Life hacks are something everyone is drawn to because everyone can use them. They are meant to save money and make life easier. These pieces of advice are your life hacks and you’ll want to start using them immediately.
1) Store Blankets In Pillowcases
This tip came from Martha Stewart herself. If you store your bedding in pillowcases, it’s easy to retrieve and it looks way neater than folding the blankets and sheets up and stacking them in the cupboard.
2) Use Cold Water On Linoleum
Hot water is too strong for linoleum. This flooring can be a steal if treated right, but it does need proper care. Use a standard mopping solution with cold water and try not to let hot water get on the floor.
3) Use A Straightener For Small Wrinkles
Straigthers are small irons, hence the name flatiron. So using them on your clothing isn’t a bad idea. They can get rid of small wrinkles in a flash, even while you’re wearing the clothing. Just be careful!
4) Vinegar For Tiles
A vinegar solution might be your best bet when cleaning tiles, especially in the bathroom. Vinegar has many uses and properties, so mixing some with water is a great way to remove that extra layer of grime on your tiles.
5) Freeze Your Sweatshirt
To soften your sweatshirts, freeze them overnight and let them thaw in the warm sunshine. If it’s a hot autumn day, it will not just be soft but feel cool on your skin. Perfect for that middle-weather.
6) Shine Hardwood With Glycerin
Glycerin can be exactly what your hardwood needs. If you have hardwood floors, you know they need special care. Shining them with glycerin is fairly cheap, very safe, and effective.
7) Chloride For Grout
While your tiles are fairly easy to clean, grout can be very stubborn. Try a chloride-based toilet bowl cleaner to whiten those cracks and make your tile come together like it is supposed to.
8) Lacquer The Back Of Your Buttons
This can be done as soon as you get the clothing, but works great in a pinch as well. Just use a clear coat nail polish to paint the back of the buttons where they stick onto the material to make sure the buttons don’t fall off.
9) Salt Your Carpet
A salt solution could be just what your carpet needs to fluff up and brighten. Apply the salt the night before, let it set, wash it off, and let it dry. With carpet cleaner so expensive, this is a great solution.
10) Salt Your Hands
Salt is so multi-purpose, it’s crazy. You can salt your hands before washing them to not only clean your hands more thoroughly but get rid of any smells that may be attached to them as well.
11) Handsoap Can Unstuck Zippers
If your zipper gets stuck, try rubbing it down with handsoap or a parabin candle. It will likely let lose and let you unzip and zip till your heart’s content. Keep a bar with you for emergencies.
12) Citric Acid To Clean Limescale
If your washer isn’t working as good as it used to or if you see limscale building up, wash it without any clothes in it with a citric acid solution. It should break down the limescale and make your washer shine again.
13) Dry Shoes With Newspaper
Sticking newspaper in your shoes is a great way to speed up the drying process. Better than sitting them in front of the fire the old-fashioned way or taking a hairdryer to them. Thank you, next.
14) Pull Lose Stitches Back Together
This one is tricky, but if the stitch has just come undone, you may be able to temporarily bring it back together by pulling it from either side at the same time. But in the long run, you’ll want to keep a sewing kit on hand.
15) Fabric Softener After Mopping
After you mop or even wipe the counters, you can prevent dust by finishing it with fabric softener. Either a wipe or the spray. Dust won’t collect near as fast and your floors and counters will be smooth.
16) Brush White Soles With Toothpaste
To keep your soles white, brush them with toothpaste regularly. Make sure the toothpaste is all white, and even better if it’s “whitening” for obvious reasons. What better way to whiten them than to whiten them?
17) Peroxide And Cleaner For Cutting Boards
After cutting onions, garlic, and fish, cutting boards can be quit stinky. Get rid of odors with a cleaning solution mixed with peroxide. Just make sure you read the labels to avoid chemical incidents.
18) Make Straw Golden With Saltwater
A simple saltwater solution can make straw materials shine once again. This is especially helpful when using straw baskets around the house, a trend that is rising right now. Make sure yours shines golden.
