13 "Life Hacks" I Learned In November That Are So Simple, Yet So Effective

    "I punched some holes in a plastic pill box and put it over my vacuum nozzle so I can vacuum dust out of kids toy storage boxes."

    I'm a sucker for a good "life hack," but most of the ones I see online are super complicated and require a ton of random objects. I really just want simple tips and tricks. I've written a handful of life hacks posts already, and y'all seem to enjoy them, so let's keep them coming!

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    1. "I use a 3M hanger upside down to keep trash bag in place."

    closeup of the hook placed upside down on the side of a trash can

    2. "This house has color-coded switches: gray for fans, black for the garbage disposal."

    the different switches

    3. "I punched some holes in a plastic pill box and put it over my vacuum nozzle so I can vacuum dust out of kids toy storage boxes."

    closeup of the holes made in the pill bottle

    4. "These loops on the edge of a wire dish drying rack can hold tall glasses from tipping over."

    water bottles in the dishwasher

    5. "It's not the sexiest life hack in the world, but some masking tape and a sharpie can make rifling through medicine drawers a lot easier."

    labeled tape on pill bottles

    6. "This juice package explains the life hack to smoothly pour your drink. It also works for similar containers and quarts of oil and transmission fluid if you don't have a funnel handy."

    closeup of the label

    7. "Tied a hoodie for a temp laundry hamper when I was staying at a hotel."

    hoodie made into a laundry bag

    8. "Used my paper towel holder to dry my wonky-ass decanter!"

    upside down decanter over a paper towel holder

    9. "Simple solutions. Use a piece of cardboard to keep all your bolts, screws, etc. organized."

    bolts and screws in cardboard

    10. "Cleaning shower chain hack. Pour distilled white vinegar into a small Ziploc, submerge the affected area, and tie it with a rubber band overnight. Then I used a Scrub Daddy and wiped off excess stuff in the morning and voila, nearly brand new shower head chain! I used it on faucets around the house too, beautiful results."

    before and after of the hose

    11. "Big propane cylinders can fit tightly inside a four-gallon milk crate. It's so much easier AND safer to carry."

    propane inside a milk crate

    12. "Make mac 'n' cheese with leftover butternut squash soup."

    pan of mac n cheese

    And finally...

    13. "Cover the sensor on a public bathroom to stop it from flushing too soon."

    toilet paper over the sensor

    Now, it's your turn! What's a life hack you tried recently? Comment below!

    Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.