It’s always fascinating when we learn about new uses for common household items that we never thought of before. We’ve chosen 35 of the best from various blogs and publications to share with you today.
Many of these are so simple, you’ll be shocked that you didn’t think of them yourself, but they make so much sense. In the same way that being thrifty and DIY projects are a trend now, long gone are the days where every item only has a single-use.
As for household items, these are all the cool tricks and life hacks that you need to know.
Source:
WikiHow
1. Wine Box Shoe Storage
Next time you make a trip to the wine and spirits store, make sure to pack your bottles in one of the wine boxes they have for customers. That way you can use it for storing shoes later. Each divided section of the box is the perfect size for a single shoe or a pair of sandals.
Source:
Family Handyman
2. Clothes Hanger Jewelry Rack
Clothes hangers are not just for clothes. In fact, they are excellent for hanging up your jewelry too. The multi-level ones work the best for this purpose. They make it so easy to find the piece of jewelry you are looking for.
Source:
Motherhood Made Classy
3. Tennis Ball Bottle Opener
The rubber inside of a tennis ball is perfect for gripping onto those hard to remove twist-off caps that some bottles have. Just slice the tennis ball in half. Then use the soft outside of the ball as your hand grip.
Source:
Spyro92
4. Tea Bag Fertilizer
Use tea bags as an organic fertilizer for plants in your house and garden. Save your leftover tea bags after your morning cup and empty the ground leaves onto your plant. They will provide the plants with the nutrients they crave.
Source:
Andre Karwath
5. Flower Stem Support With Straws
Another gardening hack involves using plastic straws. When planting a tulip or other long-stemmed flower, put a plastic straw around the base of the straw before sticking it into the pot. It will provide much-needed stem support and keep the flower from falling over.
Source:
Motherhood Made Classy
6. Lego Key Holder
Your kid’s lego set can be repurposed once they get older into a cool key holder. Attach a lego to the keyring of each set of keys and when you get home you can simply stick your key to the wall. You might need to use a drill to create holes in some of the lego blocks.
Source:
Wendy Janelle
7. Dryer Sheets For Cleaning Dishes
Fabric softener dryer sheets are excellent for removing food that is caked onto pans. The same way that fabric softener can make your clothes soft also applies to food. Even the most burnt spots on pans can be cleaned easily once you set a dryer sheet on top of the burnt area and let the pan soak for a while.
Source:
trenttsd
8. Organizing Cords With Paper Towel Tubes
Somehow cords always end up getting tangled and tied in knots when you try and store them. Especially, if you are putting more than one cord or charger in the same box. Next time, try packing each cord individually into a paper towel tube instead.
Source:
Apartment Therapy
9. Cleaning With Ketchup
For obvious reasons, it’s not recommended to clean clothes with ketchup. However, you can use it to polish your silverware and metal jewelry. Let the silver jewelry soak in a bowl of ketchup for a few minutes. Then rinse it off and it will shine like new.
Source:
YouTube
10. Pie Plate Dustpan
Pie pans can easily be converted into disposable dustpans. Cut the pie pan in half and you’ll instantly have two ready to go. You will likely need to use a normal brush or broom to sweep the dirt up into it.
Source:
family handyman
11. Aspirin For Cleaning Clothes
Aspirin is perfect for getting the sweat stains out of clothes. Crush two tablets up and mix them into 100 mL of water. Then let your clothes soak in the solution for two hours or so before washing.
Source:
Bodhi Peace
12. Chip Bag Clips
Make your own chip bag clips by cutting the clasps off of any old hangers you have lying around. The hanger clasps are much more useful in the kitchen than they are sitting unused in your closet. They work for sealing other bags of food such as frozen vegetables or bags of lettuce as well.
Source:
Adrienne's House
13. Remove Yolks With Plastic Bottles
Certain recipes require that you separate the yolk from the egg white. It’s something that can be quite challenging to do. However, a plastic bottle can help simplify the process. If you tilt the bottle, the yolk will sit at the neck of it while the egg white runs out into your bowl.
Source:
Motherhood Made Classy
14. Store Spaghetti In Pringles Cans
Want to cook some spaghetti but don’t plan on using the whole bag? Save your uncooked noodles in an empty Pringles can. The can will keep the pasta fresh and the snap-off lid provides for really easy access next time you want to cook spaghetti.
Source:
Lifehacker
15. Cooking Spray For Door Hinges
Cooking spray works just as good for lubricating squeaky door hinges as it does for lubricating pans. Just spray a little on the hinge and rub away any extra with a paper towel. That is all it takes to keep your door from creaking and disturbing everyone in the house every time you open it.
Source:
Mike Mozart
16. Muffin Pan Ice Cream Server
This hack is really sweet for kids’ birthday parties. Serve ice cream by placing individual scoops into liners in a muffin pan. That way you can make sure every kid gets an equal amount of ice cream and there will be no complaining.
