This article was originally published on RealLifeDIY
Here’s the thing, we have probably heard about countless "life-changing" hacks that ended up not making a difference in our lives at all. Sure, they may be great, but they usually require much more time and effort than we are willing to give. So we’ve decided to put together a list of hacks that are not only really simple to implement but will instantly make your life easier - for real! Whether you need to remove a toothpaste stain or you need to treat a sunburn, take a look at some of the most brilliant hacks out there that actually work.
Add A Paper Clip To The End Of A Tape Roll
If you’ve been looking for a hack that will make it much easier for you to find the end of a tape roll once and for all, then you’ve found it! All you have to do is slide a small paper clip in every time you are done using the roll of tape.
That way, when you’re ready to use it again you’ll be able to find the end in no time.
Put A Rubber Band On Your Door
Adding a rubber band to your door is the solution to keep your door from latching closed. This hack is particularly useful when you need your door to remain closed while still being able to open it.
Simply add the end of a rubber band to the front doorknob and extend it all around the rear doorknob, that should certainly keep your door from getting closed.
Up Your Game When Making Pancakes
Pancakes are life, there’s no doubt about that! And if the yummy food is a part of your weekly routine, then it won’t hurt you to take a look into this perfect hack.
Place your pancake mix into a condiment bottle you have lying around (thoroughly cleaned, of course), and that way, you’ll be able to squeeze the amount of batter you want onto your pan.
Put Some Aloe Vera Into Ice Cubes
This specific hack is really useful during summer when you spend most of the time outdoors enjoying the sun. If you get a sunburn, one of the best natural things to treat your sunburn is aloe vera.
But if you freeze it by putting some aloe vera into an ice tray and then into the freezer, the frozen ice cube of aloe vera will soothe the sunburn better than ever.
Put Your Shoes In A Shower Cap
If you ever find yourself doubting whether or not you should put those dirty shoes back in your closet, here’s a hack you can use to resolve the problem.
Simply place your dirty shoes into a shower cap (the bottom part) whenever you take your shoes off, and that should keep all of the dirt away from your clean clothes.
Use Binder Clips In Your Freezer
Do you ever find yourself getting tired of having a bunch of loose vegetable bags in your freezer? If your answer is yes, then use this hack to resolve the problem.
Grab some binder clips and place them, hanging, on the freezer shelf, with a vegetable bag attached to each of them. That way you'll keep them closed and you'll have more storage.
A Hack For Your Garage Storage
With this hack, you’ll be able to store all the items you want in your garage while keeping them out of the way. Just grab some wooden l-beams and a couple of storage containers that have a lip around the edge.
Then, simply install the l-beams in a way that leaves enough space for the containers to fit. Afterwards, slide the lipped containers into the l-beams and you’re ready to store.
Protect Your Eyes From Debris With This Hack
Do you need to drill into the ceiling but you’re dreading those pieces of debris that will probably fall into your eyes? No need to suffer, we’ve got the perfect hack for you.
You can just use the base of the plastic cup and place it around the drill so that when dust and debris start to fall it’s scooped by the cup.
Create A Snack Dispenser With Old Coffee Containers
Here’s a win-win situation. If you find yourself with too many old coffee containers and you’d like to find a way to recycle them, here’s a perfect solution for you. All you have to do is tear off the outer wrapper and begin putting your favorite snacks inside of it.
That will make dispensing snacks much easier, and will also let you store better both at home and on the go.
Keep Your Water From Spilling With A Wooden Spoon
If you’re familiar with cooking, then you’ll know that sometimes water begins overflowing while you’re boiling it in a pot. This can be really annoying, but it doesn’t have to be inevitable. You can simply get a wooden spoon and place it across the pot.
The wooden spoon will pop the bubbles, keeping the water at bay for enough time for you to turn down the heat.
Power Wash Your Surfaces With This Cleaning Hack
Here’s a hack that will easily let you power scrub any surfaces in your home without using any elbow grease.
