You know those handy life hacks and tips that you can’t live without? Those are priceless, and Redditors are well aware of it. They’re so enthusiastic about these hacks that they’re sharing their favorites in a very useful thread you should bookmark — but we’ve gathered some of the best ones right here. They may appear to be too clever, strange, or good to be true, but worth it.
1. Windex is extremely effective.
The father in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” was clearly on to something. “If your ring gets stuck on your finger, Windex will slide it right off,” Reddit user coykoi314 explained. (They also have the credentials to back it up: they worked at a jewelry store for over a decade.)
2. Hairspray, too!
Don’t freak out if your child got ahold of a Sharpie and also did some design work on your countertops! Simply go to your bathroom or vanity and grab your hair styling products. “How about a permanent marker on a countertop?” “Use hairspray to lift it right up!” suggested Sashabybee.
3. Improve the organization of your paint cans.
After you’ve given your living room or bedroom a facelift, label the can in case you need to do touch-ups later. “Apply a piece of masking tape and label which room you used the paint in. That way, when you go to touch up a spot in a few years, you won’t have to play the ‘Guess which of these three similar pots of paint did I paint the hall with’ game,” said Rabb238.
“Before replacing a paint can lid, lay down a layer of cling film” (Saran wrap). “Once the paint on the lid has dried, this will prevent the lid from sticking to the can,” DoubleDeckerz added.
4. Working with hot peppers has become a lot less intimidating.
Nothing is worse than forgetting you have super-spicy pepper residue on your hands and then touching your eyes or other sensitive areas of your body. With this simple yet effective hack, you can stop it before it starts. “After cutting up jalapeos or other hot peppers, rub vegetable oil (or any cooking oil) on your hands.” It removes the stench that the peppers would normally leave on your hands. I rub oil into my hands and then wash them with dish soap. “I can completely delete my contacts after doing this,” one user stated.
5. Never underestimate the effectiveness of white vinegar.
If you made an especially aromatic fried meal and your kitchen still smells like it three days later, freshen the air with a DIY mix of pantry staples. “Bring one cup of water and one tablespoon of vinegar to a boil with rosemary, vanilla extract, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf to get rid of fried oil smells in the kitchen or house.” “[The] grease smell has gone away, and the house smells fantastic,” suggested AbandonChip.
6. Is there anything that bread can’t fix?
If your wine glass slipped from your grasp and shattered into teeny tiny pieces, accordingly, asap balboa has a solution that makes use of an unexpected food. “Use Wonder Bread to clean up glass microparticles.” “It sucks up the small pieces like crazy,” they explained. (We’re sure any fluffy sliced bread would work, but Wonder Bread and its ilk are especially thick and absorbent!)
7. Dish soap solves all problems.
Is there any household task that Dawn dish soap cannot solve? Evidently not! Mojomcm cleans her jewelry with a gentle yet effective dish soap. “Other cleaning supplies may scratch it… or even chemically react with the metals (usually harsh cleaning supplies),” they explain. “Dish soap is intended to clean glass and ceramic without scratching it and silverware without reacting with the metal.”
“The cheapest, most effective, and safest insecticide against roaches (especially those huge ‘water bug’ roaches that we have in the South) is a spray bottle of mostly water with just a little liquid dish soap in it,” says another user.
It can also be combined with another miracle worker, vinegar, to create a cleaning solution that will leave almost every room in your house sparkling clean. “Heat white vinegar, then add equal parts Dawn dish soap and you have a simple home cleaner for almost anything.” Vinegar aids in the breakdown of any built-up mess, while dawn clears it away. “Let it sit for 30 minutes on most surfaces and it gets even better,” MuddestofDuck explained. Dawn has been recommended by many users for cleaning bathtubs, showers, windows, and even eyeglasses, and it can also be used to remove clothing stains. (First, test a small area to ensure the fabric responds well.)
8. Make your own jewelry stand.
Never again will you fall asleep in your jewelry and wake up with a twisted, tangled necklace! “Hang jewelry on a flat wall [or] bed frame with a pop socket.” Every night, I use it to hang my necklace. “It sounds silly, but it’s right next to where I sleep, so if I forget to take it off, I don’t have to get up, and it hasn’t tangled once since I started using it,” Street Tacos__ suggested.
9. What about tangled phone cords? Velcro can be useful.
If you’re constantly struggling to find your phone charger at night, then try this simple hack from SanityPlanet. “I glued a soft velcro strip to the end of my phone charger and a corresponding strip to the side of my nightstand to keep the end of my phone charger in easy reach.”
10. Make an onion-chopping plan.
Do you ever find yourself in tears while chopping onions for dinner? With this clever tip from Lost in the Library, who discovered it on a kids’ science show, you can say goodbye to the tears. “Freeze your onion for 10 minutes before chopping it.” It freezes the juices just enough to slow the gasification process, giving you a few minutes to chop the onion without crying.”
Another user suggests using the sharpest knife you have to reduce tears. “Having a wicked sharp knife was the most useful thing I discovered.” When cutting, the sharper the knife, the less crushing damage is done to the cells. “The fewer tears, the less crushing,” they wrote.
11. Read this if you dread pollen season.
If allergies are causing your tears and runny nose, try blanketsmellslikeham’s hack. “During pollen season…rinse your hair before going to bed.” Otherwise, you’re just accumulating pollen on your pillowcase and rolling your face in it all night. “Then multiply that by the number of nights you use the same pillowcase,” they explained.
12. Take it easy!
Summer is quickly approaching, and if the heat gets to you, you should incorporate this simple hack into your routine. “When you get overheated, run your wrists under cold water or rub an ice cube on your pulse points to quickly cool down,” wrote mannershmanners.
“If you need to cool down quickly, dunk your arms in ice water halfway between your elbow and shoulder… for about 20-30 seconds, then straight up lift your arms over your head and you’ll literally feel your body completely cool from top to bottom as it moves down,” fknwhtvr added.
