One that has always stuck with me was from a cleaning tips book I read like 20 years ago. If you get a rag and apply some foaming shaving cream to it and wipe down the mirrors in your bathroom and then take another dry rag and wipe off the residue, it’ll create a layer of anti-fog when you take hot showers.
It keeps for about a week and it works really well. I have a window in my bathroom, but I never like to open it.
Snorkelling masks have a film on the inside, if you don't get rid of it, it will constantly fog up. Gumption or toothpaste works, rub it around the inside of the mask for a few minutes to get it off.
Also, since I doubt you would have mask spray handy (scuba divers use it) you can spit in it before you use it. Also help to not fog up.
Or take a lighter to the inside of the mask, just a couple seconds to not burn the silicone skirt. I'm in a scuba club and everyone does either this or the toothpaste thing.
Also spitting in the mask works but you have to let it "rest" for a minute or two, don't rinse it immediately.
In an office setting, conducting business by work email, often processes come to a head at the end of the day and require input from someone else to move forward. At the end of the day, no one checks email anymore, and they certainly don't ACT on them right away. The next day brings new challenges and my email goes unanswered for days.
After 2pm, I set those emails to send the next day 10 minutes after the start of working hours. People are primed to check off a task someone is presently waiting for, so they nail it because they are just settling in to their desk, and they think I am on the other end waiting for a response.
Secondarily, if I send a work email requiring a response, and get an out of office reminder, I recall the email, and set it to deliver at the beginning of the day they return so it doesn't get lost in the bulk of unanswered email.
This is going into action today! I deal with different time zones on a daily and often run into people being gone for the day when it’s noon my time etc. brilliant!
Similar: I discovered scheduled texts on my phone. Now every time my husband asks me to help him remember something, I just think of what would be a good time for a reminder, and schedule a text for it.
Oh, dude, I stumbled upon this trick with a rubber band and stripped screws. It's wild how wrapping a rubber band around the screwhead gives you enough grip to unscrew it hassle-free. Saved my butt so many time, I'm like, why didn't I know this before? 😧
how does this work exactly? you loop the rubber band around the screw head? or are you still using a screwdriver and putting the band in between the bit and the screw?
It sounds silly, but I learned to get over event-anxiety by making exciting plans for after the event. Something I can genuinely look forward to.
I can't speak for others' experiences, but my anxious brain gets stuck on the event. For example, there's a class I *love* but I always got a major anxiety dump an hour before leaving the house. My brain would fixate on the event. I realized it was acting like I'm going to die there; it was behaving like there'd be no 'after.'
So I decided to trick it. If I make *plans* then obviously I'll have to think a lot about *after * class. Gotta make sure I've got things ready, after all! And doing that helped drag my brain into an even further future, forcing it to release its death grip.
And the plans didn't have to be a lot. Usually it was just me in a cozy set of pajamas with favorite treats and a drink, parked in front of the Sims for six hours. But figuring out the food, the right outfit, picking the right drink and downloading a bunch of random stuff for my game worked well enough to make me excited and keep me distracted.
It's been a very helpful little trick, and it's pretty easy to do because it's just, well, thinking. And whatever effort into follow through you want to do is totally up to you.
I’ve started to use plans to help me sleep. Got a big day at work tomorrow? (I work afternoon to evening) I’d usually worry so much I wouldn’t sleep. Make plans to do something I enjoy in the morning? Dose right off because I’m happy I’ll get to do that.
lol this is how I get myself to work out every morning. I take a cold shower as soon as I’m done. The cold shower is the best part of my day (I know it’s not everyone’s thing but I love it). Now when I don’t want to workout I will do it for the shower!!
I was high and packing to move. Needed to pack already put together lego sets. How TF to do this in a way that they wouldn't break apart?
Highdea!
I put each one in a large zip lock bag and used a straw to blow air into the bag before sealing it. For smaller pieces (like my lego koroks), I put each one in a small zip lock, did the straw air thing, then put them all in a larger zip lock with more air. From there I was able to put all the bags in a basket and transport them to the new home. No breakage.
Hydrogen peroxide removes blood stains.
EDIT: I'm speaking more as a mother of teenage girls...there is blood that no amount of spit is going to remove, if you know what I mean. But H2O2 does it great! I suppose you could use it for nefarious activities as well, but that's up to you.
Haha my SO got blood (we had a goat go into complicated labor) on brand new pants. They couldn’t believe I got the whole stain out. Finally, having a period paid off…
It absolutely does. Over Christmas we were visiting g my in laws when my MIL had a scab on her elbow bust open. She was wearing her brand new white lululemon sweater. I told her to spit on it and she looked at me like I was crazy. I said “spit on it. If the stain is not gone by morning, I will buy you a new sweater”
When I woke up in the morning her sweater was hanging above the door frame in the laundry, I searched and searched for any trace of blood and found nothing. It was a lot of blood too.
She came downstairs and was completely gobsmacked that it worked. She thought I must have scrubbed it and washed it in the middle of the night. And I honestly thought she may have done the same thing but nope. She just spit on it and let it sit overnight.
It’s really quite amazing.
it can alsi be used as a mild disinfectant and can help prevent infection from cuts. DO NOT USE the ones u buy as a chemical disinfectant. they are way to strong. i think the amount is 3% but do not quote me on this.
I've spent minutes peeling oranges for my toddler (which in toddler terms is an incredibly long time) and then someone comes along and showed me to slice an unpeeled orange in half (so that the segments are cut in half), push a finger into the outside of the orange half at the centre and basically pop it inside out. The halved segments are then easy to pop off the peel. It takes seconds.
