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The fact that life hacks exist proves two things: 1. that we’re doing just about everything wrong, and 2. that there are a bunch of people out there living in the future. Thanks to the Internet (and namely Reddit), however, all the geniuses living in 3020 have a way to share all their surprisingly useful knowledge about hacking the world around them with the rest of us luddites.
As you might assume, the name “life hack” comes from the hacker world—think computer nerds and programming geeks. It’s related to creating digital shortcuts that allow IT professionals to get shit done faster in life. Pulled from the computer screen to the real world, these hacks are smarter ways of making everyday activities and work more efficient. And the best part? They usually rely on things you have lying around the house.
Certain life hacks seem too obvious to be true, and others seem impossible to pull off, but, trust us, all of these life hacks will solve a problem you probably deal with daily but never realized was secretly ruining your week.
From finding ways rubberbands can get rid of just about every inconvenience known to man to figuring out how make things colder very, very quickly, life hacks prove that, with a little creativity, everyday products can become invaluable—or at least, they can make someone’s day just a little bit easier.
There are lifehacks for just about every personality type, from people looking for quick fixes to step up their style, to those who need solutions because they live in tiny apartments, to twentysomethings who don’t have everything figured out yet. We’ve sifted through the most useful life hacks floating around the Internet to bring you The 50 Best Life Hacks of All Time. You can thank us for saving you a few hours every day.
49. Use a Rubberband on Your Door To Keep It Open
If you need to keep your door propped open to move furniture or take out your trash, this is an easy way to save you from digging for your keys each time.
48. Shower Cap Your Shoes
When storing shoes in your closet, keep the soles of dirty pairs away from your clean clothes by wrapping them in shower caps.
47. Remove Toothpaste Stains
You can blame the titanium dioxide powder in toothpaste for those stains on your new T-shirt. Your best shot at removing those stains is by spot-cleaning with a bit of detergent.
46. Use a Can Opener
It's possible to open a blister pack without cutting yourself or jumping through ring of fire? Spare yourself the trouble (and potential injury) by using a can opener to open a blister pack.
45. Hang Pots on Peg Board
Make more room inside kitchen cabinets by hanging large pots and pans on a peg board.
44. Maintain a Garbage-Free Car
Keep a cereal container in your car so that your empty soda cups and used napkins don't end up on the floor or in the back seat of your car.
43. Hang a Tennis Ball
Hang a tennis ball inside your garage so you know when to brake while parking.
42. Use Teabags to Treat Sunburn
Being sunburnt is no fun. Thankfully, there's a remedy for treating it. You can apply Earl Grey teabags directly onto your wounds or press a tea-soaked washcloth onto your skin. See here for more information.
41. Create a Drip-Free Icepack
Soak a sponge in water, then freeze it inside a Ziploc bag to make a drip-free icepack.
40. Shave Your Sweaters
Clean the pilling off a sweater by shaving it with a razor. Just like when shaving your own face, you need to be careful not to ruin the fabric. Using a women's razor might be a safer bet.
39. Soften Masking Tape
Finding the end of masking tape can be such an annoying task. To soften up old masking tape, simply plop it in the microwave and warm it up for a few seconds.
38. Stuff Drinking Glasses in Socks
The last thing you want while moving is to have all of your drinking glasses shatter during a move. Tuck all your glassware inside of clean socks to prevent them from clinking and clattering.
37. Fix a Stuck Zipper with Graphite
Believe it or not, rubbing graphite on zipper teeth will lubricate the zipper if it's stuck.
36. Easily Declutter Bathroom Cabinets
For more cabinet space, hang tweezers, nail clippers, and other bathroom utensils on a magnetic rack.
35. Protect Your Car with Pool Noodles
Cut and drill pool noodles onto the walls of your garage to prevent your car doors from getting damaged by the walls.
34. Stuff Newspaper in Your Shoes to Remove Odors
Stuff your sneakers and shoes with newspaper. They'll soak up the moisture and any smells they've managed to acquire!
33. Conceal Scratches on the Whip
Cover up scratches on your car by using a matching color of nail polish.
32. Toss the Boxes for More Space
Boxes can take up a lot of room inside a cupboard. Consider losing the boxes and emptying the contents into storage boxes you can stack to save room.
31. Hang Items Off of Bungee Cords
Instead of tossing them into your closet, use bungee cords to hang small items like sunglasses and scarves.
30. Use a Lotion Bottle for Storage
Clean out a lotion bottle to store your phone and other essentials inside of it. It'll keep the sand from getting into and scratching the surface of your phone too!
29. Dissolve Ink Stains
Got ink on your brand new dress shirt? Don't freak out too much. Drop a bit of hand sanitizer on the ink stain to dissolve the ink. Follow up by throwing them in the wash. Hopefully that'll do the trick.
