# 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:** 7
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/121 "2021-03-05T13:02:25Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > The same people who design grey on white web pages. Clever hack for that…right click, highlight all. Granted, now you have white on blue stripes on white background, which in and of itself is annoying to read, but at least possible to read it without trying to get your head and monitor at just the right angle so there’s enough contrast to see it. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/122 "2021-03-05T14:43:27Z")
I love my Instant Pot but I’ve never used it to make hard boiled eggs. I use [one of these.](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DDXWFY0/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&aaxitk=25km70TtaiLBHSFaUe3UMg&hsa_cr_id=1411943880301&pd_rd_plhdr=t&pd_rd_r=fb91fe04-d21a-4f0c-bf02-4e8a168b3f64&pd_rd_w=RVLdo&pd_rd_wg=rvdZu&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_0_bkgd) It’s foolproof. ---
**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:** [March 5, 2021, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/123 "2021-03-05T14:57:02Z")
For eggs, I steam 'em. I do have an Instant Pot, just never tried it in there since stovetop steaming has worked just fine. Straight from the fridge, into the steaming basket once your water is boiling, cover, and 6 minutes for soft, 12 minutes for hard, dunk in ice water, and you’re good to go. I don’t recall ever having an issue peeling them, and I do recall others in a bygone thread reporting success with this method. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/124 "2021-03-05T14:59:11Z")
I’ve never gotten any “clever hacks to get pet hair off your furniture” to work. I think you have to have a specific type of pet hair and upholstery. Stuff like rubber gloves and rubber blades worked sort of OK for my golden retriever, but nothing works for my current dogs’ shorter hair. Only thing that works for me is the brush attachment on my vacuum, going in different directions. ---
**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:** [March 5, 2021, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/125 "2021-03-05T15:12:11Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I’ve never gotten any “clever hacks to get pet hair off your furniture” to work. I think you have to have a specific type of pet hair and upholstery. Stuff like rubber gloves and rubber blades worked sort of OK for my golden retriever, but nothing works for my current dogs’ shorter hair. Only thing that works for me is the brush attachment on my vacuum, going in different directions. Have you tried simply using damp hands? At least that’s always worked for me for cat hair. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/126 "2021-03-05T15:19:02Z")
What about a lint roller? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/127 "2021-03-05T15:26:38Z")
Yeah all sorts of stuff. I’ve had dogs for 20 years. Last month my mom and I needed to completely get the hair off her couch so we could donate it. We were armed with rubber gloves, rubber blades, water with fabric softener in it, lint rollers, all the tricks thinking surely something would make quick work of it. No such luck. Nothing worked but the brush on the vacuum. My girl dog is a lab/pitbull and lab hair is like little pins that stick into the fabric. My boy’s hair is more like cat hair but still stiff enough to get embedded into the fabric. The brush on the vacuum works the hair free if you kind of circulate it, then once it’s free it gets sucked up. I’m sure wet hands or rubber whatever works on fine hair like cat hair, or collie or samoyed hair. But not my damn mutts and their mutt hair. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/128 "2021-03-05T15:33:33Z")
All this talk of pet hair is why I always had non-shedding dogs. As much as I’d love a big golden retriever or a husky or a lab, I don’t have any interest in dealing with that much hair. With my two mini schnauzers, I didn’t even know they were shedding until I got white sheets on my bed and noticed the black hairs from them sleeping on the bed. And I’d had them for 10 or 12 years at that point. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/129 "2021-03-05T15:43:22Z")
I’ve had great success using two stainless steel bowls to remove garlic skins. I don’t like having to deal with washing the extra bowls though, and I don’t have a knife large enough for crushing garlic safely, so I typically resort to just peeling by hand. I’ve had zero luck with any of the ‘life hacks’ for keeping the inside of a windshield clean. Microfiber cloths are great for touch-ups between cleanings, but leave horrible streaks when used with an automotive glass cleaner. Blue shop towels seem to do the best job, but still leave streaks sometimes. I have noticed that all of the glass stays clean for longer if I don’t use air fresheners; I’ve never seen that listed as a clever hack though. ---
