People Are Sharing The Best Life Hacks That Have Transformed Their Daily Routines

This thing we call life can be tough sometimes — which is why we all love being given a cheat code! We call them “life hacks,” and they’re wonderful little things that can make our day-to-day existences more fun and less stressful. Here are 40 of the very best hacks we’ve heard about. Why not give some of them a try?

1. Use a clothespin to hold a nail in place while hammering

DIY is not our favorite thing. Seriously, we can’t remember the last time we lifted a hammer to a nail and didn’t clumsily whack ourselves in the fingers. If we were smart, we would’ve applied the simple life hack of holding the nail in place with a clothespin. Unfortunately, though, we’re not smart — and we’re two fingers down already!

2. Put your car keys with any items you bring to someone’s house 

We have an annoying habit of accidentally leaving things at other people’s houses. A superb tip to lessen the chance of this happening is to put your car keys beside whatever you’ve brought along. Makes sense, right? You won’t be able to leave without your keys, so you’ll be guaranteed to be looking for them before you go.

3. Color different keys with nail polish for easier identification

Do us a favor and look at your keychain. Tell us, how many of those keys look frustratingly similar? We bet you don’t even know what one or two of them are for! Here’s a life hack for easy identification — try painting them with different colors of nail polish. Red is the front door. Blue is the back door. Pink is the perplexing mystery key. You get the idea!

4. Say “thank you” instead of “sorry”

Redditor “thegracefuldork” posted this interesting perspective-shifting hack. They wrote, “If I have a bad day and vent to my husband, instead of saying, ‘Sorry for venting and bringing down the mood,’ I'll say, ‘Thank you for listening and being supportive.’ This simple switch puts a much more appreciative and positive light on all of your relationships!”

5. Tea bags can absorb the smell in your stinky shoes

If you want your shoes to smell fresh and don’t have any odor-eaters in the house, there is another option: tea bags! Simply place one in each shoe and leave them for 24 hours. The tea bags will absorb any moisture inside the shoes and — as the bacteria in this moisture is what was causing the stench — leave them smelling infinitely better than before!

6. Stretch your tight new shoes with wet newspaper

Everyone knows to wear new shoes in until they’re fully comfortable. But if you want to hurry that process along, you could try this hack. Take some newspaper, crumple it up and wet it ever-so-slightly. Stuff each shoe full of it — as much as can fit — and then leave to dry. When you remove the newspaper, your shoe will be wider and more welcoming to your tootsies!

7. Separate your work and relaxation spaces

As Redditor “NoLifeMax” posted, “I stopped doing any kind of work in my dorm room at college and started to only do it at the libraries. Not only did I become way more productive, but I enjoyed being in my room a lot more, too.” It’s all about avoiding unhealthy associations between work and play spaces, which could lead to sleep problems. It also applies to those who work from home!

8. Baking soda and vinegar can help unclog your drains

The next time your drains are clogged, you don’t necessarily need to rush out to the store to buy drain-cleaner. Simply pour some water down the drain, followed by a foamy mix of baking soda and white vinegar, and then put the plug in. Wait ten minutes, remove the plug and pour more boiling water down. Clean as a whistle!

9. Vinegar can also help clean your shower head and faucets

Our shower heads and faucets can sometimes get a bit crusty as mineral deposits build up. Have no fear, though — our old pal white vinegar can be drafted in to help. Pour vinegar into a plastic bag and submerge the shower head or faucet, tying the bag off with some string. Leave it overnight and in the morning, it’ll look good as new.

10. Vinegar will make boiled eggs easier to peel

Hey, it’s vinegar again! The next time you’re boiling eggs, throw a small amount of vinegar in the water. Why? Because it will thin the shells, meaning the eggs will be considerably easier to peel when they’re hard-boiled. Amazing, right? Is there anything our favorite fermented condiment can’t do?

11. Mark the end of tape with a paper clip

Tape is often the bane of our existence: think how much time is wasted trying to find where the tape was last cut off. It’s fiddly and aggravating and you wind up digging your fingernail under it and then it gets all sticky and bits come off — it’s a whole thing. But if you just marked the end of the tape with a paperclip, this aggravation would be a thing of the past! No paperclips handy? No problem! You can achieve the same thing by folding over the end of the tape when you're finished using the roll. This creates a flap of non-sticky tape that's easy to find next time you're in need. 

12. Flip a coin if you have trouble deciding on something

Now, we’re not suggesting you turn into former Gotham City DA Harvey Dent, here. We don’t want you tossing a coin to decide on your evil deeds like his villainous alter-ego Two-Face! Instead, this hack is all about giving yourself two options, flipping a coin, and then going with whatever instinctively flashes into your brain before it lands. Why? Because that is what you subconsciously want to do!

