Many websites tout different hacks as the greatest ever, but which hacks actually rise above the rest and truly are some of the best around? For one, they need to be innovative and make life easier. They also should be simple to implement, because too much complexity could make the hack hard to accomplish.
Well, we’ve assembled some of the greatest life hacks to exist. Some of these hacks have been in use for a while and might seem familiar, while others might be brand new to you, leaving you wondering how you haven’t heard of them before now. Regardless of whether you have heard of them before, you can start using these hacks immediately to save time and money.
Whether you need help in filling a bucket from a bathroom or kitchen sink, seek a way to make mess-free pancakes, or simply want a hassle-free way to clean your computer keyboard, these hacks are amazing. You can use these hacks to improve different tasks in your life or make them a whole lot easier.
1) Door Rubber Band Hack
This hack makes it easier to keep a door from latching closed. This is especially useful if you need to close the door and still open it with no difficulty, such as when bringing in a load of groceries or moving furniture. Slip the end of a rubber band over the front door knob and extend it around to the rear doorknob, making sure to give it a twist so that it rests across the latch. This should keep the door from closing completely.
This hack makes it easier to find the end of that roll of tape you are using. When you are finished using the roll of tape, slide a small paper clip over the end of the tape. Then, when you need to use it again, you can easily find the end without having to search for it.
This hack allows you to easily determine if a sliding glass door is locked. Paint the bottom of the lock on the sliding glass door a color that contrasts with the surrounding door. That way, you can just glance at it to make sure the door is locked without having to walk all the way across the room.
This hack comes in handy when you spend too much time out in the hot summer sun and get a sunburn. Pour some aloe vera in an ice tray, and then place it in the freezer. If you get a sunburn, use a frozen cube of aloe vera to soothe your sunburn.
This hack allows you to keep the clothes in your luggage clean even if you have to place a pair of dirty shoes in with them. When you take your shoes off, wrap a shower cap around the bottom of them. This should keep the dirt contained and away from the rest of your clothes.
This hack allows you to easily store items in your garage up out of the way. All you need are some wooden I-beams and some sturdy storage containers with a lip around the edge. Install the I-beams so that they are wide enough to fit the containers, and slide the lipped containers into the I-beams to store them away.
Save those old coffee creamer containers and turn them into easy-to-manage snack containers for your kids. Tear off the outer wrapper and place your favorite snacks inside. Not only do they make dispensing snacks a breeze, they are easy to store at home or on the go.
The titanium dioxide powder found in some kinds of toothpaste can leave behind hard-to-remove stains. The easiest way to remove these stains is to mix some detergent or stain remover with water and blot the stain with the mixture using a clean cloth.
If you prefer to haul all of your groceries in at one time, then this hack is perfect for you. Hook all of your grocery bags to a carabiner, and use it as a handle to carry your groceries indoors. This works great if you must go up steps or have to carry your groceries a long distance.
Items that come in sealed plastic packs can be hard to open, and once you do get them open, the often sharp edges can cut you like a knife. Avoid all this by using a hand-operated can opener instead. The can opener easily cuts through the plastic of the package, leaving a nice, clean edge.
If you have a bottle of vegetable oil, rubbing alcohol, or other substance, then this hack can help you cut down on the amount coming out of the opening. Instead of removing the foil covering the top of the bottle, poke holes in it with a fork. This allows you to pour out what is inside without too much rushing out at one time.
This simple hack is not very obvious at first glance. Instead of removing the tab of your soda can, turn it around so that it is over the opening of the can and insert a straw. The tab should hold the straw in place, making it easier for you to drink from the can.
If you have any empty Tic Tac containers, give this hack a try. The container easily holds bobby pins and dispenses them is easily. Simply open the top and retrieve the bobby pins you need. When finished, close the top and throw the container in your bag.
If space is at a premium in your kitchen, then give this hack a try. Place a pegboard on the wall of your kitchen space, and hang your pots and pans from the pegs on the board. Check out Kitchn for a tutorial on how to build this useful storage solution.
If you like to drink ice coffee but hate the way your ice seems to water your coffee down as it melts, then try this hack. Pour some coffee into an ice tray, and place it in the freezer. The next time you make your ice coffee, you can use the frozen coffee ice cubes.
If you have trouble putting on your eyeliner, then try this hack. Place a spoon on the top of your eyelid when you put the eyeliner on. This should allow you to get a perfect line with your eyeliner every time.
The easiest way to keep your car clean of trash is to place a cereal container, with a small trash bag inside, in your vehicle. This gives you a convenient place to dispose of soda cans, wrappers, and other garbage. Just make sure to empty the makeshift trash can whenever it gets full.
An easy way to make no-mess pancakes is to place your pancake mix into an old condiment bottle. This allows you to squeeze just the amount you want into the pan. Make sure to clean the bottle out first to avoid ketchup-flavored pancakes.
To get straight line cuts on your cakes, cinnamon rolls, and other baked goods, use unwaxed/unflavored dental floss. The floss should easily cut through your latest baking project easily without damaging any filling that might be inside.