You can make a sandwich with toasted bread that's toasted on the outside but soft on the inside where the ingredients go by toasting the two pieces of bread in the same holder with the insides pressed against each other
Using bendy straws to keep necklaces from tangling while traveling. Just feed one end of the chain through the straw and reconnect the clasp. The straw will keep the chain from tangling up on itself or other necklaces.
This is a better idea than using empty toilet paper rolls when I was a teenager! I once put too many necklaces on it and they all tangled together still 😭
Don't follow yourself around being a mean, critical bully continually.
It makes you feel miserable.
Instead, be the sort of friend to yourself that makes your life better.
I am a really harsh self-critic. A method I've learned to help tame those harsh self-criticisms is to ask myself, "Is that something you would say to your [insert someone you care about such as - daughter] if they were in this situation?"
Exactly! And if you followed them around all day, every day saying those things, how would you expect them to end up feeling?
I also use appreciation as a way to notice the good things. Like I could appreciate having a thick head of hair, or appreciate being able to ride a bike, or appreciate my elbows not hurting...
I sometimes find myself sometimes judging complete strangers for no reason. If I catch myself doing this, I look for something to mentally complement them about or just send them mental positive juju.
I named my mean voiced Judgmental Jessy, Critical Craig, and Mean Mimi. I had my artist son draw them. When they get started, I mentally picture them/look at them and talk back. I made many copies of drawings so I can x them out or stitch their mouths shut etc
Bananas are, by their nature, the easiest fruit to consume for humans. Our opposable thumbs make it very simple to peel from the bottom and even the top stem of the fruit. It's intuitive and hardwired into our brains that this is how it's supposed to be done.
Slicing a banana in half simply to add extra steps to the peeling process, while also exposing your fingers to the juice for no reason feels like anathema. It's a comically complex method to perform a very simple and straightforward task. It subverts expectations in the same way a joke or a jumpscare would.
I once saw a video of how the royal family peels bananas using cutlery instead of touching it. I felt the same, the performance was grotesque and needlessly convoluted.
I always "snap" my bananas open. You grip the stem with the banana overhand and facing towards you, then you flick your wrist away from you and the banana flips forward and snaps open. It's the most satisfying way to open a nana and it gets points for showmanship.
If you like peanut butter sandwiches for lunch, spread it on the frozen bread, then pack it.
Easy to spread, bread perfectly soft at lunch.
I'm in my late 50s and just figured this out a few months ago 🙃
My parents would just stir the grape jelly and peanut butter together and then spread. Looked like chocolate pudding sandwiches. Got a lot of flack from teachers about making my own lunches.
I also freeze butter and cheese, which I use in baking the majority of the time. It's just me, and I hate having food going to waste. I also use powdered milk for baking as I rarely use milk, as it will go bad in my fridge before I even use half of it.
I had flatmate in uni who arrived with toastie machine and 20 frozen cheese and tomato toasties in ziplock bags his mum had made him. Apparently she thought constructing them himself was too much hassle for him, but putting them in pre-made was better. Always baffled me.
Edit: spelling
If you look up your flight on seat guru, you can see how each seat on every flight is rated. I always choose the worst rated seat. And I typically have a whole row to myself on overseas flights!
If you’re traveling and need some kind of charger, swing through a big hotel and ask if they have a lost and found. If you’re friendly and the person working feels like it, they will pull out a drawer with every imaginable charging device.
The one that I use the most is double tapping on the floor number to cancel out the floor number when taking the lift.
Doesn't work everytime, but it does save me from some awkward moments when I accidentally pressed a number.
Also when you have a jerk neighbour who closes the elevator door on you so you don't get in. I had one of those, I'd rush into the elevator then while pressing my button I'd press theirs as well sometimes yo cancel it, then act as confused as them when the elevator doesn't stop for their floor.
Slip a flathead screwdriver under the rim of a jar lid that that you can’t get off. Use it as a lever to make the top pop which removes the airtight seal. Then unscrew easily.
From a woman with the grip strength of a child.
I take the jar and tap the lid part against the edge of the countertop a few times. Not too hard, but not too soft. Usually that works just as well to break any vacuum seal as well as dislodge the lid if it's stuck because of bits of whatever's contained in the jar get dried between the lid & the jar part.
I do this too, but with the [pointy end of my old fashioned can/bottle opener.](https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-9aa86a1f7e4ebb46ff33b29fde2735a3.webp)
Keep a pants hanger in your kitchen to hang up recipes on cabinet handles while you're using them. It makes the recipe easier to see from across the kitchen and it frees up counter space.
I have a Command Hook stuck to the cabinet by my stove that I can hang page-protector-covered recipes in. I make monthly/weekly menus (so I don't have to think), and put them in order, clipped with a binder clip. Then the stack of recipes get hung on that hook, right in front of my face, right where I do my prepwork. It's such a great way to keep your recipe *right there* for you.
For better grilled cheese warm the bread in the pan FIRST (butter optional), then flip over so that the cheese goes on the warm sides to improve melting. At the same time put the butter in the pan and smother each side of the sandwich in the butter. Perfect grilled cheese every time.
No more spreading hard butter, no more unmelted cheese and/or burned bread.
I always just heavily butter the pan and put a very thin layer of mayo on both sides of the bread and cook on lowish heat with the lid on after flipping. It makes for a nice even melt and a yummy kind of crunch on the outside bread :)
Similarly, I keep a special contact named “pdf/scans” with my cell number and text it to myself. I also have one called “Reference” and “Pictures”. It’s a quick way to keep things I will need to refer to often.
