# Clever hacks that you've never gotten to work **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 25, 2021, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692 "2021-02-25T01:15:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![motu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/motu/32/259_2.png) [@motu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/motu)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2021, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/181 "2021-05-25T15:25:10Z")
Not a hack and pure incompetence on my part but I can never get the strings on a bag of charcoal or kibble to unravel easily. I almost always have to resort to cutting or breaking the string to gain access to the contents of the bag. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2021, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/182 "2021-05-25T15:30:14Z")
Sometimes they’re not made to unravel. Depends on the type of stitching. The trouble is the ones where you only need to break the chain to have them unravel can result in a lot of loss for the distributors. But there should be some kind of easy to use but still secure pull strip that doesn’t cost much to implement. It really is incredibly frustrating when those things won’t open. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2021, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/183 "2021-05-25T17:44:49Z")
And cat litter too. There seem to be a couple of different stitching methods. Often it works one-way so you have to start from the correct end. Sometimes it’s a single pull, other times you have to pull two strings simultaneously. Sometimes you have to carefully undo a finishing knot so the rest will unravel, and sometimes it just plain doesn’t work. It’s so wonderful when it works, so maddening when it doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2021, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/184 "2021-05-25T19:32:32Z")
> [@motu](#): > > Not a hack and pure incompetence on my part but I can never get the strings on a bag of charcoal or kibble to unravel easily. I almost always have to resort to cutting or breaking the string to gain access to the contents of the bag. Kingsford has done away with the strings. You just pull a strip of paper and then unfold the top. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/185 "2021-05-26T15:22:36Z")
> [@motu](#): > > … I can never get the strings on a bag of charcoal or kibble to unravel easily. I actually prefer to just cut a corner off the bag. It helps control the pouring and it’s easier to lift the bag using the ‘handle’ of the remaining corner. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/186 "2021-05-26T15:30:11Z")
> [@motu](#): > > Not a hack and pure incompetence on my part but I can never get the strings on a bag of charcoal or kibble to unravel easily. Every Saturday or Sunday my gf goes to the feed store and returns with fifty pound bags of sunflower seed, shelled corn, cracked corn, peanuts, horse feed, etc. It is my job to dump everything into the correct rodent-proof container. I’d guess maybe one bag in fifty doesn’t open as intended. That’s why I carry a knife. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/187 "2021-05-26T16:20:41Z")
I’m currently catless but I found that a completely opened up litter or kibble bag made a very convenient waterproof disposable sheet to put under the litter pan. ---
**Author:** ![PackerMan2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/packerman2/32/2894_2.png) [@PackerMan2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PackerMan2)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/188 "2021-05-28T17:53:06Z")
The thing that gets me is that it says to pull the strip from the front of the bag. Every time I look at it, I can never tell which side is the front and which is the back. It doesn’t really seem to matter as it’s always worked no matter which side I pull from. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/190 "2021-05-30T04:36:15Z")
I’m an average man with an average grip, and just with my hands I can open _most_ (not all) vacuum-sealed jars (like pickles). There’s no actual trick. Just use your _maximum_ strength. You may need additional friction, which something like a latex kitchen glove will give you. Even a large broken balloon will do. If that doesn’t work, I use any handy tool to pry the lid a bit and break the seal. For jars or bottles that may have sticky residue on the opening (like jam or syrup), holding the lid/top under running hot water for some seconds is all that’s needed. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/191 "2021-06-07T01:59:28Z")
> [@PackerMan2](#): > > The thing that gets me is that it says to pull the strip from the front of the bag. Every time I look at it, I can never tell which side is the front and which is the back. It doesn’t really seem to matter as it’s always worked no matter which side I pull from. The front is the side with the brand name prominent. The back has instructions on how to use. The fold under the tape is toward the front, so you can just lift it up. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2022, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/192 "2022-04-16T21:13:29Z")
To add to the long, long list of things that don’t actually work: no, you can NOT cook/boil water over a can of gelled alcohol (“Sterno”, “canned heat”, etc.). They’re designed for chafing dishes and only put out enough heat to keep food warm; at best you might be able to heat a can of soup or stew to serving temperature. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2022, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/193 "2022-04-16T21:48:20Z")
Practice makes perfect. I’ve mostly had success with this, some failures where the skin just doesn’t want to leave the garlic and fights me. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/194 "2022-04-17T00:02:53Z")
( Gives secret handshake.) 👋 OTOH, my wife does it easy peasy. > [@Lumpy](#): > > I’m currently catless… 😢 ---
**Author:** ![LoneRhino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lonerhino/32/1311_2.png) [@LoneRhino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LoneRhino)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/195 "2022-04-23T10:23:15Z")
I’ve worked many banquets. It never would have occurred to me to heat something other than the water in the chafing dish with sterno. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/196 "2022-04-23T19:23:29Z")
To tie a french knot while doing cross stitch you simply wrap the floss around your needle and then pull. I’ve tried the directions at least a dozen times and have succeeded in getting a proper french knot exactly 0 times. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/197 "2022-04-23T19:30:33Z")
I saw one last week that I’ve been meaning to try. If you have a Tupperware (or similar) container that’s stained (red in the example, as ours tend to be), you take sugar (it looked like a cup or so), Dawn type liquid dish soap, ice cubes, and a little water. Set aside, wash out later. There weren’t any quantities or times or anything. One hack that we tried years ago: take a 2 liter bottle, cut it in the middle (all the way through). In the bottom, add water, brown sugar, and yeast. Invert the top so the upper half (the spout) points to the bottom. Tape securely to hold. The idea was supposed to be that the yeast eat the sugar, give off CO2, thereby attracting mosquitoes. They venture down the spout, then can’t get out, fall into the water and drown. We had about zero success with this. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/198 "2022-04-23T21:49:36Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > you simply wrap the floss around your needle and then pull. My mother could do this. Me, I end up with a knot in the thread that is far from cloth. I gave up on cross stitch. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2022, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/199 "2022-04-24T19:52:49Z")
Twisting the jar, not the lid, helps me with many tough jars. ---
**Author:** ![superwombat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superwombat/32/16616_2.png) [@superwombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/superwombat)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2022, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/200 "2022-04-24T19:57:48Z")
The many slick tricks as shown in the “Blossom” and “5 Minute Crafts” videos on social media Are of dubious utility at best, and damn near mostly all a giant pile of shit at worst. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2022, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/201 "2022-04-25T05:28:23Z")
You might enjoy the videos of Ann Reardon who, among other things, does Youtube videos debunking the crap that is 5-minute Crafts. Many, if not most, of their videos are absolute bullshit. I’ve always had the strong hunch they were from seeing various ones, but she proves it: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/pvqa8dsBtno/maxresdefault.jpg "Debunking Fake Videos & WHO'S behind 5-min crafts? | How To Cook That Ann Reardon") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvqa8dsBtno) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692.md?page=11)