# Life hacks you figured out on your own **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 11, 2023, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041 "2023-03-11T20:36:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2023, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/121 "2023-03-15T04:05:01Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Back when we used to get a daily newspaper - two, actually - I started making a rubber band ball with the rubber bands they put around the paper. I still have a baseball-sized rubber band ball in the kitchen junk drawer that I can peel a rubber band off of whenever I need one. Several grocery stores where I shop have instructed their cashiers to put rubber bands around certain containers, typically store-made prepared foods in clamshell containers. The rubber bands tend to all be of the same general-purpose size. I keep them all in the same type of plastic containers, of which I now have three or four completely full of rubber bands. One common use I have for them is wrapping around frozen-food bags, like frozen fries, veggies, and the like. I don’t have enough alligator-type paper clips for all of them, so I just fold down the open top, wrap it around, and put a couple of rubber bands around it. ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2023, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/122 "2023-03-15T08:28:27Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Coarse and fine grain salt look quite different at a glance, but I get what you mean. Well, my post hinges on “at a glance.” Poor eyesight aside, the salt is at the back of the kitchen counter, behind jars of other stuff that I use more often. Until they were labelled, I was grabbing the right jar half the time. ---
**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 15, 2023, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/123 "2023-03-15T14:30:02Z")
I just saw this today and thought it went well with our earlier discussion. It’s a card table with spots below the table to keep drinks. > **[Antique Pub Table Game Table With Mug Holders - Etsy](https://www.etsy.com/listing/829031488/antique-pub-table-game-table-with-mug)** > > This Kitchen & Dining Tables item by 86home has 48 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from Galena, IL. Listed on Nov 29, 2022 ---
**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 15, 2023, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/124 "2023-03-15T15:06:18Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Cutting an apple or bell pepper. Stand it on its end and cut each side straight down just outside the core. Four even slices. No core to mess with then you can finish the chopping at your leisure. > > I used to just quarter apples and then carve out each piece of core separately until I realized the best approach is to cut around the core. !!! I was going to post this EXACT same thing, but I didn’t want to expose my 40 years of ignorance in apple slicing. Thanks for making me feel seen 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2023, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/125 "2023-03-15T15:12:49Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Do most people have a problem with their laundry cap getting dirty, or something? Not anymore! But, sure, the caps can get sticky with a drip or smear here and there and, since they’re in a dustier-than-average part of the house, the lint sticks and shows. And that first word should have been _shortly_. > [@wolfpup](#): > > The rubber bands tend to all be of the same general-purpose size. The purple rubber bands that hold broccoli crowns and bunches of asparagus together keep my inventory topped off. I haven’t seen cashiers rubber banding containers but I did have a pint of blueberries bust open at the register a few weeks ago. I didn’t see it happen since I was bagging but suddenly berries were rolling and bouncing around on the scale and belts. He made a perfunctory attempt at scooping some back in and asked if I still wanted to buy them, lol, no. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2023, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/126 "2023-03-15T15:13:50Z")
Given the shape of the average apple core, it seems to me this method, while quicker, comes at the cost of losing a fair amount of the palatable part of the apple. Or (if you cut a smaller core) including less palatable parts of the apple in the portion intended for eating. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2023, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/127 "2023-03-15T15:22:32Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Cutting an apple or bell pepper. Back in high school I worked at a Pizza Hut, and had to de-core a whole lot of peppers before slicing them up in the Hobart. The best way was to cut the top off (the part with the stem) and then rip out the core with the seeds, and toss it. You get all the good parts of the pepper with little to no waste, and no seeds. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2023, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/128 "2023-03-15T16:15:38Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > I haven’t seen cashiers rubber banding containers… They do it at Whole Foods here but not at HEB (local grocery chain). It’s a wise precaution. ---