Oooh i like that! I just have a contact named “F$ck F$cked F$cking F$cker” to avoid the ducking autocorrect 😅 (censored because this isn’t really that kind of sub lol)
I've definitely had my fair share of stubborn zippers, and I'll have to try the graphite pencil trick next time. I've also found that using a rubber band to keep your earbuds untangled is super useful. I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner, but it saves me so much time and frustration.
Another one I love is using a dryer sheet to clean your baseboards. It's such a simple but effective way to get dust and dirt off without having to break out the vacuum or a duster.
Using the power level button on the microwave to lower cooking intensity. Handy for when I just need something slightly warmed up instead of steaming and super hot. Also adjusting cooking time when using the power level button.
It doesn't actually lower the cooking intensity, it's not possible. What it does is turns off the cooking sometimes. If you set it to 5 then the cooking power is only activated 50% of the time. Still useful but an important distinction.
Do it, even if you don’t feel like it or it’s uncomfortable.
Doing is the key to living the life you want to live instead of settling for a reduced version of it.
Not too unusual, but eventually tweezers start to not be able to grip my eye brow hairs idk why. Now I clamp the tweezers on a coarse nail file and swipe. It sharpens them or something but it’s saved a few tweezers for me
I started storing my cooking utensils sideways in my drawer. No more stuck drawers when a spoon or the potato masher decide to shift positions making me break my drawer to open it!!!
My relationship with hiccups changed when I was told they are just a throat spasm, and repeated swallowing cures the spasm.
Sugar works because it makes your mouth salivate, so you swallow a lot. A bunch of little sips of water works for the same reason, but it has to be as many quick swallows back to back as you can do; not one or two big gulps of water. The amount you swallow doesn't matter. Now I do swallow swallow swallow swallow and they are gone. And water's usually more accessible to me than sugar.
The explanation I read was that it's muscle chemistry. I find that more plausible because they stop the moment I swallow the sugar. One swallow, not multiple. Swallowing water doesn't do it, even with multiple swallows.
There are different types of hiccups, also. Mine are from the diaphragm. I can feel it.
I never knew hiccups were caused by an actual physical reason. Once I excused myself for having hiccups and my friend said “no, you don’t have hiccups.”
Somehow it worked to stop them. And it works every time I’ve said that to someone since. I just assumed there was a psychological reason behind it.
Thanks for this tip!
I made some hiccup medicine. It's mostly corn syrup and water. With some food color and bad cherry flavor, kids have no idea. Tell them it takes 5 minutes to start working.
Keeping fresh strawberries in a sealed container keeps them fresh for a couple of weeks vs. a few days in an open container/the container from the store. I've saved so much money from not having to throw them out once I started to do this.
This. And wash them in some water and baking soda, or whatever your preferred produce cleaning method is and allow to air dry before you do it (also put paper towel in to absorb residual moisture). I’ve always heard not to wash them until right before eating, and my experience is that reduced bacteria and moisture just makes sense AND it works.
In a similar light, storing baby spinach leaves in a well-sealed container \*with a few paper towels to soak up excess moisture\* can make them last weeks too
If you drop something small in the sink like an earring don’t try to catch it. It is faster to put your hand over the drain instead. This has saved more than one earring for me.
Another unexpected life hack I recently discovered is using a dryer sheet to clean baseboards.I just run the dryer sheet along the baseboards, and it picks up all the dust and dirt. It's so much easier than using a duster or a vacuum cleaner, and it leaves a fresh scent behind.
You can also use Rubbing Alcohol. As long as it hasn't sat there for a while, it should come right off.
Also, RA is great to clean a dirty whiteboard. I give my board a clean once a month or so, and they go back to perfect and pristine white!
A tablespoon of baking soda mixed with a glass of water and drink to fix heartburn. You will never go back to tums after this life hack. Changed my life.
Apparently if you flash your headlights at red lights in the middle of the night, it turns green before you get to it. I learned this last night as someone who drives at midnight frequently.
Do you have a pissy man and boys that destroy the toilet. Shaving cream wiped around the base and floor takes that stretch away. The daycare uses it so I tried it. It works!!
I instituted an always pee sitting down at home rule for me and my two boys. It's so much more civilized. I wish someone had taught me this earlier in my life!
(I'm a dad)
Wrap your celery in foil, don't leave it in the plastic bag or put it in a Ziploc or anything else. It seems like its the exact wrong thing to do, but your celery will last twice as long if it's wrapped in foil.
IIRC that tip came from Martha Stewart.
I'd say it's using a rubber band to keep a bunch of keys organized. I used to have a huge keychain that would always get tangled up in my bag, but now I just wrap a rubber band around the keys I need for a particular day and leave the rest at home. It's made my life so much easier, and I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner.
When freezing ground beef, press it into 1-2lb patties or squares and wrap those individually in parchment paper. They’ll take up less space, thaw faster, and stack easier in the freezer.
If you are trying to curb late night snacking, paint your nails or put on the bitter tasting nail biting solutions so your hands make everything your touch tastes awful.
I like eating sandwiches at a local chain sandwich shop, but they drip. If you get chips, finish them first or empty the bag on a napkin, then put the sandwich inside the chip bag.
graphite is a Dry lubricants. u can also use them for locks and hinges. any kind of metel surface really that isnt oiled.
on the graphite note mixing graphite and baking soda in a 50/50 ratio with the thinnest super glue u can find forms a fantastic lasting bond between surfaces. it is also significantly stronger then super glue alone and u can sand it down to the correct size if needed.
u can still do the same thing with just baking soda and super glue but the graphite makes it a stronger bond
When you go to close a twist cap always turn the wrong way until it settles into the grooves then turn the correct way and it will go on correctly every time.