13. Don’t fully remove the foil on dressings/sauces – poke a hole instead

Have you ever tried to throw some delicious dressing on a salad and wound up drowning the poor leaves? We have. So, a great tip is to never fully remove the safety foil when you first buy the dressing. Instead, simply poke a small hole in it. This will take away the risk of a flood of dressing flying out of the bottle and ruining your healthy dinner!

14. Buy many pairs of the same sock if you’re sick of mismatched ones

Redditor “HicJacetMelilla” posted, “I did this for my kids. I buy 24 pairs of socks at a time: all white, grey, or navy. When they grow out of them I just buy 24 more pairs in the next size — all the same color.” Apparently not only does it make footwear life easier, but the kids actively enjoy pairing the socks after the laundry’s done!

15. Clear nail polish on buttons will help keep them in place

Buttons can sometimes be pesky little things — always falling off our shirts and coats. As soon as we see those threads start to loosen, we know it’s curtains. But here’s the thing — it doesn’t have to be! Simply put some clear nail polish over the threads that hold the button in place, and when it dries they’ll not be going anywhere. So simple! So effective!

16. Find small lost items by covering the end of your vacuum cleaner with a stocking

The next time you’ve misplaced a ring or an earring and are wondering if it’s on the floor, but you just can’t see it, here’s what to do. Stretch pantyhose or stockings over the head of your vacuum cleaner and run it over the floor. If there are any small items, they’ll be sucked up into the material, but won’t be sucked all the way into the drum!

17. If you forgot to brush your teeth, eat an apple

There are few things more anxiety-inducing than thinking you’ve got bad breath — especially in a public setting. So, if you ever find yourself in this situation and you don’t have any gum, but for some reason do have access to an apple, eat that juicy treat. You see, apples contain polyphenols which combat the sulfur compounds that make our breath rank. Cool, huh?

18. Amplify the volume of your phone by putting it in a bowl or glass

Let’s say you want to listen to music while you’re showering, or you need your alarm to be even louder than usual. A simple hack to boost the volume on your phone is to place it inside a water glass, or in a ceramic bowl. The sound will bounce back off the glass and this reverberation will bring the noise! 

19. Position your alarm clock across the room

How many times has your alarm clock rung, but you’ve simply turned it off and gone back to sleep? If you’re anything like us, the answer might well be “daily.” To avoid this, simply put your alarm clock across the room, way out of arm’s reach. That way, when it goes off, you have to get out of bed to stop the blaring noise. Hey presto, you’re up already!

20. Putting your phone on airplane mode while charging will help it charge quicker

Running out of cell phone battery constantly drives us nuts — mainly because it takes forever for the darn thing to recharge! We’re going try this hack the next time we’re charging our device, though — putting it on airplane mode. The idea is that, if the device isn’t constantly bouncing signals off cell phone towers to pinpoint its location, the battery can charge more quickly!

21. Lessen the chances of misplacing something by calling out loud when you set it down

If we had a dollar for every time we couldn’t find our phone, or the remote control, or our car keys? We’d be rich. Like, mind-bogglingly rich. Here’s a handy tip to avoid these frustrating misplacements, though — say out loud where you are leaving something. For example, “I’m putting my phone on the kitchen table.” Vocalizing will use more areas of your brain and create a more deeply-embedded memory. 

22. Make your shoes waterproof with beeswax and a blow dryer

Have you ever been out in the driving rain and got home to find your shoes and socks totally soaked through? We all have. But did you know there’s an unusual life hack which can make your footwear waterproof? Apply beeswax to your shoes — all over — and then blow dry them until the wax has melted into the shoe. Hey presto! No more wet socks.

23. Hair straighteners can iron wrinkly shirt collars

Let’s be perfectly honest here — ironing dress shirts is no fun. Give us a T-shirt any day! One of the most stubborn areas of dress shirt ironing is the collar — if that bad boy is wrinkled, it can ruin the whole look. So, here’s a hack — use hair-straighteners to iron the collar. They’re smaller and easier to maneuver than an iron, and they’ll do the same job! 

24. Turn your pill bottle upside down after taking one

This hack is a great tip for people who take regular medication. Redditor “rachwiddabangs” posted, “I flip my pill bottles after taking them. So, I can easily remember later if I took them or not. It truly helps so much if you take the same pill in the morning and at night.” Simple!

25. Store natural peanut butter upside down

Natural peanut butter is an excellent healthy alternative to the sugary sweet stuff we all secretly still love spreading on our toast. But here’s the thing — the natural brands can sometimes separate back into their constituent ingredients in the jar. A brilliant life hack, therefore, is to store these tubs upside down. As Redditor “thisisnotsky” posted, when righted “it will bring the oil to the top and make it a lot easier to mix!”

26. A wooden spoon will stop your pot from boiling over

The next time you’re boiling some rice or pasta, place a wooden spoon over the top of the pot and the water won’t boil over. Why is this, though? Well, it’s all to do with the bubbles created by the starchy foods when they boil. When these bubbles come into contact with the cold, dry wood of the spoon, they burst, and this lets the steam dissipate. 

