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“Can’t Believe Other People Don’t Know This”: 50 Life Hacks That Deserve To Be Common Knowledge
You can’t know everything. But you can definitely know more than you did yesterday.
And if you’re looking to pick up something genuinely useful, we’ve got just the thing. These Redditors shared smart life hacks that might not be on everyone’s radar—but honestly, they should be.
Scroll through and don’t forget to upvote the ones you’d love to try!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
When in public, you can watch videos and listen to music easily by using a simple device called "headphones".
RELATED:
#3
My wife and I like to get takeout once a week or so and if the food is good I like to call the restaurant and say, “Hi, my name is XXX and we just picked up an order of XXX for takeout.” (Insert short pause - you can hear the tension build on the restaurant end expecting a complaint). “I just wanted you to know that was one of the best meals we’ve eaten in a long time. Please thank the chef and everyone working back of house for us.”
I don’t know if restaurants have a secret code or some way of identifying customers but we always seem to have better interactions with them on future orders, but most importantly it lets the BOH know that we really do appreciate their hard work.
#4
When ordering something online I will add it to my cart and then let it sit for a couple days. Many times ive been sent the "You forgot something" email and a promo code for a % off.
Sapna Sarfare 6 months ago
depends on what you are buying.. i lost a good deal after keeping it in the cart
#5
When purchasing citrus fruit, select the heavy ones. They are more likely to be fresh and juicy than the lighter ones (assuming the same variety and similar size).
#6
On BMWs, there is this lever on the left side of the steering wheel that gives an indication if you want to turn left or right.
#7
When buying bagged salad, buy the bags that aren't puffed up. Look for the flattest bags. They are the freshest ones. When the salad starts to go bad, it makes the bag inflate.
#8
Dental tablets - like the ones that dissolve to clean dentures - clean out water bottles incredibly well. Can be super lightweight to carry while camping/hiking/traveling too. Put all my friends onto this hack!
Cindy Brick 6 months ago
They also take stains out of fabric... if it's white or off-white. Dab on with a q-tip, use plain water with a second q-tip to dilute when the stain's gone. Let dry.
#9
"Do you want to vent or do you want advice?"
Varrrow:
My wife and I use the phrase "Do you want a sword or a blanket?" quite often.
#10
Judging by the number of people who pull up on my bumper at every light, apparently a lot of people don’t know this:
You should pull up to the point where you can still see the bottom of the tires of the car in front of you. That gives you enough space to pull into another lane and get out of there. You never know when traffic in front of you is going to stop dead. There might be an accident, a stopped train, or some other issue. Make sure you can leave without problems.
#11
When you buy a house or rent a new apartment, get a new gmail account for its address. Then send anything house- or apartment-related to that one email so when it is time to leave or sell, you have a history of everything done or spent on.
Huddo's sister 6 months ago
I'm still using my teenage email address because I can't be bothered making a new one, having to remember a new password and making sure I change where things are sent, so I wouldn't do that each time I moved.
#12
HR is not your friend. They are hired to protect the company not you. Anonymous surveys at work are also not Anonymous. The creator of the survey has access to who wrote what. You’re welcome.
#13
Hydrogen peroxide to clean blood off all fabrics. No, it doesn’t bleach the fabric. Yes, it’s near instant and 1000% total - no scrubbing. Just saturate, wait a few, and rinse. Do it a few times if the blood is old.
It ALWAYS works.
#14
Hair conditioner works better than most shaving creams for shaving and it's a lot cheaper too.
Individual-Crazy3752:
That is 100% true. Went through hundreds of razor burns in sensitive areas and one day discovered that hair conditioner softens thick short hairs perfectly- smooth skin, much better than any overpriced shaving product.
#15
When showing people pictures on your phone, zoom in slightly so they can't swipe to another picture on your camera roll.
#16
As a dental hygienist: anything is always better than nothing.
You do not have to brush and floss at the same time. Just at some point during the day preferred.
Don't like string floss? Try the picks. Keep them in the shower, in the car, on your nightstand, on the couch.