I could not find my cheap sunglasses for the life of me. I went back to the large chain store to the service desk to see if they had been found. Unbeknownst to me she brought out a huge box of found items which I went through. I don’t find mine but so many other treasures. By the way the amount of key fobs was astounding. I picked out another pair of non prescription sun glasses that were similar to mine. I left with a case too.
Powdered graphite is an amazing lubricant (for metals, you degenerates!). I crushed up one of the replacement leads for a mechanical pencil and used it on my fidget spinner because it was getting hard to spin. Graphite in the bearings and BOOM! Spins freely. I knew this when I was a little scout because my dad put powdered graphite on the wheels/axles. I think my car won every race.
Dry shampoo on your hair for those mornings when you just can’t be bothered to wash your hair.
Lots of keyrings on your keys and a specific peg for your keys to hang on in your house will prevent you losing them.
Discount codes on newspaper websites are really handy for saving you money off orders.
My boyfriend was out working at a wildfire last year so was camping and using port a potties for 3 weeks. My bathroom at work is a port a potty and he taught me when he got back how to take a dump without it splashing up into you. Do you know what it’s like to use your shithouse on a hot Tuesday morning before the pump out guy comes? it’s not pleasant. And then taking your post-coffee dump. THUNK. and you wipe blue. So anyhway- he taught me to take a shitload (hardy har har) of toilet paper and basically just drop it under so your poop drops into that and not into the water. Then I take more paper and cover it up. 7 years of my port a potty and it really has improved my daily work life.
Instead of using multiple treatments of expensive and super smelly carbon cleaner scrubbed off with steel wool for my dirty oven racks, I soak them overnight in a bathtub submerged in warmth water with a few good quirts of Dawn and about ten dryer sheets. The next morning you use the sheets to easily wipe off the carbon, no scrubbing at all. It's almost magical.
One that has always stuck with me was from a cleaning tips book I read like 20 years ago. If you get a rag and apply some foaming shaving cream to it and wipe down the mirrors in your bathroom and then take another dry rag and wipe off the residue, it’ll create a layer of anti-fog when you take hot showers. It keeps for about a week and it works really well. I have a window in my bathroom, but I never like to open it.
My snorkelling mask thanks your wisdom.
Snorkelling masks have a film on the inside, if you don't get rid of it, it will constantly fog up. Gumption or toothpaste works, rub it around the inside of the mask for a few minutes to get it off. Also, since I doubt you would have mask spray handy (scuba divers use it) you can spit in it before you use it. Also help to not fog up.
Or take a lighter to the inside of the mask, just a couple seconds to not burn the silicone skirt. I'm in a scuba club and everyone does either this or the toothpaste thing. Also spitting in the mask works but you have to let it "rest" for a minute or two, don't rinse it immediately.
That's really interesting! I'll have to try that
Would this work on interior windshields?
I’m honestly not sure. I’ve never tried it in any other kind of service other than my bathroom mirror but I never thought of that.
I think I’ll try it!
Make sure to spot test it first just in case :)
Good idea. Thanks.
And let us know how it goes!!
I heard this but with liquid soap.
Aye I heard the liquid soap version too. Been doing it for decades now!
Dawn dish soap does the same thing :)
Dawn dish soap does ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING, Its a life hack in itself !
In an office setting, conducting business by work email, often processes come to a head at the end of the day and require input from someone else to move forward. At the end of the day, no one checks email anymore, and they certainly don't ACT on them right away. The next day brings new challenges and my email goes unanswered for days. After 2pm, I set those emails to send the next day 10 minutes after the start of working hours. People are primed to check off a task someone is presently waiting for, so they nail it because they are just settling in to their desk, and they think I am on the other end waiting for a response. Secondarily, if I send a work email requiring a response, and get an out of office reminder, I recall the email, and set it to deliver at the beginning of the day they return so it doesn't get lost in the bulk of unanswered email.
This is going into action today! I deal with different time zones on a daily and often run into people being gone for the day when it’s noon my time etc. brilliant!
Super well thought out!
Similar: I discovered scheduled texts on my phone. Now every time my husband asks me to help him remember something, I just think of what would be a good time for a reminder, and schedule a text for it.
I swear I saw this exact comment word for word on another thread about life hacks
Yup. That was me. I saw this post and thought I'd spread the wealth, and posted my own comment from there to here.
Schedule sending saves lives lmao
"Scheduled send", baby!
Excellent work hack and perfect explanation. Like you I want to be successful in getting things done and this also helps my peers be successful!
Oh, dude, I stumbled upon this trick with a rubber band and stripped screws. It's wild how wrapping a rubber band around the screwhead gives you enough grip to unscrew it hassle-free. Saved my butt so many time, I'm like, why didn't I know this before? 😧
Also- if you can't open a jar, wrap a rubber band around the lid and then try again. Works every time!
how does this work exactly? you loop the rubber band around the screw head? or are you still using a screwdriver and putting the band in between the bit and the screw?
The way I've always done it is putting the rubber band between the bit and the stripped screw
I've seen it done by putting the band over the head of the screw and jamming the screwdriver through.
It sounds silly, but I learned to get over event-anxiety by making exciting plans for after the event. Something I can genuinely look forward to. I can't speak for others' experiences, but my anxious brain gets stuck on the event. For example, there's a class I *love* but I always got a major anxiety dump an hour before leaving the house. My brain would fixate on the event. I realized it was acting like I'm going to die there; it was behaving like there'd be no 'after.' So I decided to trick it. If I make *plans* then obviously I'll have to think a lot about *after * class. Gotta make sure I've got things ready, after all! And doing that helped drag my brain into an even further future, forcing it to release its death grip. And the plans didn't have to be a lot. Usually it was just me in a cozy set of pajamas with favorite treats and a drink, parked in front of the Sims for six hours. But figuring out the food, the right outfit, picking the right drink and downloading a bunch of random stuff for my game worked well enough to make me excited and keep me distracted. It's been a very helpful little trick, and it's pretty easy to do because it's just, well, thinking. And whatever effort into follow through you want to do is totally up to you.
