Hack Away And Simplify Your Life With These Tricks

By: Riley Brown | Published: Jul 29, 2023

There is no problem too big or too small that cannot be fixed with a little elbow grease and a bit of ingenuity. If life were a video game, then here are some cheat codes to make playing it a little bit more bearable. Some of these hacks use common household items one can find in a typical home setting.

You might have even heard of some of these already. These tips and tricks are so simple yet so genius that you’ll soon be wondering why you didn’t think them up yourself. Still, what really matters is that you’ll never have to struggle through life without them. From now on, the game of life will never be the same.

The End of The Tape Roll

How long does it take you to find the end of a roll of tape? Sometimes, it takes so long that by the time you find the end of it, you have considered using glue instead. This task can be super frustrating when you’re in a rush to fix something and your patience is running out. 

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DIY PROJECTS

The next time you use tape, before you put it back in storage, place a small paper clip over the end. This ensures that the next time you use the tape, you will definitely know where to find the end. It’ll also be nice and easy to pull it clear from the rest of the roll.   

Cool Aloe Cubes

Summer means fun under the sun! All of the activities you can do during this season make the time fly so fast, and sometimes, people get so distracted that they forget to put on their sunscreen. Those pesky sunburns can be a huge bummer.

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ONE CRAZY MOM

Here is a simple life hack for sun-damaged skin. The next time you get sunburnt, use a frozen cube of aloe vera to soothe the sensitive skin. Pour some aloe vera gel into an ice tray and stick it in the freezer to harden. You are now ready to level up your summer fun.  

Tidy Shoe Hack

If you do not have a walk-in closet like the big ballers, but you love collecting sneakers, then you may soon encounter a shortage of storage space. Keeping clean clothes from getting soiled by dirty shoes is a common problem that people encounter. 

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onecrazyhouse.com

Never be afraid to keep your dirty shoes in your closet again with this hack. After a quick jog around the block, your shoes could pick up unwanted dirt, so before you store them inside the closet, wrap a shower cap around the bottom of them. This will save you space and keep your clothes clean. It’s also a great way to pack shoes when traveling.

Rubber Band and Door Latch

Need to keep a door open and prevent it from closing on you? Maybe you have furniture to move and you do not have anyone to hold the door open, or maybe you have an angsty teenager and you keep an open door policy.

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INTRUCTABLES

Take a tip from us and use a simple rubber band to hold the door open. Slip the end of a rubber band over one doorknob and stretch it all the way to the other doorknob. For this hack to work, there should be a twist in the band across the latch. There you go – a simple yet effective way of keeping the door from closing on you. 

Protect Your Eyes When Drilling

DIY home projects are a great way to complete your tasks, but they do come with a few safety concerns. If you ever find yourself in the middle of a drilling project, you might have experienced that the debris from the drilling can get into your eyes and create a mess on your floors as well.

cableguysmith / Via reddit.com

For this brilliant hack, cut the bottom of a plastic cup and place it on your drill, as seen above. Now as the debris starts to fall, this handy cup will collect the dust and help protect your eyes and your floor.

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Gravity-Defying Storage

You might be one of the people who have a hard time letting go of stuff. Who knows – you might need it someday, right? But these things can pile up, and when that happens, you can start to feel like you might qualify to appear on Hoarders. What do we do when there is no more space? We go up!

MAKEZINE

You can now store items easily in your garage by keeping your things at ceiling level. All you need are some wooden I-beams and some sturdy storage containers with a lip around the edge. Install I-beams at the correct width, and then slide the lipped containers through. Easy! This will buy you enough time to sort through your things before a much-needed garage sale.

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A Toast To Frozen Grapes

There is nothing worse than drinking lukewarm wine. Now that we think of it, drinking wine watered down by ice may actually be worse. Since neither of these options is great, the next time you have a bottle of wine that needs cooling, keep the hack you’re about to read in mind. 

SPOON UNIVERSITY

Place some grapes in the freezer the night before the big celebration. You can then use delicious frozen grapes instead of ice cubes to keep your wine cool. Do not forget to keep them in a Ziploc bag in the freezer to ensure they are clean and ready to use.  

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Cook Two Pizzas In A Small Oven

When oven space is limited, you have to get creative with how you cook. If you’re looking to bake two frozen pizzas at once and your oven doesn’t seem like it has enough space, fear not.

KingPin300-1976 / Via reddit.com

Use the picture above as your guide. By cutting your two circular pizza pies into quarters, you can use geometry to make both pizzas fit perfectly on one baking rack. Efficiency is key!