19) Bring Gym Shoes Back To Life
This works the best with leather sports shoes but is worth a try on others as well. Simply soak them in warm water, wipe, let dry, apply glycerin, and fill with newspaper. Let them dry again and voila.
20) Parsley For Garlic Breath
If you are prone to garlic breath because garlic is the tastiest thing in the world, then don’t worry. Chew on a little bit of mild parsely and you’ll get rid of the stank breath in no time. Now enjoy your garlic.
21) Non-Chlorine Bleach For Shower Curtain
Clean your shower curtains regularly with non-chlorine bleach. It gets rid of soap scum, lime, and buildup while also brighten them. Just dilute the bleach with water so as not to overpower.
22) Solution For Waterproof Shoes
Here we have a simple solution to make sure your waterproof shoes stay waterproof. Mix fish oil, wax, and turpentine in water. Bathe your shoes for an extended amount of time and let them dry.
23) Salt Your Iron
To remove burn marks from your iron, try ironing salt. Let the iron cool and wipe with a damp cloth. The marks should be removed and your iron should be clean once again. Good as new!
24) Roll Jeans Before Storing
To prevent wrinkles in your jeans and trousers, you can always roll your jeans before storing them instead of folding them. Wrinkles are much less likely and they are still easy to stack.
25) Boil And Rinse Enamel
You can “bleach” enamel dishes by boiling them then rinsing them in a cleaning solution. This won’t get rid of chips but it makes them way easier to clean and will get rid of scuffs and stains.
26) Rub Certain Oils On Squeaky Soles
You can use safe oils such as linseed oil or castor oil to rub on your soles before leaving to make sure that they don’t squeak. No one likes to awkward squeak of new shoes, least of all the wearer.
27) Vinegar And Baking Soda For Pans
We are all familiar with this mixture due to school volcanoes. A vinegar and baking soda mixture is a great solution for frying pans. Let it activate and set for a few minutes before scrubbing the pan cleans.
28) Don’t Use Soap On Windows
Soap on windows creates soap scum. You will have streaks you can’t get rid of without a lot of work if you use it on your windows. Stick to ammonia and other sprays used for windows.
29) Wash Silver And Gold With Ammonia
Another thing you can wash with ammonia is silver and gold. The chemical will make your shiny materials shine even brighter. From coins to jewelry to antiques, you can bathe them in the solution and wipe them clean.
30) Let Baking Soda Set In Casserole Dish
Casseroles are tasty and versatile, but that casserole dish can be a pain to wash at times. If you let baking soda and water sit in the casserole dish before washing it, the junk will scrape right off.
31) Steam Brush Suede
If you let suede set under steam, you can brush it to revive it. Use a tooth brush or something similar as the bristles are soft yet effective. We all have that favorite pair of suede boots, don’t let them fade.
32) Clean From Top To Bottom
You know how people always say they are cleaning from top to bottom? It’s because if you do it in reverse, you’ll sully all of your hard work. If you work from the top, you can keep what you’ve already done clean.
33) Wipe Tight Shoes With Cologne
If you spray the inside of your shoes with cologne, the alcohol in it will stretch them out as you walk so they won’t hurt your feet. This is perfect for those new heels you’ve been dying to wear.
34) Run Vinegar Through Kettle Or Coffee Pot
If your kettle or coffee pot has built up limescale, it won’t work properly. It will be slow, have funny tasting beverages, and then altogether stop working. Prevent this by running vinegar and water through it.
35) Peroxide For Shoe Odors
To get rid of sweaty show odors, wipe the inside if your shoes with peroxide. It’s a natural odor eliminator that’s safe for skin contact, even in open sores, like blisters. Peroxide is something you should always have on hand.
36) Wet Sheet Then Beat
If you are looking for a way to clean your soft furniture, look no further. Just wet a sheet, lay it on the piece, and beat like you do a rug, only gentler. It’s a foolproof way to safely get rid of dust.
37) Dry Perfume Or Soap For Stale Closets
If your closet is smelling stale or moldy, just add a few bags of dry perfume, or soap. Or, if you don’t want the extra smell, you can try charcoal bags. You can buy adorable ones online or make your own.
