u/IAlbatross, u/maleorderbride via AskReddit
November 28, 2021, 9:53 am
There’s a lot of advice circulating on the Internet and much of it is bad. But Reddit, as always, is very helpful for hearing personal stories from real-life people willing to admit all the weird things they’ve tried just in case it helped them in the long run.
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The advice in a thread started by u/rat-avec-london is full of great little lifehacks that seem meaningless but will change your life if can remember them when you need them.
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“What is a lifehack that seems fake, but is a true lifesaver?” they asked.
A lot of these hacks seem like they could prevent some serious future injuries, and some will just make things in your life way more convenient, like how to remove oil stains on your clothes. Both types of lifehacks have left me a better person after reading them, though I am also now planning on wearing shoes when chopping vegetables for the rest of my life.
1.
More life advice than a life hack, but: “A dropped knife doesn’t have a handle.” If you ever drop a kitchen knife or other bladed instrument, just let it fall. Trying to catch it will almost certainly give you a nasty slice on the hand. —Stillwater215
Don’t just let it drop, literally move back as quickly and safely as you can. —donteatmyshoe
2.
if you stand up too fast and your head starts to spin/rush/blackout tighten your abs as hard as you can and it’ll help drastically reduce the head rush. you can also do it preemptively to help stop it before it even happens —54turtlelord
3.
Splash some water your face. As a mammal, you have a diving instinct, so water on your face triggers a response: you wake up, there’s more oxygen to your brain, you feel better, plus your face is wet. —phargle
4.
If you get food/grease stains on your clothes, cover the stain with dishwashing liquid. The stain will come off when you wash your clothes. —Magster56
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5.
Turn your device on and off before contacting tech support. —Pochusaurus
6.
When it is icy or going through somewhere wet, always have both hands free to break any fall. When working with a job you know has safety hazard, always be on the look out. My coworker broke her wrist because someone forgot to put the pallet in the correction location. Sometimes people are out to get you or maybe not even thinking of you (or your safety) so always got to have your own back. —sweethomeall
7.
Use whitening toothpaste and a little water with a paper towel to clean stained dry erase boards. It easily removes ink and doesn’t spread it around like rubbing alcohol. Works on boards that have been stained for years. —VHDT10
8.
If your ring gets stuck on your finger windex will slide it right off. Worked at a jewelry store for five plus years. —coykoi314
You can also use any oil (cooking, automotive… anything).
You can also reduce the size of your hand (and finger) by holding it up in the air. Chilling your hand in cold water THEN holding it up in the air for a couple minutes whilst rubbing oil &/or dishwashing fluids in there… trifecta of ring removal.
Should work on anyone that just stole Sauron’s prize – though biting it off also works, i suppose. —SageSilinous
9.
I saw a comment on one of these kinda threads that recommended gently rocking back and forth while pooping. I’ve never had any problems in the bathroom, but I happened to be sitting on the toilet when I read the comment so I decided to give it a test drive. I was pleasantly surprised at how quick and effortless the whole experience was and I haven’t gone back to my old stationary technique since. As a bonus, #1 and #2 now require the same amount of time in the bathroom! —ASS_LORD_666
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10.
If you have funky armpits and need to fix them fast, use hand sanitiser. I figured this out years ago when I remembered that the smell comes from bacteria reactions – which antibacterial hand gel kills stone dead. Instant results and the medical smell lasts only a minute. Don’t do this routinely though as it’s delicate skin. —ihadanideaonce
11.
Use shaving cream as anti-fog. I used it on the inside of my motorcycle visor. Smear it on, let it dry, then rinse off and dry. It also works for bathroom mirrors. You can use it on a small spot so you can still see when you get out of the shower. —Caspers_Shadow
12.
You can do the Heimlich maneuver on yourself. Use a chair or countertop, press yourself against it(right under your rib cage), and press down hard. Should force air up and dislodge a blockage. —Djason_Unchaind
13.
True lifesaver: if you are ever attacked by a dog, push your forearm INTO the bite. This pries the jaws apart and prevents them from clamping down. If a dog is attacking you, the best thing you can do is offer your forearm, push as far back as possible, and then grab the dog by the scruff of its neck with your other hand to hold it. The dog is now functionally muzzled and you have control of its head. The sooner and harder you push into the bite, the less damage the bite will do. —IAlbatross
14.
If you get a splinter that is still partially sticking out of the skin, put a drop of Elmers glue on it and let it dry. When you peel the dried glue off your finger, the splinter will be stuck on the glue and pop right off with it. —MagnificentUnicorn77
15.
That rubbing alcohol removes chewing gum. I’d go through a 20 layer deep marketing funnel to get to that tip because it really does work. —omgIamafraidofreddit
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16.
If a man is in an accident (car, ladder fall, etc) and he gets an erection, don’t move him. He has a spinal injury —SonOfGallifrey
As a paramedic this is true it’s called a priapism and is associated with a mid to low back injury.
Side note: unfortunately it might be his last erection —byrdcoryj
17.
Rubbing vegetable oil (or any cooking oil) on your hands after you cut up jalapeños or other hot peppers. It gets rid of the awfulness that would normally be left on your hands from the peppers. I rub my hands with oil and then wash it off with dish soap. I can totally remove my contacts after doing this. It’s crazy how well this works. —PaulRuddsButthole
18.
Put your onion in the freezer for 10 minutes before chopping it. It freezes the juices just enough to slow down the process of it turning in to a gas, giving you a few minutes to chop the onion without tears. I learnt this tip from a kid’s science show years ago and I haven’t had to deal with onion tears since. So many people don’t believe me, and then are genuinely surprised when it works. —Lost_in_the_Library
19.
If you’re going to climb a ladder or work on your roof, wear a bike helmet. —waelgifru
20.
The cheapest, most effective, and safest insecticide against roaches (especially those huge “water bug” roaches that we have in the South) is a spray bottle of mostly water with just a little liquid dish soap in it.
Shake the bottle & get the water a little foamy, then spray the roaches. They will run, scrabble, and attempt escape, of course, but they will die. The soap film suffocates them faster than any chemicals will.
A friend told me about this, & I thought she was nuts, but I tried it & it works amazingly well. Plus it’s very easy to clean up and safe around food (not that you want to spray soapy water ON your food). —SnooPickles3213
21.
From the amazing book ‘The Gift of Fear’ by Gavin DeBecker: “A woman alone who needs assistance is actually far better off choosing someone and asking for help, as opposed to waiting for an unsolicited approach. The person you choose is nowhere near as likely to bring you hazard as is the person who chooses you.” —DeeboComin
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22.
If you’re having trouble staying awake in class/at a meeting, see how long you can keep one of your feet lifted slightly off the ground.—maleorderbride
23.
During pollen season…rinse your hair before bed. Otherwise you’re just depositing pollen on your pillowcase every night and then rolling your face in it all night. And then multiply that by how many nights you use the same pillowcase.—blanketssmelllikeham
*First Published: November 28, 2021, 9:53 am
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