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Snack Containment Units

If you are a coffee lover and need a shot of espresso with a little bit of creamer to start your day, then you probably have a few of these coffee creamer containers lying around. Don’t throw them away because we have a hack for you that is not only environmentally friendly but also a great money saver.

CONSOLIDATED FOOD SERVICES

These containers are great to reuse and store your snacks in. Tear off the outer wrapper and fill it with your favorite snack. This makes for an easier way of dispensing snacks. You can take it anywhere with you, and no one would be the wiser. Perfect for parents to bring snacks along on road trips or other adventures for you and your kids to enjoy.

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Grocery Haul

Whether you like it or not, grocery shopping is part of adulting. Going through the isles and picking your food for the next few weeks can actually be exciting and therapeutic. It is, after all, the modern equivalent of hunting and gathering.

TOP LIFEHACKS

After paying for your haul, the next challenge is to bring your purchased goods inside the house. If you want to bring all the bags inside in just one trip, you should try this trick. Hook all of your grocery bags onto a large carabiner and use it as a handle to carry everything at once. You can consider this your weightlifting workout for the day!

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Don’t Pour It All Out

Have you ever poured out more oil than you intend to? When using liquids such as vegetable oil, alcohol, or oyster sauce you need to be careful as you pour them out. Some of these liquids can be expensive, and this hack will help you avoid unwanted accidents.

ONE GOOD THING BY JILLEE

The next time you purchase a new liquid, instead of removing the foil covering at the top of the bottle, poke holes in it with a fork. The holes will help you control the flow of liquid out of the container, avoiding any unwanted excess liquids.

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Lint Roll Your Screen Door

Screen doors and screen windows can quickly become dirty due to dust, pets, cobwebs, and weather conditions. Luckily, your everyday lint roller can be an effective cleaning method.

RIPJ4WZ / Via reddit.com

Lint rollers aren’t just reserved for cleaning lint off your clothes. They can be excellent cleaning tools for freshening up your screen doors and windows and even for cleaning the dust and lint off your furniture as well.

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Blister Packaging's Kryptonite

Have you ever bought something that came in packaging so firm that you nearly injured yourself trying to get it open? On the one hand, this is great as it ensures that your item has not been tampered with, but on the other hand, it’s insanely frustrating!

THE GILLEY GROUP

This hack is the blister pack’s Kryptonite. Use a hand-operated can opener the next time you need to open something in blister packaging. The can opener will cut through the plastic with ease, leaving a nice, clean edge. This hassle-free hack is so easy and effective, your life will never be the same.

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All Your Bobby Pins In One Place 

Ever enjoyed some TicTacs and wondered how to make use of the empty container after? Well, take note of this hack the next time you pop a tiny candy. If you enjoy TicTacs and also own a few bobby pins, then you can use this hack to recycle your containers and organize your bathroom. 

theburlapbag.com

A TicTac container can easily hold bobby pins and dispense them one by one. How convenient is that? Simply place all of the bobby pins inside and open the top to retrieve bobby pins when you need one. The next time you’re looking for a hairpin, they’ll all be in one place. 

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The Chef’s Favorite Hack

If space is tight in your kitchen, this hack will prove useful. When you are tired of seeing a cluttered kitchen with pots and pans that have no home of their own, it’s time to go vertical with your storage strategy.

DECORATING YOUR SMALL SPACE

Install a pegboard on the wall of your kitchen, and hang all of your kitchen utensils. Whether it be pots, pans, spatulas, or knives, almost anything can be propped up vertically on the wall. Your kitchen will look so organized you might get mistaken for a pro chef. 

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A Coffee Lover’s Cheat Code

Do you enjoy a good cup of iced coffee? We’re talking about the strong kind – not those milky, weak, sugary-sweet concoctions that barely have any caffeine in them. If you’re a true coffee lover, you will appreciate this hack.

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR

The night before you plan to enjoy an iced coffee, brew a cup and pour it into an ice-cube tray. Stick it in the freezer to solidify overnight. In the morning, you can use these frozen cubes of coffee to replace regular ice. So, instead of watering your coffee down, the melting ice will only make it stronger – genius! 

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Easy Pancake Squeeze

If you are one of those people who has a hard time perfecting a round pancake with a smooth surface, then you should take note of this hack. Some people prefer to practice their pan flipping skills before they get a perfect pancake, but you’ll never need to worry about that thanks to this simple trick. 

