# 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:** 9
**Author:** ![MagicEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@MagicEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicEyes)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2021, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/161 "2021-03-16T15:43:25Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > I never got the shaking bowls trick to work either but this make me wonder if a cocktail shaker wouldn’t work at least as well. Only if you like garlic-flavored cocktails! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2021, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/162 "2021-03-16T15:45:04Z")
> [@MagicEyes](#): > > > [@jnglmassiv](#): > > > > I never got the shaking bowls trick to work either but this make me wonder if a cocktail shaker wouldn’t work at least as well. > > Only if you like garlic-flavored cocktails! - > **[404 Not Found](https://www.wineenthusiast.com/w/no-route)** > > Page description ---
**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 16, 2021, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/163 "2021-03-16T15:52:42Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > I’ve been trying to use the advice in this thread, but I made a godawful mess when I crushed the egg with the flat of a butterknife. You need to poke holes in it before you cook it, like a potato. ---
**Author:** ![MagicEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@MagicEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicEyes)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2021, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/164 "2021-03-16T16:44:43Z")
People are weird. 🧐 ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2021, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/165 "2021-03-16T19:16:02Z")
> [@MagicEyes](#): > > Only if you like garlic-flavored cocktails! I’m open to it. Actually, there’s probably garlic in Clamato which I enjoy for a Bloody Mary/Ceasar or michelada. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/166 "2021-03-18T21:06:58Z")
I never could get that “perfect way to take all the bones out of a chicken wing in two simple moves” since the bone never comes out clean it always pulls half the meat with it thus making the life hack pointless. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2021, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/167 "2021-03-20T13:50:46Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > I can’t get ANY of the peel a boiled egg hacks to work. I just fry them now. 😑 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2021, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/168 "2021-03-20T13:54:21Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > > [@Grrr](#): > > > > I can’t get ANY of the peel a boiled egg hacks to work. > > I just fry them now. - 😑 How does frying a boiled egg help them peel better? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2021, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/169 "2021-03-21T18:33:30Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > > [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > > > Have you tried cutting the lemon in half first? 🙂 > > > > > ETA: you also have to switch the microwave on for a minute or two. > > Yes to both. Wouldn’t have occurred to me to try any other way tbh. Huh. I’ve had great luck with this. Clementines work too. Just halve them, put them in a bowl with a couple ounces of water, microwave for 2 or 3 minutes then immediately wipe the microwave down with a paper towel. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2021, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/170 "2021-03-21T19:41:21Z")
Plain water works as well. Boil in microwave for a couple minutes, let sit for 5-10 minutes to soften dried-on crud, wipe clean. ---
**Author:** ![PointyOintment](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pointyointment/32/7777_2.png) [@PointyOintment](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PointyOintment)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2021, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/171 "2021-05-02T07:18:39Z")
The one I’ve tried the most times without it ever working: To drive a screw that’s stuck and has a stripped head, put a rubber band between the screwdriver tip and the screw. I’ve only ever ended up with a screw that’s still stuck and a rubber band with a hole in it. Tips that actually work for that (sometimes): - Use a screwdriver with a textured head for better grip. Insulated screwdrivers (for electrical work) often have texturing. - Hammer the screwdriver into the screw before turning it. It breaks the friction/adhesion/corrosion/paint between the screw and whatever it’s screwed into. - Use an improper type of screwdriver, which may be better able to get purchase in the damaged head. - Just push harder on the screwdriver while turning it. - Use an impact driver, and push hard on it. - Cut a slot across the screw’s head, and drive using that. - Use a screw extractor, which is actually made for this purpose. - Drill out the screw. > [@BrickBat](#): > > The one where garlic cloves are supposed to be de-skinned ( or very much easier to skin ) if you shake them vigorously in a covered bowl. Lots of discussion about this, but I don’t mind peeling them by hand. Long thumbnails help. > [@CalMeacham](#): > > I’ll bet that if you put your water container in an evacuable container and pulled a vacuum on it (which would draw out the dissolved air) you might get bubble-free ice. But that sounds like an awful lot of work. Wouldn’t the water boil once its vapor pressure is reached? Not that that means it wouldn’t work, but it could make it difficult, if it overloads/contaminates the vacuum pump. > [@Smapti](#): > > Only “hack” I’ve ever found to be worth its salt was sliding a butter knife under the rim of a pickle jar to break the airtight seal so you don’t have to be an Olympic arm wrestling champion to open it the first time. I’ve never had that (or the tapping