Life hacks are important. They’re shortcuts that make your life easier. Looking to save time and money? Aren’t we all? The internet has your back. YouTube has tutorials so you can try to fix your sink on your own before destroying it and calling a real plumber, but Reddit has the simple advice we’ve all been looking for. The quick tips are weird but true.
One Redditor asked on r/askreddit: “What is a life hack that seems fake, but is a true lifesaver?” And people responded in droves. 75,000 of them, in fact. They all had something to add.
I learned a lot today, though, full disclosure, I don’t know how many of these people are doctors or physicists or… people. But, I assure you, they are life hacks. Whether they work or not remains to be seen. Enjoy!
Here are real life hacks that sound fake but are real (according to the internet):
1. Where were you when I needed you 20 years (and 20 minutes) ago?
“Every male should know this. If you want to get rid of an awkward boner flex any muscle in your body maybe an arm. For a minute. The blood will rush to that muscle and away from your dick. Crisis averted.” –GingerOverseer
2. Good one for the married folk.
“If your ring gets stuck on your finger windex will slide it right off. Worked at a jewelry store for five plus years.” –coykoi314
3. The old rock step.
“I saw a comment on one of these kinda threads that recommended gently rocking back and forth while pooping. I’ve never had any problems in the bathroom, but I happened to be sitting on the toilet when I read the comment so I decided to give it a test drive.
I was pleasantly surprised at how quick and effortless the whole experience was and I haven’t gone back to my old stationary technique since. As a bonus, #1 and #2 now require the same amount of time in the bathroom!” –ASS_LORD_666
4. This sounds like a prank.
“Use shaving cream as anti-fog. I used it on the inside of my motorcycle visor. Smear it on, let it dry, then rinse off and dry. It also works for bathroom mirrors. You can use it on a small spot so you can still see when you get out of the shower.” –Caspers_Shadow
5. Unless you just shaved them…
“If you have funky armpits and need to fix them fast, use hand sanitiser. I figured this out years ago when I remembered that the smell comes from bacteria reactions – which antibacterial hand gel kills stone dead. Instant results and the medical smell lasts only a minute. Don’t do this routinely though as it’s delicate skin.” –ihadanideaonce
6. This person has fought a lot of dogs, I guess.
“True lifesaver: if you are ever attacked by a dog, push your forearm INTO the bite. This pries the jaws apart and prevents them from clamping down. If a dog is attacking you, the best thing you can do is offer your forearm, push as far back as possible, and then grab the dog by the scruff of its neck with your other hand to hold it.
The dog is now functionally muzzled and you have control of its head. The sooner and harder you push into the bite, the less damage the bite will do.” –IAlbatross
7. Teachers, pro tip!
“Rubbing alcohol removes chewing gum.” –omgIamafraidofreddit
8. Feeling hot, hot, hot.
“Rubbing vegetable oil (or any cooking oil) on your hands after you cut up jalapeños or other hot peppers. It gets rid of the awfulness that would normally be left on your hands from the peppers. I rub my hands with oil and then wash it off with dish soap. I can totally remove my contacts after doing this. It’s crazy how well this works.” –PaulRuddsButthole
9. I’ll give it a whirl.
“Vinegar in a plastic bag with rubber band tied around any faucet will make the faucet like-new. I’m talking decade old rust and stuff gone…and water flows like the first day.” –Aakwanderer
10. You can also chop near a lit stovetop!
“Put your onion in the freezer for 10 minutes before chopping it. It freezes the juices just enough to slow down the process of it turning in to a gas, giving you a few minutes to chop the onion without tears. I learnt this tip from a kid’s science show years ago and I haven’t had to deal with onion tears since. So many people don’t believe me, and then are genuinely surprised when it works.” –Lost_in_the_Library
11. Good to know.
“If a man is in an accident (car, ladder fall, etc) and he gets an erection, don’t move him. He has a spinal injury.” –SonOfGallifrey
12.
“The cheapest, most effective, and safest insecticide against roaches (especially those huge “water bug” roaches that we have in the South) is a spray bottle of mostly water with just a little liquid dish soap in it.
Shake the bottle & get the water a little foamy, then spray the roaches. They will run, scrabble, and attempt escape, of course, but they will die. The soap film suffocates them faster than any chemicals will.” –SnooPickles3213
13. Save time and money by never reading!
“If you’re in college, don’t buy your textbooks until you actually need to use them. I’ve saved hundreds of dollars by not buying “required” textbooks that we never used.” –JustSeanAgain
14. Cool off quickly.
“Run your wrists under cold water or rub an ice cube on your pulse points to cool down all over quickly when you get overheated. It seems obvious but I didn’t realize it until last summer working in a warehouse with no AC.” –mannershmanners
15. If you’re painting something.
“When putting a paint can lid back on the can, first put down a layer of cling film (saran wrap). This will stop the lid sticking to the can once the paint on the lid has dried.” –DoubleDeckerz