Today, I invite you to become a hacker. Don't worry, we won't be breaking into forbidden government databases and stealing top secret files. Nothing criminal will come out of this. (At least I hope.)
We will be overriding common objects that most of you probably already have somewhere around you.
Bored Panda searched through the internet and gathered people's descriptions of the alternative uses they came up with for everyday household items. For example, did you know that spoons are perfect for peeling ginger?
If you own something, you might as well make the most out of it.
This post may include affiliate links.
In the U.S., a highway with an even number goes east-west, a highway with an odd number goes north-south.
A three-digit highway number is a spur if it starts with an odd number. (A spur doesn't reconnect to the main highway.) If it starts with an even number it's a loop around or through a city that will eventually reconnect with the main highway.
Highway numbers increase from west to east (odd numbers) and from south to north (even numbers.)
A highway number divisible by five is a major highway designed for cross-country travel.
I know with the ubiquity of GPS, these facts aren't too relevant, but I thought it was cool that there's a logic to it.
(Autistic-me likes highways. My wife just *loves* taking long car rides with me.)
That is really cool! I'm not from the US, but I love these little bits of logic that make travel easier.
Put on airplane mode when playing games on your phone and ads won't play.
To learn why it pays off to look at the world from different angles, we contacted the author of Lazy Creativity and creator of an online community for anyone looking for resources to become a more creative person, Kyle Bernier.
"At its core, creativity is problem-solving," he told Bored Panda. "No matter what job you have, problem solving is a big part of the work."
"If you search 'creativity' online you’ll get different definitions, but you’ll often receive information about how creativity isn’t necessarily about creating something or forming new ideas, but is instead a process of drawing new conclusions by putting together pieces in a novel way. That's what problem-solving is and it is a universal tool."
White vinegar: if you add it to your laundry it takes out every bad smell you can possibly have on your clothes
Edit pt. 2: to answer common questions, you can use as much as you'd like, but anywhere from the same amount as the detergent to a cup will do the trick for average size loads. Add it in where you put the detergent, if there is such a place, if not, add it when the washer is filling up with water/when you add detergent. The vinegar smell will not linger, it'll wash away with all the other gross smells.
if your sink is clogged up pour as much baking soda in it as you can and then rinse with vinegar. It works better than store bought de-clogging chemicals and is way cheaper.
Bernier also said that creativity allows us to escape the monotony of everyday life.
"It's a change from the same old routine: some days it can be really hard to think about anything other than work, family, money, and all the miscellaneous stuff that needs to be done to keep things afloat. By choosing creativity and making space for it, we have moments where we're free to think about something else," the writer, designer, and all-around creative explained.
"We're free to feel something else, and that’s reward enough many days. Once you choose to accept creativity as an intentional part of your routine, you begin to think about everything differently. Suddenly, things aren’t quite as black and white. You discover new ways of looking at problems, scenarios, and relationships. It can bleed into your work and your relationships, for the better."
You can use scissors to cut food. Waffles, steak, cheese, biscuits ect.
Also a pizza cutter works great for waffles and pancakes. I cut food up for my young kids so I use scissors in the kitchen all the time.
I use my cleaver to cut pizza. It's high enough to avoid sticking a knuckle in cheese magma.
In my office, it's happened more than once....someone wrote on the whiteboard with permanent marker.
You can wipe and spray anything in there, and it's really permanent.
If you take a dry erase marker, and simply scribble over the permanent marker writing, it wipes right off like a dry erase marker.
Psychologist Robert Epstein, Ph.D., highlighted that stress is a well-known creativity killer and time constraints are another. But he also said there's no real evidence that one person is inherently more creative than another, and that creativity is something anyone can cultivate. If it's something you want to try out, Epstein recommends that you:
- Capture your new ideas. Keep an idea notebook or voice recorder with you, type in new thoughts on your laptop or write ideas down on a napkin;
- Seek out challenging tasks. Take on projects that don't necessarily have a solution—such as trying to figure out how to make your dog fly or how to build a perfect model of the brain. This causes old ideas to compete, which helps generate new ones;
- Broaden your knowledge. Take a class outside psychology or read journals in unrelated fields, suggests Epstein. This makes more diverse knowledge available for interconnection, he says, which is the basis for all creative thought. "Ask for permission to sit in on lectures for a class on 12th century architecture and take notes," he suggests. "You'll do better in psychology and life if you broaden your knowledge."
