Category: Life Hacks

  • Never Throw These Out Again! They Can Save You Hundreds of Dollars

    When you buy a pair of new shoes, a handbag or dried seaweed, you probably notice the small silica gel packets in them that are labeled ‘DO NOT EAT’.

    Most of us throw them out because we think that they have no use after the shoes have been removed from the box. However, when you read the numerous uses of these tiny bags filled with silica gel, you will definitely stop throwing them away and solve a lot of everyday problems.

    The Different Uses of Silica Gel Bags

    Prevents spices from clumping up

    Kitchens are the most humid areas of the home and this is not good for powdery ingredients like spices, but sugar as well, because it causes them to clump up. However, you can still keep your spices in your kitchen cabinets without fearing moisture. Just tape a silica bag to the spice bottle because the silica will absorb the surplus moisture and keep your spices fresh.

    Dry out your mobile phone

    If you accidentally dropped your phone in water, you should take out the battery and memory cards and then place the phone in a bowl filled with silica gel packages. Before powering the phone, leave it in the bags for one night.

    Keep your documents safe

    To prevent damage onto documents like birth and marriage certificates, social security cards, etc. put few silica gel bags in the envelope or box where you keep the documents.

    Protect Halloween decorations

    To prolong the quality and longevity of Halloween decorations, put a silica bag or two inside the bag or box where you keep them.

    Dry clothes while on the go

    If you do not have enough time to wait until your towels or bathing suits are dry, pack them with several silica bags to soak up the surplus moisture.

    Prolong the duration of razors

    Since storing razor in open air causes oxidation and premature dulling, you should put them in a jar with silica bags that will absorb the surplus water from the razor.

    Refresh gym bags

    Always keep a couple of silica packages in your gym bag to refresh it. Namely, the silica will absorb moisture and reduce the chance for bacteria and unpleasant odor.

    Prevent the camera from condensation

    Taking photos outdoors when the weather is cold can cause condensation of the lens or camera when you bring it into a warmer area. To solve this, remove the battery, memory card, and the lens (if it’s applicable) and put the camera in a container of several silica bags that will absorb moisture.

    Make bulk pet food last longer

    Tape a package of silica gel onto the bag’s edge.

    Prevent tarnishing of jewelry

    Unfortunately, humidity can cause the jewelry to tarnish. To avoid this, put few silica gel bags in your jewelry box.

    Prevent seeds from molding

    If you keep seeds for next year’s planting, you should divide different seeds in smaller envelopes and keep them in an airtight container with several silica gel packages.

    Speed up the drying of flowers

    A lot of people use dried flowers for decorative purposes; however, the process of drying can be too long and in a lot of cases, the flowers die before they actually dry completely. But, you can speed up the drying if you put the flowers in a plastic bag with a couple of silica gel bags.

    Prevent condensation on windows

    Place few silica bags onto the sills in order for them to absorb the surplus moisture. This goes for windshields as well.

  • After Reading This, You’ll Never Put Toilet Paper On A Toilet Seat Again.

    Public toilets can be really dirty. I mean, who hasn’t opened a bathroom stall door and instantly realized how rank the smell is? Not to mention all the people who previously sat on that toilet seat to meet their needs… The solution seems obvious: cover the seat with a few pieces of toilet paper so you at least create a barrier between your body and all that nasty bacteria. Hopefully, this layer of paper will save you, right? Well, it’s probably time to reconsider. According to infection specialists, covering the toilet seat with a layer of paper is not only useless—it may actually increase your risk of coming into contact with bacteria.

    The truth is you should never put toilet paper on a toilet seat. Although many people believe that public toilets are teeming with bacteria and intestinal diseases, modern toilets are designed to prevent just that.

    Gastrointestinal or sexually transmitted infections were once thought to spread through toilet seat-skin contact, but science has refuted this. In fact, the skin on our butts is an effective protection against bacteria, according to scientists.

    “Toilet seats are not a vehicle for the transmission of any infectious agents—you won’t catch anything,” William Schaffner, professor and infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told the Huffington Post.

    It’s also a good idea to rethink placing toilet paper on the toilet seat. Unlike toilet seats, paper is an ideal carrier for all kinds of bacteria. So you when you lay down some paper, pick it up again when you’re done, and then probably touch your face, you’re likely exposing yourself to more bacteria.