Pinterest

The next time you cook pancakes, put the batter inside an old condiment bottle. This makes for an easy dispenser for the mixture and leaves your kitchen mess-free. So, do not throw away those old ketchup or mustard bottles. Instead, clean it out, and it’ll help you squeeze out the perfect set of pancakes.

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Cut Cakes And Pies With Floss

Here is a different use for your dental floss. Would you believe it’s perfect for cutting pastries, cakes, and other baked goods? Just when you thought that floss was only good for the well-being of your teeth, here we offer you another way to get the best out of your floss! 

INSTRUCTABLES

Make sure to use unflavored dental floss when making use of this hack. When held tense, the floss should easily cut through baked goods, eliminating the need for knives. It cuts like a hot knife through butter, and you will never need to wash those knives when craving baked goods again.

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Hang In There

We have another use for old soda can tabs. If you don’t have as much room in your closet as you would like and you’re looking for space-saving tips, then this is the hack you need. Instead of throwing away the tab of your next soda, use it to recreate this tip. 

VISIHOW

To save space in your closet, use the tabs from your soda cans and place them over the neck of your clothes hangers. This way you get to hang another clothing hanger through the tab and repeat as needed. This is both convenient and environmentally friendly. Your closet will be in tip-top shape in no time!

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Soda Straw Holder

Can you imagine a more satisfying sound than the first fizz of a soda can? There might not be a better feeling than that first mouthful, but here is a simple hack you can do with your soda can to get even more pleasure out of your next delightfully fizzy beverage. 

Shared

After opening the can and getting that pop, turn the tab around so that it covers the opening of the can, then insert your straw. The0 tab should be able to hold the straw in place, making it easier for you to enjoy your cold drink.

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Tennis Ball Bop

Not everyone is blessed with good driving skills, and parking a car is something one has to practice over and over again to get good at it. Unfortunately, it is the car that suffers from accidental bumps inside the garage due to poor spatial awareness.

Pinterest

This hack is designed for new drivers and those who simply want to protect their vehicles. To ensure you never pull too far forward in your garage, hang a tennis ball from the ceiling using a piece of twine. Place it so that it will gently bop the front windshield of your car when you’ve reached the perfect position. When the tennis ball bops your window, you’ll know it’s time to stop – easy!  

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Save Your Flip-Flop

Here is a hack that makes brilliant use of the tabs from bread bags, so if you have some lying around the house, it’s time to get them organized. Keep them in one place so you’ll have one handy the next time you need to use this hack for a broken flip-flop.

Pinterest

You can use the tab that keeps your loaf of bread fresh to fix your broken sandal. Place it around the tip of the sandal strap at the bottom of your flip-flop. This should keep everything in place until you get the chance to buy a new pair.  

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Ice Ice Baby

This hack is a game changer on those days when you’ve just brought home a load of drinks but they’re all too warm to consume. From now on, you won’t have to wait too long to enjoy your favorite drink ice-cold. After learning this trick, you will never drink a drop of lukewarm soda again. 

JOHN R. LEEMAN

When craving a cool drink, wet a piece of paper towel and wrap it around the warm bottle. Place the bottle in the freezer, and leave it there for about 15 minutes. The moment your timer runs out, you should have an ice-cold drink to enjoy.

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Look Mom – No More Tangles!

Owning electric gadgets is great, but it can be a pain when you need to organize all the spare bits and pieces in storage, especially if you have a lot of cords lying around your home. When you’re in need of an easier way of storing messy long cords, make sure to use this hack. 

FRUGAL COUPON LIVING

The next time you have to store lengthy cords, you can make use of old toilet paper rolls. Stack them inside a box that’s big enough to hold them neatly. Roll up those cords, and insert them into the toilet rolls for clean, tangle-free storage. 

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No-Drip Ice Packs

You never know when you might need a good ice pack. It could be for an injury you might sustain from your active lifestyle or a medical necessity to keep a fever down. Whatever it may be, it is always a good idea to be prepared.

WONDER HOW TO

Ice packs can be messy when they drip all over your space during use. For a no-drop ice pack, use a sponge soaked in water placed inside a small Ziploc bag. Leave it overnight in the freezer, and you can apply it to any bruise or use it to tame a fever the next day. 

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Keyboard Crumbs

For all of the keyboard warriors reading this article, this tip is for you. If you have a dirty keyboard because of prolonged use and you do not know how to clean it, take note of this hack. You don’t even need any special tools. 