Source:
Real Simple
17. Dusting With A Tennis Racket
Tennis rackets are great for when you need to beat the dust out of old couch cushions and mattresses. They are easy to swing and pack quite a punch but aren’t heavy enough to damage the cushions. It is recommended to do this outside so you don’t get dust everywhere.
Source:
CORE-Materials
18. Frozen Grapes To Chill Wine
Everyone knows you aren’t supposed to put ice cubes in a glass of wine to chill it. The ice will melt and dilute the flavor of the wine. However, you can use frozen grapes! The grapes will quickly chill your wine without ruining it.
Source:
Nichole Ciotti
19. Get Rid Of Onion And Garlic Smell Off Hands
We love cooking with onions and garlic, but no one wants their hands to smell like it afterward. All you need to do is take a stainless steel spoon and rub your hands on it under running water. The odor will be removed just as easy as that!
Source:
YouTube
20. Clean Drains With Salt
Pour a half cup down the drain in your kitchen sink to clean it. Salt is mildly abrasive and works as an effective scouring agent. It also has properties that will help to dissolve the food particles and other greases that are stuck down there.
Source:
Bru-nO
21. Cracking Nuts With Tools
Your best bet for cracking nuts is obviously a nutcracker. The problem is that nutcrackers are sort of an uncommon kitchen item. On the other hand, most people at least have a small set of tools in the household. Nuts can be cracked easily by using a pair of pliers to grip the nut and a hammer to smash it.
Source:
congerdesign
22. Ice Cube Tray Organizer
An ice cube tray can also double as a craft organizer. The little compartments fit beads, sequins, and other assorted small craft items perfectly. They can also be used for organizing office supplies.
Source:
Home Made Simple
23. Alka-Seltzer Tablets For Cleaning
They work best for cleaning items like sinks and toilet bowls. Drop a few tablets in the toilet bowl and let them dissolve. They will then begin to work their magic. You should let the water sit for around 20 minutes before flushing.
Source:
krossbow
24. Coffee Filters For Dusting
Coffee filters can easily work as makeshift disposable dust cloths. The thin cloth-like material picks up dust particles just as good as store-bought dust rags and they are soft enough that they can even be used on computer or TV screens.
Source:
PublicDomainPictures
25. Open Doors Quietly With Rubber Bands
Twisting a rubber band around the handles of your door is an easy trick you can use for opening and closing them more quietly. The rubber band will hold the latch down so you will no longer have to turn the handles every time you open it.
Source:
Motherhood Made Classy
26. Remove Oil Stains With Baby Powder
Baby powder will pull the oil stains out of your cloth and leather items. Sprinkle a small amount over the affected area and let it sit overnight. If you are doing it on leather furniture, it is recommended that you do a small test area first.
Source:
Mike Mozart
27. Post-it Keyboard Cleaner
Clean those hard to reach spaces in between the keys of your keyboard using a post-it note. Hold onto the bottom of the post-it and use the sticky side to pick up all the dust and dirt. It might take a few of them to do the whole keyboard depending on how dusty it is.
Source:
Listotic
28. Glasses Case For Storing Headphones
Most people just toss their headphones into a pocket of their backpack or purse when they are on the go. Unfortunately, that is a good way to get the wires all tangled up. Instead, try storing them in an eyeglasses case for tangle-free transportation.
Source:
lloorraa
29. Cable Holder
Make your own DIY cable holder with paper clips. Snap the paperclips onto the edge of your desk where the cables are at and then thread them up and through. The paper clips will hold the cables in place and can be easily moved around too if you need to change their location.
Source:
TWANIS
30. Ceramic Bowl Cellphone Speaker
Place your smartphone speaker-side-down into a small ceramic bowl or other piece of pottery. The ceramic will reflect the sound up and spread it out around your room just like a speaker would. The bowl will also have an amplifying effect.
Source:
sweetlouise
31. Socks For Packing
Instead of packing glass cups or other fragile items with bubble wrap, try using socks. The socks should be able to be slipped right over top. Depending on how much cushioning you need, you can even use multiple socks per item to keep it safe.
Source:
pxhere
32. Pill Box Earring Container
Use a weekly pill box to store your earrings and other small pendants or charms. Each day’s compartment can fit one pair of earrings. It is a great method for getting organized and keeping your earrings from getting mixed up when traveling.
Source:
Indulgy
33. Write Notes On Your Washer
Not many people know this, but dry erase markers actually work great for writing notes on your appliances. Washers and dryers pretty much all are made out of a material that the marker can be wiped right off of. Appliances like fridges you might want to test a small area first.
Source:
family handyman
34. Cork Pincushion
After popping your next bottle of wine, make sure to save the cork! Corks can be used for all kinds of different cool things. For example, they make for great pincushions.
Source:
Real Simple
35. Shine Shoes With Newspaper
Crumbled up newspaper can be used to give a pair of black or brown leather shoes a nice quick shine. Simply crumble up a sheet or two and work your way around each shoe. You can recycle the newspaper whenever you are done.
Source:
Jon S
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