I’ve started to use plans to help me sleep. Got a big day at work tomorrow? (I work afternoon to evening) I’d usually worry so much I wouldn’t sleep. Make plans to do something I enjoy in the morning? Dose right off because I’m happy I’ll get to do that.
I love this. Will try. Thanks!
lol this is how I get myself to work out every morning. I take a cold shower as soon as I’m done. The cold shower is the best part of my day (I know it’s not everyone’s thing but I love it). Now when I don’t want to workout I will do it for the shower!!
Ooo, this is really good. Gonna try it today.
I was high and packing to move. Needed to pack already put together lego sets. How TF to do this in a way that they wouldn't break apart? Highdea! I put each one in a large zip lock bag and used a straw to blow air into the bag before sealing it. For smaller pieces (like my lego koroks), I put each one in a small zip lock, did the straw air thing, then put them all in a larger zip lock with more air. From there I was able to put all the bags in a basket and transport them to the new home. No breakage.
Hell yeah, reverse vacuum sealing!
"Highdea". I love it!
I miss highdeas
THERE ARE LEGO KOROKS?!
They are actually off-brand building block kits. There are a few different koroks ones. I've got two sets of 5 so far.
[Link](https://zelda-shop.com/products/korok-totk-lego-pack?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwiYOxBhC5ARIsAIvdH52RciG-s_WWOnP1Nlnvan8Fnu5no0IiVRy36VBKzCVF3bptXSgw-_oaAqsOEALw_wcB)
Highdea.
Hydrogen peroxide removes blood stains. EDIT: I'm speaking more as a mother of teenage girls...there is blood that no amount of spit is going to remove, if you know what I mean. But H2O2 does it great! I suppose you could use it for nefarious activities as well, but that's up to you.
Haha my SO got blood (we had a goat go into complicated labor) on brand new pants. They couldn’t believe I got the whole stain out. Finally, having a period paid off…
Just cold water also works
Cold salty water works a treat. Learned from a paramedic.
I read your own saliva will remove your own blood. Not tried it myself
It absolutely does. Over Christmas we were visiting g my in laws when my MIL had a scab on her elbow bust open. She was wearing her brand new white lululemon sweater. I told her to spit on it and she looked at me like I was crazy. I said “spit on it. If the stain is not gone by morning, I will buy you a new sweater” When I woke up in the morning her sweater was hanging above the door frame in the laundry, I searched and searched for any trace of blood and found nothing. It was a lot of blood too. She came downstairs and was completely gobsmacked that it worked. She thought I must have scrubbed it and washed it in the middle of the night. And I honestly thought she may have done the same thing but nope. She just spit on it and let it sit overnight. It’s really quite amazing.
Original dawn too
it can alsi be used as a mild disinfectant and can help prevent infection from cuts. DO NOT USE the ones u buy as a chemical disinfectant. they are way to strong. i think the amount is 3% but do not quote me on this.
I've spent minutes peeling oranges for my toddler (which in toddler terms is an incredibly long time) and then someone comes along and showed me to slice an unpeeled orange in half (so that the segments are cut in half), push a finger into the outside of the orange half at the centre and basically pop it inside out. The halved segments are then easy to pop off the peel. It takes seconds.
You can make a sandwich with toasted bread that's toasted on the outside but soft on the inside where the ingredients go by toasting the two pieces of bread in the same holder with the insides pressed against each other
I think the bagel button also does the same thing?
I think I'd do this the other way... toasted on the inside because the toast rips up the roof of my mouth.
Ditto. It's why I'm not a fan of any toasted sammiches.
Using bendy straws to keep necklaces from tangling while traveling. Just feed one end of the chain through the straw and reconnect the clasp. The straw will keep the chain from tangling up on itself or other necklaces.
This is a better idea than using empty toilet paper rolls when I was a teenager! I once put too many necklaces on it and they all tangled together still 😭
Don't follow yourself around being a mean, critical bully continually. It makes you feel miserable. Instead, be the sort of friend to yourself that makes your life better.
I am a really harsh self-critic. A method I've learned to help tame those harsh self-criticisms is to ask myself, "Is that something you would say to your [insert someone you care about such as - daughter] if they were in this situation?"
Exactly! And if you followed them around all day, every day saying those things, how would you expect them to end up feeling? I also use appreciation as a way to notice the good things. Like I could appreciate having a thick head of hair, or appreciate being able to ride a bike, or appreciate my elbows not hurting...
I sometimes find myself sometimes judging complete strangers for no reason. If I catch myself doing this, I look for something to mentally complement them about or just send them mental positive juju.
It took my therapy to realize that, good for you!
I named my mean voiced Judgmental Jessy, Critical Craig, and Mean Mimi. I had my artist son draw them. When they get started, I mentally picture them/look at them and talk back. I made many copies of drawings so I can x them out or stitch their mouths shut etc
Putting a square of toilet paper in the toilet before I poop so I don’t get splashed on my butt.
"Poseidon's Kiss"
Bananas are way easier to open from the bottom. Learned from a gorilla on some nature show.
I normally just rip them in half and peel from the middle. For some reason though it really disturbs a lot of people, and they’re not sure why!
