# Neat useful tricks that you think most people are not aware of **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 31, 2013, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959 "2013-01-31T21:35:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/101 "2013-02-02T15:41:31Z")
Mental math. Apparently, I’m some sort of genius because I can figure out %'s, know that rounding to get approximations is useful for real-world applications, etc. Like figuring out the 9.25% sales tax on a $199 purchase - a person I know started typing on their phone to get the number and I’m saying “A little more than $18, right?” Cue evil look and “I’m not a math whiz like you” comment. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/102 "2013-02-02T19:19:31Z")
> [@Trom](#): > > I learned that from Actual Advice Mallard, too. He also taught me that you can reopen a browser tab that you accidentally closed by hitting Ctrl-Shift + T. > [@BeeDubU2](#): > > Did you know that if you right click on the taskbar, there’s an option for task manager? A quick right click left click sequence for me! > [@MeanOldLady](#): > > I did not know this! I swear I used to be kind of good with computers, and now it’s a miracle I can even turn this thing on. Bzzzzt–see post #15. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2013, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/103 "2013-02-02T19:30:36Z")
When you go to install a new motorcycle battery, put a little wad of paper or tape under the loose nut. It will hold it up to facilitate threading and keep it from falling out. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2013, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/104 "2013-02-02T19:48:52Z")
Do not go out & buy spray glass cleaner. Buy sprayer bottle & a one gallon jug of _white_ vinegar. Dilute 50/50%. It is also a decent spot remover, & freshens sneaker smell. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2013, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/105 "2013-02-02T20:06:17Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Never buy green onions again: buy a bunch and stick it in a glass with water on a windowsill that gets sunlight, and change the water once a week. Snip the green part as you need for cooking, and it will continually grow back. This is, and remains, our most and only successful houseplant ever. Similarly, if you grow leeks and just want them big enough to cook- not exhibition size ones, don’t dig them out when you want to harvest them. Cut them instead, leaving the roots and an inch or so of stem (only a bit longer than the end you’d chop off and throw away) in the soil. They’ll regrow over the next few months- you can even harvest them three or more times before they bolt if you’re lucky. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2013, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/106 "2013-02-02T20:22:37Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > My secret weapon for sunburn is Desitin Creamy. Yeah the butt paste for kids. The creamy kind has aloe. Slather it on the burn and it’ll feel better and not peel. You might have to keep it up for a day or two as it heels, until it stops feeling hot. > > I recently found that Desitin works for more severe burns. I grabbed a fork that had just come out of a fire, and my fingers were toast. I soaked them in ice for a bit but they still hurt like hell. I then dried my fingers off, slathered them in Desitin, covered them in bandages, took an Aleve and went to bed. As God as my witness, there was 0 trace of burn in the morning. > > Also if you didn’t know, bruises are inflammations. Aleve (naproxen) and Advil (ibuprofen) are anti-inflammatories. If you get a bruise, ice it ASAP and take an anti-inflammatory. Bruises on me tend to be gone within a day if I manage to keep the inflammation down. Actually ibuprofen and aspirin are the best thing going for sunburn, believe it or not. They blunt the pain, and they’re anti-inflammatory as well. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2013, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/107 "2013-02-02T20:59:28Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > I do that, but I just put paper towel on the spot an iron that. Replace and repeat, then just throw out the paper towel. No need to clog up your washing machine (or worse, your dryer - a fire hazard!) with congealed candle wax. > > Plain salt works even better as an [hygroscopic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygroscopy)agent. Oh derrr! Paper towels, good idea. The one time I had to use this trick, the washing on hot worked very well in taking the wax out before it even got to the dryer though. And hopefully getting wax on one’s carpet isn’t a common occurrence. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2013, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/108 "2013-02-02T21:35:38Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Actually ibuprofen and aspirin are the best thing going for sunburn, believe it or not. They blunt the pain, and they’re anti-inflammatory as well. External, internal or placebo? ---
**Author:** ![jdubs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cdc98d/32.png) [@jdubs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jdubs)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2013, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/109 "2013-02-02T21:57:41Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > Something I’ve posted before: I sometimes work as an editor, and occasionally I want to check two printouts of a document to see if they’re exactly the same version. Fast way to do this: I put two versions of the same page side by side, cross my eyes so that one page seems to go “on top” of the other, and look at a “combined” page as if it were a 3D Viewmaster. If there is a difference of even one word between the two, my binocular vision makes the errant word leap out at me. It also works for words on a computer screen, and for non-flat surfaces – for example, if I want to compare the ingredients on two cans of something or other. When I am trying to compare two printed pages for any dissimilarities, I stack one page on the other and then hold them up to a light. It becomes pretty easy to see if there is any additional text. