35 Epic Daily Life Hacks That Actually Work
By Harpreet K
You may not go up against Voldemort and his army of Death Eaters in your day-to-day life. But, a few tasks are challenging enough to make you wish you had a magic wand. Although, you can overcome those difficulties with some ingenious life hacks that will help make your routine less stressful. You’ll be surprised to learn what you can do if you apply science and creativity to your problems. These tips will help you save money and time and put a few resources to good use that would otherwise make their way to the trash heap. Who doesn’t love a good upcycle? In light of that, here’s a list of 35 creative life hacks to make your day 1000 times more manageable.
1. Using springs to protect charging cables
Smartphone and laptop charging cables are sensitive and expensive to replace. Each comes with a designated voltage and current rating specifically designed for your device. However, there is a way to ensure that they don’t receive damage for at least a while.
If you have any old ball clicker pens, you can open them and remove the spring. Slide the spring across the charging cable right up to the end. This way, your charging cable will remain sturdy against most physical impacts and last significantly longer.
2. Carrying your balms/lotions more efficiently
If you regularly use lotions or skincare products, you know that they are much more expensive when you buy them from an airport or travel lounge. Thankfully, there is a way you can carry them with you without stuffing them in your bags.
Find any unused contact lens casings and clean them thoroughly with anti-bacterial soap. Place small amounts of lotion or cream on either side. It should be enough to last a few days, and you won’t have to purchase your paraphernalia at exuberant rates without giving up on personal hygiene.
3. Protecting your valuables on your day out
Are you planning to spend a sunny day at the beach? You may want to secure your valuables, such as keys and wallets, in a place no one would suspect. Especially on an open beach with little to no oversight on visitors.
Your old sunscreen bottles may come in handy. Cut the top one-third portion away and clean the entire bottle properly. You can stuff some styrofoam if you wish to store sensitive items like an iPod. Sunscreen bottles are usually plenty to go around at the beach, and most thieves don’t bother stealing them.
4. Opening wine bottles with a hammer and nail
Alright, that seems like an expensive disaster waiting to happen. But, if you do it right, you can save a few bucks on fancy wine bottle openers. The process is delicate, so better do it on a flat surface with steady hands.
Place a nail directly on the cork and hammer it in gently. Then, use the back end of the hammer to pull the pin out. The cork should escape the bottle along with it. Be careful not to make contact between the hammer and the bottleneck.
5. Finishing up condiments with ice cream
If you use Nutella or fruit jams often, you might throw away the jar with some of it still left inside. It may not seem wasteful, but it can add up to substantial sums when you consider the entire year. However, there is a method to make the most out of every sweet condiment.
Just fill the jar up with ice cream once you realize you can’t get enough with a spoon. The ice cream absorbs all of the condiments from the bottom and side of the jar. You now have a dessert to finish every meal, ice cream with an extra topping of Nutella/jam.
6. Creating convenient placement for your cookbook
Are you one of the keen chefs using cookbooks to learn new recipes? You might struggle with placing your cookbook where it remains within view, and you don’t slather flour all over it. In that case, you can use a simple trick to keep things tidy.
Take a clothing clip hanger and attach your cookbook to it. You don’t need to turn the pages as the recipe and ingredients are next to each other. Hang it along any of the top shelves to have a good view while keeping it clean from any splashes of oil or sauce.
7. Using edible containers for desserts
This neat trick will ensure that you receive the invitation for every gathering with your friends and family. Serving desserts such as cupcakes in disposable holders makes a mess after the party. You can try reusable cupcake holders, but keeping them clean will be a chore.
Instead, you can place your cupcakes in an ice cream cone. They are readily available at your local bakery shop, or you can make them at home if you have a waffle iron. An edible container for most cakes makes for a delicious snack that all your guests appreciate.
8. Preventing cold coffee from diluting
Hot summer days call for a cup of cold coffee to pick you up every morning. However, if you put in a lot of ice, it can eventually melt into the cup and ruin the taste of the remaining drink. There is a unique solution that you can apply to prevent that from happening.