This hack can keep you from pulling forward too far in your garage and causing damage. Hang a tennis ball from the ceiling using a piece of twine. Position it so that it hits the front windshield of your car, letting you know when to stop when parking in your garage.
If you only have a small closet to hang your clothes in, then you should consider using this hack. Save the tabs from your soda cans and place them over the neck of your clothes hangers. Now you can hang another clothes hanger from the tab, effectively doubling your closet space.
This hack works great as an emergency fix for a flip-flop whose toe strap has popped out. Place a tab that you find on a loaf of bread around the tip of the sandal strap on the bottom of your flip-flop. This should keep the strap in place until you can get a new pair.
This hack is great when you are trying to quickly cool off a bottle of your favorite beverage. Wet a paper towel and wrap it around the bottle. Place the bottle in the freezer, and leave it in there for about 15 minutes. When you remove the drink, it should be cold.
If you have a sunburn, then use this hack for quick relief. Simply fill a pitcher with lukewarm water and soak a few tea bags until the water is black from the tea. Next, dip a clean cloth into the brewed tea and dab it onto the sunburn. Then allow it to dry. Reapply if necessary. Allow it to sit for a few hours before washing it off. Alternatively, you can apply the wet tea bag directly to the sunburned area.
This isn’t so much a hack as it is a friendly reminder for anyone looking to buy or rent a new home. Before plopping down any money, make sure to check the cell service in your home. If it is spotty, consider buying or renting another home. Or switch your cell phone service to another carrier.
If you have a lot of cords you need to keep track of, then consider this easy cord storage hack. Simply insert toilet paper roll holders into a box big enough to hold several. Roll your cords up, and insert them into the inside of the toilet paper roll holders for a neat storage solution.
For a drip-free ice pack, place a sponge soaked in water into a small Ziploc bag. Place the bag in the freezer, and allow it to freeze. Then, when you need it, you can apply the ice pack to a burn or bruise. If needed, wrap the makeshift ice pack in a clean paper towel.
You can cut down on some of the mess of painting by using this awesome hack. Start by placing a large rubber band around the open can of paint you plan on using. Then, each time you dip your brush, gently wipe the bottom of the brush against the rubber band. This should help eliminate paint drips and make it easier to keep the rim of the paint can cleaner.
This hack allows you to power scrub your surfaces without having to use any elbow grease. Attach a small, round brush head to a machine screw, secure it in place using a bolt, and then attach it to a power drill. Find out more about this helpful hack here.
If you have a dirty computer keyboard, use this hack to get it clean. Rung the sticky part of a Post-It note in-between the computer keys should remove any dirt or debris. You can also use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol to clean more thoroughly between the keys.
Over time your sweaters can develop fuzzy balls that look unsightly. Instead of throwing them away, use this hack. Using a disposable razor, shave the fuzz balls off of the sweater surface. You can find out more about this money-saving hack at Mommysavers.
If you have a mess of cords behind your computer or TV, then this hack can help you keep them better organized. Stick the tab from a loaf of bread around the cord, making sure to label the tab with what the cord goes to with a black Sharpie marker.
Most often, masking tape that has sat in a drawer for a long period of time becomes hard and is difficult to use. To make your masking tape softer and easier to manage, stick it in the microwave for a few seconds before using it.
If you have any old pens, then you can use this hack to keep the end of your phone charger cords from fraying. Start by remove the spring from the pen. Then, twist the spring around the cord where it meets the part that plugs into your phone. Check here for more information.
If you like to cook, then you know how annoying it is when your water overflows when boiling it. This simple hack should prevent that. Place a large, wooden spoon across the pot to keep your water from boiling over. The reason has a lot to do with science, but rest assured, it works.
This hack works great if you have a stuck zipper. All you need is a pencil. If your zipper gets stuck, rub the pencil lead over the zipper. The graphite in the lead should lubricate the zipper, making it easier to open and close. You might have to work the zipper back and forth a little to fully lubricate it.
For an easy way to cook with wine, use this hack. Fill an ice cube tray with your favorite cooking wine, and place it in the freezer. Then, the next time you need some wine to cook with, pop out a few ice cubes and defrost them for the task.
Over time, your shoes can start to stink. Luckily, you can use this hack to get rid of any stinky odors. The next time you notice your shoes starting to stink, stuff newspaper in them. This should soak up any moisture in the shoes and help remove the offending odor.
This hack helps you chill warm wine without having to resort to using ice cubes, which can water it down. Simply place some grapes in a Ziploc bag in the freezer. Then, when you need to chill your wine, place a few grapes in the glass. You can then remove the grapes from the wine once it is chilled.
If you need to fill a bucket with water but it won’t fit in the sink, use this hack. Place a dustpan under the faucet and place the handle so it hangs over the front edge of the sink. Place a bucket underneath where the handle is sticking out. The water should run out the end of the handle and into the bucket.
Want to heat up two bowls of food at the same time but they’re too big to fit both inside at once? Try this handy little trick. Elevate one of the bowls with a mug. Now, you and your partner can enjoy dinner together instead of waiting on the other.