- Surround yourself with interesting things and people. Regular dinners with diverse and interesting friends and a work space festooned with out-of-the-ordinary objects will help you develop more original ideas, Epstein says. You can also keep your thoughts lively by taking a trip to an art museum or attending an opera—anything that stimulates new thinking.
You can view any subreddit with pictures as a slideshow by adding a "p" after "reddit' in the address.
For example, www.redditp.com/r/funny
NAIL POLISH
1. Secure a screw. Tighten loose screws on cabinets or pot handles by brushing some clear nail polish on screw threads. Insert the screw and let dry before using again. (Bonus - polish also keeps them from rusting.)
2. Stop tarnish. Keep costume jewelry from turning black with a coat of clear polish.
3. Seal an envelope. Worried about whether the glue will hold? Brush polish on the underside of the flap.
4. Mend a screen. Stop a small hole (no bigger than 1/3 inch in diameter) from getting any bigger by brushing a little clear nail polish over the spot.
5. Smooth a hanger. If there are rough edges on wooden or plastic hangers that could snag clothes, don't throw the hangers out. Just brush polish over the imperfections.
A lot of good can come out from fostering your creativity. "Most people use their words to describe how they feel," Kyle Bernier said. "Most greetings have a 'How are you?' attached to them. We're asked, 'How was your day?' or 'What’s new with you?' Creativity is a way to express how we’re feeling without having to verbalize anything or use any words."
Bernier deeply believes that the art of creating is a therapeutic act in and of itself. "It's growth through creation," he said. "If you’ve ever gone onto a self-help website, you know that exercise is recommended to maintain a healthy state of mind and that even ten minutes of walking per day can have incredible impacts. Creativity is the same way. Find your creative equivalent to ten minutes of walking and make time for it each day. You’ll find that the benefits of doing so are almost immediately noticeable."
You can use an elastic band as grip and open any jar. Alternatively, you can use an elastic band as grip to seal any jar so tight that no one would be able to open it without one ;D it's nice to have someone come to you to help open a jar lol
Yes, one rubber band around the top as shown, and one around the jar itself. Works like a charm.
TOOTHPASTE
1. Remove crayon marks. Squirt a small dab of non-gel toothpaste on the wall where the mark is. Rub gently with a soft cloth, then rinse with warm water.
2. Deodorize hands. Can't get garlic or onion odor off your hands? Wash them with a blob of toothpaste.
3. Whiten sneakers. Clean rubber soles by rubbing scuff marks with an old toothbrush and non-gel toothpaste.
4. Buff a DVD. Get rid of light scratches by squeezing a little non-gel toothpaste onto a cotton ball. Wipe over the DVD from the center out to the edge. Rinse with water and dry with a non-abrasive, lint-free cloth - all gone.
5. Defog goggles. Coat the inside of swimming goggles with toothpaste, then wipe off. They'll be crystal clear.
Chrome has so many shortcuts you barely need a mouse.
* Ctrl+t opens a new tab
* Ctrl+Shift+t opens a previously closed tab. You can hit it multiple times to open multiple closed tabs.
* Ctrl+w closes your current tab.
* Ctrl+n opens a new window
* Ctrl+shift+n opens a new incognito window
* Ctrl+tab switches you to the tab on the right of the current active one (and loops around).
* Ctrl+shift+tab switches to the tab on the left of the current active tab
* Ctrl+number switches to that numbered tab, counting from the left.
* Ctrl+r refreshes the page
* Ctrl+f5 force refreshes the page. This disables caching, which can help with pages that might have changed but aren't updating.
