\u00a0Try some simple hacks when you\u2019re cooking, cleaning, taking care of the kids, or even just relaxing on the beach. You can find endless lists of life hacks online, but always use your best judgment as to whether a hack is both useful and safe.\n

Cooking and Food Prep Hacks\n\n\n
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Lay a wooden spoon over the top of a pot to prevent a boil-over.\u00a0The foaming bubbles created by boiling water are filled with steam. If they touch something at a temperature below 100\u00a0\u00b0C (212\u00a0\u00b0F), the steam will condense (change back into a liquid) and break the surface tension of the bubbles.^{[1]\n\nA wooden spoon is the best choice because a plastic spoon might melt and a metal spoon will get very hot to the touch.\n\n\nMake Ramen Noodles in a coffee maker for a quick meal.\u00a0Put the noodles in the carafe and add the recommended amount of water to the reservoir. Turn on the brewing cycle and leave the noodles in the dispensed hot water for the recommended time. Transfer them to a bowl and stir in the seasonings.[2]\n\nYou can add the seasonings to the carafe as well, but this makes it hard to get the flavor of Ramen Noodle seasoning out of your coffee pot!\nMake sure there isn\u2019t a used coffee filter in the machine before proceeding. You don\u2019t need to add a clean filter.\n\n\n\n\nReheat leftover pizza in a skillet to get a crispy crust.\u00a0Place the skillet over medium heat and add a quick spritz of cooking spray or a few drops of cooking oil. Heat a slice of pizza in the pan for 2 minutes, then put the lid on and turn the heat to low for about 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted.^\n\nAdd a few drops of water to the pan before putting on the lid to cook the top of the pizza a bit faster. Be careful, though, as any oil in the pan may splatter.\n\n\n\n\nUse a skirt hanger with clips as a space-saving cookbook holder.\u00a0Use the 2 clips on the hanger to hold the cookbook open. Put the hanger\u2019s hook over a nearby cupboard handle to create an instant and very useful cookbook holder!^{The open book will be at just the right height for easy reference, and it won\u2019t take up valuable counter space.\n\n\n}Remove stems from strawberries with a thick straw for a quick and easy method.\u00a0Insert the straw into the side opposite to the stem and press it up through the center of the strawberry. When you get all the way through to the top, the stem will pop right up and out!^\n\nA sturdy plastic straw works well, but a reusable metal straw is even better. In either case, use a wider milkshake or smoothie straw if available.\n\n\n\n\nUse tongs to more easily squeeze all the juice from a lemon.\u00a0Cut a lemon in half, then wedge one half between the tongs, cut side facing out. Squeeze the ends of the tongs that you usually use for picking up things to press out as much lemon juice as possible. Repeat with the other half.[6]\n\nConsider laying a fine mesh strainer over the bowl or pitcher you\u2019re squeezing the juice into in order to catch the seeds.\n\n\n\n\nUse your cereal spoon to keep milk from splashing when you pour it.\u00a0Add your cereal to the bowl, then lay your spoon upside down on top of it. Pour the milk slowly onto the underside of the spoon\u2019s head. You\u2019ll notice far less splashing than when you pour the milk directly onto the cereal.[7]\n\n\nAlternatively, add the milk to the bowl first, then the cereal!\n\n\n\n\nRemove the yolk from a cracked egg easily with a water bottle.\u00a0Crack the egg into a bowl or dish, then grab a clean, empty plastic water bottle. Squeeze the bottle about halfway (not enough to crush it), place it right on top of the yolk, and release your squeeze. The yolk will be sucked up into the bottle!\n\n\n\nPit cherries quickly with a straw and a bottle.\u00a0Choose an empty glass or plastic bottle with a mouth that\u2019s smaller than your cherries, so that you can place a cherry stem-side up on the bottle opening. Press straight down through the stem with a sturdy straw (metal is best), a skewer, or a chopstick. The pit will drop right into the bottle.^\n\n\n\nDip your finger in water to remove egg shells from a cracked egg.\u00a0Wash your hands and dry them off with a towel, then dip one finger into a bowl of warm water. Use your wet finger to press down on each egg shell piece and pick them out of your cracked egg one at a time. The water will make the shells gravitate toward your finger, making it super easy to get rid of all the shells.^\n\nDon\u2019t forget to wash your hands when you\u2019re done!\n\n\n\n\n\nChill a beverage quickly in the freezer with wet paper towels.\u00a0Wet down 1-2 paper towel sheets, then squeeze out the excess water. Wrap the paper towels around a can or bottled drink and put it in the freezer for 15 minutes. The damp paper towels help chill the drink much more quickly.^\n\nDon\u2019t forget about a glass bottle you put in the freezer\u2014if the liquid freezes, the bottle may explode!\n\n\n\n\nStore mixed pancake batter conveniently in a plastic ketchup bottle.