Influencer Heather Barnes has caused quite the stir after revealing that she cleans carrots in her washing machine.

The social media star, who posts under the username Our Barnes Yard, has amassed a loyal fan base of 300,000 on Instagram alone thanks to her lifestyle content.

Barnes, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, in Canada, regularly posts DIY and home decor content.

But it was her most recent 'food hack' that left followers perplexed. 

In her latest video upload, Barnes described her own actions as 'kinda unhinged' but urged fans to trust her nonetheless.

'I always wash my carrots from the garden in my washing machine... I've done this for years,' she began.

Barnes tipped a plastic container full of soil-covered carrots into the drum before shutting the door and setting it to run on a delicate wash with cold water and no spin.

'Then I just let them tumble around,' the content creator added.

She then filmed the carrots midway through the cycle before returning again when it was complete.

'Boom,' she said as she clutched a handful of wet, clean vegetables.

Barnes then removed the crop and spread them out on the kitchen table – adding a note to run the washing machine empty to give it a rinse before using it for clothes again.

She finished the clip by packing the bumper crop away for storage before adding a caption that read: 'For legal purposes: use your washing machine for its intended purposes only; I take no responsibility if this goes sideways for you lol.

'This is just what I do with my free will! No scrubbing my carrots all winter long.'

But the video sparked outrage in the comments.

One wrote: 'What the actual f***? Are we being for real? Girl, you do you but... Okkuurrrr.'

Another simply urged: 'Stop it right now!'

'You can't convince me those carrots won't taste like Tide Pods,' a third joked.

In the aftermath, Barnes took to her Instagram Story to discuss the topic once again.

'The people of the internet are very troubled with the carrot video. I'm very sorry about that,' Barnes explained.

'People are saying that it is rage bait. This is just my life. This is how I live normally. I do not rage bait people on purpose.

'However, if you are raging or baited right now. It's time to take a couple of deep breaths.'

Experts strongly advise against cleaning produce in a washing machine due to the risk of toxic chemicals and hidden bacteria.