35+ Useful Hacks We Wish We Knew Sooner

We’re going to let you in on a little secret — a big part of life hacking is realizing that we can use the random things we have around our house for things that might not seem like their intended target.

The pizza cutter is a perfect example of that — that round cutter is way more useful than just for cutting pizza. In fact, you can use it to cut anything somewhat soft, like salami, cookie dough, and even herbs.

Anyone who’s ever lived in a tiny apartment at some point knows that you must utilize as much storage space as you possibly can. In that endeavor, those simple pocket hangers for the back of your door are your friends.

These could be used anywhere in your home to give you extra room to easily reach smaller items that you use just about every day. In the kitchen, you can use one with herbs and spices. In the bathroom, hang lotions, creams, and soaps. And in the bedroom, use it for seasonal gear!

We all know how horribly frustrating it can be when you really need sellotape to not be able to find the edge so you can actually use it. While some use the age-old method of folding the edge over, that’s just a waste of usable tape.

This hack, though, will save your tape and your sanity — use a bobby pin to hold the edge off the rest of the tape for easy identification and access. With this idea, you’re sure to never be frustrated by tape again!

Alright, this one is a bit more complicated than many of our other hacks. But, we promise it’s worth it! After all, we’re all about repurposing and recycling in our hacks — so, why not use your drain pipe to water a little garden?

This little self-watering vegetable garden makes for an amazing long-term DIY project as you can get years of fruits, vegetables, and herbs to grow in it if you put in the effort. This is the perfect way to make something boring into a beautiful and useful feature!

We believe that everyone should know how to sew, at least a little bit. After all, anyone should be able to fix a small tear or sew on a loose button on a favorite shirt (anything beyond that can be taken to a tailor).

But if you’re a bit more than a beginner, you might want to be able to hem something in a straight line. Drawing two parallel lines on your fingernail is a good way to keep those clean lines from getting jiggly.

It used to be that people wanting to go on a run wouldn’t take anything with them… we think. But, nowadays, you have your keys, wallet, phone, and earphones on you whenever you go out for a jog.

But, that weight in your pocket can be quite annoying when it bumps and jiggles as you run. Thankfully, there’s a really simple solution — take a rubber band and wrap it around the inside of your pocket (above your thighs).

Thanks to TikTok, this clever idea has gone viral over the past few years, and for good reason. Using a brand-new, clean, tackle box for your snacking needs is a great way to keep your variety of foods separate and fresh.

Keep in mind, though, that things shouldn’t stay in the box too long, especially meats and cheeses. Also, don’t forget to thoroughly clean the box after every use, no matter what you choose to put inside. Enjoy your snacking!

Of course, we want our kids to be able to play and enjoy themselves outside with sand as much as we can. But, that often comes with dirt, sunburns, and a whole lot of clean-up.

So, creating a designated sandbox tent is a great way to ensure all that sand stays in one place (you can also close it, so the local cats don’t use it as a litterbox). It also has built-in shade for your sweet kid.

While it might seem strange to most bachelors, those with families know that going grocery shopping for a large household is no easy task. Beyond the financial cost, just getting everything you need in a single cart can be like a game of Tetris.

That’s why this little trick is so brilliant and useful — by putting your family’s favorite six-pack of drinks to hang on the side of the cart, you gain all the space that those bottles would have taken inside. It also prevents the heavy bottles from squishing your delicate fruits and vegetables.

If you’ve seen a hack video or two, then you probably know that pool noodles are useful for a whole lot more than just a fun day in the sun. Of course, they’re great as flotation aids for different things.

But, did they know that they also make for the perfect gap guard? Stick a piece between your car seats, and you won’t have things falling between the cracks anymore. They also work great for silencing your loud and joggling washing machine and stopping any socks from disappearing down the sides.

Nothing feels homier than a fresh batch of homemade baked cookies. And nothing is more disappointing than finding out that you accidentally burned the bottom of what would have been a perfect treat.

Thankfully, there’s a quick little hack that can save your precious cookies from meeting the trash can. All you need is your handy-dandy kitchen grater. Yep, it’s as easy as grating the bottom of your cookies until they once again look good enough to eat!

Gadgets for your home might be really fun, but they’re also pretty dang expensive to get. Especially when you can make a simple, cheap, and easy alternative on your own with random things in your home.