* Alt+d selects the address bar so you can quickly go to a new URL.
SALT
1. Veggie wash. Remove dirt from greens like spinach, arugula and kale by swirling them around in a bowl of salt water.
2. Keep windows frost-free. Rub the inside of windows with a sponge dipped in salt water and frost won't collect.
3. Banish bubbles. Get rid of excess suds when handwashing garments in the sink or doing the dishes by sprinkling them with a pinch of salt.
4. Clean a greasy pan. Shaking a little salt on the pan before washing absorbs most of the grease.
5. Fix a sticky iron. To remove gunk spots, sprinkle a little salt on a piece of brown paper and run the hot iron over it. Repeat if necessary.
6. Remove water marks from wood surfaces. Make water marks disappear by making a paste of salt and cooking oil. Gently rub the paste onto the ring with a sponge; let sit for a few minutes. Wipe with a soft cloth and polish as usual.
Suit pockets are real, but are most likely stitched up to preserve jacket shape during display and transport.
You can unpick them and use them as usual. But anything heavier than a credit card will distort the suit faster and you'll look average.
Edit: as people keep pointing out, you *should* cut the threads that hold the vents together on the back. The vents are there so you can move around and sit comfortably, and also to help regulate body temperature. Leaving them done up lets you do none of those things and looks silly.
The funny shoulders on baby onsies are there to let you pull the garment down and off so when the kid has a blowout, you don't have to pull it over their head.
A dollar bill is pretty close to 6" long (6.14 to be exact) if you ever need a quick reference for measurement. I've done this more than a few times.
Use nail clippers to cut through zip-ties and other plastic bindings on new toy packages. Because sometimes scissors just won't... um... cut it.
Most metal shopping carts in the U.S. have round notches in the frame that you can use to hang bags of groceries outside the cart.
DRYER SHEETS
1. Deodorize shoes. Tuck a dryer sheet into smelly sneakers or shoes (gum bags and suitcases too!) over night to eliminate odors.
2. Clean stuck-on gunk. Put a fresh sheet in a pan with baked-on food and fill with water. Let sit for a few hours and the food will easily wipe away.
3. Freshen up the shower. Rub shower doors and walls with a wet sheet to remove minderal deposits and soap scum.
4. Ease sewing. Run a threaded needle through a sheet before sewing; it helps keep thread from tangling.
5. Tame hair. Calm static electricity and flyaways by quickly running a dryer sheet over unruly hair.
Also, if you live in an area with gnats and biting flies, safety pin a scented dryer sheet to your hat or to the back of your shirt collar and gnats and biting flies will not bother you - they do not like the smell. It really works!
The car rear view mirror has a prism that you can turn with the flipper to dull the reflection of high beams.
CORN STARCH
1. Slide rubber gloves on and off. Sprinkle inside gloves before you put them on so they won't stick.
2. Freshen you feet. Shake a bit into socks to absorb moisture and help prevent blisters.
3. Get cooking grease off a wall. Put on a cloth and rub the spot until the mark is gone.
4. Squelch a squeaky floor. Sprinkle a little between the boards to quiet it down.
5. Detangle a knot. Rub some into stubborn knots in shoelaces, string, chain necklaces, etc. Works like magic.
Cornstarch can be used in place of baby powder. Baby powder is just scented cornstarch after all
The zipper on most jeans locks in place if you flip the tab downward.
I don't know how many people know this but it always comes in handy for me.
If you accidently close a browser tab press Ctrl+shift+t and it brings it back.
COFFEE FILTERS
1. Clean mirrors, windows and wine glasses. Put your hand inside like a mitt and wipe. Filters are lint-free and leave no streaks.
2. Catch drips and crumbles. Have kids use for cookies and other messy foods. Pop ice cream sticks through a hole in the bottom.
3. Line flowerpots. Put a filter inside the pot to stop soil from leaking through the drainage holes on the bottom.
4. Protect your china. Keep your best dishes chip and scratch free by putting a filter between each piece when stacking.
5. Save the wine after you've broken the cork. If you pour the wine through a filter, you'll catch the lost pieces of cork.
