20 Tried-And-True Hacks That Could Low-Key Change Your Life

"Успех должен измеряться не столько положением, которого человек достиг в жизни, сколько теми препятствиями, которые ему пришлось преодолеть на пути к успеху." Букер Т. Вашингтон

Updated Mar 20, 2020

Brb, attaching a hair tie to my keys so I never lose them in my purse again.

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We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us about the absolute best life hacks they know. Here are the game-changing results.

1.

Sprinkle some baking soda on your carpet before vacuuming to keep your rug smelling fresh.


Peter Cade / Getty Images

“It’s a nice refresh between carpet cleanings.” —Bridget S.

According to HuffPost, this trick works better the longer you let the baking soda sit!

2.

Slice two out of three sides of a triangle into a moving box, then push the loose piece inward — voila, instant handle!

3.

Before you paint your nails, swipe some Elmer’s Glue around the sides and let it dry. Once you’re done with your DIY mani, just peel off the dried glue along with any polish mistakes!

4.

Then, once your digits are looking fab, dry them in a flash by spritzing some cooking spray on them from a few inches away (not too close or your fingers will get all greasy).


Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

“I recently took my niece to the nail salon and she thought I was weird when we got to the car and I pulled the can out. But trust me, it works.” —deltadelta521

Check out what happened when BuzzFeeders tried this and more nail drying hacks.

5.

When your mani has come to the end of its life, get every last drop of polish off your nails by soaking pieces of cotton in remover and making lil’ nail wraps.


Heather Braga / BuzzFeed

“Rip up a cotton ball into 10 pieces. Pour a little nail polish remover into the cap of the bottle. Dip each piece into the nail polish remover, then wrap one around each individual nail. Wait 5-10 minutes, then the polish should more or less come right off! Rinse your hands, apply some moisturizing lotion, and you’ll be all set for your next at-home mani!” —Heather Braga, BuzzFeed Shopping editor

6.

Color-coding isn’t just for notes — use different colors of common household items like toothbrushes and towels to prevent mix-ups, especially if you have kiddos.


Peter Dazeley / Getty Images

“When my kids were little, I color-coded their towels, cups, and toothbrushes. No arguments about who left their towel on the floor or whose cup is whose.” —huh448

7.

If your zipper is stuck, rub it with pencil lead to loosen it.


Katy Herman / BuzzFeed

—stormwatcher

Graphite (aka pencil lead) will actually lubricate the zipper to help it slide free. Apply it to both sides of the zipper, enough so the lead is actually visible. Get more tips for unsticking zippers from Stitch Fix.

8.

Recycle all your empty wrapping paper rolls after the holidays by using them to store Christmas lights. This trick will also prevent you from ending up like Sabrina here next December:


CBS

“When taking down your Christmas lights, wrap them around an empty wrapping paper roll to keep them from getting all tangled. It makes storage and putting them back up so much easier!!” —jpgraciefit

9.

Rub out pesky deodorant stains with a dryer sheet.


Mukhina1 / Getty Images

“Whether the sheet is new or used, it works!” —cchristensen

10.

Slip on some rubber gloves to ~get a grip~ on a tough-to-open jar.

11.

Loop a keyring or bent paper clip through your zipper and around your jeans’ button to avoid an XYZPDQ situation.

12.

lf you (like Mia Thermopolis) get anxious when public speaking, look at the crowd’s eyebrows instead of their eyes. That way, you’ll look like you’re still engaging with them but your view will be less intimidating.


Disney

13.

Take class notes directly on index cards so you’ll have flash cards ready to go when it’s time to study for the exam.


Thinglass / Getty Images

14.

To delay a full-on ugly cry at a less-than ideal time, just look up (literally, but metaphorically might help to).


NBC

“If you’re in a situation when you start to cry but you really don’t want to (this happens to me a lot), then look up. It won’t always stop the tears, but it certainly delays them. I use this all the time haha.” —allisonistired

15.

Hack your way to the perfect PB&J by putting a layer of peanut butter on both the top and the bottom slices of bread first.


Aimeeleestudios / Getty Images

“The peanut butter acts as a barrier and prevents the jam from making your sandwich soggy.” —omgineedausername

16.

Attach a hair tie to your keys to make both everyday carry must-haves easier to keep handy.

17.

Fun fact: the stem of a banana is actually the bottom, so peel it from the other end to show off your fruit knowledge to all your friends (and make less of a mess)!


Frank600 / Getty Images

“I never get a mushy mess and always get the whole banana out.” —kanight

18.

Use Dawn dish soap for more than just plates and silverware — it’s great for grease stains on fabric too!


youtube.com

“I spilled dressing on a pair of light-colored khakis and Dawn got it right out. Squirt a little on and lightly scrub the fabric against itself with water. Wash like normal.” —lenabug312

19.

Repurpose a worn-out pair of tights by cutting off the legs so just the crotch part is left, then use that piece layered OVER another pair of tights to keep them from sagging. It’s 2020 and we are saying NO to droopy crotches.


OlafSpeier / Getty Images

“Cut the legs off of an old pair of tights, so they look like a pair of underwear. This way you can wear them over your new tights to prevent the crotch from dropping to down between your knees. Good tights are expensive, and this hack has definitely saved me a lot of money and also saved me from that awkward dance you do when you try to discretely adjust your tights in public.” —lomme

(You can also pop an extra pair of undies, bikini bottoms, or shorts over them — check out the full tip from Refinery29).

20.

Finally, try toothpaste to scrub permanent marker stains off of walls. Not so permanent now, huh?

You, living your best life with these top tips from fellow readers:


PopTV

Submissions have been edited for length and clarity.

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