Have you ever come across a piece of advice that seem so obvious and awesome in hindsight that you can’t believe you didn’t think of it before?
“Life hacks” has become a bit of a buzz phrase in recent years, but there really are some habits and practices, often requiring minimum time and effort, that can be life-changing. Someone on Reddit asked people to share some of those “simple and effective” life hacks that people surprisingly don’t know about or use, and the responses are a trove of “Oh, that’s brilliant” tidbits of wisdom.
Here are some of the top tips:
How to get a cat to be comfortable in the cat carrier
Some cats don’t mind the pet carrier, but a lot of cats act like it’s made of lava.
“Leave the cat carrier out and open all the time. Then they don’t panic when you get it out to go to the vet.” – Mistie_Kraken
“That’s a fantastic tip for reducing stress during vet visits! Keeping the cat carrier out and open as part of their environment helps them become familiar with it, making it less scary when it’s time to use it. It’s a simple adjustment that can make a big difference in your cat’s overall well-being.” – designsbymtj
“There’s probably still some anxiety inducing unfamiliar smells and sounds at the vet and also in the car. But at least he seems to like his carrier, that’s one stressor reduced.” – twilightramblings
A quick and easy sink pipe swipe
Stinky pipes? A little regular maintenance of hot water and gravity can take care of it.
“Every now and then, maybe once a week, fill up your kitchen sink(s) completely full of water, then pull the plug and let the water go down the drain in a big rush. The force of the water pushes out a lot of the slimy crud that has gathered in the pipes. No more clogged sinks.” – PaulsRedditUsername
“Use almost boiling water to cut any grease in there as well!” – sunshinesmileyface
“I had a strange smell coming from my kitchen sink but fixed it by boiling some water and then pouring it down my sink.” – dirtymoney
“Even better, first pour some vinegar down the drain. Then 10 or so minutes later let the sink fill up with hot water. (as hot as you can make it) And let that drain. Gets rid of even more slimy crud!” – Sanquinity
Write down those fleeting moments of potential brilliance
We always think we’re going to remember, but we always, always forget.
“Always write down momentarily good ideas. Don’t lean on your memory.” – bunny_shortcake
“And in complete sentences! Don’t write “fridge pants,” write out the whole thought like a stranger needs to understand it.” – NeuHundred
“Yep. I shower before going to bed and I get some good ideas then. After the shower I write the idea down on a pad of paper that I keep at my desk just for ideas.” – tc_cad
“Keep a journal near your bed. I’ve gotten AMAZING ideas in dreams. No, you won’t remember when the alarm goes off, spend two minutes jotting down details at 2 am. Trust me.” – Conscious-Shock7728
Be as kind and courteous as possible to customer service people
A little kindness can go a long way.
“Being genuinely nice to a customer service person (hotel, phone center, server, whatever) will get you way more free stuff then the people who yell and escalate for it. I had gig speed internet for a year for $20 a month because I asked the guy with genuine sencerity how his day was while dealing with an issue I should have been mad about. (He told me at the end of the call that he updated my internet package and to not question the bill next month)
Sometimes, you get nothing free out of it. But customer service people get yelled at all the time. They recognize people being jerks for free stuff. What they don’t see often is kindness in a difficult situation.
Be genuine and out of your way kind, and the amount of free stuff you will get will surprise you.” – mybossthinksimmormon
“Can confirm. Am customer service. Terms & agreements are the law of the land for assholes. Nice people? Wavy, gravy with those rules & what can I throw in for cheap or free.” – bagolaburgernesss
“I worked in a high end hotel for the better part of my early twenties to early 30s. I couldn’t tell you how many upgrades and free shit I gave to guests that were just decent to my staff and I. Literally for just not being jerks. Suite? You got it. Free room service? Absolutely. Comp Concert Tickets? I got you.” – NotYourGoldStandard
Clogged or covered in minerals? Soak that sucker in vinegar.
It’s incredible how much vinegar can do.
“People throwing out shower heads because the stream gets weak. Soak that shit in vinegar for 24 hours and you’ll have a brand new shower that will be as powerful as the day you bought it.
Edit: white or cooking vinegar. If you can’t remove the shower head, plastic bag and rubber bands.” – Trytolearneverything
“Honestly, cleaning anything with vinegar is a huge life hack. It’s non-toxic, cleans really well, disinfects, keeps bugs away and can kill your weeds without poisoning the soil/ground water. It’s also a fabulous fabric softener and is great in the dishwasher too.
Editing to add that cleaning vinegar is better than cooking vinegar for these things as it’s more concentrated but both will do the trick. :)” – girl_in_flannel
Make it near impossible to forget something on the way out the door
Pair what you need to remember with something you know you can’t forget.
“If you need to remember to take something with you the next day, put it in a bag and hang it on your doorknob the night before. If it’s paperwork or mail, tape it to your door to where it’s covering the handle. Usually if it’s left on a kitchen counter or a side table or something like that, it will be forgotten if you’re one of those get-out-the-door-at-the-last-minute the last minute type of people (like myself).” – goodmeowtoyou
“If I have something I have to take (from home/work whatever) I literally put my keys in the bag. Physically can’t leave without touching the bag.” – SerpensPorcus
“Or put it on top of your shoes if you keep your shoes by the door you go out..” – somercurial
Read the instructions. Seriously.
Sounds simple enough, but there are a lot of people who simply refuse.
“Read. Manuals, directions, instructions, etc. Most of your questions will be answered.” – tabitharr
“I used to joke about this when I sold electronics. ‘Real men don’t read instructions….they come to me to tell them how the magic device works….'” – OddgitII
“I stick the manuals in a file folder in case I need to refer to it later. Plus if I sell the item it’s nice to have it to pass on.” – kindlycloud88
“Once bought a $50 carbon monoxide detector. Took it out of the box, put the batteries in, lights turned on on the front: there was a funny looking little tab on the back, and impulsively, I depressed the tab.
Lights turned off, and did not turn back on.
Huh.
I read through the directions. That tab was the ‘kill carbon monoxide detector completely and permanently’ button, for when it’s useful life is over and it won’t stop emitting “I’m dying” chirps.
Felt like a massive dumbass.” – spooky_spaghetties
Alternative ‘hand signals’ that work better than the bird
No need to fuel anyone’s road rage. If you have a twitchy middle finger, try these alternatives.
“Instead of flipping people off while driving, give them a thumbs down. Flipping them off makes them defensive and angry. A thumbs down makes them feel stupid.” – dragon0069
“Oh, my God. A few months back I was at a stop sign, trying to turn left. It sucked because it’s one of those roads where you have to continuously look in each direction due to bends and hedges blocking the view. After some back and forth I finally thought I was in the clear. Right as I pull up a little more, this guy comes barreling down the hill GIVING ME A THUMBS DOWN. I will never forget it. I didn’t feel stupid but like such a let down lmao I’d rather get the finger, laying on a horn or someone yelling at me. Literally anything else. It will haunt me forever. I’m still sorry about it!!” – popperboo
“I actually go the passive aggressive route & give a thumbs up 😂” – gallad00rn
“Or, if they are really annoying and want to provoke you, just smile at them and give them a friendly wave (and laugh as you watch them get even angrier).” – islandhopper37
“Blow kisses. It really seems to make them annoyed.” – Unique-Union-9177
“I’ve always done a queen wave with great success.” – eastofliberty