Vaseline is not only good for for dry skin and chapped lips, it can also help remove scuffs from dress shoes
CHALK
1. Remove stains. Mark ring-around-the collar stains heavily with chalk before washing. The dust helps absorb the oils, making the stain easier to clean.
2. Stop varnish. Wrap chalk in cheesecloth and store with silverware. It absorbs moisture and helps prevent tarnishing.
3. Steady a screwdriver. Rub chalk over the handle of a screwdriver to prevent slipping.
4. Keep ants out. If ants are trotting into your house, draw chalk lines around their entry points. Many chalks contain calcium carbonate, which ants don't like.
5. Hide cracks. Cover hairline cracks in walls until you're ready to paint by rubbing over them with a matching color.
4. Got a mental picture of teeny ant shaped chalk lines, like in a crime scene 🤣
HAIR DRYER
1. Remove crayon marks or wax spills. Blow-dry the stain on high heat until the wax melts, then wipe it up with a sponge.
2. "Iron" out plastic tablecloth or shower curtain. Hot air on plastic relaxes pesky wrinkles. Be sure the hold drying 12" away.
3. Set frosting or icing. Want your cake or cookies to look perfect? Cool air helps harden icing; hot air brightens a dull glaze.
4. Unstick a photo. Blow warm air on the back of the photo album page while working the photo on the other side free.
5. Dust hard-to-reach places. Point a dryer set on cool at those shelves and corners, and blow the dust right off.
If an iPhone (not sure about other types) has a completely dead battery and is stuck in the loop of death where you can’t switch it on but the battery is so dead you can’t charge it either, blast a hot hairdryer at the back of the phone, about 10-15cm away, for 30 seconds or so to get a bit of life in the battery in order to be able to charge it.
The ends of boxes of tin foil and plastic wrap have tabs you can depress to hold the tube in the box while dispensing.
I learned this one a couple years ago - I show everyone and they are amazed. No one seems to know this one. foiled-aga...954019.jpg 
Large paper clips make great collar stays for men's dress shirts.
if pipes in your bathroom are full of hair use a long strong zip tie and cut the edges on an angle. Makes a great fishing device to get all that hair out.
i did this after my sister got her own room and own bathroom so she didn’t have to share with me. we both have very very long hair. it was terrifying and i wanted to shave my head so i never had to do this again
PETROLEUM JELLY
1. Protect your pet. If your cat's or dog's paw pads are cracked and dry, rub a little petroleum jelly on them to soothe the discomfort.
2. Wipe away water marks. Dab with petroleum jelly and let sit for 24 hours. Wipe off the excess and polish furniture as usual.
3. Loosen up outdoor lightbulbs. Dirt and dust can cause outdoor bulbs to stick. Rub a little petroleum jelly on the threads of the bulb before you screw it in and it won't stick in the future.
4. Sideline a squirrel. Coat the pole of a bird feeder and squirrels won't be able to get at the food.
5. Neaten your nail job. Dab it on the skin around nails before polishing. If you make a mistake, the polish will easily wipe away.
If you turn up the bottom of a bag of chips [like this](http://imgur.com/XLAM95t), it turns into a freestanding bowl. Great for parties and the like, cause you don't have people shoving their fist in the bag and getting it all greasy and/or powdery.
a better hack is to slice an oval shape into the SIDE of the bag, then it is a bowl.
WAX PAPER
1. Protect pans. Put a sheet between cast-iron pans when stacking them. The thin coat of wax prevents rust.
2. Store candles. Roll colored candles in sheets of wax paper and twist ends to seal. They won't get nicked up or scuffed when they're placed in drawers.
3. Shine a faucet. Rub chrome fixtures after cleaning to prevent water spots and finger smudges.
4. Clean a handheld can opener. Run a piece of wax paper through the gears. It loosens dirt and coats them so they run smoothly.