So, instead of getting that fancy-pansy plastic toothpaste pusher from the store, you can make one with leftover chopsticks from the last time you ordered Asian food and a couple of rubber bands. Simply put the chopsticks on each side of the paste tube and fasten it with the band.

There’s nothing more refreshing and cooling in the summer than a nice cold glass of iced coffee. But it’s so frustrating when your morning hit of caffeine is completely watered down by your ice cubes.

Easily remedy this by creating coffee ice cubes! This requires a bit of pre-planning, but, by brewing a cup of coffee and then freezing it in an ice tray, you can have a rich and caffeinated glass of iced coffee in just a few hours.

While we might try to ignore them, let’s face it, we’re all aware of those colonies of dust bunnies that lurk in the creaks under and around our furniture. But, it’s just too much trouble to clean sometimes, isn’t it?

So, instead of just living in a dustpan, use this quick hack. Place a towel or rag around a clothes hanger and fasten it on. With the hanger-towel you can then clean any dirty crack in a jiffy.

We’ve been taught from a pretty early age that when opening any kind of packaging, it’s meant to be done from one side to the other. What you don’t usually want to do is just cut out a hole in the middle of your packaging.

But, here’s a hack from veteran repair people — when it comes to cable ties, you definitely don’t want to open it from the edge (otherwise, they’ll cause a giant mess on your floor every time you want one). Just make a small hole in the side and enjoy your tidy cable tie dispenser.

We all basically agree that pizza is the food of the gods, right? And absolutely nothing can beat a warm slice of ‘za that has just come out fresh from the oven. But, due to their classic circular shape, they’re not the easiest to fit in your home oven.

Thankfully, this could be easily remedied with a bit of clever and simple math. So, instead of putting your full pie on the tray, cut it in half, and you’ll be able to fit a lot more in one go. Will this become a permanent part of your pizza-eating routine?

Honestly, with how practical it is for all sorts of cooking missions, we think that the simple kitchen grater is a whole lot more useful than people think. So, we’re here to show you how you can enjoy this clever gadget.

While, yes, it’s great for grating cheese, of course, it’s also incredibly useful for using butter without having to warm it or melt it first. Grating butter will help you spread that delicious goodness a whole lot more easily.

Have you ever wondered how the pros manage to perfectly hang things on your walls on the very first try? While we don’t have that answer, we’re pretty sure we know how it’s done. First, put painter’s paint on the back of whatever you want to hang.

Then mark out exactly where the hooks for the nails should go. Once you have those marks, simply tape the tape onto the wall and drill in the correct spot. Just don’t forget to use a level to make sure your appliance is straight.

So, this fun and silly hack is for the gamer siblings out there. Look, we know it’s not the most brilliant but trust us, this idea is going to save a whole lot of sibling arguments and fights.

This is perfect for those multiplayer battle games where you need to fight against player two or player one, but you don’t want them to know all your moves in advance. No chance of cheating with this separating screen!

So, baking sheets are fantastic if you want to make a meal for your whole family. But, what if you want to be selfish and make something just for yourself? Do you really have to go to buy a brand new tray?

Thankfully, if you have some aluminum foil at home, you can use your old large tray to make a smaller portion. Just cut some aluminum and fold to create a partition, then use some more foil or oven-safe cookware to brace your partition.

This trick is so easy, cheap, and useful that we honestly don’t understand why garbage cans don’t just come with this right from the manufacturer. Luckily, you can easily remedy this oversight right at home.

Get some of those super cheap command hooks from your local store, then glue them to two sides of your trash can. This way, you can easily hook your garbage bag to the bin, so there are no more slipping bags.

Looking to keep your kids occupied for some time while not getting too frustrated by not being able to do something on their own? This easy hack for a craft is perfect for getting kids to enjoy drawing animals.

Use light to your advantage by placing your kids’ toy animals so that their shadow falls perfectly on a blank page. Then watch the magic happen as they create beautiful animal kingdom drawings!

What’s more cheery and festive than tossing some pretty confetti into the air? Just like glitter, though, it later gets everywhere and is nearly impossible to clean up, which isn’t all that great when it’s all made of plastic or paper.