    The same applies to flushing the toilet. The handle is used by people who have just completed their “business,” making it a breeding ground for bacteria. Additionally, people forget to close the lid when they flush the toilet, which can spread bacteria around the bathroom.

    Studies have also shown that electric hand dryers spread bacteria much more than paper towels. Hand dryers spread germs up to six feet (1.8 m).

    So what can you do to minimize the risk of becoming ill for using a public bathroom? Wash your hands properly. According to researchers, this can reduce the risk of stomach diseases by about 50 percent.

    Please share this tip with your friends. Hopefully it can save more people from getting sick!

  • This Is Going to Happen If You Spray Your Bed with Alcohol

    We commonly use alcohol for removing adhesive substances or as a disinfectant. However, it has a number of other uses as well, one of them as an ingredient in a number of cosmetic products.

    DEODORANT REPLACEMENT
    You needn’t panic in case you have forgotten your deodorant at home. All you need to do is apply some alcohol on your armpits. Doing this is going to eliminate the bacteria which causes the bad smell. Alcohol is found in your first aid kit. Nevertheless, don’t make this a habit since alcohol can irritate your skin.

    ELIMINATES BED BUGS
    It can be very troublesome to eliminate bed bugs. You can bring them with you after visiting someone whose home is not very hygienic or after vacation. Nevertheless, they can be eliminated by applying some alcohol. Take a spray bottle and spray alcohol over your mattress and pillow, and repeat this a couple of times so as to eliminate them completely.

    DESTROYS LICE
    In case you or someone close is troubled with lice, alcohol can help. Fill a spray bottle with alcohol, and add a few drops of lavender essential oil. You need to focus on your hair and scalp when spraying. Then, remove the dead lice by combing your hair.

    REMOVES NAIL POLISH
    There are a number of harsh chemicals in the usual nail polish removers and they can cause damage to your nails. Rubbing alcohol is the ideal replacement for chemical acetone. Namely, removing the nail polish will take more time, but it will prevent any damage to your nails.

    CLEANS THE SKIN
    Benzoyl peroxide is present in most commercial creams and ointments for acne. However, rubbing alcohol has powerful soothing and anti-inflammatory properties which calm the affected skin, disinfect the pimples and prevent the additional appearance of acne. All you need to do is apply it to the affected area directly.

    COOL PACK

    Alcohol never freezes, meaning you can use it for making a cooling pad. Use alcohol and water in a ratio of 1:2 and prepare a solution. Keep this solution in a plastic sealable bag and in the fridge. Leave the solution in the fridge for approximately an hour before using it.

    CLEANS THE EARS
    Most people still clean their ears with cotton swabs. However, using them means that you are pressing the earwax deeper into the ears canal. Mix some white vinegar and rubbing alcohol, take a cotton swab and soak it in the solution. Next, drop it in the ear and let the earwax attach to it.

    REMOVES INGROWN HAIR
    Shaving your armpits and bikini area might cause red dots on your skin. Apply some alcohol and calm any irritation and make your skin smooth.

    COLD SORES
    Despite the fact that 85% of the world population are carriers of the herpes virus, the percentage of those who have experienced a breakout is small. If you are one of those people you need to apply 70% isopropyl alcohol on the area which is affected and it won’t take long until your herpes sores disappear.

    CLEANS EYEGLASSES
    Clean your eyeglasses with some rubbing alcohol. All you need to do is spray some alcohol and use a soft cloth to wipe them.

    DIY HAND SANITIZER
    Prepare your own hand sanitizer with rubbing alcohol. Combine 4 ounces of Aloe Vera gel, a few drops of tea tree oil and ½ tablespoon of isopropyl alcohol.

  • Throw An Aspirin Into The Washing Machine. The Effect Is Perfect!

    Grayness on white laundry is a very common problem for many people and it seems that you simply are not able to eliminate it no matter how hard you try! When it appears for the first time, it’s possible that it will become grayer as you wash it, making it even impossible to remove it. However, it turns out that there is one very simple way to end this issue once and for all!

    All you need to do is to take five aspirin tablets of 325mg and dissolve them into 2 gallons of hot water. If you break them will help you to dissolve them much faster.

     

    When you do that, put the laundry into this mixture and soak in it for about 8 hours or during the night. The clothes need to be fully submerged into the water! Although you can simply put the aspirin tablets into the machine, dissolving them works a lot much better.