SHE FINDS

If you have a post-it notepad lying around the house, use the sticky part of the post-it note in-between the computer keys. The dirt will cling to the sticky post-it note but no residue will be left behind. You can also use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol for a more thorough clean. Just make sure it’s not too soaked as you don’t want any drips leaking down past your keys. 

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An Expert Painting Hack

Painting can be messy and a tedious task to clean up after. If you’ve been looking for  way to remove excess paint from your brush and avoid unwanted splatter, then your wish has been granted with this ingenious life hack.

DO YOU REMEMBER?

Before you paint your space – or anything for that matter – the key is preparing for clean up. Start by placing a large rubber band around the opening of the can. When dipping the brush in the paint, gently wipe the bottom of the brush against the rubber band. This will eliminate any excess paint and prevent drips and spills.

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Spilling The Tea About Sunburns

Summer is great for soaking up the sun, but if you soak too much of it up, you may get caught with a painful sunburn. Thankfully, we have a solution to your sunburn problems.

Pinterest

Next time you get a sunburn, fill a pitcher with lukewarm water and soak some tea bags until the water is black from the tea. Dip a clean cloth into the brewed tea, apply it to the sunburn, and allow it to dry. You can reuse the tea as necessary until your sunburn has healed.

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Gorgeous Lines Every Time

This one is for the girls who have a hard time perfecting that tricky-to-do eyeliner. This hack is an ingenious way to use an ordinary spoon as a beauty tool. Who knew that this dinner utensil could help you get beautiful eyeliner every time you use it?

Youtube

This secret beauty tool helps you achieve that gorgeous line. Just place a spoon on top of your eyelid. Then, apply the eyeliner by following the curve of the spoon. This unexpected tool is so simple to use – we will have you carrying a spoon in your beauty bag in no time!

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Power Scrubbing

When it comes to spring cleaning, we all know we have to put in a little elbow grease to get things spick and span. After you learn this hack, however, you will be able to shift from working hard to working smart. That is what hacks are designed for, after all!

SNAPGUIDE

When you encounter a stain that needs a little more TLC to get rid of it, use this hack for a smarter way to clean. Attach a small, round brush head to a power drill. Now watch the magic work for you. To ensure your safety, it must be an attachment designed for the drill you’re using – this isn’t the time to get creative. 

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Get Rid Of The Fluff

Tell us the truth: how many cardigans and sweaters have you thrown out because you were sick of all the bits of fluff stuck to them? Even if you have sentimental value attached to those sweaters, you feel that you have no choice but to throw them out because they just look too worn out to wear. Never fear – there’s a hack for that!

THE BURLAP BAG

When sweaters get old, they start pilling. Before throwing them away, however, you should try using this hack. Take a disposable razor and shave the fuzz off of the surface. This will make any sweater look newer than you would have thought possible. 

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Increase Your Key Fob’s Range

One of the most common complaints about keyless entry systems is that the key fob’s range doesn’t extend far enough. Surprisingly, the secret to resolving this issue lies within your mind. You can lock or unlock your car from a greater distance by holding the remote close to your head while pressing the “Unlock” button.

Alternatively, you can also hold the key fob beneath your chin. As it turns out, the large number of water molecules in your brain interact with the key fob’s signal, which helps increase its range.

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Strong Cell Service

Moving into a new place can be exciting. The adventure that awaits you when starting your life in a different location can also be overwhelming, but before you put any money down for your new place, consider this hack so you will not regret your purchase later. 

IMORE

When inspecting a potential new house or apartment, do not forget to check the cell service. If there are problems with the cell reception or internet strength, you’ll be equipped to address them before they become your problems. You can either opt for a different property or ensure you upgrade your phone or internet plan.

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Labels Are Important

So many cords to choose from – which one turns off this gadget again? If that is a question you are familiar with, then it is time to get organized using this hack. After applying this method, you will never mistakenly pull out the wrong chord for your gadgets again.

BIG CHILL

The messy cords behind your computer can now be labeled accordingly. You’ll just need to raid that supply of bread tags you were saving for your flip-flops! Just stick a tab from a loaf of bread around the cord, and do not forget to name each tab accordingly.

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Don’t Throw Away That Tape

How many masking tape rolls have you thrown out because they got too hard to serve their purpose? Sure, you could buy another one with just a few bucks, but how often do you buy a new one when the old roll still has more than enough tape to get the job done? 

FAMILY HANDYMAN

Don’t waste your money the next time you encounter a roll of masking tape that has gone hard over time. It just needs a little TLC. Pop the dry masking tape into the microwave, and watch as the hard, dry tape becomes manageable in a matter of seconds. 