Don't like floss period? Try a waterpik (the brand is waterpik, they make water flossers. I always recommend waterpik because they are the brand with the research to back them).
Hand held models are good for travel or if they are rechargeable, take into the shower (just fill the tank twice). I prefer models that sit on the counter because they have better pressure control and a larger tank (just fill once).
Other options are toothpicks, proxy brushes/soft picks, rubber tip stimulators. Anything to disrupt plaque and stimulate the gums.
Anything is ALWAYS better than nothing. A s****y brush is better than no brush. Flossing once a week is better than none a week. 👍🏼 And always always just do the best you can.
#17
People who work on windows computers. Hit the windows key and V at the same time.
Instead of pasting, it opens up your entire clipboard. Once you enable it it will save a history of what you copy and you can pick and choose.
Enjoy.
Data1001 6 months ago
This is on Windows 11 -- not sure about prior versions: You can also 'pin' your most-used clipboard items, which are saved even after a reboot. I use that all the time at work. And this keyboard shortcut will also give you instant access to emojis, special characters, and even GIFs. 🤯
#18
Admitting when you're wrong goes a lot farther than denying.
Jay Scales 6 months ago
I learned this in my teens & it has REALLY served me well over the years. Takes off SO much stress for you & others.
#19
Not really a hack, but library branches often have digital libraries where you can view pretty recent movies and tv shows for free from the comfort of your home or wherever.
Accessing will vary one one branch to another. It's either via a specific website/app unique to the branch. But some branches work with the Hoopla app offering the same access.
Though note you may need an active library card to access the digital library.
#20
Politely asking for things. People just seem to assume or default to terrible service or the inability for things to happen for them. If you approach it nicely with respect and ask for what you want etc many times it's not that big of a deal to get it done.
I've gotten VIP upgrades for concerts, free food, complimentary airport lounge passes, reservations at hard to get places, bill concessions.
It's amazing how rudely most people in a forward facing role are treated. If you approach them and treat them with dignity and respect, often times they will happily extend a courtesy to you. They are people and if they're the right person, they can often bend the rules in a way that you wouldn't have ever gotten had you not asked in the first place.
This also works with friends, family, partners, etc.
#22
If your brown sugar gets hard and unusable, seal it in a ziploc bag overnight with a slice of apple or bread. The sugar will absorb the moisture from the slice and be as good as new.
Upstaged75 6 months ago
I have a terracotta bear that keeps the brown sugar soft. He's cute. :)
#23
I have really sensitive ears. Most earrings irritate them other than ones made from titanium.
So I got 14g implant grade titanium tunnels and just put the cheap earrings through them like a sleeve. It works great and now I can wear whatever earrings I want without having any reaction.
Highly recommend for folks with sensitive ears!
#24
Doing the laundry/dishes and playing with your kids is one of the most reliably effective ways to arouse your wife.
#25
Airline neck pillows.
The opening goes...in...the...BACK! You know, where the BACKREST is and you don't need any more support. The whole point of these things is to allow you to sleep sitting upright, without your head tilting forward and waking you.
#26
Concert Earplugs on your keychain. The industrial circus peanut style muffles sound and are horrible.
Spend $40 on ones that dampen db's by 20 or so and let sound pass through a tiny hole. My old a*s has had mine almost a decade now. (Don't be a dumb kid like me and start now.)
Not only does the music still sound right, but the 15-20 db they cut off does a remarkable job of selectively blocking out the voices of those drunk a******s talking a few seats over.
#27
Baby powder removes sand. I continue to blow people's minds with this every single summer at the beach, and my mind is equally blown at how no one seems to know this.
Luke Branwen 6 months ago
Maybe if Anakin Skywalker knew this, he'd never turn to the Dark side.
#28
If you're depressed, don't feel good, maybe had a bender or anything else, get out from underneath the blanket and take a walk around the block. You will feel 10x better after about 10 minutes of moving.
