Hacks to Reduce Clutter, Clean Sneakers, and More — Hacks #21

✅️ Use bubble wrap to prevent ice cream from melting

On the road to a family gathering with ice cream? Want to bring home as dessert your favorite artisan pint during heavy rush hour traffic without it degenerating to mush?

Wrap the ice cream in plastic bubble wrap, which prevents it from melting. A powerful insulator, it will keep ice cream firm for hours. Yay, it’s also a way to recycle packing material. Keep a strip of bubble wrap with your cloth grocery bags in your car.

✅️ Clean white-soled sneakers with toothpaste

Are your tired sneakers in need of refreshing? Bring soiled tennies back to looking brand new with an old toothbrush and non-gel white toothpaste.

Apply toothpaste to the toothbrush and work it into dirty spots. Leave on the shoes for ten minutes or so, then wipe them with a damp cloth. If necessary, repeat the process.

Recommendation: Because the ingredients of different brands may vary, it’s prudent to test on a small, inconspicuous spot first.

✅️ Tidy up your office space using binder clips

In today’s world, it’s a constant struggle to keep an office space neat with dreaded myriad cords from computers, printers, phones, cameras, speakers, Bluetooth, and whatever else is next invented as “chargeable.”

Use binder clips to secure and sort the errant cords. Clamp the clips to the back or side of your desk and thread the cables through them. If the cable end is too thick, unhook the metal portion of the clip, slip the cable through, and reattach.

A simple solution in lieu of buying yet another fancy office gadget.

✅️ Check for leaks on an air mattress with soapy water

Is there a leak in that seldom-used blow-up mattress stashed away for occasional guests? Or on the one used by the kids in the swimming pool?

Blow up the mattress. Check for the leak by spraying soapy water on it. The leak’s location will bubble.

Dry the area completely. Then, repair it by sealing the leak with Superglue. It’s a cheaper option than purchasing a replacement.

✅️ Use newspaper for cleaning windows and mirrors

If you are one of the few remaining newspaper subscribers, save them for cleaning and polishing windows and mirrors.

I always found newspaper print superior to both paper towels and squeegees for polishing glass and minimizing streaking. Spray your Windex or non-toxic window cleaner on the surface. Then, with crumpled newsprint, clean and polish.

Do today’s youth still clean their parents’ car for extra allowance money? It was a childhood money-making option for us.

✅️ Measure baking ingredients on a digital scale

Many of us recall baking or cooking forays when every measuring cup and spoon in our arsenal was dirty.

Use your digital scale instead of all the implements and give your dishwasher (or you) a break.

My clever sister does this when baking. It’s ingenious.

✅️ Add aluminum foil to your dishwasher to make utensils shiny

Don’t toss that piece of aluminum foil just used. Instead, crumple it into a ball and toss it into the dishwasher.

The reaction between the foil and dishwasher detergent will remove tarnish from the silverware, leaving it extra shiny.

✅️ Stretch a rubber band across a paint can to clean your brush

After opening a can of paint, stretch a rubber band across its center. Dip your brush into the can, sliding it against the band each time you refresh the paintbrush.

The paint drips across the rubber band and back into the can, minimizing the mess.

I have used this, and it works beautifully, resulting in far less paint dripping.

✅️ Drying nails after a manicure

Are you running late for an appointment but haven’t had time to let the polish dry on your manicure?

Another hairspray to the rescue hack. Hold the can six to eight inches from the nails and spritz thoroughly. Drying time is speeded up, and supposedly, the hair spray provides an additional chip-proof coating.

Not wanting to risk destroying my entire manicure, I tried this recently on one nail. It seemed to work, but I didn’t test to ascertain if that nail dried more quickly than others. I feel comfortable enough to try it now on a full set of nails, though.

References:

1. “Hack My Life” television program

2. https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/best-kitchen-hacks/

3. https://www.rubberband.com/

4.https://www.reddit.com/r/lifehacks/comments/740l7k/use_paper_clips_to_organize_your_cables/

Your time is valuable. I’m honored you chose to spend some of it appreciate here. Victoria🙏😎

© Victoria Kjos. All Rights Reserved. 2024.