method, or the whacking method) work, but maybe I didn’t try it correctly. My usual method of opening tight lids is this: Put container on counter. Grab container with right hand and lid with left hand. Press down hard with left hand. Turn container clockwise with right hand. Why I think it works: Pressing down without turning with the same hand means I don’t sacrifice some grip to apply torque. Pressing down may also reduce the pressure between the screw threads, reducing their friction. When that doesn’t work (which is rare), I get out a scrap of non-slip drawer liner that’s kept for this purpose. It works like the purpose-designed silicone ones, which I don’t think were available back then. Both of those also work on plastic bottles, where I don’t think you’d be able to get a knife under the lid due to the tamper-evident ring. > [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > A friend showed me years ago how to tie bunny-eared shoelaces with one pass, but I can’t remember how he did it. There’s no spin-tying. He just grabbed the laces, pulled, and voila. I’ve googled, but all I get are tips for tying one-handed. I do that, though I’m not sure what you mean by “spin-tying”, and I’m not sure my method is the same as your friend’s because I haven’t seen his. > [@wjChia](#): > > probably something like this, which I use to tie my shoelaces > > [link to handcuff knot] That’s (k)not what I do. The knot I use on my shoes is the same as the common one, just tied by a different method. I learned it many years ago. The cell phone carrier Sprint had a series of ads called “Sprintcuts” where they showed how to do everyday things more quickly, promoting the speed of their network by analogy. For example, how to take your shirt off faster, or how to parallel park faster (professional driver on closed course; do not attempt). One of them showed how to tie your shoes faster, but it didn’t actually show the method very well. I looked around on YouTube and found someone’s home video tutorial for it, and learned it very easily from that. Unfortunately, I was unable to refind the video years later when I wanted to share it with someone. There are probably others. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2021, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/172 "2021-05-03T16:34:52Z")
Seems there are a lot of hacks posted here that people have gotten to work as well. The one that I used to use quite frequently before COVID, was when I traveled for work. Many hotels use special thermostats in their rooms that have limiters on the range of temperature in their rooms. They do this primarily to save energy costs. There are several posted hacks by the manufacturer of the thermostat that will allow you to override the limits on the thermostat by pushing a combination of buttons on the thermostat. These have always been successful for me. ---
**Author:** ![pmwgreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@pmwgreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pmwgreen)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2021, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/173 "2021-05-04T20:28:30Z")
I can recite my method but I’m pretty sure it’s irrelevant. Thing is, practice makes perfect. Your hind brain figures out how to peel eggs on it’s own, while your conscious mind is pfaffing around. It just needs a bit of time. Anyway, 1. pot, cold water, put in the eggs with the water covering the eggs by a inch. Lot of water. 2. Full boil, remove heat, let sit 10 minutes. 3. Pour out water and refill pot with cold water. (You ought find the shells are cold while the eggs inside are still warm.) 4. Start cracking. Before you actually start to peel, crack the shell all over the egg. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2021, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/174 "2021-05-04T20:54:40Z")
If anyone is still having trouble opening hard-cooked/hard-boiled eggs, I recommend the steam method. Ten minutes on a steamer tray in a covered pot and even relatively fresh eggs peeled easily. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2021, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/175 "2021-05-04T21:39:54Z")
I get that all the time. Also ethnic markets will often have little tubs (or not so little sometimes) of peeled garlic as well. ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/176 "2021-05-17T23:20:14Z")
Hers a video of the quick way tie a shoelace knot. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgSwvDkJVxE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgSwvDkJVxE) It takes a specific grip that’s a bit tricky - but once you have that down pat, it works, For a bonus, the man in question (Professor Shoelace) has dozens more ways ot tying shoes with which to impress your mates, fascinate women, talk about in the pubs … hey, come back!! ---
**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 17, 2021, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/177 "2021-05-17T23:47:12Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > Here’s the hack I never had any luck with: to clean hard deposits on the bottoms of bottles or vases with narrow necks, pour in rice, add soap and water, cover, and shake vigorously. No matter how vigorously I shake, it doesn’t work. I can’t see that working, rice is not very abrasive, especially when wet and lubricated with soap. Try ice cubes and salt and swirl it around. Plenty of salt, that’s what’s doing the cleaning. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/178 "2021-05-17T23:50:32Z")
Yes, and that is why sane people carried them in match safes. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/179 "2021-05-17T23:54:25Z")
Buy one of those jar opener tools. There, that hack works every time! 😛 😱 ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/180 "2021-05-18T00:36:30Z")
Great idea.I should get one of those ice cube trays designed to make cubes for water bottles. I bet I could get those down a narrow neck. Thanks! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692.md?page=10)