If you're actually bed-ridden or sick sick. Don't. But if you're hungover or beating yourself up or you don't feel good, go for a stroll. You'll feel better when you get back :)
Edit: Yes, OP doesn't mean walking cures depression. We've all had our own lives to go through, just saying I felt better after going for a walk with my dogs after going through a week straight refusing to get out of bed to pee, I built off that start. Doing better now.
It's a positive post my dudes and take care of yourselves.
#29
A wet latex glove in circling motions extracts all the pet hair embedded in your couch's upholstery into neat little balls that you can easily collect and discard.
Blue Bunny of Happiness 6 months ago
Doesn’t need to be wet (but I use nitrile rather than latex). It’s a life saver after grooming several rabbits to defluff my clothes. Doesn’t help get rid of the fluff I’ve inhaled though!
#31
Wrapping lettuce in aluminum foil makes it last for a month.
atomicbaby11:
Works for celery too.
Blue Bunny of Happiness 6 months ago
If your celery etc has gone limp, slice off the bottom add stand it in water (like you’d do with a bunch of flowers) it’ll perk up again in a couple of hours.
#32
If you clean as you go, it's amazing how clean your house stays for longer periods if you make cleaning more opportune and not a separate task you wait until Sundays to do or whatever.
1. Waiting 3 minutes for something to cook in the microwave? Clean some of the kitchen in those 3 minutes.
2. Going from one area of the house to another? Carry things in that area to the area they are supposed to be at your destination. Dishes in the rec room? Carry them on the way to the kitchen. Bedroom trash full? Carry the bags on the way to the garage. Think about where you are, where you're going, and what is at where you are that needs to be taken to where you're going. Never make a trip from point A to point B without returning something to point B.
3. Keep cleaning supplies close to what you use them for. Don't store your kitchen cleaners hidden in the laundry room. Don't store the upstairs bathroom cleaners in a downstairs hall closet. Keep rolls of paper towels near anywhere a spill MIGHT occur: dining room, rec room, even bathroom, or in a bedside table.
4. Have more than one broom and dustpan, and keep one set in the kitchen, garage, etc. They are cheap.
#33
If you want to use a store's discounted price, but don't want to be bothered with creating an account or giving your phone number/email, just use the phone number from the 80's song "Jenny" and your local area code.
(***) 867-5309.
I've been using this number for years at places like CVS, grocery stores, even department stores and it works pretty much every time.
I'm clearly not the only one doing it, either. The receipts always have crazy numbers of $ saved. Last time I used it at CVS I had "saved" something like $6k this year.
#34
Feelings aren't facts.
Acknowledge your feelings but relate them to the present circumstances.
Don't allow your self-critic to use that difficult feeling to weave or buy into pre-existing self narrative that convinces you you're broken, less-than or a failure.
Life is hard and experiencing difficult emotions is not fun. But those emotions are a part of you trying to tell you that something is amiss. Some part of you needs compassion, understanding, patience and self-soothing not criticism.
Judy Reynolds 6 months ago
It may be hard when you start, but it will get easier the more you do it. And you deserve to feel better about yourself.
#35
Chemical hot packs (like Hot Hands hand warmers or Thermacare heat patches) are rated for a specific number of hours of heat. I believe the hand warmers are 10 hours and the larger Thermacare patches are 16.
The way these packs work is by a chemical reaction with oxygen. Which means you get 10 hours of heat for 10 hours of oxygen exposure but they don't have to be 10 *consecutive* hours.
If you only need them for a few hours, stick them in a zip-lock bag when you're done. They will cool off almost instantly and you still get several more hours of heat. You don't have to throw them away just because you don't need them right now.
Similarly, if your hot packs stop working early, it's almost certainly because they don't have enough oxygen. Take them out of your gloves/pockets/shoes for a moment, and they will warm back up!
Huddo's sister 6 months ago (edited)
I use the ones you press the disc on and can boil to reuse indefinitely
#36
You can car wax your sink and shower walls. Keeps mildew from building up for much longer.
Thick_Caterpillar379:
Rain-X now makes a product specifically for showers.
ILoveMySon 6 months ago
I spray furniture polish on a rag and wipe the shower walls. I rarely have to scrub.
