By definition, a lifestyle hack is a simple and clever tip or technique to make a familiar task easier and more efficient, which is why I love them.
Life hacks, as they are known, generally fall into the category of a win or fail. Time is precious, and let’s face it, we are all too busy to do something that doesn’t work. Here are some tried and true hacks to get the job done quicker, easier, cheaper and with less work involved. Remove stubborn baked on grease or burnt food from pots and pans without any scrubbing. Simply drop a dishwasher tablet along with warm water into the offending pot and let soak overnight for a quick clean up the next day. It magically removes all traces of cooking dirt. Renew your wood surfaces with a treatment of mineral oil applied with a clean lint-free cloth. Butcher block tops, wooden cutting boards, salad bowls, wooden spoons and wood knife handles will be restored and protected from harmful bacteria. With so many of today’s devices requiring cords, cables, and chargers, it can be difficult locating the one you need. Easily find the proper cord for your chargers, adapters, cameras, toys, and other electronic equipment by identifying the cords. Use white electrical tape and a Sharpie marker to make labels, then simply attach to all your cords, chargers, and wires. For multiple users, write their names on their personal cables. Banish water marks on everyday stainless-steel silverware. Place the silverware in a glass dish, cover the utensils completely with vinegar and
warm water and soak for five minutes. Remove from water, give them a good rinse, and follow up by polishing with a microfibre cloth. This also works well to remove any residue or spots left on drinking glasses. Deep clean and remove odours from your microwave. Place a wide rimmed glass bowl or a glass measuring cup with equal parts of water and vinegar inside. One half cup in total will do. Add a lemon slice if you have one. Run the microwave for a couple of minutes and leave it to sit for another ten minutes. The steam will lift the grime so all you must do is give it a wipe and volia, clean as a whistle. Create a cleaning caddy for all your cleaning supplies using a large rectangular bucket with handles, making it convenient to carry around the house from room to room. Fill it with rubber gloves, paper towels, and the cleaning supplies you use on a regular basis. And place permanent bins under the sink in your kitchen and bathroom to contain your everyday cleaning supplies. Extend the life of your fresh flowers by giving the stems a fresh cut and adding a tiny drop of liquid bleach and some sugar. The bleach will kill bacteria that form in the water, keeping the water fresher while the sugar feeds the flowers. Unfortunately, hydrangea blossoms usually wilt within a few days. To restore the flowers, give the stem a fresh cut and cut upwards into the
woody stalk. Place them in a vase filled with boiling water and within hours your beautiful hydrangeas will be restored. This trick only works once. Use the inside back of cabinet doors to share and keep important information readily at hand yet out of sight. Post-it notes can be used for appointment reminders, passcodes for wifi, grocery lists, recipes, reservations, and other important household information. Use this same technique in the laundry room for easy to access fabric cleaning tips. Baby wipes have superpowers beyond their intended use. They can be used for removing makeup thus, eliminating facecloth stains. Use them for wiping down toys, spills, and baby faces. They can be used to give shoes and purses a quick wipe. Keep a pack in the car to clean up spilled drinks or to wipe dust or dirt from your seats. For quick and easy pet hair removal from furniture or clothing, use a heavy- duty tape like duct tape instead of a lint roller. Got a tough clothing stain? Make your own stain remover using two equal parts of blue Dawn dish soap and household hydrogen peroxide and a half part of baking soda. Mix into a paste and apply directly to the stain on machine washable items. Let it set for a couple hours and wash as normal. The stain will miraculously disappear. I’ve even used this on old stains that nothing would clean and had great results.
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