Everyday life hacks: 105 ways to use familiar things

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

In addition to scotch tape, there are several more universal remedies that solve many everyday problems. The ways in which they are used are not always obvious. We present five products to help you in your home and suggest how you can use them.

Attention! We have not tested all methods of application on ourselves. Try them carefully.

Vinegar

Vinegar is a golden liquid. It is mainly used for cooking and preserving food. Here's how you can use vinegar in your home:

1. Disinfect cutting boards with it.
2. Soothe a sore throat. Dissolve a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water and gargle.
3. Get rid of dandruff. After washing, rinse your hair with two glasses of warm, acidified water.
4. Treating indigestion. Dissolve two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water and drink.
5. Polish the chrome interior details.
6. Add two tablespoons of vinegar to the water to keep the eggs from cracking during cooking.
7. Remove deposits from the aquarium.
8. Remove urine stains from carpet.
9. Rid the dog of fleas. Add some apple cider vinegar to the dog's bowl of water. The smell that will then come from the pet's skin will scare away fleas. You can also rinse your dog with a vinegar solution. This will get rid of fleas and unpleasant odors.
10. Prevent windows from freezing in the car. Make a solution of three parts vinegar and one part water, and wipe the glass with it.
11. Clean dentures. Put them in vinegar overnight and brush them in the morning.
12. Soften clothes and make them electrostatic. Add half a glass of vinegar while rinsing your laundry. To soften woolen blankets, add two cups of vinegar while rinsing.
13. Remove greasy stains from suede.
14. Destroy weeds.
15. Refresh wilted vegetables. Dissolve a tablespoon of vinegar in a glass of water and soak the vegetables.
16. Clean up limescale deposits on a drip coffee maker.
17. Get rid of the odor in the gutters. Pour a cup of vinegar into the drain once a week and rinse with water after 30 minutes.
18. Replace lemon juice. A quarter teaspoon of vinegar will replace one teaspoon of lemon juice.
19. Make the rice crumbly. When cooking, add a teaspoon of vinegar to the water when it boils.
20. Prevent grease from settling on the oven walls. Wipe the walls with a cloth dampened with vinegar and water.
21. Destroy germs. Spray the surface with a solution of one part water and one part vinegar.
22. Remove plaque from the shower head. Place it in a saucepan with a solution of one part vinegar and one part water, bring to a boil over low heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
23. Add shine to patent leather shoes.
24. Freshen up the air. Leave the bowl of vinegar in a foul-smelling room for a few hours.
25. Soften the brushes. Soak your brush in hot vinegar and then wash with soap and water.
26. Wash off the stickers from the bumper. Cover them with a rag soaked in vinegar for a few minutes.
27. Extend the life of fresh cut flowers. Dilute two tablespoons of vinegar and three tablespoons of sugar in a liter of warm water and put flowers there.

Baking soda

Soda is needed not only to bake fluffy buns. Here's what else you can do with baking soda:

1. Eliminate unpleasant odors in the refrigerator. Place a box of baking soda on one of the shelves.
2. Remove odor from shoes.
3. Clean the drain and remove the odor. Pour four tablespoons of baking soda into the drain and rinse with hot water.
4. Get rid of the smell of sweat. In the morning after showering, apply some baking soda to wet armpits, brush off excess.
5. Soften the skin on the heels.
6. Cure diaper rash.
7. Remove tan. Use a baking soda paste while washing.
8. Put out a small fire. For example, if grease on the stove or wiring caught fire.
9. Polish silver items.
10. Clean the refrigerator.
11. Remove cat litter odor. Place the baking soda in the tray and the cat litter on top.
12. Clean the old thermos and eliminate the smell in it.
13. Soften dried beans. Soak them in a solution of baking soda and water.
14. Make the game taste less harsh.
15. Remove grease stains from laundry. Add baking soda when washing.
16. Remove stains from marble, tiles, plastic surfaces. Apply a paste of baking soda and water.
17. Remove engine oil from garage floor.
18. Wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly.
19. Empty trash can.
20. Eliminate dishwasher odor. Run it with baking soda instead of soap.
21. Extinguish and remove the smell from the cigarette butts smoldering in the ashtray.
22. Remove soap deposits from the shower curtain.
23. Clean teeth or dentures.
24. Get rid of heartburn. Dissolve ½ teaspoon of baking soda in half a glass of water and drink.
25. Reduce toothache. Rinse your mouth with a solution of ½ teaspoon of baking soda in half a glass of water.
26. Wash smoked pots. Soak them in a baking soda solution for 15 minutes.
27. Relieve the pain of a bee sting.
28. To make homemade clay: Mix 1 ¼ cup water, two cups baking soda, and one cup cornstarch.
29. Clean the windshield of your car with a baking soda solution. It will become water-repellent.
30. Clear heavy-duty bags.
31. Give shine to chrome and stainless steel items.