28. Pile Plates on Foam Plates When Moving
Wrapping your glassware in newspaper takes forever. Ain't nobody got time for that! Instead, stack your plates on top of disposable foam plates to keep them safe and unbroken during a move.
27. Stack Your Bed over a Hidden Storage Unit
Set your mattress atop a storage unit to create more floor space.
26. Try on Pants Without a Fitting Room
For those of you daredevils too lazy to wait in line for fitting rooms, there's another way to gauge whether you'll fit into a pair of jeans or pants. Place your fist and elbow into the waistband of your pants. That distance is roughly the size of your waist, so if you can squeeze your fist and elbow into them, you'll probably fit into those bad boys just fine.
25. Build a Sliding Pantry to Make More Space
To maximize room in the kitchen, build a pantry that can fit and slide out from the space between the refrigerator and the wall.
24. Remove Dents
Save yourself a few bucks before heading to the car shop to remove dents and dings from the surface of your car. You can do it yourself by using dry ice.
23. Easily Build a Smartphone Dock in Your Car
Convert your car's ashtray into a dock for your smartphones and iPods.
22. Make DIY Tumblers
Follow the instructions above to make your own tumbler with old Grey Goose bottles. Home-made glasses are so much more impressive than a shelf of empty alcohol bottles.
21. Create a Magnetic Ironing Board
Cut a thin quilt and glue magnets to the back of it. When you need to iron something, simply stick the quilt on top of the dryer and do your handiwork there.
20. Make Your Beers Colder Quickly WIth a Wet Paper Towel
Wrapping a wet paper towel around your drink and sticking it in the freezer will help it cool down faster, so you’re ready to party right away.
19. Keep Your Pizza Warm in the Car
The worse thing that can happen to you after a pizza run is coming home, only to bite into a slice of pizza that's not hot. Turn your seat warmers on to keep your pizza hot during the drive home.
18. Rub Walnuts on Wood to Restore It
Rubbing a walnut against damaged wooden furniture can help cover up marks and scratches.
17. Wrap a Rubberband Around the Paint Can While Painting
Stretch a rubberband around an open paint can and wipe your brush on it to keep paint from dripping down the sides of the can.
16. Stack 'Em
To save and make room for more clothes, stack your clothes vertically inside your drawers.
15. Install a Cooler in the Car
If you're feeling up to it, install a cooler in the rear seat compartment of your car. Now you've got cool drinks and sandwiches all day, everyday.
14. Make DIY Taco Shells
Out of hard taco shells? You can make your own by baking tortillas on the bottom side of a cupcake pan!
13. Use a Binder Clip as a Money Clip/Key Holder
In addition to organizing cables, binder clips can also act as a money clip and a key holder!
12. Easily Re-Seal Open Bags
Snip off the top of a Gatorade or soda bottle. Shove your open bag through the neck of the bottle, then screw the cap on to keep the contents fresh.
11. Use a Staple Remover When Organizing Your Key Ring
When adding more keys to your key ring, use a staple remover so as not to break your fingernails.
9. Wrap Bottles with Plastic to Avoid Spills During Moving
Spills are never fun, especially on moving days a.k.a. the most stressful days of your life. To keep unwanted spillage from happening, cover the lip of bottles with plastic wrap. Then seal with the lid.
8. Use Muffin Tins for Condiments
To your guests, you'll look like the smartest, most innovative host ever. Serve condiments in a cupcake or muffin tin during parties and cook outs. It'll cut back on the number of dishes to wash too.
7. Tie Extension Cords Together To Keep Them From Unplugging
You’ll never trip over a cord and unplug it again!
6. Fill Up a Bucket by Putting a Dustpan Under Your Faucet
If you’ve tried to squeeze a bucket under your sink and gotten water everywhere, you know why this is so useful.
5. Protect Your Cables
Everyone knows that it doesn't take long for the cable of your iPod/iPad charger to start falling apart. You can lengthen your charger's lifespan by coiling the spring of a pen around the cable.
4. Organize Cables at Your Desk
Clip binder clips to the edge of a desk and loop all of your cables through the metal handles to keep those cords from slipping out of reach and tangling with other cords. You can also detach the handles, too.
3. Maximize Space with Magnet Containers
Glue magnets onto the backs of empty tea tins and voila! You have new magnetic containers to store pens and all of your other household items.
2. Close Bags with Hanger Clips
Put plastic pants hangers to good use. Cut off the ends of the hanger and use them to keep bags of chips clipped shut.
1. Use Wine Boxes to Store Shoes
Store your shoes inside empty wine boxes instead of throwing them in your closet or kicking them under your bed. It'll maintain the shape of your shoes and keep them dust-free.