Thankfully, you can easily make a whole lot of free and ecologically friendly confetti in your home. You just need a hole punch (preferably one with a special shape like flowers or hearts), and a whole lot of leaves. Then punch away!

Anyone who absolutely detests washing dishes after cooking will happily tell you that their absolute favorite home appliance is the clever and immensely useful dishwasher. But, there’s one thing that’s really annoying about it…

No matter how much you try, those pesky plastic boxes are going to flip and be filled with water without actually getting clean. You can fix that easily, though, by getting a dish rack and putting it on top of those boxes. No more flips!

Doesn’t it absolutely suck when everyone in your family is ready to take a group photo, but then somebody has to give up their place in the photo to take the picture? It’s even worse when you’re the one picked to be left out.

Luckily, there’s a pretty simple solution — get a mirror! Then, just have someone angle the mirror so that the cameraman is also in the shot. Voilà, no one is left behind or forgotten in this photo.

We love watching those super satisfying videos of people organizing their pantries to create an incredibly aesthetic food storage room. Sadly, most people don’t really have the time and energy to put the effort into creating such a space.

But that doesn’t mean we should give up at least some of those efficient and pretty ideas. Instead of just having a messy box of half-opened snacks, use binder clips to seal your snacks, then hang them on a command hook on the wall.

Gardening is a wonderful pastime that many of us love doing either as a meditative experience on our own or as a group activity with family and friends. But, the way you’re taking care of your vegetable garden might not be the most efficient.

Instead of washing your garden veggies inside and letting all that good water go to waste, use a sieve basket inside a wash basin. That way, you can wash your produce right outside, take it inside in the sieve, then use the fluid in the basin to water your garden.

If you’ve ever used an extension cord, you know the struggle of having those cords consistently pull apart by mistake. But, once you see this idea, that doesn’t have to be the case for you anymore.

All you have to do is loosely ‘tie’ your two cords together and connect them. Now, no matter how much you try to pull them apart by accident, they won’t let go unless you hold the tips of the cords.

In our technology-centered world, endless cables have become a large part of our lives. Of course, with that many cables hanging around in a random drawer, they’re bound to get tangled up into a massive knot.

So, here’s an easy and quick way to keep your many cables organized. Just save up your cleared toilet paper rolls. Once you have at least a few, use them to keep the cables separate by labeling them.

Locks and keys are, obviously, a match made in heaven. But, what happens when you have a whole lot of locks and keys, and you keep forgetting which key goes into which lock? Fret no more — here’s the hack that will save you time!

Just raid your nail polish collection! Then color each of your keys a different color, and put a dab of polish on the corresponding lock. There, now your keychain is colorful and organized!

This is definitely a 21st-century kind of issue, but cables strewn haphazardly about the floor are a pretty recurring thing in our modern technology-centered lives. Luckily, there’s an easy and low-tech solution to keeping them within arm’s reach.

Just use binder clips! Connect as many clips as you need to the edge of your workstation. Then thread your various cables through the handle loops of each clip. This way, even when you’re done using the cable, it’s not going anywhere near the floor.

Having rugs in your house is a great way to create a relaxed, cozy, and homey atmosphere as part of your decor. Unfortunately, while large rugs are pretty sturdy, those little ones can be a serious sliding hazard as they slip and slide.

This neat little trick will help keep your rug in exactly the right spot. Buy velcro stripes and glue or sew one side to the carpet and the other to your floor. Who knew velcro could be this useful?

This clever little hack had definitely been making the rounds on those “mommy and me” Facebook groups for years — after all, kids are usually the pickiest eaters. The reason it’s so popular is that it’s easy, cheap, and kinda fun to do, too!

So, instead of cutting away at your precious strawberry to be rid of the leafy part. Simply use a straw to push through the berry and extract that offending piece of greenery from your sweet treat. Your little kids can have fun with this, too!

How embarrassing is that moment when you’ve gotten off the plane after hours of flying, and you’re finally sure that you’ve spotted your suitcase on the airport conveyer belt, only to find out that someone else’s luggage has the exact same design as yours?

Here’s a hack to make sure that particular scenario never happens again. All you need is to hoard a few pretty ribbons from the last time you unwrapped presents. Then, simply tie a few bright ones to the handle of your suitcase. Just make sure they’re tied tightly.

