Have you ever seen someone perform a task in a unique, clever way that made you rethink your life and wonder why you never thought of it before? Think of all the wasted hours of frustration and fruitless toil!
Well, here are some ways to be successful at completing simple tasks, impressing your friends and winning at life in general.
Car stuck in the snow?
Try shoving one of your floor mats under your tire. It could be just the thing you need to get enough traction to get unstuck. However, it could also destroy your floor mat, so I recommend not getting stuck!
Tired of power cords falling down behind the desk?
Try using binder clips. Simply clip them to the back edge of the desk and run the cords through the metal part. The cords can then be stored hanging behind the desk and pulled out when needed!
Don’t want to shell out money for a Bluetooth speaker?
Set your phone or MP3 player into a cup or bowl to amplify and direct the sound.
Smashed fingers?
Protect your fingers while hammering nails by holding the nail with a clothespin. You may destroy a few clothespins, but at least you’ll have all of your fingers.
Stripped-out screw holes?
Have you ever sent a screw in too hard and stripped out the wood so that the screw wouldn’t hold anymore? Try filling in the hole with a few pieces of toothpick or wooden match. This should provide enough material to fill the excess space, and the screw should hold. Just be careful not to strip it again.
Your healthy homemade ice cream too hard to scoop?
Get a cup full of hot water from the tap and set the scooper in it for a few seconds between scoops. The scooper will cut through faster, save you a lot of energy and keep you from flinging small chunks of ice cream everywhere when the scooper slips.
Messy paint cans?
If you’re tired of getting paint all around the lid and running down the side of the can, then try using a large rubber band. Wrap it so the band stretches across the top. As you dip your brush, you can wipe the excess paint off on the rubber band, and it will fall right back into the middle of the can. This reduces waste and keeps things tidy.
Drop your phone in the tub again?
Immediately place your soggy phone in a bag or bowl full of uncooked rice. The rice will absorb any moisture around it and will draw the water out of the inner workings of your phone. It’s not foolproof, but it does work most of the time!
Want to keep your gluten-free bagel sandwich fresh?
Take an empty CD spindle and place the bagel over the center and replace the lid. It will keep your lunch from getting squashed on the way to work or school.
Tired of having to detangle cords when you pull them out of a drawer or box?
Wrinkled collar on vacation?
Borrow a hair straightener — it’s just the right size!
Need to separate an egg yolk from the white?
Crack the egg into a shallow bowl or plate. Take a cleaned-out water bottle and squeeze most of the air out. Touch the opening squarely to the surface of the yolk and release pressure. The expanding bottle will suck the yolk right in like a vacuum cleaner.
Having a hard time keeping gift wrapping paper from unrolling all over the closet?
Take an empty toilet paper or paper towel tube and make a cut down one side. Slide it over the offending roll of festive wrapping paper and get back to wrapping presents! You don’t even have to take the roll off to pull out some wrapping paper. You can pull the next sheet right through the cut, and it will go right back to holding everything in place as soon as you’re done cutting.
There are endless innovative uses for everyday items. Try looking at things with a fresh perspective — you just may be able to come up with a few life hacks of your own that you can share with others!
—The Alternative Daily