88 Life Hacks in Pictures: Household Ideas Worth Comparing

Here are 88 illustrated life hacks for the kitchen, the home, cables, travel and simple repairs. A text summary of every tip follows the pictures.

Dustpan hooked over a small sink to fill a bucket that does not fit under the tap

Dustpan hooked over a small sink to fill a bucket that does not fit under the tap

Staple remover used to prise open a key ring

Rubber band stretched across an open paint can for wiping the brush

Wooden furniture leg before and after rubbing a walnut on scratches

Wrapping-paper rolls held closed by cut-open toilet paper tubes

Pool noodle tucked under a fitted sheet to stop children rolling out of bed

Over-the-door shoe organiser holding cleaning products

Can opener cutting open a plastic blister pack

Bread clip fastened under a flip-flop strap to fix a split hole

Plastic milk jug cut into a scoop or dustpan

Empty sun-lotion bottle used to hide a phone, money and keys at the beach

Keys painted with different colours of nail polish to tell them apart

Soda can tabs linking hangers to save closet space

Lotion bottle cut into a pouch that holds a charging phone at a wall socket

Plastic bag of vinegar tied around a shower head to remove limescale

Stocking secured over a vacuum nozzle to catch small items like earrings

Corn chips burning as kindling in a small campfire

Muffin tin holding sliced tomatoes, onions and condiments at a barbecue

Bagel stored in an empty CD spindle case

Wooden spoon laid across a boiling pot to stop it boiling over

"Good sandwich guide" showing round cheese slices cut in half to cover square bread

Car seat-warmer switch, with a tip to use it to keep a pizza box warm

Cookbook held open by a trouser hanger hooked on a kitchen cabinet

Pancake batter squeezed from a ketchup bottle into a frying pan

Unscented dental floss used to slice a roll cake, a frosted cake and soft cheese

Straw threaded through the ring pull of a drink can so it does not float up

Tortillas baked over an upturned muffin tin to make taco bowls

Oreo cookie held on a fork for dunking in milk

Remote control stuck with Velcro under the edge of a coffee table

Rolled banknote hidden inside an empty lip balm tube

Cords coiled inside toilet paper tubes standing in a box

Bread clip marking the end of a roll of masking tape

Velcro strips holding a phone and keys on the side of a bedside table

USB port on the back of a hotel TV used to charge a phone

Soap sliver pressed onto a new bar of soap

Square of cardboard in a zip-lock bag to keep documents flat and dry

Coaster placed on top of a beer glass to signal that the seat is taken

Prong of a plug used as a flathead screwdriver

Small holes drilled near the bottom of a kitchen bin to stop bags sticking by suction

Phone torch shining up through a water bottle to make a lantern

Carabiner holding several grocery-bag handles for carrying in one trip

Email inbox, with a tip to filter messages containing the word "unsubscribe"

Key ring on a trouser zip, hooked over the button to stop the fly slipping down

Phone passcode screen with an accented letter selected on the keyboard

Binder clips on a desk edge holding the ends of charging cables

Bag strap looped around a leg to deter theft while napping on public transport

Squeeze-bottle nozzle taped to a shop-vac hose to clean keyboards and small gaps

Toilet roll squashed flat so a cat cannot spin it off the holder

Plate of spaghetti arranged in a ring with an empty centre so leftovers reheat evenly

Step-by-step photos of folding a sheet of paper into a CD sleeve

Lit stick of spaghetti used to light a candle wick deep in a jar

Pizza slices in a microwave beside a glass of water, with a tip that the water keeps the crust from going chewy

Spring from a pen wrapped around a charger cable to stop it fraying

Sliding door lock painted white on the bottom so you can see from afar whether it is locked

Index card folded into labelled steps holding screws during disassembly

Half a pool noodle fixed to a garage wall to protect a car door

Magnet hanging on a wall to find nails and studs, next to a hammer

Coffee poured into an ice-cube tray to make coffee ice cubes for iced coffee

Highway exit signs, with arrows showing whether an exit is on the left or the right

Microwave popcorn bag opened slightly to shake out unpopped kernels

Man holding a borrowed DVD for a photo, with a tip to photograph friends holding items you lend them

Phone standing in a slot cut in a cardboard tube as a speaker

Six-pack carrier holding cutlery, napkins and condiments for outdoor dining

Tennis ball with a slit mouth used to hold keys, letters and a cloth on a wall

Corn cob microwaved in its husk, cut at the end and squeezed out clean

Drink cup wedged in a shoe on a car floor as a makeshift cup holder

Clothespin gripping a nail to keep fingers clear while hammering

Two slices of bread in one toaster slot to toast only the outsides for a BLT

Frozen wet sponge sealed in a plastic bag used as a drip-free ice pack

Step-by-step photo guide to making a brownie in a mug

Domino's pizza delivery car, with a tip to ask pizza places for directions

Board game box lid placed beside a computer as a cat bed to keep the cat off the keyboard

Binder clips used to replace broken keyboard feet

Straw pushed through a strawberry to remove the stem

Rolling suitcase packed with heavy books for moving house

Text file with a "shutdown -a" command saved as a .bat file to abort an accidental shutdown

Old cot with one side removed, turned into a children's desk with chairs

Earbuds with a knot tied in the left cable to tell left from right

Salvaged headphone jack plug labelled "Silencer", to plug into a phone to mute its speaker

Ice lolly stuck through a cupcake liner to catch drips

Clips taken from a plastic hanger used to seal a bag of crisps

Two extension cord ends knotted together so they do not pull apart

Bread-bag clips labelled "Mouse", "Power" and "Hot tub" clipped to power cords

Nail held between the teeth of a comb for hammering

Bottles wrapped in wet paper towel in a freezer to chill them in about 15 minutes

