Life hacks have become a 21st century version of the classic “Hints from Heloise.” But who couldn’t use a few helpful hints to help us get through the hassles of everyday life with a little less strain. So here are 15 simple life hacks to make your life a little easier.
In the Kitchen
- Chew gum while your cutting an onion to prevent your eyes from tearing up.
- Use muffin tins to serve condiments when eating barbecued food. Not only is this an easy serving idea, it helps in the cleanup, too.
- Clean your microwave by microwaving a bowl of water for 2-3 minutes. The steam that develops will loosen up the dried food so it will wipe off easily.
- Put pancake batter in a clean squeezable plastic ketchup bottle for clean and easy pouring.
In the Rest of the House
- Use aluminum foil to protect doorknobs while painting.
- Make homemade ice packs by combining two parts water with one part rubbing alcohol in a ziplock bag. It will get icy cold but will still be pliable. If you want an icepack that’s assured to not leak, freeze a wet sponge.
- Bounce batteries to see if they’re good. Just drop a battery about six inches from a hard surface. If you get one bounce go ahead and use the battery. If it bounces more than once, the battery is no longer good.
In the Car
- Use a can cozy to cover your gear shift in the hot weather.
Using Your Phone or Camera
- Take a picture of business cards when they’re given to you. That way if you lose the card, you still have the information.
- When someone is taking a picture of you, be sure to squint your eyes. This will make your smile look more genuine.
To Satisfy Your Taste Buds
- Open a banana by pinching its bottom. It opens easier and there’s no waste. Other primates have been opening bananas this way since the beginning of time.
- Combine pancakes and bacon into one delectable treat by pouring pancake batter directly over almost-done bacon.
- Wine drinkers can cool down their vino by dropping a few frozen grapes into their glass. It’s functional and pretty.
- Beer drinkers can wrap warm bottles of beer with wet paper towels and stick them in the freezer. In 5 minutes your beer will be perfectly chilled.
- And, the best life hack you’ll ever get – put a scoop of ice cream in an almost-empty jar of Nutella. You’ll never use hot fudge again.
