detergent in order to discourage moss buildup.

And I bet, to them, this seemed like a GENIUS plan.

I mean, it was on Google. 🤷‍♂️

But when it rained a few days later their little DIY project was no more. The rain washed the detergent away, down from the rooftop and, eventually, into nearby Clayburn Creek.

And then—oh this is beautiful—then this:

Check out that creek!

Locals said the foam was "up to 8 feet high" in some places!

And I'm sorry, but does anyone else really want to just jump right in there?

Just for fun...

Anyways, this should be a great life lesson for all of us when it comes to random DIY "life hacks" from the internet.

JUST USE COMMON SENSE FOLKS!

I will give them one excuse here: pesticides are heavily regulated in Canada, so their moss-deterring options were limited.

But here's something else that is heavily regulated in Canada: waterways. Yes, this townhome complex is in BIIIIIIIIIIG trouble right about now.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) said in a statement that it "takes pollution incidents and threats to the environment very seriously."

The federal department says it has opened a file on the creek foam in Abbotsford and is responsible for enforcing provisions against pollution in the federal Fisheries Act, which prohibits the deposit of harmful substances into waters frequented by fish.

Anyhow, I'm off to go buy some powder detergent. I just thought of a really cool idea for my kid's birthday party next week. Wish me luck!