For the longest time I used to just shove a broom handle down there to free up stuck stuff. Then about 2 months ago my neighbor Mike said to try a 6-pack of ice cubes and some lemon peels instead. You run the cold water, dump the ice in, then peel, and let it grind everything down. It cleared the jam in like 30 seconds and sharpened the blades too. Has anyone else tried ice cubes for disposal problems or am I late to this party?
I thought he was crazy but I had a shovel and pruners covered in rust from last winter. Soaked them in a bucket of white vinegar overnight and the rust came right off with a scrub brush. Anyone else tried this or got a better method for dealing with rust?
I was at this tiny shop off Hawthorne back in 2019 complaining that my desk at home wobbled. He stopped what he was doing and told me to fold up a piece of cardboard and slide it under the short leg instead of using a shim. Did it that night and it held perfect for like 6 months. Anyone else got a weird hack like that from a stranger?
Honestly, I was so annoyed with my junk drawer sticking every time I tried to open it. The wood had swollen from humidity over the summer and it was scraping against the frame. I remembered someone online saying to rub a bar of soap on the runners, so I grabbed an old Dove bar and gave it a quick swipe. It slid open smooth as butter after that, no sanding or planing needed. Cost me nothing since I already had the soap, and it still works a week later. Has anyone else found a weird household item that fixed something unexpected?
Honestly, my key dish by the door was always overflowing with mail, keys, and random coins. Last Tuesday I grabbed a 3M command hook from the dollar store for five bucks and stuck it right under the dish. Now I hang my keys on the hook and toss everything else in the dish. Has anyone else found a tiny tweak like that that just made a morning less annoying?
Back in the 90s I'd spend a whole Sunday simmering sauce with my grandma, stirring every 15 minutes and adding sugar to cut the acidity. Last summer I switched to roasting the tomatoes and onions on a sheet pan at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, then just blitzing it in the blender with garlic and basil. Has anyone else found that roasting brings out sweetness without needing all that sugar and stirring?
I got tired of propping my phone against a coffee mug during Zoom meetings at my home desk. Grabbed a medium binder clip, clipped it to the edge of the lamp shade, and folded the metal handles out to cradle the phone. Works perfect for eye level shots and cost zero dollars since I had the clips already. Anyone else got a random office supply hack that actually works?
I was at this little spot called Heart Roasters last week and noticed they kept their day-old croissants in a paper bag with a damp paper towel before reheating. Brought them back to life way better than my microwave method at home. Has anyone else tried this or got a better way to save leftover baked goods?
Last Tuesday I was trying to plug in my laptop and the charging brick kept sliding off the edge of my desk, then the cord would fall behind it. I got annoyed after the third time crawling underneath to fish it out. So I clipped a binder clip onto the desk edge right where the cord runs, then looped the cord through the clip handle. Keeps it from wandering off and it cost me zero dollars since I already had the clip. Has anyone else used binder clips for something dumb like this?
I was at a small business doing payroll setup when their Keurig stopped working around 10am. Stuck on no coffee, I boiled water in a kettle and poured it through a paper filter with grounds into a mug - worked perfectly. Has anyone else jury-rigged a fix like this when their machine gave out?
That tiny drip under the sink I kept ignoring finally rotted through the subfloor and now I'm looking at a 2,500 dollar repair bill. Anyone else have a small fix they put off that turned into a nightmare later?
I got sick of crawling under my desk at work 3 times a week to fish out my phone charger, so I clipped a binder clip to the edge and ran the cable through the metal loop, and it has not dropped once in two months has anyone else found a random office supply that solves a dumb problem like this?
Been cooking dinner for 12 years. Never had a problem. Then he watched me chop onions and said I was holding the knife at 45 degrees instead of straight. Told me to try a 15 degree angle for slicing. First time I did it the onion didn't slide around at all. Cut my prep time from 20 minutes down to 12. Anyone else get called out on basic stuff like this after years of doing it wrong?
I used to spend 20 minutes grinding away at burnt-on stuff with steel wool, scratching up my pans. Picked up a chainmail scrubber at a flea market for 8 bucks and it lifted everything off my cast iron in like 30 seconds. Has anyone else switched and noticed their pans lasting way longer?
My cat decided to redecorate my living room rug last Tuesday, and I was about to drop $12 on another bottle of enzyme spray. I remembered my neighbor laughing at me for spending so much, so I tried her vinegar and baking soda trick instead. Mixed half a cup of white vinegar with some warm water, blotted it on the stain, then sprinkled baking soda and let it dry overnight. The whole thing cost me maybe 60 cents, and it lifted a week-old urine stain that the store stuff never got. I've been doing this for three months now and saved at least $50. Anyone else have a cheap fix that works better than the name brand stuff?
I spent 8 bucks on a generic lemon spray after my countertops looked worse with that fancy cleaner and a neighbor who restores vintage RVs laughed at me and said the cheap stuff works better because the acid actually cuts through the grease, has anyone else found a secret cheap fix for something that companies overprice?
I used to rack up like $12 in late fees every month at the Oak Park library. One day the clerk, a guy named Mark, said 'just set your phone alarm for 6pm the day before they're due.' That simple trick saved me about $144 a year and I never forgot a due date since. Anyone else have a small tip from a stranger that stuck with you?
I see so many people just scrubbing kitchen counters in circles and wondering why they look cloudy. I always wipe in one straight line from clean to dirty side, then flip the cloth. Am I the only one who thinks this makes a difference or is it all in my head?
Bought one of those rapid boil kettles thinking it'd save me time in the morning. Turns out my old $15 one only takes 90 seconds anyway and the new one started leaking after 3 months. Anyone else get tricked by the speed hype?
I had to match a 40-year-old popcorn ceiling in a rental flip outside Columbus, and everyone said use a hopper gun. I went with a thick nap roller instead and it blended perfectly in half the time. Why do people complicate stuff that works fine the simple way?
I was in my kitchen in Denver last Tuesday, trying to charge my phone on the counter, but the cable kept sliding off and the plug would fall out. I grabbed a medium-sized binder clip from my desk drawer and clamped it to the edge of the counter, then ran the cable through the metal loops. It held the plug steady all day, and now I’ve got one on every counter in my house. Anyone else find a weird use for binder clips around the house?
My boss told me my emails sounded like a robot wrote them. I started reading each reply out loud before hitting send and cut my back-and-forth from 5 emails to 2 per thread. Anyone else get feedback that changed how you communicate at work?
Bought a plastic drum auger from the grocery store last month and it snapped inside the pipe on my kitchen sink, had to call a plumber for $150 to dig both pieces out. Anyone else learn the hard way that spending a little more upfront on a metal snake saves you big later?