You can use frozen coffee cubes to conserve the taste of your cold beverage. Prepare coffee and pour it into ice cube trays. Leave them to freeze overnight. A couple of these can retain the taste of your cold coffee, while more of them can grant you a hit of some extra caffeine with the last sip.
9. Storing pasta more efficiently
A plate of whole-wheat pasta can make for a savory yet healthy meal. Yet, storing the sensitive strands of spaghetti or capellini in large containers is quite hard, especially when you have a kitchen stocked with other food items and utensils.
If you have any Pringles cans lying around, you can use them to store any leftover pasta. You’ll realize that you can save a lot of space while keeping enough stock for multiple dinners. It also helps reduce the amount of waste you throw away every week.
10. Peeling boiled eggs easily
Boiled eggs are part of a nutritious meal for many health-conscious individuals. If you’ve ever boiled an egg, you may be familiar with the difficulty of peeling the shell off after the process. There is a simple life hack to make it easier.
Add a tablespoon of baking soda to the water before placing the egg. It weakens the shell and the egg white bond, enabling you to separate the two without much effort. Moreover, it doesn’t affect the egg’s nutritional value.
11. Starting a fire without kindling
If you love going camping, you might understand the pain of forgetting the kindling for a fire—the moments you wanted to tell stories waste away trying to ignite the wood as quickly as possible. But, a food item in your backpack can assist in saving some time.
Most campers carry a few packs of Doritos as a quick snack for the trip. Still, not many of them know that the cornstarch in them is an excellent kindling. Place a few chips on the wood and give it some flame. You’ll have a bonfire going in no time.
12. Keeping a Takeout Hot Till You Reach Home
Thanks to numerous services throughout the country, almost any restaurant can deliver food to your doorstep. Despite that, circumstances can make you prefer a takeout meal. In such a case, you may get stuck in traffic as your food goes cold.
You can use a simple life hack regarding a feature that you often overlook to prevent it. Turn on the seat warmer when you place the takeout in your car. It can keep your meal warm enough to enjoy when you arrive home.
13. Taking out the trash – suction free
Modern trash cans have a design that reduces their space in your home. This design can also make fully stacked trash bags stick to the bottom due to vacuum suction. They can be hard to remove when you take out the morning trash.
In this case, you need to provide some airflow to neutralize the suction. Drill a few holes at the trash can base for the same. Use a tiny drill bit to prevent any waste from spilling on the floor. Keep the drilled holes towards the open space in the room.
14. Ensure your pawed friend gets the assistance they need
Dogs have a friendly and caring nature. They care so much for humans that most dogs pass away within days if they don’t receive any assistance from their owners. If you have a pet, you must ensure that they receive proper care even in your absence, especially if you live alone.
Print a few custom cards and carry them with you at all times. They can help guide a concerned citizen to care for your pawed friend should you get into an accident or fall ill. Furthermore, you can customize the card to denote your medical condition or make one for your children if you’re a single parent.
15. Easy identification of keys
Keeping track of all the keys, even the ones with separate key chains, proves quite hectic for the best of us. However, a simple life hack prevents you from ever having to fumble with your keys ever again. It involves something that you may already have in your home.
Paint one end of the key with nail polish. It lasts for a long time, and you can easily remove it with a nail polish remover should you decide to change the color code. Ensure to avoid painting the end that goes into the lock as it can disrupt the locking mechanism.
16. Packing heavier items when moving to a new house
Transporting all your belongings to your new home is just as exciting as it is challenging. Most movers prefer storing everything in large boxes since it makes them easier to label and ship across the country. But, it also makes them susceptible to damage should you have any heavy items.
Instead, you can pack heavy items such as books and ceramics in a wheeled suitcase. It allows you plenty of mobility without taking up too much space. You will reduce the number of cartons required or use them for something lightweight.
17. Floating Dog Baskets
It is a hot summer’s day, and your doggo is just as excited to jump into the pool as you are? Great! We have a fantastic hack for smaller dogs and puppies. All you will need to create this is…
…a laundry basket, some pool noodles, and zip ties! You will start by bending the pool noodle stand and wrapping it around the top edge of the laundry basket. Then use many zip ties to attach it all. Brilliant, right?