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2013, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/110 "2013-02-02T22:06:22Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > Bzzzzt–see post #15. Pfft, I don’t need to look at post #15 _now_. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2013, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/111 "2013-02-02T22:26:24Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Mental math. > > Apparently, I’m some sort of genius because I can figure out %'s, know that rounding to get approximations is useful for real-world applications, etc. Like figuring out the 9.25% sales tax on a $199 purchase - a person I know started typing on their phone to get the number and I’m saying “A little more than $18, right?” Cue evil look and “I’m not a math whiz like you” comment. :dubious: The mental math I did for that was taking approximately 10% of $200 - somewhere around $20. Close enough for me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2013, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/112 "2013-02-02T22:31:21Z")
This is a useful trick: > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > The mental math I did for that was taking approximately 10% of $200 - somewhere around $20. Close enough for me. 🙂 Rounding to easier numbers to make quick tax (or tip, or whatever) calculations can give you a ballpark figure of what you’re looking at. This is not: > [@JohnT](#): > > Mental math. > > Apparently, I’m some sort of genius because I can figure out %'s, know that rounding to get approximations is useful for real-world applications, etc. Like figuring out the 9.25% sales tax on a $199 purchase - a person I know started typing on their phone to get the number and I’m saying “A little more than $18, right?” Cue evil look and “I’m not a math whiz like you” comment. :dubious: This is just a post that says “I can do math in my head.” ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2013, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/113 "2013-02-02T22:44:05Z")
Naw, it’s more a post that said I didn’t read the OP very well. 😉 My second of the day, in fact (“Amazing BS facts” is the other.) ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2013, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/114 "2013-02-02T23:45:00Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > External, internal or placebo? Internal. I got sunburned pretty good as a kid once, and my mother called the dr. to see if there was anything out of the usual folk treatments, and he suggested aspirin. ---
**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:** [February 3, 2013, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/115 "2013-02-03T00:08:31Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Do not go out & buy spray glass cleaner. > Buy sprayer bottle & a one gallon jug of _white_ vinegar. > > Dilute 50/50%. > > It is also a decent spot remover, & freshens sneaker smell. I learned about the miracle of vinegar in a thread like this one, here on the Dope. I now keep a spray bottle of diluted white vinegar near my sink, and the vast majority of the time it is all that’s necessary to keep my kitchen clean. It also works on dishes, and is similar to dish soap in the way it can cut grease. Mine: Before bed, put a little dab of toothpaste on any blemishes you might have and in the morning the inflammation will be quite reduced. Also, I don’t know how much of a ‘‘tip’’ this is, and I’m sure it’s pretty commonly known among athletes, but I recently learned that ice baths are incredibly effective at reducing pain, swelling and long-term damage from a muscle tear/sprain injury or really any muscle aches and pains you might have. It’s as horrible as it sounds - run water as cold as you can, dump in ice cubes, pull on a sweatshirt and sit in a freezing cold tub for 10-15 minutes (not longer, or you could literally die!) Do this as soon as you realize you have injured yourself. It’s an… um… great opportunity for mindfulness. The first time is the hardest; I’ve found that filling it up and then climbing in at once is the best method. But the effect is miraculous - I pretty much did a week’s worth of healing overnight, or at least it felt that way. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/116 "2013-02-03T00:18:14Z")
Nevermind. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/117 "2013-02-03T00:51:57Z")
A couple of screwdriver tricks- 1. If you’re going to unscrew a sheet metal screw that’s likely to be stuck, twist it a bit tighter first to break it loose, then unscrew it. The classic place for this trick working is on chrome headlight bezels. 2. If the screwdriver has a square or hexagonal shank, you can put a crescent wrench on it for more torque. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/118 "2013-02-03T00:59:56Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > A couple of screwdriver tricks- > > 1. If you’re going to unscrew a sheet metal screw that’s likely to be stuck, twist it a bit tighter first to break it loose, then unscrew it. The classic place for this trick working is on chrome headlight bezels. > > 2. If the screwdriver has a square or hexagonal shank, you can put a crescent wrench on it for more torque. when doing either of these you need to put your body into it and press the driver hard into the screw; if you don’t then you will tear up the screw head. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/119 "2013-02-03T01:29:25Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Actually ibuprofen and aspirin are the best thing going for sunburn, believe it or not. They blunt the pain, and they’re anti-inflammatory as well. The sooner you take them, the better, too. I carry a bottle of ibuprofen with me to my LARP games, so I can hand them out to whoever looks burned at the end of the game. Waiting until they get home–which may be hours later–gives inflammation time to set in, and makes the burn more painful. ---
**Author:** ![Baffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@Baffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baffle)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/120 "2013-02-03T01:33:08Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > when doing either of these you need to put your body into it and press the driver hard into the screw; if you don’t then you will tear up the screw head. And make sure you’re using the exact right screwdriver. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959.md?page=7)