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A Sweet Trash Can Hack

Keeping your car free from unwanted litter can be easy if you have a compact trash can. This trick gives you a place to store drive-through trash when you’re on the go. After you park your car in the garage, you can easily take out the trash from your car and properly dispose of it.

Pinterest

The easiest way to keep litter out of your car is to repurpose an empty cereal container and fit it with a small trash bag inside your vehicle. You can either clean out an old cereal container from your pantry, or buy a new one from a dollar store. Either way, this is a cost-effective hack.

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Cord Protection Unit

Prevention is better than cure – we often hear these words uttered, and this hack embodies the spirit of the quote. It will save you time and money by preventing your cords from fraying. All you need is the spring from an old pen, and we will take care of the rest. 

PAD & QUILL

Remove the spring from your old pen and twist it around your cord where it meets the plug. The area that gets bent the most is the area the spring protects. It’s like a little suit of armor, protecting the cord from breaking.

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Don’t Boil Over

Whether you are a professional chef or an amateur cook, you will be grateful for this hack. They say there is nothing more simple than boiling water, but it does get complicated when it overheats and the water spills out of the pot. Keep the following tip in mind next time you boil water. 

WONDER HOW TO

The hack is very simple – all you need is a wooden spoon. Place the large wooden spoon across the pot, and it will keep your water from boiling over. This is particularly effective when cooking pasta, rice, and other starchy foods. 

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Did You Lock The Door?

Keep your house safe and sound with this hack. Have you ever had a nagging feeling that you forgot to lock your door? Did you go back to the door a couple more times just to check? It’s frustrating when this happens, but thankfully, there’s an easy way to ensure you never have to question yourself about locked doors again.

PULPTASTIC

This hack is for the sliding glass doors in your house. Paint the bottom of the lock on the sliding glass door a color that contrasts with the surrounding door. The next time you question whether you locked the door or not, it will be easier to spot if the colored lock is pushed up or down.

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No More Annoying Zippers

There is nothing more annoying than a stuck zipper. This can occur for any random reason at the most inconvenient time, which makes it worse. Thankfully, we have a hack to save the day! The next time you get a stuck zipper, try the tip below. 

COMPLEX

All you need is a pencil to fix your zipper problem. When the zipper gets stuck, rub the pencil lead over the zipper. The graphite in the lead should lubricate the zipper, making it easier to open and close. Just jiggle it back and forth, and in no time you should be able to get it unstuck. 

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This Hack Will Make You Smile

Toothpaste might make your teeth sparkle with frequent brushing, but when it falls off the brush and onto your clothes, it can be a nightmare to deal with. The titanium dioxide powder found in some brands of toothpaste can discolor your favorite shirt.

BT

The next time this happens to you, simply apply this life hack and you’ll never have to throw away a stained shirt again. The trick is to mix some detergent or stain remover with water and blot the stain with the mixture using a damp cloth. Watch as the stain magically disappears. 

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Wine Cubes

If you have a more sophisticated palate and favor a little bit of wine in your cooking, then you might want to take note of this hack. Sometimes, putting alcohol in your dish can ruin it, especially if it is not proportioned properly. So, here is a hack to solve the problem. 

PINTEREST

For easy portions of wine to put in your dish, fill an ice cube tray with your favorite cooking wine, and pop it in the freezer overnight. The next time you want to cook with wine, you’ll have properly proportioned ice cubes to put in the dish. Happy cooking! 

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No More Stinky Shoes

Old shoes sometimes start to stink from prolonged use. The sweat that gets trapped inside the shoes can harbor bacteria that in time will make them smell. The key here is to keep your shoes dry and clean. This will ensure bad odors cannot develop. 

STERISHOE

We have a hack that is perfect for this problem. All you need is some old sheets of newspaper. Just stuff the newspaper in the shoes. This will soak up any moisture and help remove any offending odor that might otherwise build up over time. Easy!

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Keep It Flowing

There are times when you need to get creative when coming up with fixes for everyday problems. This is the beauty of these hacks – unexpected objects can turn hours of intensive labor into minutes of easy work. As we said earlier, it’s all about working smarter, not harder. 

ESSENTIALS

Next time you need to fill a bucket with water, use a dustpan under the faucet, making sure that the handle is turned to the bucket as it hangs over the edge. Place the bucket underneath, and keep the water flowing until it’s at the desired level. 

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