    After 8 hours, you need to remove the laundry or just run it through one normal cycle in the washing machine. Besides solving the problem with grayness, this simple trick is also going to help you eliminate any stains on the laundry.

    If you want to remove blood stains, you need to use another method. Actually, you need to dissolve the aspirin in cold water and then soak the clothes for around 2 hours. Removing the bloodstains with hot water is definitely not an option since it clumps the blood`s protein, and that in turn makes it much more difficult to remove it.

    What makes aspirin that much effective is its weak acid that provides wonderful results. As you can see, it’s not necessary to buy expensive cleaning products, as something as cheap and simple as the aspirin could do the trick.

  • The Toilet Always Smells Fresh And Stays Clean. All You Need Is This

    Cleaning the toilet is one of the most unpleasant chores that despite not like doing them, we have to because we know it has to be done once in a while.

    But what if we told you there is an easier way to do it?

    Maintaining a fresh, germ-free and clean toilet is highly important for the well-being of your whole family, but at least it is going to get easier for you after we show you this useful trick.

    Instead of throwing your money at expensive cleaning agents packed with harsh chemicals, you can prepare a homemade toilet cleaner that will neutralize all odors, eliminate bacteria and make your toilet smell fresh!

    Ingredients you will need:

    -60 ml. of Lemon juice
    -160 g. of Baking soda
    -1/2 Tbsp Vinegar
    -1 Tbsp Hydrogen peroxide (3 %, from the pharmacy)
    -15-20 drops of Fragrant oil

    Instructions:

    Start off by mixing the baking soda and the lemon juice in a small bowl. In a separate bowl mix the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide and add this mixture in the baking soda and lemon mixture, one drop at a time. Once done, add a fragrant oil of your choice to give it a refreshing smell.

    Take a spoon and make a few half-ball shapes and place them on some parchment paper to dry. They will take a minimum of 4 hours to dry, but feel free to leave them to dry overnight. Once they’re dry completely, store them in air-tight glass jar near your toilet.

    Every time you notice that your toilet bowl is in a need of cleaning, drop a tab. Do this 2-3 times a week.

     

  • Spreading Salt Around The House – Here’s Why It’s So Incredible!

    People have used salt in their homes for cleaning purposes, for hundreds of years It doesn’t provide any toxic effects and this is the reason why people have relied on it for disinfection and cleaning of different things found in their households.

    Salt is very cheap and there is no reason why we should not use it, commercial products are packed with harmful chemicals.

    Salt Prevents the Spread of Ants

     

    You can count on salt if you are looking for a natural way to prevent ants from your doors, windows and storage cabinets. Sprinkle some salt on the windows and other areas that ants use to enter your home/kitchen. You will also reduce the level of humidity and moisture in your home if you use salt in this way.

    Salt as a Natural Copper, Silver and Brass Polisher

    Silver, copper and/or brass decorations, untreated tend to lose color. To avoid this problem you can use salt because this is an efficient and simple solution. Create a mixture consists of apple cider vinegar and salt and wipe the surfaces until they become shiny. With the help of this natural mixture, you’ll remove any dirt and stains.

    Salt as a Natural Cleaning Agent for Your House and Car Windows

    Make a mixture of few tablespoons salt and one gallon of lukewarm water and mix theme this mixture to clean the windows and eliminate persistent stains. Polish and clean the house windows until they get their natural appearance. The best part is that the effects you achieve will last for a long period of time. In addition, you can use the same solution to clean the windows of your car.

    Make Your Sink Drains Shiny Again

    Make mixture consists of some salt and hot water and uses it directly in your kitchen or bathroom sink. The grease accumulation which leads to clogging and the heavy smell will be dissolved by the salt.

    Make Your Skin Younger

    Use salt to create rejuvenating bath scrub. Combine lavender essential oil or olive oil and salt. Use this solution on your body, wait for a couple of minutes and use lukewarm water to remove the dirt. Thanks to the salt, your skin will appear younger and you’ll get fast and efficient exfoliation.

    Revive the Colors of Your Curtains and Rugs

    If you want to revive the colors of the rugs and curtains in your home and make them look like they are new, you can use this salt-based solution. Take a cloth and put it in saltwater (concentrated). Rub the carpets, rugs, and curtains with the soaked cloth. This solution can remove the dirt and stains that could not be removed with commercial detergents.