**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:** [March 15, 2023, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/129 "2023-03-15T16:47:10Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > A couple regarding shaving. I have a beard, but for a few years i was shaving my head once or twice each day. I learned that I got the smoothest shaves (like glass) by using an abrasive benzoyl peroxide scrub first, then applying a hot towel for a few minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2023, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/130 "2023-03-15T21:33:40Z")
I do the same apple slicing trick around the core as @Spice_Weasel (but not with peppers). I save the plastic containers that I buy lunch meat in, and reuse them for food storage. When I pack a lunch for work, I will use one to hold my sandwich, or apple slices, instead of a zippered sandwich baggie. It helps cut down on plastic bag waste. Also, I keep a small jar of peanut butter at my desk. When I eat my apple slices, I can put a dollop of PB on the bottom side of the container lid and dip my apples in the PB. When I’m done I just put the lid back on the container, the mess is all on the inside, then I take it home to wash and use another day. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2023, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/131 "2023-03-15T21:40:20Z")
Speaking of peanut butter, we usually get it from Costco and it is a natural PB with the oil separated at the top. I know there are a number of methods for this: In order to get a smooth spread all the way down, I take a handheld mixer on a low setting for a few minutes to stir the oil into the butter. Keeps it smooth and consistent while refrigerated. It’s also clean (as long as you shut it off before extracting from the jar). ---
**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:** [March 15, 2023, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/132 "2023-03-15T22:21:12Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > One common use I have for them is wrapping around frozen-food bags, like frozen fries, veggies, and the like. I don’t have enough alligator-type paper clips for all of them, so I just fold down the open top, wrap it around, and put a couple of rubber bands around it. I do this as well. The freezer is hard on the rubber, but there’s plenty more rubber bands available. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2023, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/133 "2023-03-15T22:36:46Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > Not anymore! But, sure, the caps can get sticky with a drip or smear here and there and, since they’re in a dustier-than-average part of the house, the lint sticks and shows. Oh, that. If I get a bit of detergent on the lid, I just wipe it off with one of the socks I’m about to throw in the wash. > [@Shoeless](#): > > I save the plastic containers that I buy lunch meat in, and reuse them for food storage. Some of the deli meats at Aldi come in really nice containers. But they’re on the large side for a sandwich. Oh, and another one for markers: I bike a lot, and hence get a few flat tires per year. I always make sure my tires have a mark lined up with the valve stem, so that when I find where the leak is in the tube, I can match that up with the tire to know where to look for the puncturer. And then, of course, when I put in the new tube, I line it up, too. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2023, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/134 "2023-03-15T22:43:03Z")
When trying to extract hard to extract foods from cans, such as jellied cranberry sauce or refried beans, punch a whole in the bottom of the can with a nail or screw, then open the top of can normally. Letting air into the bottom allows the insides to slide out the top so much faster and easier. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2023, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/135 "2023-03-15T22:52:37Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Oh, and another one for markers: I bike a lot, and hence get a few flat tires per year. I always make sure my tires have a mark lined up with the valve stem, so that when I find where the leak is in the tube, I can match that up with the tire to know where to look for the puncturer. And then, of course, when I put in the new tube, I line it up, too. I do that, but with the label on the tire at the valve stem. No need for a marker or mark, and bonus style points. 🚴‍♂️ 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2023, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/136 "2023-03-15T23:00:32Z")
That’s what I did with the most recent one, but they don’t always have an obvious label. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2023, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/137 "2023-03-15T23:22:40Z")
I’ve often wondered if this would work. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2023, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/138 "2023-03-15T23:36:30Z")
Give it a try! Hold onto the jar tight and have some paper towels handy the first time. I used to do it with one beater, but then tried two and it fits fine, and does not turn the jar in your hand as much. There is something satisfying about mushing all that oil into the butter and ending up with a smooth product. And an additional treat is licking the beaters afterward (or sharing with your dog). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2023, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/139 "2023-03-16T07:48:25Z")
Did the redness and flakiness associated with BP application follow? ---
**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:** [March 16, 2023, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041/140 "2023-03-16T12:49:34Z")
Nope. Maybe my scalp is tougher than my face. When I used the scrub on my face it burned a bit. On my scalp it felt good. It did remove some surface skin cells, leading to an incredibly close shave. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-hacks-you-figured-out-on-your-own/981041.md?page=8)