#37
Open jars with your left hand.
The direction of turn to open and thumb position are the trick.
When you open a jar with your right hand, you use your fingers, which fold over and you're missing out on the rigidity of your thumb bones.
#38
If you wear a KN95/N95 mask in public/ crowded spaces, you are much less likely to get sick.
#39
When reheating food in the microwave, don’t put it in the center of the plate—place it on the edge. Microwaves heat more evenly around the outer edges, so your food will warm up faster and more uniformly.
#40
Using a slightly damp paper towel to cover food when you microwave it. Prevents it from getting dry and retains more flavor.
Robin Roper 6 months ago
Also protects from the disgusting food splats on all over the interior of the microwave.
#41
You don't have to get expensive reading glasses from your optometrist, you can get cheap reading glasses from the pharmacy.
nalycat:
Yay! Something I know about! I work in ophthalmology.
If you just need reading glasses, this is a good tip. The best bet is to go to the dollar tree if you have one, and pick a few that feel right. Then try them for a while and see which works best. You are only out a few dollars and now you can buy nicer ones after you know which ones feel best.
I don't recommend getting progressive lenses online. There is a lot of science that goes into progressives, and it's not something I would leave up to a website.
If you do buy glasses online and they don't seem quite right. You can go to your local optical store and usually pay them around $8 and they will double check the prescription accuracy and adjust them for you. Sometimes the glasses don't need to be replaced, they just need to be adjusted with bending or heat.
#42
Squeegee the water off your body with your hands before getting out of the shower and your towel will dry a lot quicker.
If it's dark and you need to turn on a light for a short while like in the bathroom at night, keep one eye closed and it'll stay adjusted to the darkness so you can see when you turn the light back off. Apparently this was a WW2 fighter pilot trick for explosions at night.
Rick Murray 6 months ago
I just walk around in the dark. I have always done so, and have mentally mapped out all around the house while blindfolded (or at night).
#43
You can watch YouTube without ads on mobile very easily, through a browser with ad blocking properties.
I’m sure there are several, I’m using one called ‘Brave’ which is a goofy name for a browser but it does the trick.
It’s taken YouTube from drowning in ads and completely rage inducing, to being fine again.
SchadenFreudian Psychology 6 months ago
There’s also a way to do this using the DuckDuckGo browser.
#44
Stop allowing things you can't control to live rent free in your head.
#45
You can just get up and leave. You don't have to react to everything out of a misguided sense of "self-respect."
#46
Use a seam ripper to clean your vacuum brush roll! Makes a heinous chore take less than a minute. Also, clean your d**n cleaning tools. It makes such a huge difference.
Damned_Cat 6 months ago
I always say that a thing designed to clean other things should not itself be filthy dirty. Rinse the broom once in a while. Dust your vacuum cleaner.
#47
Newspaper is excellent for cleaning glass.
#49
Having two checking accounts. One for bills, one for spending. Total up all of your monthly bills and divide by how many paychecks you get in a month. That amount (plus a little more for fluff) should go into the bills account. The rest is for saving or spending and goes to the other account. Never keep the debit card for the bills account with you. That money is NOT for fun times!
Now you'll always have the money for your bills and can pay them right away! :).
Helena 6 months ago
I took this a step further and have several accouns. I basically do the envelope method, just digitally. They're free checking accounts and I can see at a glance if anything is wrong, and if forced to face the guilt/choice immediately if I'm spending rent money etc. I can see it. Right there
#50
Not a hack but a tip.
When googling or binging something and you keep having the same few websites clog up the search results or can type -[website name]
For example
-amazon.com.
Sarah Belt 6 months ago
Search engines were originally built for boolean search requests (the "-" equates to "NOT"). It's very useless for fine tuning modern searches.
#51
Throw a corn cob in the microwave for 4.5 minutes (leaves and all).
As soon as it's done take it out and chip off the fat round end. Quickly squish the tip and the corn slides out with no leaves or threads.
It's real fast food. Great when you have kids to feed fast (cool in cold water).
