15 genius life hacks to make everything easier

In a world where convenience is key and time saved means more me-time (aka, catching up on Game of Thrones episodes), these life hacks are everything. 

• A frozen, saturated sponge in a zipped plastic bag makes an ice-pack that won’t drip all over the place when it melts

 

• Power failure? Use a lit stick of spaghetti to light a whole lot of candles at once. Plus it makes lighting hard-to-reach wicks easier. 

 

• Put pancake mix into an old tomato sauce bottle and dispense the perfect amount of batter every time! And if you’re artistically inclined, it makes cooking pancakes shapes a breeze.

 

• Put a stocking over the end of your vacuum cleaner tube to find any tiny items you may have dropped, like that pair of earrings or the last crumb of chocolate cake.

 

• Place a rubber band around an open paint can and use it to wipe your brush, keeping paint off the sides of the can. (Bonus life hack: get someone else to do the painting so you don’t have to worry about things like this.)

 

• Cut open toilet paper rolls and use them as cuffs to keep your wrapping paper from unfolding. 

 

• Use a craft knife and some paper and glue to turn an old, empty bottle into a nifty cord and phone holder when you charge your phone.

 

• Use accented letters in your password; it will be more difficult to crack, but it will be easier for you to remember.

 

• This is probably one of our favourite life hacks because hulling strawberries is such a painful task! Instead of dreading it, just use a straw to remove the stems from strawberries.

 

• Loose cables driving you mad? Use a series of paperclips to help organise that mess.

 

• Use a clean dustpan to fill up a container that doesn’t fit in the sink. Genius!

 

• If you’re warming up leftovers, make a circle in the middle so that they heat up more evenly.

 

• Use a muffin tin to serve condiments and toppings at a braai. Easier for everyone to top their wors rolls and burgers and less washing up. Winning!

 

• Warm two bowls up in a small microwave by using a mug to place one above the other.

 

• We’ve even got life hacks for wine lovers: use frozen grapes to chill white wine so it doesn’t get watered down. Because NO ONE wants their wine watered down! And if anyone judges you for this opinion, just send them this article on the health benefits of drinking wine.