    Tooth Treatment

    Put some salt in warm water, wait a minute for the salt to get dissolved and rinse your mouth with this solution if you are dealing with toothaches or mouth sores. This is an all-natural mouthwash that provides excellent results.

    Teeth Whitening and Oral Health Care

    Take equal parts of salt and baking soda, create a mixture for teeth whitening. Use it at any period of the day. Your teeth will bring back their natural shine.

    Enhance the Results of Washing Your Clothes

    Pour some salt in the last wash to protect your clothes from shrinking. This is especially useful in case you are drying pieces of clothes out on a sunny day. Your clothes will be perfectly clean and soft.

  • You’ll Never Buy Butter From The Store Again After You’ve Made It Yourself (Two Ingredient Recipe)

    Most of the butter found in grocery stores is not healthy, because it is made from pasteurized milk. Homemade organic butter is very healthy as it still contains many of the vitamins and minerals found in raw milk.  Butter is packed with Vitamin A.  Vitamin A is vital for the health of our eyes, skins, tissues, membranes, and teeth. It plays a role in gene transcription. Butter consists of mostly short and medium chain fatty acids. These fatty acids can protect against cancer.

    -Pour cream into food processor and process for about 10 minutes. It will turn to a thick whipped cream first.
    -Continue processing until it turns grainy and separate into butter and buttermilk. Drain buttermilk from butter.
    -Scrape butter from the sides. Put in a clean bowl. Place your butter into a colander and strain off the buttermilk.
    -Rinse the butter with cold water, gently turning the butter with a spoon while the cold water runs over it until the water runs clear.
    -When the butter is clean, squeeze more liquid from butter using wooden paddles or spoons to smash butter and pour off liquid.
    -You can keep it in a jar or bowl, and store it in the fridge, or the freezer. This type of butter can last for several months before going bad.
    -You can also make amazing compound butter which kids love.

     

    -Lemon zest and snipped parsley
    -Snipped fresh Thai basil, chopped garlic, and chopped, drained, pickled ginger
    -Crumbled feta cheese and chopped kalamata olives
    -Grated Parmesan cheese and snipped fresh basil
    -Grated ginger and sesame oil
    -Snipped fresh cilantro, lime zest, and Sriracha, or hot sauce
    -Coarsely ground black pepper and sea salt
    -Orange zest, chopped fresh, or dried cranberries and snipped fresh sage
    -Chopped pecans and honey
    Orange zest, maple syrup, and blueberries

  • One Dragonfly Can Eat Hundreds Of Mosquitos A Day. Keep These Plants In Your Yard To Attract Dragonflies

    Do you know that dragonflies can protect you from mosquitoes? You don’t even need to use chemicals. Dragonflies eat mosquitoes, and that’s the solution to your problem. Keep them in your garden, and you will never ever have to deal with mosquitoes again.

    Dragonflies may look scary, but they can only hurt mosquitoes. Dragonfly larvae feed on mosquito larvae, and adult dragonflies feed on adult mosquitoes. These insects like comfortable and safe environments. That’s why ponds are perfect for them.
    Bring those dragonflies in your yard!

    1. INSTALL A POND

     

    Dragonflies spend most of their life underwater. Your pond should be around fifteen feet in diameter and a couple of feet deep. Place a few rocks at the edge to give the dragonflies a place to rest and relax. If you can’t dig a hole, use a small pool.

    2. USE WATER PLANTS

    Water lilies are a perfect addition for your pond. Dragonflies lay their eggs on the plants. They spend most of their life underwater, so make sure you plant Gluceria Maxima. The plant is perfect for dragonflies, and they can climb on it.

    3. USE VITAMIN B1

    Vitamin B1 is the only thing that can keep mosquitoes away. It repels the nasty insects as it masks the natural odors that mosquitoes like. Take spirulina every day to get enough vitamin B1. You need a tablespoon every day to get 300mg.

    “Dragonflies spend most of the lives as nymphs under the water, so when the time comes for them to take to the skies, they emerge out of the water by climbing the stems of their favored pond plants. Glyceria Maxima is one such plant as it has perfect stems and leaves for the newly emerged dragonflies to cling to while they dry off and expand their wings.”

  • If You Have This Plant In Your House, You Will Never See Mice, Spiders or Other Insects Again!