All the life hacks at a glance

Kitchen and food: fill a bucket via a dustpan hooked over a small sink; serve barbecue condiments in a muffin tin; keep a bagel in an old CD spindle; lay a wooden spoon across a pot to stop it boiling over; cut round cheese slices in half to cover square bread; squeeze pancake batter from a ketchup bottle; slice cake and soft cheese with unscented dental floss; thread a straw through a can's ring pull so it does not float; bake tortillas over an upturned muffin tin for taco bowls (about 10 minutes at 375°F); dunk Oreos on a fork; leave a ring in the middle of leftovers so they reheat evenly; microwave pizza beside a glass of water; freeze coffee into ice cubes; shake unpopped kernels out of a slightly opened popcorn bag; microwave corn in its husk and squeeze it out clean; toast two slices in one slot for a sandwich soft on the inside; make a brownie in a mug; push a straw through a strawberry to remove the stem; catch ice-lolly drips with a cupcake liner; seal a snack bag with clips from a plastic hanger; bake cupcakes in ice-cream cones; chill a bottle in about 15 minutes wrapped in wet paper towel in the freezer.
Cleaning and home: wipe your brush on a rubber band stretched over a paint can; rub a walnut on scratched wood; stop children rolling out of bed with a pool noodle under the fitted sheet; store cleaning products in an over-the-door shoe organiser; clean hazy headlights with toothpaste; descale a shower head with a bag of vinegar tied around it overnight; catch earrings with a stocking over the vacuum nozzle; press the last sliver of soap onto a new bar; drill holes near the bottom of a bin so bags do not stick; flatten a toilet roll so a cat cannot spin it; paint the bottom of a sliding-door lock white to see from afar if it is locked; tape a squeeze-bottle nozzle to a shop-vac for keyboards and small gaps; give the cat a board-game lid beside the computer to keep it off the keyboard; turn an outgrown cot into a children's desk.
Cables and technology: fit a pen spring around a charger cable to stop it fraying; coil cords in toilet-paper tubes; hold cable ends with binder clips on a desk edge; carry cables in a glasses or pencil case; charge a phone from a hotel TV's USB port; make a phone-charging pouch from a lotion bottle; label cords with bread-bag clips; use binder clips as replacement keyboard feet; tie a knot in the left earbud cable; filter emails containing "unsubscribe"; use an accented letter in a passcode; keep a .bat file containing "shutdown -a" to abort an accidental shutdown; plug a salvaged headphone jack into a phone to mute it; make a phone speaker from a cardboard tube; shine a phone torch through a water bottle as a lantern.
Storage and organising: keep wrapping paper rolled with cut toilet-paper tubes; link hangers with soda-can tabs to save closet space; mark keys with nail polish; mark the end of a tape roll with a bread clip; stick a remote under the coffee table with Velcro, and keep a phone and keys on the bedside table the same way; protect documents with cardboard in a zip-lock bag; fold paper into a CD sleeve; sort screws on a labelled, folded index card during disassembly; hang keys and letters from a tennis ball with a slit mouth; carry many grocery bags at once on a carabiner; pack heavy books in a rolling suitcase when moving.
Out and about: hide a phone, cash and keys in an empty sun-lotion bottle at the beach; roll emergency cash inside a lip balm tube; use corn chips as kindling; turn a six-pack carrier into a picnic caddy; wedge a cup in a shoe when there is no cup holder; keep pizza warm on a car seat warmer; place a coaster on your glass to show a bar seat is taken; loop a bag strap around your leg while napping on transit; read exit signs for whether an exit is on the left or right; ask a pizza place for directions; photograph friends holding items you lend them.
DIY and repairs: open key rings with a staple remover; cut blister packs with a can opener; mend a split flip-flop with a bread clip; cut a milk jug into a scoop; use a plug prong as a flathead screwdriver; hold a nail with a clothespin or between the teeth of a comb while hammering; find nails and studs with a hanging magnet; pad a garage wall with half a pool noodle to protect the car door; knot two extension-cord ends so they do not pull apart; hold a cookbook open with a trouser hanger; make a drip-free ice pack from a frozen sponge in a bag; light a deep candle with a stick of spaghetti; secure a fly that slips down with a key ring hooked over the button.

So get out there, use hammers in creative ways and impress your friends at dinner parties!

Source: Viral Nova via Why don't you try this

Related:

Keep the simplest useful idea

Choose one suggestion and compare it with your current method before changing anything. Does it reduce effort or merely introduce a novelty? Image-based instructions can omit important details, so use the collection for exploration rather than assuming every trick suits every object or household.

Make the result easy to repeat

A household method becomes part of a routine only if you can repeat it without rebuilding the setup each time. Storage is therefore part of the idea: where will the extra item live, and will it be ready when needed?

A useful note beside a saved suggestion can be as short as the task, the required object and the expected benefit. If those details are missing from an image, the suggestion still needs explanation. Collecting fewer well-understood ideas is often more rewarding than saving dozens of pictures whose purpose becomes unclear a week later.

For a saved idea, keep the original source beside your note rather than only a cropped image. You may later need dimensions, the name of a material or an explanation of what is hidden behind the object. If that information cannot be recovered, the picture remains a design prompt rather than a complete set of instructions.

Check whether the image leaves a step unexplained

A useful household idea should make clear what happens before and after the pictured moment. Hidden attachments, preparation or cleanup can change whether it saves effort. Before trying a suggestion, describe those steps in your own words; if a crucial part remains uncertain, the image is not yet a complete method.

Explore a related story: Everyday Household Shortcuts: Choosing Ideas Worth Keeping.