Simply attach a small round brush head to the machine, making sure it’s secure, and then fasten it using a bolt. Now you’ve got the perfect drill-powered cleaning hack in front of you!
Remove Toothpaste Stains Easily
Toothpaste stains can be a total pain, in fact, any stain can be really annoying but toothpaste probably takes the win. That is because some kinds of toothpaste contain titanium dioxide powder which leaves really hard-to-remove spots.
In order to remove them easily, simply mix a bit of stain remover or some detergent with water. Afterwards use a clean cloth to put the mixture on the stain.
Create An Easy Grocery Bag Carrier
If you’d rather get all of your groceries in at once, instead of having to take each of them at a time, this hack might help you out. All you have to do is hook your grocery bags to a carabiner, and then use it as a handle.
That way, you’ll be able to easily carry all of your groceries indoors without too much fuss, especially if you carry them a long distance.
Fix Your Flip Flops In A Second
Now here's a hack that will work perfectly in one of those emergency situations, when you find yourself with a broken flip flop.
As an emergency fix for that strap that popped out, just get a tab like the one in the picture, and place it on the tip of the sandal strap that is at the bottom of the flip flop.
Pour Your Liquids Without Wasting Everything At Once
If you’ve got a bottle of rubbing alcohol, vegetable oil, or any other substance of that nature then this hack is perfect to help you cut out down on the amount you use once you've opened it.
When you open the bottle, don’t remove the foil covering in it. Instead, grab a fork and start poking some holes. You’ll then be able to pour the liquid that’s inside without going through too much of it at once.
Double Your Closet Space With A Soda Can Tab
If you love clothes but your closet is way too small to hang everything you own, then we have an idea for you. Save your soda can tabs and simply place them over the neck part of your clothes' hangers.
That way, you’ll be able to hang more than one piece of clothing in one hanger, doubling your closet space in a second!
Use A Can Opener To Open Difficult Blister Packs
It can be incredibly hard to open items that come in a blister pack. And sometimes, once you do manage to open them, their sharp edges can result in a really bad cut - but you can avoid all that with this hack!
Use a hand-operated can opener to cut through the plastic part of the blister pack, that way, you’ll have a clean edge that shouldn’t be dangerous.
Turn The Tab Around In Your Soda Can For Its Other Function
Though at first glance this hack may seem obvious, you’d be surprised by the number of people that forget about it. When you buy a soda, instead of removing the tab of the soda can, just turn it over.
Once you do so, you’ll be able to insert a straw that will stay in place thanks to your newfound hack!
Use A Tic Tac Container To Store Bobby Pins
If you love Tic Tacs but never know what to do with the many containers that remain after you finish a pack, you should totally give this hack a try. The small containers can usually hold bobby pins very easily while dispensing them in a second.
You simply have to open the top part and get the pin you need, then close it and put it back in your bag.
Hang Your Kitchen Pots With This Hack
If you struggle with finding space in your kitchen, then we have a hack that should help you store your pots in a breeze. Simply place a pegboard on a kitchen wall of your choice, and begin hanging the pots and pans you want to.
That way you’ll have another solution for storage, and it will look pretty cool too.
Pour Coffee Into An Ice Tray For A Better Iced Coffee
If you love a good cup of iced coffee but you hate it when your ice ends up watering your coffee, then check this hack out. Instead of putting regular water ice cubes in your coffee, simply pour your coffee into an ice tray and put it in the freezer.
Then, the next time you make yourself a coffee you can just use the frozen ice cubes.
Bake Two Pizzas At Once In Your Small Oven
Do you want to bake two frozen pizzas but you find yourself without enough room in your oven? Well, believe it or not, but you could use some geometry for this one. Just cut the pizzas into quarters and place them in a way that makes sense geometrically.
That way, you'll be able to have both of your pizzas ready at the same time.
Use A Spoon To Put On Your Eyeliner
Putting on eyeliner is both an art and a heart-pounding gamble since you never know if you’ll completely succeed.