    Theoretically, insects are arthropods that possess specialized extremities and a body split into parts, covered in exoskeleton which can even develop into a shell. They also possess antennas, several extremities and in some cases, wings. They are mostly small, except the beetles that are of major size.

    There are many various species. There are approximately 200 million insects. Some of them feed plants, others of meat or carrion. They play a very important role in nature, since they feed on other species, preventing them from turning into big plagues. A wonderful plant in the struggle against the plagues.

    Insects and their similar ones take charge decomposing and eliminating an important percentage of the organic matter; being also the principal pollinizers of plants of ecological and economic importance.

    We all know how we react when we see a spider or something else in our home. Their disagreeable appearance usually generates screams and sometimes even throwing shoes in the majority of the persons. We all respect nature, but we do not want spiders near our family, or a cockroach poking our food.

    This article is going to present you a fantastic natural repellent of insects. It is 100 free of the toxins that insecticides in TV/radio commercials usually contain and almost always end up affecting our health. This repellent will also make your home smell refreshing.

    The main ingredient is fresh mint, a type of aromatic grass of big diffusion, appreciated by its characteristic refreshing fragrance. It is usually used in gastronomy, but many people don’t leave aside its therapeutic properties.

    How to use it?

    It is very simple. You should prepare a well-concentrated mint tea. Place it in a spray bottle and spray every corner of your home, especially the corners of the doors and the rims of the windows. This will be disagreeable for the insects and it will keep them away from your house. It will also give you a fresh and pleasant aroma.

  • These Plants Are Oxygen Bombs – Have at Least One of Them to Clean the Air at Your Home

    Did you know that the air we breathe indoors is actually much worse than the air outside? According to the latest statistics, provided by the EPA – Environmental Protection Agency, the environment indoor is 2 to 5 times more toxic than the environment outdoors. Note: in some severe cases, the air indoors is more than 100 times more toxic than the air outside. You should also know that exposure to a polluted air indoors can be a cause for autism, allergies and toxic load. But, you shouldn’t be worried, because in this article we are going to show you the best air-cleaning plants, which you can keep in your home or apartment. These amazing plants will clean the air inside your home, and they are perfectly safe for you, your kids and your pets – if you have.

    You should definitely have some of these plants in your house, apartment, office, etc. It’s a great way to keep your air clean. In this article, we are going to show you the most effective plants to keep for filtering out pollutants and toxic chemicals in your home, office, apartment, etc. You should know that this list is based on a study done by NASA. Well, this study has found that certain plants are much more effective at removing the toxic chemicals from the air inside your home:

    Aloe – or also known as the Plant of Immortality.

    Well yes, this plant is great for raising the oxygen levels in your home. This super healthy plant will also absorb the carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde from the air in your home. The experts say that just 1 aloe vera plant can replace nine biological air purifiers.

    Ficus (FicusElastica)

    You should definitely have this plant in your home! Why – because this plant is very easy to maintain (it does not need a lot of light). It’s also very useful and effective when it comes to cleaning the air of formaldehyde. But, you should be very careful if you have small children or pets, because the leaves are poisonous.

    Ivy (Hedera Helix)

    This plant is amazing because it removes more than 60% of the toxins in the air and 58% of particles of feces in less than 6 hours.

    Spider plant (ChlorophytumComosum)

    Spider plant has the ability to make photosynthesis with just a small amount of light. It also absorbs the toxins from the air such as formaldehyde, styrene, and carbon monoxide, as well as gasoline. The spider plant can purify the air in 200 square meters’ space.

    Snake planet (SansevieriaTrifasciata “Laurentii”)

    Yes, you should definitely get a snake plant for your home? Why – because it’s very resistant and needs very little light for photosynthesis. It will help you purify the air in your home from all harmful toxins. Also, it’s a great plant for your bedroom because it releases oxygen at night. You will sleep much better!

    Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum “Mauna Loa”)

    The peace lily is an excellent plant for removing chemical toxins from the air. This amazing plant will clean your air from formaldehyde, trichloroethylene and other harmful toxins.
    Note: NASA experts say that you should have between 15 and 18 of these plants in an area of 500 square meters. Meaning, 3 to 4 plants are enough in 80 square meter area.

    Do not forget to put one of the plants in your bedroom, to purify the air and to help you sleep much better. Thanks for reading and don’t forget to share!