18. Ironing your button-down shirt the correct way
If you have a button-down shirt, you may encounter trouble ironing between the buttons. Many people give up and leave the part around the buttons wrinkled, hoping no one will notice. But you don’t have to be one of them.
In place of playing Jenga with your shirt, you can flip it over and iron the cloth from below the buttoned area. It has the same ironing effect as the rest of the shirt while keeping each button from breaking away. That is unless you come across a self-ironing shirt soon.
19. Finding lost jewelry while cleaning the house
It isn’t delightful to lose a shiny earring or a gold cufflink around the house. They can be extra hard to find if you lose them over the carpet or a dust-ridden area of your abode. Although, you can speed up the process if you have a vacuum cleaner at home.
Take a pantyhose or old stocking and place it over the open end of the vacuum cleaner. Secure it with a rubber band before operating it over the place you suspect you lost your jewelry. All the dust will get sucked into the vacuum, leaving your valuables stuck in the fabric.
20. Using the can tab the right way
Drinking your favorite beverage from a straw can be challenging if it comes in a can. The straw moves back and forth too much, more so when you’re carrying it on the move. Frequently, you can spill your drink or not finish it all the way through.
Most people don’t realize that they can use the opener tab on the top to hold a straw. Slide the straw into the can through the hole in the opener. You’ll notice that it remains much more stable. It is a great way to take some Instagram photos with your preferred beverage.
21. Cutting a slice of cake perfectly
Enjoying a slice of your favorite dessert becomes unpleasant when you don’t have a sharp enough knife. It gives you an irregular cut while dispersing the crumbs all over the table. However, you can use a simple life hack to keep such troubles at bay.
Use a dental floss wire instead of a blunt knife to cut the perfect slice of cake. Stretch it across the cake or place it diagonally, depending upon your preference. It is safe enough for children to use, and they might even remember to clean their teeth before going to bed.
22. Eating popsicles without making a mess
During hot summer days, kids love a popsicle or two. However, they can easily spill a lot of it over the house or leave their hands dirty after finishing up. There is a simple way to address this issue, so simple you’ll wonder why most manufacturers haven’t thought of it yet.
Make a makeshift carry-along bowl and cut a small portion in the bottom. Slide the popsicle stick through it before giving it to your kids. It’ll keep your surroundings clean while letting them enjoy the most of the ice cream.
23. Keeping your trash cans clean
It is an awful moment for people who use trash cans without any bags to empty the contents and clean the can afterward. The problem gets ten times worse when the liquid waste seeps to the bottom and starts to ravage the aroma of your home.
You can minimize the effect by placing a couple of newspaper pages in the can. Line the newspaper along the bottom and across the side walls to prevent any garbage from sticking. The paper will also absorb any liquids, keeping the air in your room fresh.
24. Recognizing your luggage from far away
If you like to travel often, this issue can be close to your heart. Unless you use several stickers and badges to make your suitcase stand out, it can be challenging to make out from other people’s baggage. But there is a more straightforward way to help identify your cargo from miles away.
Tie a bright-colored ribbon to your suitcase’s carry handle. It will help you quickly identify your luggage during check out and prevent anyone else who might be carrying a similar bag. Plus, it makes your suitcase look cuter as it approaches you from the cargo hold.
25. Making condiments easier to consume
A sign of a good party host is the ability to make things easier for every guest. Running back and forth to the kitchen to fetch the right condiments can cost you precious time. Unless you have several bowls, serving every type of sauce during a gathering can be hectic.
Don’t worry, as a simple life hack can change things for the better. Replace the bowls with a muffin tin. It provides you ample space to serve all kinds of ketchup and sauces at once while you get to entertain your guests.
26. Storing wires and cables efficiently
Most of us use several digital devices and often try to store the necessary cables in a single drawer. It makes for a messy job when you’re looking for a specific connector, and all the wires remain entangled with each other.
Thankfully, there is an uncomplicated way to store all the wires and cables in your house. Surprisingly, it involves something from your bathroom. Utilize old toilet paper rolls to keep spare wires without a fuss. If needed, you can stack the rolls easily within a small carton for easy identification.