5. Unstick pages. Insert paper between wet pages of a book. When they dry, they'll be good as new.
Use dollarstore bought hanging shoe organizers for spices in the kitchen or shampoos hair dryer and towels roles up in the bathroom or barbies,dolls and toys in your kids room. Simply hang it on a door and stuff the pockets with whatever you want
The little notch on the metal end of tape measures fits on to the heads of screws or nails so you can drive one in and make measurements by yourself
MMO mouse for business. I have over 40 macros on my right hand and can blitz through contracts and other stuff.
Makes me a faster worker and my boss thinks im just really awesome!
Not sure if this is common knowledge, but if you right click on a YouTube video twice, it will open a second menu where there is an option to loop the video. Useful for when listening to music
If you turn a soda can cap around it can be used as a straw holder
ZIPLOCK BAGS
1. Make a changing mat. Tear open the side seams of a gallon-size bag and lay flat for an emergency diaper changing area.
2. Pack accessories. Organize by category (jewelry, scarves, hosiery) so they're easier to find in your suitcase.
3. Knead dough. Use two quart-sized bags as gloves to avoid getting your hands sticky. You can also use a bag to store extra dough.
4. Create a temporary funnel. Improvise a funnel for anything from shampoo to children's beads and glitter.
5. Clean a showerhead. Pour a little white vinegar in a bag, rubberband it to the showerhead and soak for a half hour.
You can unfold Chinese food containers into plates.
On the dashboard of your car, by the little gas pump picture, there is an arrow. It points either right or left, to whichever side your gas tank is on.
For the non tech-saavy: you can use a computer without a working hard drive, it's possible to boot and use it from a USB key.
Just saying because my 40 yo cousin looked at me with the eyes of a young child before santa claus, so in case other people don't know about that.
Chop sticks are amazing for eating Doritos.
No grease on your hands = no grease on your controller.
the little key to the lock on your gymlocker can be readily threaded onto your shoelace.
HAND LOTION
1. Get rid of winter clothing static. Put a small amount on your hands and rub them over your clothing or pantyhose.
2. Polish shoes. In a pinch, a little bit of lotion buffed with a cloth salves the leather and makes shoes shine.
3. Moisturize under your gloves. Store a tube of it near your gloves, and smooth some onto your hands every time you pull them on.
4. Get rid of frizz. Spread a little over fingertips (not directly on hair) and scrunch your fingers through the frizz.
5. Shave. Grab a bottle of lotion as a stand-in to shaving cream. Bonus: Your legs stay moisturized afterward.
When you're on a highway and there is a green exit sign, the exit number affixed to the top (ie Exit 53A) will be located on the same side of the sign as the upcoming exit. Typically exits are always off to the right. But its extremely helpful, especially if the exit is actually going to split to the left, or if you're going to an airport (the little green airplane sign also follows this rule). Makes things much easier when you're driving in unfamiliar locations.
It's relatively easy to swap the hinges on your refrigerator so it opens on the left side or the right side.
The light switch by the door that "doesn't f****n do anything" actually controls an electrical outlet on the other side of the room.
Plug a lamp into the outlet.
Switch now makes light!
VINEGAR
1. Clean a coffeemaker. Get rid of stains and mineral deposits by filling the reservoir with 1 part white vinegar, 2 parts water and brewing. Repeat every three weeks.
2. Prevent colors from running. To keep new clothes or towels from losing color, soak them in 1 part vinegar, 1 part cold water for 15 minutes before washing.
3. Kill grass and weeds. Pour vinegar on upshots between bricks and flagstones. The acidic component kills young weeds in one dousing.
4. Freshen wilted vegetables. Perk up soggy leafy veggies by soaking them in 2 cups cold water mixed with 1 Tbsp. vinegar for 10 minutes. Rinse, dry and serve.
5. Avoid moldy cheese. Soak a cloth in vinegar, wrap it around hard cheese and seal in a airtight container or ziplock bag. The vinegar prevents mold spores.