27. Always moisturize straight after you shower

Having a hot shower actually dehydrates our skin by stripping away its natural oils and moisture. This is why it’s always best to moisturize immediately afterward, instead of waiting for your skin to dry. This will help restore those natural oils. If you’re an insane weirdo, you could also try taking shorter, colder showers to help keep that moisture locked in!

28. To clean your blender, simply turn it on with dishwashing fluid and water inside

After making your next smoothie, do us a favor — don’t hand wash your blender. Don’t even put it in the dishwasher. We’ve got a much better option. Simply squirt dishwashing liquid in there and fill it up with water, then hit the button and watch as the device cleans itself with remarkable speed! Genius, right?

29. Use soda tabs to manufacture extra hanging space in your closet

In order to create some extra hanging space in your closet — without actually making it bigger — simply employ the services of the humble soda tab. By placing the tab from the top of a soda can over a coat hanger, it will slide down to the base of its neck — and this is where you can now attach a second one. Double the clothes can now be hung in the same space!

30. If you have a sore back, sleep with a pillow between your legs

This hack could be a life-saver for anyone with back problems. Try sleeping on your side with a pillow between your legs, because this will keep your pelvis in a neutral position. It will also stop your spine from rotating too much throughout the night. All in all, this should take some of the pressure off your back.

31. A wet paper towel and a freezer will make any beverage ice cold within minutes

Drinking a hot soda is nobody’s idea of a good time. So, if yours hasn’t been refrigerated before you get to it, here’s a great life hack. Wet a paper towel, wrap it around the soda, and then put it in the freezer for 15 minutes. When you take it out, it’ll be ice cold and refreshing, as the good lord himself intended!

32. Run the lid of tough-to-open jars under hot water

Sometimes there are better options for removing a stubborn pickle jar lid than brute force. You could try out-thinking the lid. Allow us to explain: by running the metal lid under hot water, it should make it easier to remove from the glass jar. Why? Because metal expands quicker than glass when exposed to heat! We knew those school science lessons would pay off eventually.

33. Coca Cola can remove toilet bowl stains

Yes, you read that right. The iconic soda contains a host of acids — phosphoric, carbonic, and citric — that are great for combatting stains and rust. Simply pour it, leave overnight, and flush in the morning — you’ll be good to go. Pro-tip, though? Don’t think about the implications of the fact we all happily drink something fit to clean our commodes. That way madness lies!

34. Speed up your morning routine by preparing things the night before

Mornings can be a hectic whirlwind of picking an outfit, dashing around to find things you need for the day, and shovelling breakfast into your face. Wouldn’t it be so much easier if you prepared the night before, though? Simply set out your clothes for the morning, pack your bag, and put all you’ll need for breakfast on the kitchen counter. Trust us — everything will run much more smoothly!

35. Use this handy plate trick to slice multiple tomatoes or potatoes at once

This one might sound — and look — a bit weird, but bear with us. Have you ever had a bunch of tomatoes or potatoes that need sliced, and you want to speed things up a bit? Well, here’s a hack — place them between two plates and then run a knife through the middle! It’s simple and effective. Although you will look like a maniac if anyone sees you doing it.

36. Write down essentials that need replaced on a notepad on your fridge

You know what’s annoying? Getting back from the store, only to realize you forgot to get ketchup. But do you know what would have stopped that from happening? If you kept a notepad on your fridge door and wrote “ketchup” on it when you finished the bottle. Heck, why not write down every item that you finish? It’s like having a shopping list on your fridge!

37. A fresh lemon can help combat body odor

Did you know lemon can fight back against body odor? Let’s say you leave the house for the day and realize you forgot to put deodorant on. No need to panic — using lemon to lower the pH levels of your skin will make it harder for odor-causing bacteria to thrive. So, there you go — the next time you see a guy rubbing half a lemon under his armpits, you’ll know what the score is!

38. Start your day with a tall glass of water

This one is important, people — you gotta stay hydrated. If you don’t drink enough water, your physical performance and mental faculties will suffer. That’s just science. So, you should always begin your day with a tall glass — or bottle — of water. Even if you don’t feel super-thirsty, just gulp that bad boy down. It’ll work wonders. 

39. Five minutes of exercise is always infinitely better than nothing at all

This may seem obvious, but a lot of people still think five minutes of exercise a day isn’t enough to make any real difference. Science tells us, though, that it is 100 percent better to get sweaty for five short minutes every single day, instead of doing nothing at all. It’ll get your heart rate up, improve your cognitive functions, and will also make you feel better about yourself. 

40. Un-wrinkle a T-shirt with some ice cubes and a dryer

Ironing is one of those weird household tasks that some people love, but most people hate. We definitely fall into the second category, so this hack speaks to us! Instead of ironing a wrinkly T-shirt, try putting it in the dryer with two or three ice cubes. After a run on the hottest setting, the cubes will melt and turn to steam, and this takes care of the wrinkles!