# Your life-hacks (formerly known as tips & tricks) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 15, 2024, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267 "2024-07-15T12:59:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/161 "2026-03-10T18:39:01Z")
actually, as a kid we made rubber-band guns from them ---
**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 10, 2026, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/162 "2026-03-10T18:41:02Z")
I just learned about elastic shoelaces in the thread below. I am delighted with them. > [@Elastic Shoelaces](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elastic-shoelaces/1028269): > > Many months ago, I bought a pair of gym shoes that came with elastic shoelaces. You don’t tie them, so there is less bending over and no occasions where they become loose. Since my legs are occasionally sore or stiff following weightlifting sessions, I really like them. I wouldn’t say they haven’t caught on, because Costco sells a couple shoes which have them, but yet you rarely see them in the wild despite their convenience and low cost. (Waiters seem to like them for some reason). But why… ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/163 "2026-03-10T19:05:50Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > It sounds like you don’t know your own strength. My microwaves always fail because the touch panel goes bad. It doesn’t take much strength when it’s just a glued-on piece of plastic. I’ve had the control panel fail too. I replaced a fuse a couple of times, but the third time it was beyond my skill so we bought a new microwave. At least I bought a multimeter along the way, which is great for testing batteries. ---
**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 10, 2026, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/164 "2026-03-10T21:47:19Z")
The limited life of pushbuttons is a huge pain in the ass. ---
**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 10, 2026, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/165 "2026-03-10T21:51:11Z")
I had thought that the pushbuttons on my microwave wore out, until I moved. During the move, I wrapped tape around the microwave, to keep it from opening, and when I removed the tape, I also removed the remove-film-before-using-the-device that I hadn’t realized was covering the buttons, revealing the pristine buttons underneath. ---
**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 10, 2026, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/166 "2026-03-10T22:00:54Z")
At least on my appliances the problem isn’t wear on the outer surface but that the film or buttons underneath that makes the electrical contact stops working. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/167 "2026-03-10T23:36:06Z")
I’ve found that wrapping the stems of a bunch of bananas with duct tape will prevent them from getting too ripe. The skin will still turn brown, but you’ll still have firm, non mushy bananas for the whole week. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/168 "2026-03-10T23:44:52Z")
I will try this. Hope it works! ---
**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 10, 2026, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/169 "2026-03-10T23:49:51Z")
I’ve tried many life-hacks for extending the useful life of bananas, but the only one I’ve found to actually work is just eating apples and oranges instead. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/170 "2026-03-10T23:58:25Z")
My simple advice for bananas to prevent from going too ripe is to buy them when they’re still green. I like them when they’re green or yellow, but not brown. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/171 "2026-03-11T07:29:10Z")
Bananas! Into the refrig if too many are ripening at once. Banana bread, simplest stuff to make ever. Smoothies. Or course we have three ravenous grandchildren over almost every day. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/172 "2026-03-11T08:30:57Z")
Growing up, my mom would make me light a match every time I stank up the bathroom. In my extensive experience, it doesn’t work, precisely because the pungent smell of the sulphur from the struck match doesn’t replace anything in the ambience, it only adds to it. So now you have a bathroom that reeks of human _and_ match farts. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/173 "2026-03-11T08:32:37Z")
As far as microwave touch buttons going bad goes, that’s one of the reasons I always opt for a microwave oven with mechanical dials. They never fail, or not at least in a decade or so of daily use. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/174 "2026-03-11T09:44:24Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > the A/C unit in your house (Sorry, I don’t know all the terms) has a pan that collects the condensate from the coils and sends it (hopefully) outside via a pipe or hose. If the water backs up/the pipe is plugged, the condensate will produce happy clumps of mold that could back up into your house. The outflow pipe has a clean out with a switch in it (looks like a piston) at the exit of the ac unit; the switch is buoyant and will close off the pipe if the water backs up all the way to the ac unit. It’s a good idea to pour a quart (+/-) of bleach or vinegar down there once a month to murdalize the mold. I drop one of [these tablets](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FRZLJ78T) into the condensation pump once a month. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/175 "2026-03-11T10:36:20Z")
Our microwave doesn’t have a handle; it has a big button you push that opens the door. I guess to avoid what happened to you? Also has the added benefit of not having a handle jutting out so you have some shelf space in front. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/176 "2026-03-11T10:38:53Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > As far as microwave touch buttons going bad goes, that’s one of the reasons I always opt for a microwave oven with mechanical dials. They never fail, or not at least in a decade or so of daily use. Based on my - limited to a couple of decades worth - of experience, neither do to touch buttons go bad. The odd case were on a different Appliance to touch buttons would go out I recall it made for an interesting intellectual puzzle… like sidestepping 10:00 by using 9:99 or so for a couple of years. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/177 "2026-03-11T11:33:27Z")
I was replying to this and other such posts: “My microwaves always fail because the touch panel goes bad.” I don’t use microwaves with touch panels, but I have had many other devices go bad because the touch panels / buttons failed. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/178 "2026-03-11T11:55:41Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’ve tried many life-hacks for extending the useful life of bananas I’m told that if you put a perfectly ripened banana into the fridge it will stay that way far longer than at room temperature. The skin will blacken and look dreadful, but the part you eat will stay nice. ---
**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 11, 2026, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/179 "2026-03-11T13:07:22Z")
We buy bananas just for smoothies, and if they get mushy before I get around to freezing them, it’s banana bread. The other day I wanted just the peel (my husband gives it to one of his plants as fertilizer), so I ate one of the perfectly ripened bananas on the counter. Blech! I never did like to eat them plain. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267/180 "2026-03-11T13:26:54Z")
NICE! Really nice; constant, controlled application and inexpensive (4 year supply? OMG) to boot. Thanks for sharing. Thread winner nominee. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-life-hacks-formerly-known-as-tips-tricks/1004267.md?page=10)