42) Start Every Recipe With “Fill Up Sink With Soapy Water”
Every single time you’re about to cook or bake something, be sure to make “fill up the sink with soapy water” as the very first thing to do. That way, while you’re in the process of making your dish, you can simply toss the dirty utensils, bowls, and plates in the sink. By the time you’re done cooking, your kitchen is already halfway cleaned up!
Packing up and moving into a new apartment or house is always a pain. It’s exciting to move somewhere new, but the actual process of doing it isn’t very fun. Save some time while keeping your clothes on hangers by wrapping them in a garbage bag. It will keep them on the hanger and also prevent any dirt from getting on your clothes.
Most gas pump nozzles have a little leg that you can flip down to help you pump gas hands-free, but if it doesn’t, here’s a hack for you. With the trigger of the nozzle in the ‘pump’ position, place the gas cap inside the handle to prevent it from flipping up. Now, you can run into the store and grab a soda while your gas pumps.
If you’re going to freeze your ground meat, be sure to put it in a Ziplock bag and flatten out as much as possible. Not only does it create more space in your freezer, but it will take far less time to thaw it out when you need it.
Cutting the tip of your finger not only hurts, but it’s in a pain in the butt to bandage. We bend and use our fingers so much, that a bandage on the tip of it is sure to come off. Prevent this by making two small slits in each side of the bandage, now wrap around the tip of your finger.
More and more frozen foods are starting to come with re-sealable packaging, but if they don’t, here’s a super clever trick–plus, it creates more space in your freezer. Roll up the bag of frozen fruits or veggies, secure to the grates of the shelf using binder clips. Your fruit won’t become freezer-burned and you have more space for other items.
Don’t let a small closet get over-crowded with too many hangers. You can hang all of your tank tops on just one hanger with the help of some easy-to-clip shower curtain rings. So smart!
Does your recipe call for you to separate egg yolks from the whites? Some people are great at doing it by hand, but if you’re finding that to be a bit difficult, just use an empty plastic water or soda bottle. Slightly compress the bottle and place the opening over the yolk, let go of the bottle and it will create a slight amount of suction to suck up the yolk! Gently place it in another dish.
Watering the lawn can be a tedious chore if you’re low on time, and if you don’t have a sprinkler system, it’s an easy chore to neglect. Make it easier on yourself by creating your own DIY sprinkler by poking holes in the side of a plastic bottle and securing your hose with some electrical tape.
Mmmm…tacos. What a delicious Mexican treat. But after you build your taco, the toppings always fall right out when you set it on your plate. Prevent that from happening with the assistance of some fork tines.
Command hooks are awesome at doing so many things, and this is another one to add to that long list. To help keep garbage bags with handles in place, put some adhesive hooks to the outside of the garbage bin and hook them into place.
Working in the garage and need a funnel? No problem! If you don’t happen to have one on hand, just use a long screwdriver instead. The liquid will naturally follow the flow of the metal down into the spout.
Slide in a piece of paper into a Pringles can to help you get each chip out in one piece. This will prevent chips from breaking and also help you get every single last crumb out of the can.
If you ever need to screw in a screw really, really tightly, a wrench can help with that! Just slide the wrench over the screwdriver handle and know you’ll be able to tighten the screw much tighter than you would have been able to with your hands.
Does your home smell a little ‘off’ since you cooked broccoli for lunch? Quickly eliminate odors by placing some dryers over your A/C vents, a fan, or your heater vents. Your house will smell lovely in no time.
The Glad brand makes some great Press n Seal wrap that is perfect for lining your fridge. Now, when you go to clean your fridge, there’s absolutely no more scrubbing. All you need to do is peel off the wrap and replace it!
Yep, we said slime. This miracle tool is so great for cleaning vents, keyboards, and any other nook and cranny that is hard to get into. There are multiple cleaning slimes you can order online or you can make some yourself with this recipe.
Bags of microwaveable popcorn can be pretty expensive, but buying kernels in bulk is super duper cheap. Make your own microwaveable popcorn by placing 1/3 cup of kernels in a brown paper bag and microwave like usual–feel free to add butter or seasonings for extra flavor.
On a hot sunny day, the inside of our cars become scorching hot. Sometimes it gets so hot that your stickshift is too hot to even touch. Prevent this from happening by placing a coozie over the stick shift if you’ll be leaving your car parked in the sun for a while.
While you might not be familiar with all of these hacks, rest assured that they do work. They can help you around your house and even when you are on the go. Try out these hacks and see how much they can help save you both time and money.
55+ Simple Life Hacks
Ashley Fike
02.25.19
Many websites tout different hacks as the greatest ever, but which hacks actually rise above the rest and truly are some of the best around? For one, they need to be innovative and make life easier. They also should be simple to implement, because too much complexity could make the hack hard to accomplish.
Well, we’ve assembled some of the greatest life hacks to exist. Some of these hacks have been in use for a while and might seem familiar, while others might be brand new to you, leaving you wondering how you haven’t heard of them before now. Regardless of whether you have heard of them before, you can start using these hacks immediately to save time and money.
Whether you need help in filling a bucket from a bathroom or kitchen sink, seek a way to make mess-free pancakes, or simply want a hassle-free way to clean your computer keyboard, these hacks are amazing. You can use these hacks to improve different tasks in your life or make them a whole lot easier.
