# 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:** 8
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/141 "2013-02-04T01:54:39Z")
> [@Honey](#): > > I swear by Noxema for sunburn. It cools the skin instantly. Yep. And I remember the smell, so pleasantly vivid. Or vividly pleasant? ---
**Author:** ![keturah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e95f7d/32.png) [@keturah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keturah)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/142 "2013-02-04T02:07:49Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > If a twist top won’t twist off, turn the bottle/jar over and smack the top on a hard surface. > > If the bag of chips, etc. won’t open, take a pen and stab it. What? Neither of these things are neat tricks, they sound like something a frustrated person would do on impulse when confronted with a situation not working the way they want. Kind of like when my toddler is problem solving. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/143 "2013-02-04T02:19:34Z")
If your TV is having reception problems, yell at it and call it a worthless piece of excrement until it improves. Inanimate objects are frequently motivated by threats and abuse. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/144 "2013-02-04T03:35:46Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > 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 - Ice packs work well also, and aren’t nearly so uncomfortable as an icewater immersion. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/145 "2013-02-04T03:36:47Z")
> [@Honey](#): > > I swear by Noxema for sunburn. It cools the skin instantly. No reason you can’t use aspirin/ibuprofen and Noxema. I regularly (when sunburned, anyway) use aspirin/ibuprofen and the aloe vera gel with benzocaine in it. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/146 "2013-02-04T04:50:41Z")
If you can’t find the end of a roll of tape, place your fingernail on the surface and rotate the roll. When you pass over the end, you’ll feel it. You can also tell which direction it’s in by the way it feels. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/147 "2013-02-04T05:01:59Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > If your TV is having reception problems, yell at it and call it a worthless piece of excrement until it improves. Inanimate objects are frequently motivated by threats and abuse. "My father wove a tapestry of obscenities that as far as we know is still hanging in space over Lake Michigan.” ---
**Author:** ![Beastly\_Rotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@Beastly\_Rotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastly_Rotter)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/148 "2013-02-04T09:37:04Z")
To prevent your dog from humping your leg, attach cheese graters to your trousers. This simple trick will also add extra flavour to your nachos. ---
**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:** [February 4, 2013, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/149 "2013-02-04T14:40:18Z")
In my basement, I have a food locker and a freezer that contain duplicates of all the foods in the kitchen (except perishables). So when I run out of something, I bring the “spare” up from the basement, and put the item on the “to buy” list. This way I never run out of anything. And the cans in the food locker are on shelves, about 3-4 cans deep. I put new cans in the front and take cans from the back. This way, I use older expiration-date cans first. And before going shopping I put a little number before each item in the list. This tells me the order in which I’ll get the items as I go around the store. And when in the supermarket, I always get frozen foods last, so I can get them home and into my freezer before they start to defrost. Especially in summer. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/150 "2013-02-04T14:47:55Z")
If you happen to have an [old-style rice cooker](http://www.quitecurious.com/wp-content/gallery/dolmas/rice-cooker.jpg), it’s the perfect implement for making hard-boiled eggs. Just put a very little bit of water in the bottom, put the eggs in a dish and place it in the cooker and flip the switch, and a few minutes later you’ll have them “boiled” to perfect consistency. This type of rice cooker is also much better than a microwave for heating up _anything_, working almost as fast and heating much more thoroughly (no cold insides). ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/151 "2013-02-04T14:53:24Z")
> [@Beastly\_Rotter](#): > > To prevent your dog from humping your leg, attach cheese graters to your trousers. This simple trick will also add extra flavour to your nachos. And if you rig up a doggie codpiece with a block of cheddar on it… My mother-in-law started doing this, and on a good day, she’ll be sweeping up at least a quart-size ziploc bag of “Shreddy Cheddy” (that’s what my kids call it-- it’s become their favorite snack) ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/152 "2013-02-04T16:12:11Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > If your cellphone gets wet, there is a powerful centrifuge in most homes. Your clothes washer. If you’re careful about choosing the cycle you can place your wet phone in the washer tub (on a towel is best) and let the spin cycle quickly centrifuge all the water out. Warning: some models periodically spray during the spin cycle so you may need to test this with a dry cloth first (to make sure it’s still dry at the end). My washer sprays water, but it is really simple to turn off the water by turning the knobs ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/153 "2013-02-04T17:01:25Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Also, I’ve been diluting many shampoos for a long, long time. The cheap shampoos are already diluted enough, but most quality shampoos are pretty concentrated, so you might as well dilute them. . One problem with that: shampoos can go bad, can spoil. Soap does not, as it does not contain water; but shampoos do. They contain preservatives (usually parabens) to stay good longer. That is necessary, they are kept in moist, hot circumstances. If you dilute shampoos in the bottle, and especially if you mix old (perhaps spoilt and crawling with bacteria) shampoo with a new bottle, your thrift might let you end up with skin problems. All of which can be prevented by diluting shampoo _outside_ the bottle. So, use less shampoo and dilute it in your hand, immediately before you use it. The thickness of shampoo has very little to do with how much detergent it contains; most shampoos are originally very watery, and get their thickness by adding a thickening agent. Thickening agents cost next to nothing, (and the most common cleaning ingredeint, sodium laureth sulfate, is also dirt cheap) so how thick a shampoo is has nothing to do with quality, it is just that a shampoo maker wants to diversify their shampoos. Some people feel they get more quality with a thicker product, others prefer thinner stuff. The industry knows this, and makes two shampoos, and gets a bigger market share. Signed **Maastricht,** who used to make cosmetics from industrial ingredients as a hobby. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/154 "2013-02-04T17:31:17Z")
I don’t even understand the need to dilute shampoo. Isn’t your hair wet? Aren’t you standing under or near a stream of water? Why dilute it in the bottle when you can dilute it on your head? ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/155 "2013-02-04T17:33:43Z")
I only dilute the shampoo that I’m currently using, and I go through enough of it that it doesn’t get terribly old. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/156 "2013-02-04T17:36:38Z")
Diluting the shampoo seems to make it work better. It will cover the hair more effectively, with less scrubbing. ---
**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:** [February 4, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/157 "2013-02-04T17:52:24Z")
I have a huge aloe plant on my enclosed patio. If I get a sunburn I just break off a piece of aloe and apply the sap to the sunburn. I learned this from my grandmother when we visited her in Miami Beach, more than 60 years ago. ---
**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 4, 2013, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/158 "2013-02-04T20:17:21Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I don’t even understand the need to dilute shampoo. Isn’t your hair wet? Aren’t you standing under or near a stream of water? Why dilute it in the bottle when you can dilute it on your head? Think: nearly-empty bottle. Stuff left in, can’t get it out. Don’t want to throw it away because Mom might be watching and wants you to be thrifty. So you put a little water in the bottle and you can get to the last (diluted) drops of miracle elixir. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/159 "2013-02-04T22:12:22Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Think: nearly-empty bottle. Stuff left in, can’t get it out. Don’t want to throw it away because Mom might be watching and wants you to be thrifty. So you put a little water in the bottle and you can get to the last (diluted) drops of miracle elixir. Oh, sure, rinsing out nearly empty bottle to use what clings to the side, sure. But it sounds like some people dilute the near or nearly full bottle. Maybe I just misunderstood. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/160 "2013-02-04T22:35:46Z")
Trick for sandpaper: Cut a rectangular piece 3 times the size you need, then fold it in thirds. That way, a smooth surface is always facing a rough surface, which prevents the distortion that’s all too common when two smooth surfaces face each other. When the two exposed rough surfaces are used up, refold to expose the final fresh one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959.md?page=9)