Maintaining a home is basically a full-time job. The To-Do list is never ending, the dirt and dust you clean always comes back, and it's impossible to expect yourself and others to never make any sort of mess.
Thankfully, the awesome world of hacks — tips and tricks that are meant to make life easier — can help ease the stress of everyday household tasks. Below are just a few helpful examples!
1. Control The Flow
Use a fork to poke a few holes in the seals for dressings, oils, syrups, etc. This trick will help you control the amount of liquid that comes out while also avoiding big, messy spills.
2. Dust-Free Cleanup
If you're going to be drilling a hole in the wall, place a folded Post-It note underneath it so that the drywall dust doesn't fall on your floor.
3. Space-Saving Solution
Whether you're sharing a closet with your partner or just have a serious shopping addiction, this hack will come in handy. To create more space in any closet, use pop tabs to hang clothing together in a waterfall pattern.
4. Picture Perfect Party Snacks
You could use a regular serving plate to display tasty homemade treats, or you could get crafty and use a fun, colorful picture frame tray instead!
5. An Egg-cellent Idea
For perfectly round fried eggs every time, crack them into Mason jar lid rings! Not only will your eggs look great, but the lids will also keep them separated while they cook.
6. One Of These Things Is Not Like The Others
If you enjoy a hard boiled egg from time to time and want to ensure you never accidentally take a raw one from the carton, add a few drops of balsamic vinegar to the water to tint the shells as they cook.
7. Color Coordinated
Planning on painting a room in the not-so-distant future? If so, make sure you dip a wooden stir stick into the paint to create a swatch. Write the name and number of the color, as well as the room it was used in, and store it in a safe place for future reference.
8. A Stand Up Job
The next time you want to make a batch of delicious stuffed peppers, use a muffin tin to keep them upright while you're filling and baking.
9. Take A Deep Breath
Avoid funky smells in your living space by attaching a car vent freshener to the floor grates. This is especially helpful if you have kids and/or pets living in your home.
10. Easy Peasy Blind Cleansy
To create the perfect blind cleaning tool in an instant, simply wrap microfiber washcloths around a set of salad tongs and secure them in place with elastic bands.
11. Perfectly Popped Popcorn
Before popping, soak popcorn kernels in a bowl of water for a few minutes. Doing so will not only speed up the popping process, but will also ensure you end up with as few unpopped kernels as possible.
12. Fake It 'Til You Make It
Want to convince guests that you're an epic baker without actually making anything? Pour two tablespoons of vanilla extract into an oven-safe dish and bake it at 300 degrees for 20 minutes.
13. Slip Prevention
To prevent your cutting board from slipping and sliding while you work, place a sheet of damp paper towel underneath it. I think this one's worth a try — especially if it means keeping all of your fingers intact.
14. Pump It, Pump It Good
To stop your kids from using too much soap, simply wrap an elastic band around the top half of the pump to shorten it. This will limit the amount of product that comes out with each pump.
15. Cupcake Magic
Whenever I bake, I always seem to end up with flat-topped cupcakes and muffins. But now that I know this simple trick, it looks like that won't be a problem anymore!
16. Color Locking
Never fiddle with a ring of keys again by using this simple hack. All you need to do is color coordinate each key using nail polish. Seriously, that's it!
17. Meal Planning
Using buckets from the dollar store and labeling them with the days of the week is a great tactic for quick, easy, and organized meal prep. So smart!
18. On The Hook
GRUNDTAL rails and S-hooks from Ikea can be used to make a simple but useful shoe storage system in any area of your home. And they're super affordable, too — something your wallet will appreciate.
19. Go Vertical
If you know your way around a set of power tools and could use a bit more storage space for canned goods in your home, then this smart idea should be added to your list of must-do projects.
