I'm the kind of person who loves a good "life hack," but most of the ones I see online are really more like five-day DIY projects that involve a flame thrower, a bag of deflated balloons, and a can of spray paint. I really just want simple things that I can do every day that makes my life easier. So, I've rounded up some actually doable hacks from the /lifehacks subreddit, as well as the comments of a recent life hack post I wrote:
1. "Unscrew a tight spotlight bulb using suction cups so you can get a better grip."
2. "You can get maximum juice from lemons and limes by popping them in the microwave first. The cells expand and are so easy to squeeze. Garlic cloves, same thing. Cut off the rough end, microwave until it 'squeaks' (about 10 seconds), pinch the bottom, and it slips right out of the peel."
3. "If you ever lose small jewelry or really any small items, this is how to find it. Put a stocking, pantyhose, or sock over the nozzle of a vacuum, and swipe it under furniture. It'll stick to the material without getting sucked into the vacuum."
4. "Get rid of dust using a dryer sheet. It gets static-y and is perfect for baseboards, etc."
5. "Silence your unbalanced and noisy washing machine by using a pool noodle."
6. "Keep your toddler safely in the grocery cart seat with a carabiner."
7. "Control + shift + T reopens a tab you accidentally closed."
8. "Here's how you can sew in a straight line."
9. "If you get deodorant, makeup, etc., on your clothes, all you have to do is rub together the fabric in that spot, and poof, it’s gone."
10. "I thought this was wellknown until my father who has been a mechanic for 30 years had not seen it before. Open your cable tie packets in the middle, and you will never spill them all over the floor again. Pull out however many you need from the middle as seen below."
11. "Can't fit two pizzas in your small oven? Cut them in half for optimal pizza placement."
12. "Use a bucket to collect the water you'd typically waste while waiting for your shower or bath water to warm up and save it for watering plants."
"I live in California where we are going through probably the sixth or seventh drought in my lifetime with sometimes severe water use restrictions. I do this every single day. You don’t realize how much water you waste while waiting for it to warm up until you see it fill up a giant bucket in less than a minute."
13. "I’ve been married to my wife for 11 years and she just taught me that if I use a cheese grater on a cold stick of butter, it’s easier to spread on toast and muffins."
14. "If you are eating mussels, use an empty mussel shell to pinch the other mussels out of the other shells instead of a fork. It’s soooo easy, and they stay intact and pull right out."
15. "Write the date on your blister packs so you know if you've taken your meds for that day or not."
16. "Put the condiments on the fillings instead the bread to keep your sandwich from getting soggy."
And finally...
17. "Turn your tackle box into a snackle box. It's perfect for a day trip."