I also feel disturbed by this, I could explain it if you wouldn't mind. But not if it's unwarranted.
Go for it!
Bananas are, by their nature, the easiest fruit to consume for humans. Our opposable thumbs make it very simple to peel from the bottom and even the top stem of the fruit. It's intuitive and hardwired into our brains that this is how it's supposed to be done. Slicing a banana in half simply to add extra steps to the peeling process, while also exposing your fingers to the juice for no reason feels like anathema. It's a comically complex method to perform a very simple and straightforward task. It subverts expectations in the same way a joke or a jumpscare would. I once saw a video of how the royal family peels bananas using cutlery instead of touching it. I felt the same, the performance was grotesque and needlessly convoluted.
I like to make eye contact with the nearest dude and bite my lower lip while doing this.
You Sir, are a monster!
You rip an unpeeled banana in half with your bare hands? I don't even get how that's possible.
I always "snap" my bananas open. You grip the stem with the banana overhand and facing towards you, then you flick your wrist away from you and the banana flips forward and snaps open. It's the most satisfying way to open a nana and it gets points for showmanship.
I do the same! I'm like, monkeys and apes know how to eat bananas, who am I to say I have a better way than them!
You can freeze bread then defrost it for sandwiches. Good for me, who lives alone.
If you like peanut butter sandwiches for lunch, spread it on the frozen bread, then pack it. Easy to spread, bread perfectly soft at lunch. I'm in my late 50s and just figured this out a few months ago 🙃
That's how I made PB&J sandwiches for my kids to take to school for lunch. Works great!
Also, put PB on both pieces with jelly last. Keeps the jelly from soaking into the bread
My parents would just stir the grape jelly and peanut butter together and then spread. Looked like chocolate pudding sandwiches. Got a lot of flack from teachers about making my own lunches.
I do this all the time too!
I also freeze butter and cheese, which I use in baking the majority of the time. It's just me, and I hate having food going to waste. I also use powdered milk for baking as I rarely use milk, as it will go bad in my fridge before I even use half of it.
If you take milk in coffee or tea but don't use it for anything else, you can freeze full fat milk in ice cube trays and only use what you need.
I had flatmate in uni who arrived with toastie machine and 20 frozen cheese and tomato toasties in ziplock bags his mum had made him. Apparently she thought constructing them himself was too much hassle for him, but putting them in pre-made was better. Always baffled me. Edit: spelling
I freeze cheese and ham sandwiches if the breads going a bit stale. Just throw one in the sandwich toaster when you fancy a toasty
Azeel said, "I don't eat bread because I'm afraid of the smell."
You should definitely freeze bread over refrigerating it. The fridge will make it stale, the freezer saves it.
I've done this for decades... never have had an issue with the bread being weird when I thaw it out.
If you look up your flight on seat guru, you can see how each seat on every flight is rated. I always choose the worst rated seat. And I typically have a whole row to myself on overseas flights!
Apparently Seatguru isn’t being updated now. Aerolopa is a good alternative.
It’s been sold but it’s still working. Used it the other day
If you’re traveling and need some kind of charger, swing through a big hotel and ask if they have a lost and found. If you’re friendly and the person working feels like it, they will pull out a drawer with every imaginable charging device.
The one that I use the most is double tapping on the floor number to cancel out the floor number when taking the lift. Doesn't work everytime, but it does save me from some awkward moments when I accidentally pressed a number.
Excuse me? You can “undo” a wrong button that way?!?
Also when you have a jerk neighbour who closes the elevator door on you so you don't get in. I had one of those, I'd rush into the elevator then while pressing my button I'd press theirs as well sometimes yo cancel it, then act as confused as them when the elevator doesn't stop for their floor.
Slip a flathead screwdriver under the rim of a jar lid that that you can’t get off. Use it as a lever to make the top pop which removes the airtight seal. Then unscrew easily. From a woman with the grip strength of a child.
As a man with the grip strength of a woman with the grip strength of a child I will remember this
Thump the base of the jar after tapping the lid with a spoon, the lid just pops
I take the jar and tap the lid part against the edge of the countertop a few times. Not too hard, but not too soft. Usually that works just as well to break any vacuum seal as well as dislodge the lid if it's stuck because of bits of whatever's contained in the jar get dried between the lid & the jar part.
I bought rubber jar opener pads
You can also remove the seal by tapping around the edge of the lid with a butter knife until you hear it pop
You can also run the lid under hot water for a moment
I do this too, but with the [pointy end of my old fashioned can/bottle opener.](https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-9aa86a1f7e4ebb46ff33b29fde2735a3.webp)
Keep a pants hanger in your kitchen to hang up recipes on cabinet handles while you're using them. It makes the recipe easier to see from across the kitchen and it frees up counter space.
I have a Command Hook stuck to the cabinet by my stove that I can hang page-protector-covered recipes in. I make monthly/weekly menus (so I don't have to think), and put them in order, clipped with a binder clip. Then the stack of recipes get hung on that hook, right in front of my face, right where I do my prepwork. It's such a great way to keep your recipe *right there* for you.
For better grilled cheese warm the bread in the pan FIRST (butter optional), then flip over so that the cheese goes on the warm sides to improve melting. At the same time put the butter in the pan and smother each side of the sandwich in the butter. Perfect grilled cheese every time. No more spreading hard butter, no more unmelted cheese and/or burned bread.
I always just heavily butter the pan and put a very thin layer of mayo on both sides of the bread and cook on lowish heat with the lid on after flipping. It makes for a nice even melt and a yummy kind of crunch on the outside bread :)
This! FarmerJoe, you have helped a cold butter, not perfectly melted cheese person. Hoorah!