It’s finally the festive season, and you’re all set to get into a present-wrapping frenzy. But, alas, those pretty and organized wrapping paper rolls from last year have unwrapped themselves and are now a complete mess in your storage room.

But, fear not! With this handy hack, your wrapping paper will remain crisp and pretty for next year. Remember those handy-dandy toilet paper rolls? Simply, cut a roll down the middle, then wrap it around your pretty paper. The roll will prevent the paper from spreading everywhere.

How tired are you of having to get the same corded earphones over and over again just because the old ones were in your pocket, got tangled up, and just stopped working because of it?

Thankfully, with the help of some cheap hair clips, you can ensure that problem never occurs again. Seriously, it’s as easy as loosely wrapping the whole cord into a loop, then fastening it with that handy hair clip.

Amazingly, despite our ever-evolving tech world, remotes are still pretty necessary, and none more so than your precious TV remote. But, between losing it in your sofa cushions or accidentally dropping it on the floor, it does tend to be a hassle to have around.

Here, too, velcro strips are your best friends! Stick one end on your remote, and the other on your coffee table or another piece of handy furniture (like the side of your couch). No more wondering where your remote has gone!

Lighting a beautifully scented candle is the way to make the atmosphere in your home instantly cozy and warm. However, not every candle is so easy to light — especially those that are almost out of wax.

So, instead of burning your fingers in an attempt to hold on to a tiny matchstick, use spaghetti! That’s right! Uncooked spaghetti easily lights up and can be used as a match to light your pretty candles. Try it out!

Problem A — you have a bag full of empty plastic bottles that you’re too lazy to recycle. Problem B — you have tons of package bags that should be closed, but you don’t have any bag clips on hand.

The solution? This hack! Carefully cut the top of the bottle. Once you have that, uncap the bottle piece and thread the opening of your bag through. Then just seal your bag with the bottle cap, and done!

Ever wanted to know how the pros manage to cut cakes into absolutely perfect slices, or get that soft cheese into perfectly round pieces? While we can’t be sure they use this tip, we’re pretty sure they would if they knew about it.

See, just like using string to cut clay, you can use unscented dental floss to cut into soft things easily and cleanly. It also allows you to create those perfectly straight lines on your cake. Will you try it out?

Snacking is one of the best kinds of eating, and we all know it! Annoyingly, though, some of our favorite snacks are covered in powders and oils that we don’t always want to touch with our bare hands.

So, here’s a clever solution to this dirty problem — use chopsticks! That’s right; those two sticks are useful for more than just enjoying your sushi or eating your ramen. This hack will ensure you can snack and work without Cheetos fingers getting in the way!

We know some recipes by heart because we make them on a pretty regular basis. Others, though, require us to heft out our grandma’s old notebook or rummage through our haphazardly cobbled-together cookbook. But those recipes are a bit more fragile.

So, to save your precious papers from all sorts of ingredient-related incidents, spills, or wetting, here’s an easy trick. Just use a clothes hanger with clips to hold your recipe aloft. This is also a great way to make sure you can easily read the recipe and not miss any steps.

Nothing beats rocking out to your favorite toons when you feel like having a private dance party. What if you want to crank up the volume but don’t have the necessary equipment — like, say, some quality speakers?

Well, with a bit of ingenuity, you can just make your own. Gather from your home two plastic cups and those endlessly handy toilet paper rolls. Cut a phone-sized bit from the side of the roll and a circle the size of the roll in both cups. Then assemble and enjoy your homemade speaker.

A good host knows that what distinguishes an okay party from a great one, is how chilled and refreshing the drinks are. But, making ice cubes that are both aesthetic and large enough for several big pitchers is no easy task.

But, have no fear — Pringles cans will be your heroes here! Once you’re done snacking on those delicious potato chips, simply thoroughly wash the container and then fill it with water, and freeze it. Once frozen, it will be easy to take out and add to your pitcher of fresh lemonade.

Moving houses is no easy task. In fact, it’s downright exhausting and difficult. That’s why it’s important to utilize as many clever hacks as you possibly can to make that process just a little bit easier.

This hack is the best way to move your clothes. Hang as many of your shirts, dresses, blouses, and sweaters as you have on hangers, then put as many of them as you can inside a single trash bag. Once you’ve moved, just hang them back up and open the bag.