#52
I have myself as a contact in my phone and text myself reminders and to-do lists constantly.
#53
I (74M) wish more Men realized that just listening to a Woman will make them like you more. Asking Women about themselves with genuine interest will seal the deal.
#55
There are websites where you can watch every TV show, movie, sporting event etc. completely free. I've gotten rid of so many subscription services thanks to this.
#56
Percentage are reversible.
16% of 75 is the same as 75% of 16.
Michael Largey 6 months ago
How to compute a 20% tip - move the decimal point one to the left and double that.
#57
I roll instead of folding my towels; they stack better and come out more easily and fit better in the cupboard.
#58
Using google and adding 'reddit' at the end to find a community of people who experienced the same issues as you.
#59
Word files are just ZIP files. Change the .docx extension to .zip and unzip the contents into a folder. There will be a subfolder in there with all of the graphics, so you don't have to scroll through the entire document doing right-click > Save As a kerjillion times.
Grm Moore 6 months ago
The idea that Word files are just renamed ZIP files is largely true, but with a caveat. While .docx files are indeed ZIP containers, they also contain XMLMicrosoft Office 2007 introduced the .docx format, which is a ZIP archive containing several XML files. Sure isn't the case with older ones.
#61
You can Google almost any error message and find the fix in minutes. It’s like cheating at adulthood.
#62
If you want to untie a plastic bag that's closed with a tight double knot, don't try to pull the knot apart. Take one of the ends that's sticking out of the knot, twist it really tight, and push it into the knot. Easy as.
#63
Cut open your “empty” lotion/product bottles. There’s so much more in there just waiting for you to scrap out.
#64
If you feel frozen with anxiety, get something to eat with enough protein in, even if you don't want it, you will feel better after.
#65
Instead of hitting backspace 10x when you misspell a word and want to retype it you hold control and when you backspace it deletes the whole word.
#66
Work pro tip, particularly if you are in an office/corporate environment: Just doing your work silently isn’t enough. There is a reason those most vocal are usually who get promoted. It might be unnatural, but you need people to know the work you’re delivering. You have to be comfortable humble-bragging to keep climbing.
#67
Those thick plastic bands that wrap shipping boxes can be removed without a knife or scissors, just look where the two ends connect and flip the band over, grab the loose tab there a give it a yank, most of the time they they will just disconnect.
#68
Always confused which side your gas tank is located? Look on your dash and there will be a little arrow pointing in the direction of your gas tank. It is an arrow by a gas symbol.
InfamousBerry34 6 months ago
If you can't find one then it is whichever side the pump is on the picture!
#69
I'm 31 and RECENTLY learned how to lift the top of my oven up to clean under it, I'd been using a brush through the gaps for years.... And how to take the bottom drawer out so I can clean under the oven. Once I realized I felt like such an idiot for not knowing!!
#70
Adding peanut butter to oatmeal to not only make it tastier, but more satiating. People complain about oatmeal and usually it’s because they haven’t added some good flavor to it or a fat to it to keep you full.
Regina Holt 6 months ago
I put raisins in, but I put the raisins in water and microwave them before adding to oatmeal, that makes them super plump.
#71
In Microsoft Word, if you select text and press Shift + F3, you cycle through ALL CAPS, no caps, and First word caps.
#72
Ctrl + shift + T opens up the last closed tab in your browser.
Ugh, do I have to? 6 months ago
you can also double-click on an empty space next to your open tabs and it will give you the option to reopen closed tabs.
#73
Learn all the shortcut keys to become efficient at any programs you may be using; music production, photoshop, video editing softwares, blender, programming etc etc.
All you gotta do is find them in the manual of the programs or googleyoutube them.
#74
In a majority of computer programs as well as most popular operating systems You can select multiple items at a time that are not next to each other by holding the control key while clicking on them.
Similarly in a lot of programs if you click an item hold shift and then click the last item it will highlight everything in between.