\u00a0This is a great way to store extra batter in the fridge for up to 3 days, and it makes dispensing the batter easy! Just squeeze out the amount you need right onto the griddle when making pancakes.^[11]\n\nUse a kitchen funnel to make it easier to pour the batter into the bottle. Or, find a plastic bottle with a slightly smaller mouth than the ketchup bottle. Cut off the bottom of this second bottle, place it upside down into the mouth of the ketchup bottle, and use it as a DIY funnel.\n\n\n\n\nUse a muffin tin to serve a range of condiments at a party.\u00a0Add ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce, salsa, mayonnaise, or whatever other condiments you need to the individual indentations in the muffin tin. This makes serving the condiments and cleaning up afterward a cinch![12]\n\n\n\nCut clean slices of cheesecake and soft desserts with dental floss.\u00a0Cut a length of unflavored dental floss and wrap the ends around your index fingers. Pull it taut and press it straight down through cheesecake, cinnamon rolls, fondant, jelly rolls, and so on.^\n\nUse the same process to cut through clay with a length of wire.\n\n\n\n\nKeep your packaged bread fresher longer with a plastic bottle top.\u00a0Starting at the point where the cylinder starts to narrow toward the spout, cut the top section off of a clean, dry plastic drink bottle. Feed the open end of the bread bag up through the cut opening and out of the mouth of the bottle, then fold it down over the sides of the mouth. Screw on the bottle\u2019s lid to make an airtight seal.[14]\n\n\n\nUse plastic lids as simple but effective coasters.\u00a0Don’t have a coaster on hand? A plastic lid from a mayonnaise jar or similar container can do the job! Just place your drink on top and you’ve got a neat coaster.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMake canvas shoes water-resistant by applying beeswax.\u00a0Use a clean rag to spread the beeswax over the entire outer surface of the shoes, making sure not to miss any areas. Then, wave a hairdryer over the shoes until the wax melts and becomes invisible. Apply another coat of beeswax whenever you notice the water-resistant coating begin to falter.^\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIron a dress shirt collar fast with a hair straightener iron.\u00a0This is a quick fix that saves time versus getting out your iron and board. Just plug in the hair straightener, let it heat up, and clamp it over each side of your shirt collar for about 15 seconds. To play it safe, don\u2019t do this while you\u2019re wearing the shirt!^\n\nThis is a great hack if you\u2019re going to wear a sweater over your dress shirt anyway\u2014why bother ironing the whole thing?\n\n\n\n\nUse white wine to reduce the appearance of a red wine stain.\u00a0If you splash some red wine on your white shirt, grab some white wine! Dampen a clean cloth in white wine and gently blot the red wine stain until it becomes less noticeable. It won\u2019t remove the stain completely, but it does a surprisingly good job.^[17]\n\nIf you have a stain remover stick or wipes with you, use them\u2014they work even better. If you left them at home, use them on the stain before washing the garment.\n\n\n\n\nPrevent lost socks by pinning pairs before washing and drying.\u00a0Stop feeding single socks to the \u201cdryer monster\u201d by outwitting it! Simply secure each pair of socks together with a safety pin before putting them into the wash. Keep them pinned together when you transfer them to the dryer.^\n\nReplace any pins that start to show signs of rusting.\n\n\n\n\n\nScrew a magazine holder onto the back of a cabinet door to hold a hairdryer.\u00a0Choose a magazine\/file holder made of plastic, wood, metal wire, or sturdy cardboard and secure it in place with 2-4 screws. Most standard hairdryers fit perfectly into this spot.^\n\nAlternatively, use several removable adhesive strips instead of screws.\n\n\n\n\nUse coat hooks instead of rods to hang towels in a small bathroom.\u00a0These take up much less space, since each hook can hold 2 large towels. The towels may also dry faster than if you use towel rods that are stacked one in front of the next.\n\n\n\nApply magnetic strips behind cabinet doors to store personal care items.\u00a0Buy peel-and-stick magnetic strips, or use removable adhesive strips to secure the magnets in place. Use the magnetic strips to hold tweezers, bobby pins, cosmetic brushes, and other magnetic objects.^[20]\n\nCheck to see how many of your personal care items are magnetic before trying this.\n\n\n\n\nBuy a scrub brush attachment for your drill to clean tile and ceramic.\u00a0Instead of relying on elbow grease alone to scrub a tub or toilet, let your drill do the hard work! Look for different types of scrub brush attachments where cleaning supplies are sold.\n\nSet the drill to its lowest speed first, then increase it as needed. Follow the brush attachment\u2019s instructions carefully.\nDon\u2019t use the attachment to clean fiberglass, laminate, wood, stone, or other surfaces unless the brush is specifically marketed for that purpose.