So if this sounds like something you’d like to get a hang of, just try to use a spoon. Place the spoon on the top part of your eyelid before you begin putting your eyeliner and voila, you’ll get the perfect line.
Place A Cereal Container In Your Car For Trash
If you’re tired of having to clean all the trash out of your car every week, then you can resolve it with a simple cereal container.
Just place the container with a small trash bag inside of it in the car, and you will be able to conveniently throw your wrappers, soda cans, and any other small garbage you usually have in your vehicle.
Cut Your Baked Goods With Dental Floss
If you haven’t heard of this hack, then you have no idea what you’ve been missing out on. If, like us, you like to cut straight lines into your baked goods, including cinnamon rolls and yummy cakes, then you can use unflavored dental floss.
It might sound somewhat strange, but you can easily cut through your baked goods with some dental floss without making a mess or damaging any of the fillings.
Use A Tennis Ball In Your Garage
With this hack, you’ll be able to park in your garage without pulling forward too far as it can often happen. Just grab a tennis ball and hang it on the ceiling by using a piece of twine.
Put it in a place where the ball will hit your car’s front windshield, warning you that it’s time to stop before you hit something.
Cool A Drink Quickly With This Hack
When you need to cool off the bottle of a beverage you’re about to have, just grab a paper towel and wrap it around the bottle. Then, put the bottle in the freezer and let it stay there for approximately 15 minutes.
Then, remove the drink from the freezer, and it should be completely cold and ready to be enjoyed.
Use A Black Tea For Your Sunburn
Here’s another great hack for you to reach out to when you get sunburned. Fill a pitcher with some lukewarm water and begin soaking a couple of teabags.
When the water is black as a result of the tea, you can just grab a clean cloth, dip it into the tea, and dab it carefully onto the place where you’re sunburnt. The antioxidants in the black tea water have been used for years to treat damaged and burnt skin and will still do the trick today!
Remember To Check The Cellphone Service Before Investing
This one might not be so much of a hack, but a necessary reminder to anyone who is planning to rent or to buy a home. You may not remember to do this, but before choosing your home, check the cell service in the new area you’re planning to move to.
If you notice that the service is spotty, then maybe consider putting your money into a different home.
Organize Your Cords With This Hack
If you find yourself with a lot of cords that are not only hard to keep track of but also constantly get tangled, then we’ve got the perfect idea for you.
Just save those empty toilet paper rolls and, after you have enough, place a bunch of them in a big box. Grab your cords and roll them up, then insert them into a roll of toilet paper.
Do This For A Drip-Free Ice Pack
If you’d like to have a drip-free ice pack, you can simply soak a sponge in some water and place it into a Ziploc bag.
Then, put the bag in the freezer until it gets completely frozen. Whenever you need it, you’ll be able to apply the ice pack you’ve created into a bruise or burn, or whatever you need it for.
Use A Rubber Band To Remove Excess Paint
If you like painting walls and items around the house, then we have a trick for you that can make the process much cleaner.
Place a large rubber band around your can of paint and, every time you dip the brush, you can easily wipe the bottom against the rubber band you’ve placed there. This should be the perfect solution for those paint drips that can be so messy.
Shave Your Sweaters WIth This Hack
As cozy as sweaters can be, they can often develop tiny fuzzy balls over time, which makes them look older than they really are. In order to get rid of those fuzzy balls, just grab a razor and carefully shave them off the surface of your sweater.
In a second, you’ll have a perfect-looking sweater again, and you didn't have to spend any money on it.
Clean Your Computer With Post-It Notes
Our computers are one of those things that we rarely ever clean. And yet, they get dirty easily, and cleaning them isn’t that hard.
Simply use the sticky part of any sticky notes you have at home and place it in between the computer keys. That should easily remove any debris or dirt from the computer in no time.
Label Your Cords With This Hack
If you realize that you have too many messy cords around or behind your TV or your computer, you can organize them easily with some labels.