38) Dryer Sheets For Dust
To get rid of dust and prevent further buildup, use dryer sheets on your surfaces. It won’t prevent dust altogether but it is way better than a simple duster or wet rag. Plus, they are really cheap!
39) Lacquer Ring To Prevent The Green
If you have a cheaper ring that makes your finger green, you can always add a layer of clearcoat to the inside. This will make the ring glide smoothly without affecting the look, at the same time, preventing the green.
40) Sift Your Flour
It’s a good idea to do this when you’re not cooking, though you can just sift as you go. However, if you sift all of your flour every once in a while, you can make it easy for the whole household.
41) Vinegar For Dark Jeans
Adding a little vinegar to the wash a few minutes before it’s over can make sure your dark jeans remain dark. It won’t darken light jeans either so you can add it to the load of various jeans.
42) Gelatin Water To Prevent Mist
A mix of gelatin water will coat your mirror in an invisible film that will prevent your mirrors from misting after you shower. There are tons of ways to accomplish this but this one may last the longest.
43) Round Hangers Won’t Stretch Clothes
Although this isn’t foolproof if you’re hangers are too large, it is way better than pointy hangers that tend to stretch fabrics and even make holes. Your best bet are plastic round hangers.
44) Wipe Faucet With Waxpaper
To prevent stains, limescale, and rust, you can wipe your faucet with waxpaper. It will have a thin invisible coat that protects it form the elements for quite some time. Do it every few weeks and you can extend the life of your faucet.
45) Turpentine Or Egg Whites For Gilded Jewelry
If you wash your gilded jewelry in egg whites or turpentine, you can have a clean surface without removing that layer of gold or silver. Gilded jewelry can be touchy since it isn’t solid, so this is a great way to take care of it.
46) Clean Mirror With Alcohol
If your mirror is getting smudged and streaked, try washing it with rubbing alcohol instead of your standard cleaner. It’s stronger, yet still just as safe, if not safer than ammonia.
47) Restore Glossy Fabric With Vinegar
If your matte fabrics are getting glossy, just brush them with vinegar to bring back their natural tone. Again, vinegar is amazing and should be kept on hand for more than just simple dressings.
48) Saltwater For Fluffier Towels
If you wash your towels in saltwater, they will be fluffier. Especially when these towels are terry cloth. You will have better towels than the finest hotel, right? Better do your bathrobe next.
49) Clay For Glass Repairs
You can use the right play-doh as well but it’s hard to find the right color for that. However, when it comes to clay, you can just fix the break and bake it in any color that you wish without even painting.
50) Egg Whites To Freshen Leather
A simple egg wash can freshen up your favorite leather. Most of the time, eggs are easy to come by and super affordable. And if you’re in a pinch, you probably have a carton in your fridge.
51) Saltwater before Sharpening Blades
If you let your blade soak in saltwater for thirty minutes, it will be much easier to sharpen. Just make sure you let the excess water shake away or blot it a little. Then get your sharpener out and see the difference it makes.
52) Lemon Juice For Leather Bags
To shine your favorite leather bag, use lemon juice. Or simply cut a lemon in half and rub it over the service. Not only will it shine, but it will smell ever so fresh in the process. There’s a reason lemon is always in cleaning solutions.
53) Clean Paintings With Bread
This sounds strange but you can actually use bread to clean paintings. Wheat works the best. It can be used to blot down new, dry paintings or to help restore old paintings without damaging the art.
54) Defluff Overcoats With Pumice
You know that pumice stone that came in that bath set that you never use? Well, now you can restore your favorite coat with it. It works best on suede but can be used on other materials too. Just be gentle.
54) Don’t Let Wallpaper Air Out Immediately
If you let your wallpaper air out immediately after putting it up, it will just peel. Let it dry naturally and air it out a day or two after it has set. It will stay much longer and more securely if you do.
56) Wrap Tight Gloves In A Wet Towel
New leather gloves too tight? Wrap them in a wet towel for an hour or so and try them on. They will likely stretch out as you put them on and become a size bigger. This won’t affect gloves that already fit.