Liquid WD-40

If you have a bottle of WD-40 at home, then you can easily solve many everyday problems. From now on we will refer to WD-40 as grease. It really has a "lubricating" effect, helping, for example, to open a zipper or turn a key in a hole. But this is temporary. WD-40 pushes moisture out, so after using it, you need to apply additional lubricant. This is how the wonderful WD-40 fluid will help you.

1. Removes tough dirt from the car.
2. Helps unzip a jammed zipper.
3. It will help to unravel gold and silver chains.
4. Ward off the pigeons from the balcony.
5. WD-40 can be used to lubricate dentures.
6. Prevents silver from tarnishing.
7. Protects ceramic and terracotta pots from plaque.
8. Scissor lubricant.
9. Lubricant for door hinges at home and in cars.
10. A lubricant that will help get rid of the squeak of a baby swing.
11. Lubricant for window latches if you can't open them.
12. Lubricant for umbrellas that do not open well.
13. Cleans car pillars.
14. Fan squeak lubrication.
15. Bicycle lubricant.
16. Removes traces of glue after using scotch tape.
17. Cleans grill grates.
18. Removes black marks from the floor.

Paper towels

Paper towels are for those who want to make their housework easier. Here are some ways to use towels that you didn't know about:

1. Use a roll of towels as a pillow under your lower back.
2. Remove the fibers from the corn cob: wipe it off with a damp paper towel.
3. Use a towel as a filter in a drip coffee maker.
4. Lettuce stays fresher longer if you wrap it in a towel and put it in the refrigerator: the towel will absorb excess moisture.
5. If you are freezing bread, wrap it in a towel before freezing. Defrost bread in a towel: it will absorb the moisture released, and the bread will not be soggy.
6. Relieve pain if sunburned. Apply damp paper towels to burns.
7. Clean the can opener. Tuck the edge of the towel into the opener as if it were the edges of a can, and twist the opener.
8. Remove the pencil from the chalk board: rub the board with wax, place a paper towel on top and iron with an iron.
9. Remove candle wax from carpet or upholstery. Proceed in the same way as in method number 8.
10. Germinate your seeds. Place them between two damp towels.
11. To remove the fat from the broth, place a towel in a colander and strain the broth.
12. Wrap your Christmas tree decorations when storing them.
13. Remove any remaining machine oil from the sewing machine: Sew the first few stitches on a paper towel.

Wipes for softening and aromatizing linen

Wipes are used in tumble dryers to scent and remove static electricity from laundry. They are not yet very common in Russia, but they are gradually appearing. If you have a box of these wipes at home, here's how you can use them:

1. As a repeller for mice and ants.
2. As protection against wasps, mosquitoes, bees. Hang a napkin on the balcony to keep insects away.
3. Wipe down household appliances and computers so that dust does not collect on them longer.
4. Remove soap streaks from shower doors.
5. Remove odor from trash can: Drop one napkin on the bottom.
6. Wipe down the blinds to prevent dust from settling on them.
7. Deodorize your shoes with napkins.
8. When storing sleeping bags and tents, place a few napkins in them to keep them fresh.
9. Throw a napkin in a suitcase or bag that you don't use regularly.
10. Collect the cat hair with a napkin.
11. Use the napkin as an air freshener for your closet, room, car.
12. To prevent the thread from getting tangled while sewing, wipe it off with a napkin.
13. Collect fine dust after drilling or sanding.
14. Remove unpleasant odors by dropping a napkin into the bottom of the dirty laundry basket.
15. Wipe away insect marks from the car. Pre-moisten the napkin.
16. Remove burnt food from the pot. Put on a napkin, cover with water and leave overnight. In the morning, wash the pan with a sponge.