\n\n\n\n\nUse a clean dustpan to fill a bucket that won\u2019t fit under the sink.\u00a0Place the bucket on the floor directly in front of the sink. Place the larger end of the dustpan under the faucet so that the pan\u2019s handle is resting over the front edge of the sink. When you turn on the water it will flow through the channel in the handle, go over the edge, and fall like a waterfall into the bucket.[21]\n\nHave some towels handy the first few times you try this. It may take a bit of practice to get the placement and water flow just right.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPaint your keys with nail polish to color-code them.\u00a0This is a great hack if you have a bunch of similar-looking keys on your key ring. Gel nail polish adheres best to metal keys, but any type of polish will do.^{\n\n\n\nStore your household cleaners conveniently in a shoe hanger.\u00a0Hang or attach the shoe hanger to the back of a closet or pantry door, then fill the pockets with your cleaning bottles. Choose a shoe hanger with mesh or clear plastic pockets so you can easily differentiate the cleaning bottles.^{\n\nIf you have a hanging rod in the closet, get a shoe hanger with hooks.\n
For safety, add a lock to the door if there are kids around.\n\n\n\n\nTry different home remedies to remove permanent marker. Different DIY removers may work better for different materials. Give the following a try:\n\nFor fabric, try hand sanitizer.\n
For your skin or for wood surfaces, try rubbing alcohol.\n
For painted walls, try hairspray or toothpaste.\n
For ceramic or glass, mix 1 part white toothpaste and 1 part baking soda.\n\n\n\n
Soak a crusty paintbrush in vinegar for 30 minutes to ease cleaning.\u00a0After 30 minutes, use a wire brush or paintbrush cleaner to remove the loosened paint. Then, wash the brush with soap and water, rinse it, and let it air dry.^{\n\nIf you heat the vinegar to nearly boiling in a pot on the stove, you can reduce the soaking time to 10 minutes.\n\n\n\n\nReduce the odor of water-based paint with vanilla extract.\u00a0When painting a room, stir in 1\u00a0US\u00a0tbsp (15\u00a0ml) of vanilla extract per 1\u00a0US\u00a0gal (3.8\u00a0L) of paint. The vanilla will mask the unpleasant odor of the paint. Essential oils like peppermint work as well.^{\n\nThis hack doesn\u2019t work on oil-based paint, since the vanilla extract or other essential oil creates a solution with the oils in the paint\u2014which may negate the pleasant scent you\u2019re aiming for or make the paint smell even worse. The oils aren\u2019t soluble with water-based paint, though, so they remain separate and help mask the paint odor.\n\n \n\n
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\n\nUse a rubber band to keep kids from locking a door.\u00a0Loop the rubber band over one door knob, make a figure eight over the latch, then loop the free end of the rubber band over the other door knob. Choose a thick, sturdy rubber band that is stretched taut when positioned this way.^{\n\n\n\nMake a smaller \u201claundry basket play tub\u201d within your bathtub.\u00a0Place a standard rectangular laundry basket into the tub as you fill it with water. Put your toddler or small child into the basket, along with their toys. When bathtime is done, just drain the tub and lift out the basket with all the toys inside!^{\n\nThis is not a substitute for an infant bath basin. Use it only for kids who are big enough to bathe in a standard tub.\n
Supervise children at all times while bathing.\n\n\n\n\nCreate a child safety bead-bracelet with your phone number on it.\u00a0Buy a container of colorful bracelet beads and let your child help you thread them onto the bracelet string. Pick out numbered beads and string them on so that they correspond to your phone number.\n\nYou might also want to spell out the child\u2019s first name.\n
A bracelet is no substitute for proper supervision of a child.\n\n\n\n\nUse pool noodles to help keep a kid from rolling out of bed.\u00a0Lay a foam pool noodle along each long edge of the bed, right on top of the mattress. Tuck the fitted sheet over the mattress so that the noodles are held securely in place. The small humps created by the noodles will make it less likely that your child will roll off the edge of the bed.^{\n\nUse this as a short-term measure for an occasional problem. Invest in proper bed rails if your child rolls out of bed frequently.\n\n\n\n\nTrace a kid\u2019s feet on paper when you\u2019re shoe shopping without them.\u00a0Instead of having to guess whether a pair of shoes will fit, bring their tracing with you. Trace around both their feet, either barefoot or with socks on. If the shoes you\u2019re looking at are larger (but not too much) than the traced outlines, the shoes will fit\u2014at least for a few months!^{\n\n\n\nUse paper cupcake or muffin wrappers to catch drips from frozen treats.\u00a0Poke the bottom of the wooden stick of your kid\u2019s favorite frozen treat\u2014like a Popsicle or ice cream bar\u2014through the bottom of the paper wrapper. Slide the wrapper up to the base of the treat and let it catch all the inevitable drips!^\n}}}}}}}}}