Simply stick the tab that you find in a loaf of bread around the cords you want to organize, and label them with some black marker. From then on, you’ll know exactly which cords you’re dealing with.
Soften Masking Tape With This Trick
Many times, we have masking tape lying around the house for long periods of time. Unfortunately, that can often result in the tape becoming hardened and difficult to use.
So in order to make it softer and much easier to manage when you need it again, just stick the entire tape in the microwave for a couple of seconds and it will be ready to use.
Keep Your Phone Charger Cords From Fraying
If you’ve got any old pens lying around the house, you can use them for this brilliant hack. If you’ve been wanting to keep the end of your charger’s cords from fraying then simply remove the spring from an old pen and twist it around the cord.
You should twist just it into place just behind the connector. It's slightly annoying, but not nearly as bad as dealing with those awful frayed cords.
Paint Your Glass Door To See If It’s Locked
Here’s a hack that will easily let you determine whether or not a glass door is locked. All you have to do is paint the button of the lock on your door, with a color that contrasts with the rest of the door.
By doing that, you’ll be able to take a quick look at the door and you’ll know whether or not it's locked without having to walk over to the door every time.
Free A Stuck Zipper With This Hack
Getting a stuck zipper is seriously the worst, but this hack should help you take care of it. You simply need to grab a pencil and rub the lead all over the zipper.
The graphite that is present in the pencil lead will help lubricate the zipper just enough to open it and close it easily. In order to fully lubricate it, you might have to move the zipper back and forth, but it should work.
Make Some Wine Cubes For The Win
If you like to add that delicious wine flavor to your cooking, then this hack is for you. Grab an ice tray and begin filling it with the cooking wine of your choice, then freeze it.
Whenever you need some wine to cook, you can simply resort to your frozen ice cubes, defrost them, and voila, you have a perfect solution for your cooking.
Remove Shoe Odor With This Trick
As time goes by, your shoes might begin to stink, especially if you use them really often. So in order to get rid of these odors in a breeze, you can grab some newspaper and stuff it into the stinky shoes.
Leave it there for a while so it can soak up all the moisture that is inside of the shoe, which is what is probably causing the bad odor.
Use A Dustpan To Help You Fill Water
If you find yourself in a situation where you need to fill a huge bucket of water, but the bucket simply doesn’t fit on the sink, then use a dustpan. Place the dustpan directly under the faucet and make sure the handle is hanging over the front edge.
Then, place your bucket underneath the part where the handle is sticking out. This should result in the water easily running from the handle into the bucket.
Use Frozen Grapes To Chill Wine
If you love your wine but you’re strict when it comes to not putting ice into it, then try using frozen grapes. This will help you chill the wine while using its primary ingredient.
You just have to put some grapes in a Ziploc bag into the freezer, and whenever you need to chill your wine, open it and grab as many grapes as you need.
Use Aluminium Foil To Transform Your Pan
How many of us were once stuck in a situation where we simply didn't have the right baking pan for a specific recipe? Well, if you'd like to save some money and time, think about using that aluminum foil you have in your drawer.
Simply cut it and place it in a way that creates the perfect pan size for what you need.
Use A Glass In Your Microwave
Sometimes we want to heat up a bunch of things in the microwave but we can't do it one by one. Here's a tip: you can actually place a glass in your microwave to speed things up.
Simply place the glass in a way that you can put one thing on top of the other to quickly heat it all up.
Find The Right Bandaid With This Trick
Do you constantly find yourself struggling to find the right bandaid? Instead of suffering, just grab your bandaids and place them all in different sandwich bags while sorting them according to their size and use.
Then use a bandage on the front part of the bag to label each bag so that you can easily reach for what you need.
Use A Lint Roller On Your Door
Lint rollers are seriously one of the most useful items you can have in your home. They are especially useful if you have furry friends around the house and need to constantly clean out their hair from your clothes or furniture.
But did you know that you can also use the lint roller on your dirty screen door? If not, you're welcome!