**Author:** ![Bonum\_Legatum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bonum_legatum/32/6183_2.png) [@Bonum\_Legatum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonum_Legatum)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/130 "2021-03-05T15:46:17Z")
My choice for opening stubborn jar lids is a “Grand Opener” by Imperial USA that’s been kicking around my kitchen drawer for decades. Since that isn’t listed on Amazon, here is a similar tool: > **[Amazon.com: OXO Good Grips Jar Opener with Base Pad : Home & Kitchen](https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Opener-Base/dp/B002DWA6KM)** > > Amazon.com: OXO Good Grips Jar Opener with Base Pad : Home & Kitchen ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/131 "2021-03-05T19:32:14Z")
For years, we struggled with cat hair on carpeting, furniture, etc. Then, because of my newly-diagnosed dust mite allergy, we got [this Dyson vacuum](https://www.dyson.com/vacuum-cleaners/uprights/dyson-cinetic-big-ball-upright/dyson-cinetic-big-ball-animal-allergy?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=us_en_fc_upright-range_always-on_vacuum_upright_do_conversion_shopping_brand_pla&utm_term=PRODUCT_GROUP&s_kwcid=AL!10437!3!96034355951!!!g!452618689652!&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI46rktvCZ7wIVrPLACh3vuAnCEAQYASABEgLC4fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds). It’s expensive, but OMG does it work! It’s amazing how much crap gets sucked up from a carpet that had just been cleaned with another vacuum. And the filter never needs cleaning or replacing. My only complaint is that the cord isn’t retractable, like our old Dyson. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/132 "2021-03-05T20:49:32Z")
Most useless “hack” I tried was “clean windows streak free with vinegar & newspapers”. (Worse than not trying to clean them at all) ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/133 "2021-03-05T22:22:18Z")
That actually worked very nicely back when I was a teenager. White vinegar hasn’t changed much in 50 years, but I’ll bet newspaper paper and ink has changed a whole lot. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/134 "2021-03-05T23:21:23Z")
Not sure about white vinegar, but Windex and newspapers has always worked for me. I don’t know if there’s anything specific about newspaper beyond it being absorbent, very slightly abrasive and probably most importantly, lint free. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/135 "2021-03-06T17:17:57Z")
I clean windows the way professional window cleaners do it – with a soapy [scrubber and a squeegee](https://www.amazon.com/MR-SIGA-Professional-Window-Cleaning-Combo/dp/B01C6KUNZI). It does a better job than any technique based on a spray-on cleaner. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/136 "2021-03-06T18:47:22Z")
Next you have to learn to clean an entire window in one motion so you don’t end up with a bunch of horizontal lines. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/137 "2021-03-06T19:49:20Z")
> [@WolfpackJeep](#): > > I don’t like having to deal with washing the extra bowls though, and I don’t have a knife large enough for crushing garlic safely, so I typically resort to just peeling by hand. There’s nothing special about using a knife other than being something a lot of people already have in the kitchen. Anything flat will work like a cutting board or bottom of a saucepan. > [@markn\_1](#): > > I clean windows the way professional window cleaners do it – with a soapy [scrubber and a squeegee](https://www.amazon.com/MR-SIGA-Professional-Window-Cleaning-Combo/dp/B01C6KUNZI). What do you recommend for the inside of a vehicle windshield? ---
**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:** [March 11, 2021, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/138 "2021-03-11T12:04:03Z")
I’m finding a dry microfiber cloth does an excellent job on windshields. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/139 "2021-03-11T15:37:45Z")
Another egg-related “hack”: I read on pinterest and several over locations that it was both easy and delightful to be able to poach an egg in a mug in the microwave. Just add 1/3 cup of water and a little white vinegar, gently crack an egg into the lot and turn it on for 90 seconds and - presto - a perfectly poached egg. Except it wasn’t. My “perfectly poached egg” was not cooked. So I put it in for a little longer (maybe 25 seconds?) and the yolk was a perfectly poached ping pong ball somewhere toward the back of the microwave and the whites were splattered over the roof and sides of said appliance, with none to be found in the actual mug itself. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/140 "2021-03-11T21:30:46Z")
I probably already mentioned this but for perfectly boiled (technically steamed) and also poached eggs, get one of the devices below. > **[Amazon.com: Elite Gourmet EGC-007 Rapid Egg Cooker, 7 Easy-To-Peel, Hard,...](https://www.amazon.com/Elite-Cuisine-EGC-007-Hard-Boiled-Auto-Shut/dp/B00F0RDRFS)** > > Amazon.com: Elite Gourmet EGC-007 Rapid Egg Cooker, 7 Easy-To-Peel, Hard, Medium, Soft Boiled Eggs, Poacher, Omelet Maker, Auto Shut-Off, Alarm, 16-Recipe Booklet, White : Everything Else [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692.md?page=8)