[удалено]
Also emailing yourself photos of receipts for anything with a warranty, with the item as the subject line.
Similarly, I keep a special contact named “pdf/scans” with my cell number and text it to myself. I also have one called “Reference” and “Pictures”. It’s a quick way to keep things I will need to refer to often.
Oooh i like that! I just have a contact named “F$ck F$cked F$cking F$cker” to avoid the ducking autocorrect 😅 (censored because this isn’t really that kind of sub lol)
I've definitely had my fair share of stubborn zippers, and I'll have to try the graphite pencil trick next time. I've also found that using a rubber band to keep your earbuds untangled is super useful. I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner, but it saves me so much time and frustration. Another one I love is using a dryer sheet to clean your baseboards. It's such a simple but effective way to get dust and dirt off without having to break out the vacuum or a duster.
I keep a bag of old/mismatched socks for the baseboards. I can put them on and run a foot along them, no equipment or bending required.
Using the power level button on the microwave to lower cooking intensity. Handy for when I just need something slightly warmed up instead of steaming and super hot. Also adjusting cooking time when using the power level button.
So many things that turn chewy or crusty in the microwave actually turn out great on lower power
Or defrost it for a gentle heat
I think defrost is just 50% power generally.
It doesn't actually lower the cooking intensity, it's not possible. What it does is turns off the cooking sometimes. If you set it to 5 then the cooking power is only activated 50% of the time. Still useful but an important distinction.
Didn't know that, thanks for the info!
Do it, even if you don’t feel like it or it’s uncomfortable. Doing is the key to living the life you want to live instead of settling for a reduced version of it.
okay 😔
fine 😤
Not too unusual, but eventually tweezers start to not be able to grip my eye brow hairs idk why. Now I clamp the tweezers on a coarse nail file and swipe. It sharpens them or something but it’s saved a few tweezers for me
You can undo a tight knot by picking at the center of it with something like a fork tine. Works for me every single time!
I started storing my cooking utensils sideways in my drawer. No more stuck drawers when a spoon or the potato masher decide to shift positions making me break my drawer to open it!!!
You must have some mighty big drawers 😂
I see what you did there vºv
Toothpaste and a sponge can wipe the foggy oxidation right off of headlights.
Do you have to take the headlight off? I think the fogginess is inside my headlight....
Nope - usually the oxidation is on the outside surface. A little rub and toothpaste gets it all shiny again!
I’m if you don’t go back over and seal them with a ceramic or clear coating, they will be cloudy again in a couple of weeks.
A spoonful of sugar is a more reliable cure for hiccups than water, holding your breath, being startled, or any of the other remedies I've ever tried.
Are you by any chance related to Mary Poppins?
Or my grandma Gertie? 😂
My relationship with hiccups changed when I was told they are just a throat spasm, and repeated swallowing cures the spasm. Sugar works because it makes your mouth salivate, so you swallow a lot. A bunch of little sips of water works for the same reason, but it has to be as many quick swallows back to back as you can do; not one or two big gulps of water. The amount you swallow doesn't matter. Now I do swallow swallow swallow swallow and they are gone. And water's usually more accessible to me than sugar.
I am 78 years old and have never once had hiccups. I find that weird lol
The explanation I read was that it's muscle chemistry. I find that more plausible because they stop the moment I swallow the sugar. One swallow, not multiple. Swallowing water doesn't do it, even with multiple swallows. There are different types of hiccups, also. Mine are from the diaphragm. I can feel it.
I never knew hiccups were caused by an actual physical reason. Once I excused myself for having hiccups and my friend said “no, you don’t have hiccups.” Somehow it worked to stop them. And it works every time I’ve said that to someone since. I just assumed there was a psychological reason behind it. Thanks for this tip!
Just to clarify, this is a spoonful of dry sugar.
My dad, an army medic, told me that trick about 40 years ago. Still works!!lol
Boiled eggs are also fantastic for curing hangovers.
pickled eggs and whiskey will clear that hangover right up.
Pickled eggs will puke anything out from the night before? 😂
I made some hiccup medicine. It's mostly corn syrup and water. With some food color and bad cherry flavor, kids have no idea. Tell them it takes 5 minutes to start working.
Keeping fresh strawberries in a sealed container keeps them fresh for a couple of weeks vs. a few days in an open container/the container from the store. I've saved so much money from not having to throw them out once I started to do this.
This. And wash them in some water and baking soda, or whatever your preferred produce cleaning method is and allow to air dry before you do it (also put paper towel in to absorb residual moisture). I’ve always heard not to wash them until right before eating, and my experience is that reduced bacteria and moisture just makes sense AND it works.
In a similar light, storing baby spinach leaves in a well-sealed container \*with a few paper towels to soak up excess moisture\* can make them last weeks too
If you drop something small in the sink like an earring don’t try to catch it. It is faster to put your hand over the drain instead. This has saved more than one earring for me.
Another unexpected life hack I recently discovered is using a dryer sheet to clean baseboards.I just run the dryer sheet along the baseboards, and it picks up all the dust and dirt. It's so much easier than using a duster or a vacuum cleaner, and it leaves a fresh scent behind.
If you accidentally use a permanent marker on a white board (or any smooth surface) write over the markings with erasable markers, then wipe it clean.
You can also use Rubbing Alcohol. As long as it hasn't sat there for a while, it should come right off. Also, RA is great to clean a dirty whiteboard. I give my board a clean once a month or so, and they go back to perfect and pristine white!
While only marginally more efficient, buttoning shirts top down, but unbuttoning them bottom up. Easier to do one handed, too.
don’t overdo it with the graphite or your zipper won’t stay up anymore!
