Owning a home is hard work. You need to keep it properly maintained so it will be safe and secure for you and your family for decades to come. Luckily, your chores are about to get a little easier to handle with the use of life hacks. We all know what life hacks are. They’re techniques that are used to make your life easier and more efficient. You can use what you have around your home in new, creative, and easier ways so you don’t have to waste time or money on new supplies to clean your toilet (you can use Coke!) or organize your jewelry. With these four life hacks, you’ll be able to spend more time doing what you love rather than stressing about your home.
Hang Heavy Items
Hanging oversized art or mirrors can be a hefty job. The basic picture hooks and drywall anchors don’t stand a chance against anything over 20-25 pounds and studs never seem to be where you need them. Using a cleat to span two studs will give you the support your need to hang your oversized artwork. You can take a piece of ¾ inch plywood and cut it in half at a 45 degree angle. Attach one half of the plywood to the wall, spanning the two studs, with the pointed lip facing up and out. Then attach the second half of the plywood to the back of your mirror or artwork or whatever you need to hang. Simply slide the artwork’s half over the wall’s half and they will lock together forming a cleat.
Cheap Soup Storage
For a cheap, custom way to stylishly store your soup cans, create your own soup storage out of a soda fridge pack. Any soda will do as long as it’s one of the packs that is designed to fit in a fridge and has the lip that folds down in the front. Cut a rectangle out of the top of the back end of the pack that is big enough to fit a can of soup through. Then decorate it. You can use scrap-booking paper, wrapping paper, or any other type of decorative paper. Use Mod Podge to adhere the paper to the soda pack. You can add a label to the front your new soup storage container if you want to separate your soups by flavor or brand or size. Add new soup cans through the back hole you made so your soups stay properly rotated and won’t expire before you get to enjoy them.
Easy Squeezy
If you’ve ever tried squeezing lemons with your bare hands, you know how messy and difficult it can be. But there’s nothing better than freshly squeezed lemonade on a hot summer day. Fortunately, you can use a pair of tongs to do the dirty work for you. Simply cut the lemons (or oranges or whatever fruit you’re juicing) in half and place one half in between the arms of your tongs. Then squeeze the open end of your tongs over a pitcher or glass. Unless you want pulpy lemonade or juice, you might want to pour your freshly squeezed concoction through a sieve before serving.
Use a Comb
If you’re constantly missing the nail and hitting your finger instead, there’s a life hack for that. Simply a comb. Get a comb with teeth that are spaced out enough to fit a nail through. Make sure the nail is snug and won’t go anywhere too easily. Then use the comb to hold the nail on the wall rather than your fingers. Even if you miss the nail, you won’t be in pain.
