12 Genius Life Hacks That Use Things You Already Have Around Your Home — and Redditors Swear by Them

You know those handy life tips and hacks you can’t imagine your day-to-day without? Those are priceless, and Redditors know it. In fact, they’re so passionate about these aforementioned hacks that they’re sharing their favorites in a very useful thread you’ll want to bookmark — but we’ve gathered some of the best ones right here. Sure, they may seem too smart, strange, or good to be true, but trust Reddit — they’re worth it.

Apparently the dad in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” was onto something. “If your ring gets stuck on your finger Windex will slide it right off,” shared Redditor coykoi314. (They have the chops to back it up, too: They added that they worked at a jewelry store for over half a decade.)

If, perhaps, your little one got hold of a Sharpie and did some design work on your countertops, don’t freak out! Just head to the bathroom or your vanity and grab the hair styling products. “Permanent marker on a countertop? Use hairspray, lifts it right up!” said Sashabybee.

After you’ve given your living room or bedroom a makeover, label the can for when you inevitably have to do touch-ups later. “Stick on a piece of masking tape and write which room you used the paint for. That way, you don’t have to play the ‘Guess which of these three similar pots of paint did I paint the hall with’ game when you go to touch up a spot in a few years,” said Rabb238.

“When putting a paint can lid back on the can, first put down a layer of cling film (Saran wrap). This will stop the lid sticking to the can once the paint on the lid has dried,” added DoubleDeckerz. 

There’s nothing worse than forgetting you’ve got residue from super-spicy peppers on your hands, then touching your eyes or other sensitive surfaces on your body. Prevent it before it starts with this simple yet effective hack. “[Rub] vegetable oil (or any cooking oil) on your hands after you cut up jalapeños or other hot peppers. It gets rid of the awfulness that would normally be left on your hands from the peppers. I rub my hands with oil and then wash it off with dish soap. I can totally remove my contacts after doing this,” said one user.

If you’ve made a particularly ~aromatic~ fried meal and your kitchen still smells like it three days later, freshen the air with a DIY mix of stuff you’ve definitely got in the pantry. “To get rid of fried oil smells in the kitchen or house, take one cup of water and one tablespoon of vinegar and add rosemary, vanilla extract, cinnamon stick, bay leaf and boil. [The] grease smell goes away [the house] smells great,” advised AbandonChip.

If that wine glass slipped from your hand and shattered into teeny tiny pieces, asap_balboa has a solution that utilizes a surprising piece of food. “Clean up micro particles of glass with Wonder Bread. It sucks up the small pieces like u wouldn’t believe,” they shared. (We’re pretty sure any piece of fluffy sliced bread would work, though Wonder Bread and its ilk are especially thick and absorbent!)

Is there any household chore that good ol’ Dawn dish soap can’t fix? Apparently not! Mojomcm uses the gentle yet effective dish soap as a jewelry cleaner. “Other cleaning supplies might scratch it … or chemically react with the metals (usually that’s harsh cleaning supplies) and dish soap is intended to clean glass and ceramic without scratching it and silverware without reacting with the metal,” they share.

Another user swears by it to banish cockroaches: “The cheapest, most effective, and safest insecticide against roaches (especially those huge ‘water bug’ roaches that we have in the South) is a spray bottle of mostly water with just a little liquid dish soap in it.” 

It can also be combined with another wonder workhorse, vinegar, to make a cleaning mix that will get almost every room in your house sparkling. “Heat white vinegar, then add equal [parts] Dawn dish soap and you have an easy home cleaner for just about anything. Vinegar helps break down any set in mess and dawn clears it away. Let it sit for 30 minutes on most surfaces and it’s even better,” shared MuddestofDuck. Many users recommended using Dawn to clean bathtubs, showers, windows, and even eyeglasses, and it can also be used as a clothing stain remover. (Just test a tiny spot first to ensure the fabric responds well.)

Never fall asleep in your jewelry and wake up to a twisted, tangled necklace again! “Use a pop socket to hang jewelry on a flat wall [or] bed frame. I use it to hang my necklace up every night. Sounds stupid, but it’s right next to where I sleep so if I forget to take it off I don’t have to get up, and it hasn’t tangled once since I started using it,” suggested Street_Tacos__.

If you’re always fumbling to find your phone charger at night, make life easier for yourself with this simple hack from SanityPlanet. “I glued a strip of soft velcro to the end of my phone charger and the corresponding strip onto the side of my nightstand so it holds the end of my phone charger in easy reach.”

Do you find yourself tearing up while chopping onions for dinner? Say goodbye to the tears with this clever tip from Lost_in_the_Library, who discovered it on a kids’ science show. “Put your onion in the freezer for 10 minutes before chopping it. It freezes the juices just enough to slow down the process of it turning into a gas, giving you a few minutes to chop the onion without tears.”

Another user advises using your sharpest knife to reduce tears. “The thing I found most helpful is having a wicked sharp knife. The sharper the knife, the less crushing damage is done to the cells when cutting. The less crushing, the fewer tears,” they wrote.

If allergies are what’s causing your tears and runny nose, try this hack from blanketsmellslikeham. “During pollen season…rinse your hair before bed. Otherwise you’re just depositing pollen on your pillowcase every night and then rolling your face in it all night. And then multiply that by how many nights you use the same pillowcase,” they shared.

Summer is quickly approaching, and if hot temps get to you, you’ll want to implement this simple hack into your routine. “Run your wrists under cold water or rub an ice cube on your pulse points to cool down all over quickly when you get overheated,” wrote mannershmanners. 

“If you need to cool yourself immediately, dunk your arms about halfway between your elbow and shoulder in ice water … for about 20-30 seconds, then lift your arms over your head straight up and you’ll literally feel your body completely cool from top to bottom as it moves down,” added fknwhtvr.