Products that come in sealed tubes, like superglue, will usually have a pointed end at the top of the cap. That end is to pierce the seal of the tube.
Cool. I just found out that the cap on my prescription meds flips over. If you twist it on one way, it's child proof. If you flip it over and twist it on the other way, it's not. The info is actually right on the label but I didn't notice that until recently. Not sure if this is wide spread but it's brilliant.
Toothpicks with ends that look like [this](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u4Ii7KZFZt0/Uwtm_H0zYyI/AAAAAAAAJS4/aNak7gBo1W4/s1600/06.jpg) are meant to be snapped at the ridge where you can now rest the toothpick on as shown.
TAPE
1. Protect your wall. Put a small piece on the spot where you're going to hammer in a nail. This keeps paint from chipping.
2. Tame scratchy clothes. Annoyed by a shirt label rubbing the back of your neck? Tape down the label so it lies flat.
3. Save a button. If threads are becoming loose, put a small piece over them to hold the button in place.
4. Unstick plastic wrap. Can't find the end of the roll? Lift it up with a piece touched to the edge.
5. Steady a candle. Fit it snugly in the holder by wrapping a few layers around the bottom to secure it.
Number 1: be sure the tape doesn't damage the paint when you remove it.
The hole in the middle of a spaghetti strainer spoon is used to measure 1 serving of dry spaghetti.
RUBBER BANDS
1. Identify a bottle. Wrap a rubber band around a shampoo bottle and you'll be able to tell it's not a conditioner, even if your eyes are filled with suds.
2. Neaten thread. Keep spools of thread from unraveling by wrapping them with a rubber band.
3. Hold a lid. Prevent a potluck disaster - secure the lid of the dish by stretching a band over the top.
4. Grip a tool. Wrap a rubber band around the handle of a hammer or screwdriver for a firmer grip.
5. Extend your pants. Hook a rubber band through the button hole and secure the other side to the button for an extra half-inch of breathing room.
If you fold the little flip top on a bottle of mustard all the way back it will lock into place. Works great for cook-outs, gatherings, etc
DISPOSABLE CUPS
1. Raise your centerpiece. Turn four small cups upside down to elevate the centerpiece (push them together to hide them).
2. Make a string of lanterns. Have kids decorate plastic cups. Then take a strand of lights and pop each light through the bottom of a cup.
3. Save yourself dishwashing. Put out a permanent marker and have guests write their name on their cup to keep track of it.
4. Set Jell-O fast. Follow the speed-set instructions on the box; pour into small paper cups and refrigerate. It'll be ready in 20 minutes.
5. Make a sifter. Poke holes in a cup bottom to sprinkle powered sugar on desserts. Just toss it when you're done.
My wife was floored when I showed her the sun visor in her car will slide out when it's unhooked.
keep your cat off counters and tables with a bit of vinegar. Pour it into a container with holes like a salt shaker and leave it where your cat usually jumps up.
The knobs on your oven have calibration screws on the back. You can adjust them to get more accurate temperature control and avoid overcooking your dinner.
It's easier to spread butter on toast with the backside of the knife because it's flat and won't dig into your soft bread.
Plastic grocery bags fit like a condom over 5 gallon buckets. Spillage is greatly minimized. Perfect for when you have to move a bucket of something in your car but have no lid.
Most people would say "fits like a glove" but not this horny m**********r 😂
Screwdriver handles are designed to be used with wrenches.
A screwdriver can be used like a stethoscope to listen better to internal engine operation.
Don't put things in your ear, especially pointy things like screwdrivers.
Use fabric softener sheets dampened with water to easily remove splattered bugs of of your dope a*s whip (automobile).
is there not a line after #30 that says something like "This article had xx number post but we shortened it to 30." ? You should be able to click/tap the xx and have it load all submissions
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is there not a line after #30 that says something like "This article had xx number post but we shortened it to 30." ? You should be able to click/tap the xx and have it load all submissions
Load More Replies...