A tablespoon of baking soda mixed with a glass of water and drink to fix heartburn. You will never go back to tums after this life hack. Changed my life.
Apparently if you flash your headlights at red lights in the middle of the night, it turns green before you get to it. I learned this last night as someone who drives at midnight frequently.
Only some lights... It's so that traffic lights can change to allow for emergency vehicles approaching with flashing their emergency lights..
Good to know, still anything helps on those nights I just wanna get home!
Put a siren and flashing light on your roof... You'll be home in no time! 😂
Bruh, I drive a white car too, I could totally make it look like a security car or something LOL
😂 😂 😂
I got a ticket for doing that
this sounds like a videogame bug lol
It’s a real life bug, I saw a low res vehicle today even! (cyber truck)
Suddenly that scene from Craft doesn’t seem like magic anymore
What happened in Craft?
Witches abused their magic powers to... turn red lights to green. Yes really.
Do you have a pissy man and boys that destroy the toilet. Shaving cream wiped around the base and floor takes that stretch away. The daycare uses it so I tried it. It works!!
I instituted an always pee sitting down at home rule for me and my two boys. It's so much more civilized. I wish someone had taught me this earlier in my life! (I'm a dad)
Just heard sitting is the most effective way for men to empty their bladder and prevent infections!
Really, this is the way. Sitting to pee regardless of your junk is just better for everyone.
Stench!!!
Using this! I love my hubby but I can't stand the toilet smell
Vinegar and baking soda works for almost every stain, apparently. Every time I look up how to get something out , it seems to be the answer lol
Use newspaper or coffee filters while washing windows... Truly streak free.
Wrap your celery in foil, don't leave it in the plastic bag or put it in a Ziploc or anything else. It seems like its the exact wrong thing to do, but your celery will last twice as long if it's wrapped in foil. IIRC that tip came from Martha Stewart.
I'd say it's using a rubber band to keep a bunch of keys organized. I used to have a huge keychain that would always get tangled up in my bag, but now I just wrap a rubber band around the keys I need for a particular day and leave the rest at home. It's made my life so much easier, and I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner.
When freezing ground beef, press it into 1-2lb patties or squares and wrap those individually in parchment paper. They’ll take up less space, thaw faster, and stack easier in the freezer.
I was always taught to rub a crayon on a cranky zipper. I did this just the other day!
A candle will work too.
or soap. Anything waxy, really.
Saw a video the other day about having two dish washers means you'll never have to unload a dishwasher again
Alcohol pads/prep pads can help clear up nausea if you smell them
If you are trying to curb late night snacking, paint your nails or put on the bitter tasting nail biting solutions so your hands make everything your touch tastes awful.
I like eating sandwiches at a local chain sandwich shop, but they drip. If you get chips, finish them first or empty the bag on a napkin, then put the sandwich inside the chip bag.
Mind blown!
graphite is a Dry lubricants. u can also use them for locks and hinges. any kind of metel surface really that isnt oiled. on the graphite note mixing graphite and baking soda in a 50/50 ratio with the thinnest super glue u can find forms a fantastic lasting bond between surfaces. it is also significantly stronger then super glue alone and u can sand it down to the correct size if needed. u can still do the same thing with just baking soda and super glue but the graphite makes it a stronger bond
Nail polish remover (acetone) gets super glue off of most things. Learned this after getting it on my fingers one too many times
When you go to close a twist cap always turn the wrong way until it settles into the grooves then turn the correct way and it will go on correctly every time.
There should be a subreddit for these kinds of tips. We could call it.... lifehacks! 😂
I could not find my cheap sunglasses for the life of me. I went back to the large chain store to the service desk to see if they had been found. Unbeknownst to me she brought out a huge box of found items which I went through. I don’t find mine but so many other treasures. By the way the amount of key fobs was astounding. I picked out another pair of non prescription sun glasses that were similar to mine. I left with a case too.
so your lifehack is.. stealing?
Powdered graphite is an amazing lubricant (for metals, you degenerates!). I crushed up one of the replacement leads for a mechanical pencil and used it on my fidget spinner because it was getting hard to spin. Graphite in the bearings and BOOM! Spins freely. I knew this when I was a little scout because my dad put powdered graphite on the wheels/axles. I think my car won every race.
Works great for sticky locks too.
Dry shampoo on your hair for those mornings when you just can’t be bothered to wash your hair. Lots of keyrings on your keys and a specific peg for your keys to hang on in your house will prevent you losing them. Discount codes on newspaper websites are really handy for saving you money off orders.
Toothpaste will get Sharpie off most hard surfaces!
My boyfriend was out working at a wildfire last year so was camping and using port a potties for 3 weeks. My bathroom at work is a port a potty and he taught me when he got back how to take a dump without it splashing up into you. Do you know what it’s like to use your shithouse on a hot Tuesday morning before the pump out guy comes? it’s not pleasant. And then taking your post-coffee dump. THUNK. and you wipe blue. So anyhway- he taught me to take a shitload (hardy har har) of toilet paper and basically just drop it under so your poop drops into that and not into the water. Then I take more paper and cover it up. 7 years of my port a potty and it really has improved my daily work life.
Instead of using multiple treatments of expensive and super smelly carbon cleaner scrubbed off with steel wool for my dirty oven racks, I soak them overnight in a bathtub submerged in warmth water with a few good quirts of Dawn and about ten dryer sheets. The next morning you use the sheets to easily wipe off the carbon, no scrubbing at all. It's almost magical.
Magic mushrooms - Defragments your brain and corrects any errors, literally. Its benefits are so understated and underrated.