Best and worst ideas for life hacks from social media

[Dan Murphy]

I tried that today, just got a squished end opposite the stem end.

 

[Micca]

DW saw some suggestion to put hooks on the inside of kitchen cabinet drawers to hang metal measuring cups on-- That way they don't take up any usable room inside the cabinet. That's fine, except it took about six months of getting used to the sound of the measuring cups clanging against each other and scaring the crap out of me whenever I opened the cabinet.

 

[Mysterian]

If you can’t open a 2 liter bottle (every so often I swear there’s a glitch and they’re not perforated the way they should be) wrap a rubber band or two around it and try again. Magic! (Probably not a new trick as in hindsight I recall us having some kind of rubbery disc for that purpose when I was growing up, but since I don’t see those in stores anymore the rubber bands are a great rediscovered hack.)

I've seen rubber discs in stores, but in a pinch, I use my Michael Myers Halloween mask.
A rubber disc can tackle that pickle jar, but won't scare away unwanted church people.

 

[Mysterian]

This one comes from Tiger Woods:

 

[Micca]

A rubber disc can tackle that pickle jar, but won't scare away unwanted church people.

You coulda just said "Church people."

 

[tzolkin]

I eat a banana every day. I have never found that way easier than pulling from the stem end.

I think it only applies when they are still green. When they are fully ripe, the stem end opens easily. I prefer mine under-ripe. I typically try the stem end first, but if I feel resistance and think it's going to get squished I'll open from the other end instead.

 

[Mle8308]

Not really from social media, more like from me who hates to clean -though I do! Use a low fume oven cleaner to clean shower tiles. Spray it on, leave it for a bit, spray it off. Works great! Test it first, and leave a window open if you can.

 

[hopemax]

re: Spice Storage.

I have a small kitchen where cabinet space is an issue, and was struggling with various solutions. I didn't want to buy the individual magnetic spice containers because I don't like transferring stuff out of their original containers, unless it's to break up Costco sized stuff. So I bought magnetic spice racks from Amazon to stick on the fridge instead. I can keep everything in its original container, it uses space that was not being utilized, and it's really convenient when cooking. These are the ones I bought.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09YD5NSMK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

I don't really do a lot of hacks, I don't think. The only ones I can really think of are the Dawn + vinegar cleaning solution for the bathtub. And an oldie I learned from my Mom, not social media, but found out more recently that a bunch of people didn't know, was to stick a piece of bread in with cookies. The bread gets hard, the cookies stay soft.

 

[barkley]

Not really from social media, more like from me who hates to clean -though I do! Use a low fume oven cleaner to clean shower tiles. Spray it on, leave it for a bit, spray it off. Works great! Test it first, and leave a window open if you can.

for hard water deposits a product called 'brew rite coffee maker cleaner' works great. i put it in a spray bottle with hot water, spray on and let it sit for a few minutes. stuff slides off. it's also great to soak any items that have hard water deposits on them.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Best -

If you want to freeze bread, put a paper towel in the bag with it. It keeps its texture much better when you thaw it.

Hang a shoe bag on the back of your powder room door using over-door hooks. It corrals a lot of stuff, and you can easily see what's there.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Not really from social media, more like from me who hates to clean -though I do! Use a low fume oven cleaner to clean shower tiles. Spray it on, leave it for a bit, spray it off. Works great! Test it first, and leave a window open if you can.

Yep!!! Easy Off Fine agree Oven Cleaner in the blue can! It works the absolute best of anything I‘ve ever tried on my fiberglass shower surround. Leaves the walls, floor, handle, and glass door sparkling clean.

 

[Carol_]

…
one of the best (though i can't employ it due to the sheer volume of spices i have) is to save counter/drawer space by using the magnetic spice container you can adhere to your fridge. i think back to my younger days and it would have been great to free up one of the few drawers my small apartment kitchen had.

Impossible. There’d be no room for my Disney magnets.

 

[Carol_]

My favorite one is instead of pouring the pasta into the strainer after cooking, place the bowl of the strainer into the pot and pour out the water, while the pasta stays in the pot.

I’d be in the ER with burns all over me if I attempted this. I’m neither skilled nor graceful, and I do NOT think ahead. This has disaster written all over it for a simpleton like me.

 

[Mle8308]

Yep!!! Easy Off Fine agree Oven Cleaner in the blue can! It works the absolute best of anything I‘ve ever tried on my fiberglass shower surround. Leaves the walls, floor, handle, and glass door sparkling clean.

I’ll have to try that one!

 

[starvenger]

The best idea is to not watch tik tok for life hacks.

 

[DLgal]

I’d be in the ER with burns all over me if I attempted this. I’m neither skilled nor graceful, and I do NOT think ahead. This has disaster written all over it for a simpleton like me.

You have to use the kind of strainer that has a handle. Line it up with the pot handle and just grab both handles at the same time.

 

[bjscheel]

My favorite one is instead of pouring the pasta into the strainer after cooking, place the bowl of the strainer into the pot and pour out the water, while the pasta stays in the pot.

I was doing a mac & cheese bar for DD21's graduation open house. My sister brought a pan with an insert with holes in the bottom where we could just lift the pasta out and keep the water hot for the next batch instead of starting from cold water every time we needed more pasta cooked. Brilliant.

 

[Tink3815]

Best -

If you want to freeze bread, put a paper towel in the bag with it. It keeps its texture much better when you thaw it.

Hang a shoe bag on the back of your powder room door using over-door hooks. It corrals a lot of stuff, and you can easily see what's there.

I have tried the bread one. It works.

 

[Babs Johnson]

DW saw some suggestion to put hooks on the inside of kitchen cabinet drawers to hang metal measuring cups on-- That way they don't take up any usable room inside the cabinet. That's fine, except it took about six months of getting used to the sound of the measuring cups clanging against each other and scaring the crap out of me whenever I opened the cabinet.

You mean like this? It’s been this way in my kitchen for years and I STILL sometimes yank open the cabinet too quickly and get startled.

 

[barkley]

DW saw some suggestion to put hooks on the inside of kitchen cabinet drawers to hang metal measuring cups on-- That way they don't take up any usable room inside the cabinet. That's fine, except it took about six months of getting used to the sound of the measuring cups clanging against each other and scaring the crap out of me whenever I opened the cabinet.

it's taken some adjustment for us as well but i love the cabinet space i opened up by virtue of the 3m adhesive hooks i hang my spatter guards on the cabinet doors with as well as the heavy duty adhesive lid holders that store there as well.