20 Of The Best Life Hacks People Have Ever Heard
Brb, attaching a hair tie to my keys so I never lose them in my purse again.
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We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us about the absolute best life hacks they know. Here are the game-changing results.
1. Sprinkle some baking soda on your carpet before vacuuming to keep your rug smelling fresh.
"It's a nice refresh between carpet cleanings." —Bridget S.
According to HuffPost, this trick works better the longer you let the baking soda sit!
2. Slice two out of three sides of a triangle into a moving box, then push the loose piece inward — voila, instant handle!
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"I cut triangle handles into all my moving boxes so I can lift them up. I actually saw this in a BuzzFeed article and the last three times we moved, it helped out so much with awkward boxes!" —Kelsey E.
Check out more great moving hacks.
3. Before you paint your nails, swipe some Elmer's Glue around the sides and let it dry. Once you're done with your DIY mani, just peel off the dried glue along with any polish mistakes!
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—Sarah Lee, BuzzFeed social media strategist
4. Then, once your digits are looking fab, dry them in a flash by spritzing some cooking spray on them from a few inches away (not too close or your fingers will get all greasy).
"I recently took my niece to the nail salon and she thought I was weird when we got to the car and I pulled the can out. But trust me, it works." —deltadelta521
Check out what happened when BuzzFeeders tried this and more nail drying hacks.
5. When your mani has come to the end of its life, get every last drop of polish off your nails by soaking pieces of cotton in remover and making lil' nail wraps.
"Rip up a cotton ball into 10 pieces. Pour a little nail polish remover into the cap of the bottle. Dip each piece into the nail polish remover, then wrap one around each individual nail. Wait 5-10 minutes, then the polish should more or less come right off! Rinse your hands, apply some moisturizing lotion, and you'll be all set for your next at-home mani!" —Heather Braga, BuzzFeed Shopping editor
6. Color-coding isn't just for notes — use different colors of common household items like toothbrushes and towels to prevent mix-ups, especially if you have kiddos.
"When my kids were little, I color-coded their towels, cups, and toothbrushes. No arguments about who left their towel on the floor or whose cup is whose." —huh448
7. If your zipper is stuck, rub it with pencil lead to loosen it.
Graphite (aka pencil lead) will actually lubricate the zipper to help it slide free. Apply it to both sides of the zipper, enough so the lead is actually visible. Get more tips for unsticking zippers from Stitch Fix.
8. Recycle all your empty wrapping paper rolls after the holidays by using them to store Christmas lights. This trick will also prevent you from ending up like Sabrina here next December:
"When taking down your Christmas lights, wrap them around an empty wrapping paper roll to keep them from getting all tangled. It makes storage and putting them back up so much easier!!" —jpgraciefit
9. Rub out pesky deodorant stains with a dryer sheet.
"Whether the sheet is new or used, it works!" —cchristensen
10. Slip on some rubber gloves to ~get a grip~ on a tough-to-open jar.
Check out more jar opening hacks from One Good Thing By Jillee.
11. Loop a keyring or bent paper clip through your zipper and around your jeans' button to avoid an XYZPDQ situation.
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12. lf you (like Mia Thermopolis) get anxious when public speaking, look at the crowd's eyebrows instead of their eyes. That way, you'll look like you're still engaging with them but your view will be less intimidating.
13. Take class notes directly on index cards so you'll have flash cards ready to go when it's time to study for the exam.
"Bam — study materials." —Cassie J.
14. To delay a full-on ugly cry at a less-than ideal time, just look up (literally, but metaphorically might help to).
"If you’re in a situation when you start to cry but you really don’t want to (this happens to me a lot), then look up. It won’t always stop the tears, but it certainly delays them. I use this all the time haha." —allisonistired
15. Hack your way to the perfect PB&J by putting a layer of peanut butter on both the top and the bottom slices of bread first.
"The peanut butter acts as a barrier and prevents the jam from making your sandwich soggy." —omgineedausername
16. Attach a hair tie to your keys to make both everyday carry must-haves easier to keep handy.
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"I always loop a hair tie on my keys. That way it's not on my wrist and tight, yet I always have one when I need it. In addition, if you're carrying groceries or anything to your house, you can put the hair tie on your wrist and not lose your keys in your purse when going to unlock the door." —aimsss
17. Fun fact: the stem of a banana is actually the bottom, so peel it from the other end to show off your fruit knowledge to all your friends (and make less of a mess)!
"I never get a mushy mess and always get the whole banana out." —kanight
18. Use Dawn dish soap for more than just plates and silverware — it's great for grease stains on fabric too!
"I spilled dressing on a pair of light-colored khakis and Dawn got it right out. Squirt a little on and lightly scrub the fabric against itself with water. Wash like normal." —lenabug312
19. Repurpose a worn-out pair of tights by cutting off the legs so just the crotch part is left, then use that piece layered OVER another pair of tights to keep them from sagging. It's 2020 and we are saying NO to droopy crotches.
"Cut the legs off of an old pair of tights, so they look like a pair of underwear. This way you can wear them over your new tights to prevent the crotch from dropping to down between your knees. Good tights are expensive, and this hack has definitely saved me a lot of money and also saved me from that awkward dance you do when you try to discretely adjust your tights in public." —lomme
(You can also pop an extra pair of undies, bikini bottoms, or shorts over them — check out the full tip from Refinery29).
20. Finally, try toothpaste to scrub permanent marker stains off of walls. Not so permanent now, huh?
"Use regular toothpaste or baking soda toothpaste over the marks, let sit for 10 minutes, then wipe off with a damp cloth. Comes right off." —hannahgems170
Get more tips for removing permanent marker from One Good Thing By Jillee.
You, living your best life with these top tips from fellow readers:
Submissions have been edited for length and clarity.