57) Chalk For Oil Stains
Chalk is so dry that it’s the perfect thing for soaking up oil stains. Use it lose or scribble away at oil stains on tables or wood floors. Then scrub away the chalk with warm water and soap.
58) Potatoes To Clean Silverware
Another strange hack that actually works. Starchy potatoes can actually shine silverware better than most silver-cleaning products. Cut one in half and use it like a sponge on your dinnerware.
59) Lemon Juice For Tea Stains
Lemon and tea go good together in more ways than one. You can use lemon to remove tea stains from fabrics if they are done right away. Wash them in lemon water with extra lemon before tossing them in the washing machine.
60) Lemon Juice For Kitchen Odors
Lemon juice is good for more than a few things. You can use it on tea stains and you can use it to remove kitchen odors. Wash your fridge interior with lemon juice or simply cut a few slices and sit them around the kitchen.
61) Salt For Grass Stains
Salt is a great grass stain solution. Mix it with a little water and rub on the stains, let set, and wash as you normally would. Never be afraid of burying your kids white shorts again.
62) Dilute Alabaster With Milk
If you dilute your alabaster with milk, it will set better and be easier to caulk. If you’re lucky enough to be a pro with alabaster, you can now have it easy too and no one will know the difference.
63) De-static With A Napkin
If you don’t have any anti-static wipes with you, use a napkin to remove the static from your hair or clothing. It works almost as good and can be found in nearly any vicinity you may be at.
64) Toothpaste Removes Marker Marks
While Sharpie’s may say permanent, that doesn’t mean that it is impossible to remove, just difficult. If you have bright toothpaste with a good texture, you can use it to remove marks on the walls, tables, and floors.
65) Ammonia For Porcelain
You an use ammonia, or glass cleaner, for porcelain and make it shine once again. It’s hard to find good porcelain anymore so what you do have may be old and faded. So a safe wash is just what you need.
66) Wear Your Leather In The Rain
You have probably been told not to wear your leather in the rain. But that’s because it loosens the material. If you want to soften your jacket and not have it stiff, then getting it wet is what you need to do.
67) Open Window And Towels For Tobacco Smell
If your home reeks of tobacco, then open the windows and set a few towels around the house. The smell will be gone in no time. If it’s contained to one room, then close the doors and open just one window.
68) Put A Towel Under Your Iron
Here’s another handy use for a towel. Place on under the clothes that you are ironing to remove wrinkles better, have a gentler iron, and take it easier on your iron. Your grandma probably knows this one!
69) Dip Nails In Vegetable Oil
If you dip your nails in vegetable oil before using them, they will go in much easier. We all know it’s not always easy to get those nails started but with this trick it takes a lot of the work out of hammering.
70) Ammonia For Sheepskin
Ammonia is the perfect cleaning solution for sheepskin. It keeps it soft, or makes it even softer, and rids it of stains, as well as odors. We all have that warm sheepskin coat, better not let anything happen to it.
71) Organize Cords With TP Tubes
There are plenty of ways to organize cords, but it is definitely something you don’t want to forget. Use toilet paper tubes to keep them separate, neat, and free from tangles. Now you have a reason to keep those tubes too!
72) Veggie Oil For Light Liquid Stains
A thin layer of vegetable oil can get rid of stains from lighter liquids left on wooden surfaces. Just wash gently with oil before washing with soap and warm water. The stain should lift right up.
73) Cold Only For Crystal
Crystal can be touchy. If you’re lucky enough to have any, then remember to never use hot water to wash it. Not only could it crack under the pressure but it could leave your crystal foggy for life.
74) Lemon For Hot Liquid Stains
Lemon comes to the rescue again by removing stains left behind by hot liquids. You wouldn’t think lemon could combat tea and coffee but it can. So go ahead and try it next time company leaves rings on your table.
75) Keep Certain Jewelry In Dark
You’ve heard that pearls are meant to be kept under the sea, but did you know that turquoise and topaz are supposed to be kept dark as well? Try wearing them at night only and keeping them in a closed box the rest of the time.
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