#75
When you are using a roller to paint walls in your house, NEVER use one of those stupid roller trays. Get a 5 gallon bucket with a lid at your local home improvement store. Buy a roller screen that fits in the bucket. Pour some of the paint in the bucket and start rolling. Always also use a roller pole, don't hold that thing in your hand it's 10 times the work! Finally, when done, tap the roller cover into the paint, and put on the lid. You're ready to go tomorrow with only the roller frame to clean. Next day, insert end of roller frame into end of roller cover you left in the bucket with paint. Tap lightly on opposite end of roller frame, and cover will work it's way back onto frame. Hope this all makes sense, it is such a time and effort saver.
#77
If you have hiccup or sidestitch (running), you can rid of it by exhaling all the way till you have no more breath and then hold it for a few seconds.
#78
Hanging shirts on hangers. If you put your arm down the neck hole and hold the top of the hanger you can just pull the shirt down on top of it. Then you can stack like five shirts on your arm and hang them fast as hell.
Didn't realize how hard that was to verbally explain til I tried.
JollyJollyDingDong:
Visual demonstration I found on YT (skip to 30 sec).
#79
When opening a new deodorant don’t try to pull the inner cap off, instead twist the bottom to raise the deodorant and push the seal out.
#80
If you press and hold the spacebar on your phone keyboard, it turns into a trackpad so you can move the cursor around. I've watched grown adults lose their minds when they learn this.
#81
Fill your thermos with hot water and let it sit for 5 minutes before adding your hot drinks (dump the hot water out before adding the drink).
That things burn your mouth 8 hours later.
#82
On an iPhone, when trying to add an app into a folder and struggling to put it into it because the folder always jumps; hold one finger on the icon until they’re all shaking, and press the folder you’d like to place it into.
#83
Fancy Zones for any office job that uses a lot of windows/tabs.
You can preset any size and just hold shift while you drag that box onto your zone and it will automatically snap to the size and location you set.
Edit. Similarly, WIN + L Arrow or R Arrow will automatically resize the window to take up half the screen. .
#84
When using the free version of the app MyFitnessPal in the US, you can no longer use the barcode scanner to add the foods you want to track easily. You can set your location to the UK, for instance, and the barcode feature is then available. Just go into your profile to set your location.
#85
When the bar or restaurant uses paper napkins for coasters, salt it generously. It will prevent the napkin from sticking to the glass.
#86
You can make home made chips better than any store bought ones using your air fryer.
Cut them (leave skin on) and then throw them in salted boiling water for 7 minutes.
Just before they go soft, drain them, salt, pepper a pinch of onion and garlic powder and then toss in oil. Air fryer at 180C for 17 minutes and you have better chips/fries than any junk you get in a bag. If you want to go extra fancy, use butter instead of oil and add in chilli powder for a kick.
#87
You can just eat kiwis with the skin on. It’s not like velcro in your mouth, it just disappears.
#88
I got tired of using the mouse to shutdown my computer and don't like holding the down the power button so I found the hotkey sequence to shutdown:
WinKey + X, U, U.
MotorcycleDoggo 6 months ago
Alt+F4 will bring up the shutdown menu if there are no programs on the desktop, it will close whichever program has focus first (WinKey+D to just minimize everything)
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What do you think ?
The Majestic Opossum 6 months ago
I took so many screen shots in this post that I'll likely never look at again 😂 (ADHD brain)
CD Mills 6 months ago (edited)
Charcoal briquettes wrapped in a coffee filter can be placed under sinks, in closets, and in other places that get stale air or are musty. They absorb odors pretty well for a long time, too. Edit: I forgot to add that they are great to put in shoes(wrapped up, of course) to absorb sneaker stench.
The Majestic Opossum 6 months ago
I took so many screen shots in this post that I'll likely never look at again 😂 (ADHD brain)
CD Mills 6 months ago (edited)
Charcoal briquettes wrapped in a coffee filter can be placed under sinks, in closets, and in other places that get stale air or are musty. They absorb odors pretty well for a long time, too. Edit: I forgot to add that they are great to put in shoes(wrapped up, of course) to absorb sneaker stench.
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