27. DIY hands-free phone stand
Although most smartphones today are made with lightweight materials, holding them with your arms can be tiring after a while. The issue becomes exacerbated when you’re trying to read an Ebook or watching a lengthy Youtube video. Still, you can save the pain by using something you may already carry.
Place your phone on a pair of sunglasses with the lens facing away. You can use the earpieces to tilt the smartphone at the desired angle while keeping your hands free to move. It is an incredible hack for travelers who catch up on the news while eating breakfast at the local cafe.
28. Charging your phone from any socket
When your phone runs out of juice, it can be challenging to place it near a socket that doesn’t allow your cable to reach the nearest flat surface. Leaving your phone hanging can damage the charging port, whereas putting it over the charger can bend the socket pins.
A safer alternative is to use old bottles that would otherwise go to waste. Cut the bottle from the middle and make a big hole for your phone charger. You can also use air freshener containers, but make sure they can support your phone’s weight for a couple of hours.
29. Storing open bags of chips for long
There are instances when you open a bag of Doritos or Lays, only to realize that you can’t finish them all the way through. You need not let them go to waste or utilize an airtight container to store them for later.
Instead, wrap the top end tightly and secure it with a paperclip, clutches, or a crocodile clip. It saves your containers for other uses and keeps the chips from going stale. You can apply the same method for different food items you eat out of sealed packets.
30. DIY ice packs that don’t drip
Ice packs are a must-have for any household, whether for an injury or a simple stress-relieving session. But before you order a few online, you must know that you can save a few bucks via an effortless life hack. It makes use of the items you already have in your home.
Take an old sponge and let it absorb some water. Then, gently place it in a sealable bag and close it firmly. This unique arrangement can serve as an ice pack for several months. Remember not to hold the sponge too tightly, or it will lose some water to its surroundings.
31. Covering up damage to wooden furniture
Wood is clean and elegant, fit for any homely environment. However, that aesthetic quickly deteriorates if you have some of the wooden articles showing signs of damage in your house. But you don’t need to call the carpenter over just yet.
If you have some walnuts stocked in your kitchen cabinet, you can use them to hide any scratch marks on your wooden furniture. You need to rub the walnuts gently against the surface. The oil from the dry nut fills in the gap, making the scratches disappear.
32. Cleaning hazy car lights
If you’ve been using your car for a while, you might notice some moisture collecting up inside the headlights and taillights. It makes the lenses hazy and reduces the effectiveness of the lights. You don’t need to drive around in such danger or risk a fine from the traffic police.
Before sealing the light, clean it with some toothpaste. It should absorb all moisture and make the light as shiny as new. You can also use this simple hack if you have any neon strips or external searchlights around your vehicle.
33. Testing battery life without a voltmeter
Most people have a few appliances that run on replaceable batteries. Thus, it is a great idea to keep some in stock. But, as time passes, it gets confusing which batteries are dead and which are suitable to use. You can use a voltmeter to test them individually or utilize a quick test.
Drop the batteries from 4-6 feet up in the air on a flat, hard surface. If they rebound once and fall over, they have enough juice to last for some time. However, if the batteries bounce repeatedly, they are probably too weak to use.
34. Cleaning your electronics effectively
Dust particles and Cheetos crumbs can ruin your electrical devices over time if you’re not careful. It can be hard to clean them with a regular apparatus. With an old ketchup bottle and a vacuum cleaner, you can make things easier.
Cut the bottom of the bottle and attach it to the suction end of the vacuum cleaner. Make sure you use a suitable head and secure it with ample duct tape. Now, switch on the vacuum and move the bottle over your laptop or air conditioner. Keep the power of the vacuum low to prevent damaging any circuits.
35. Making the most out of every soap bar
When you use a soap bar to the point where it is just a tiny slice, it is tempting to throw it down the drain and open a new one. Although, in doing so, you are wasting away a couple more uses. A straightforward life hack can let you make the most of every soap bar.
When the bar becomes too slim to grip, pour some water and attach it to the new soap bar. It should stick right away, and you can repeat it for the next bar as well. If you calculate the annual budget, you’ll realize that you were throwing a few bucks away for no reason.