Little Tips and Hacks That We Wish We Would’ve Known About Sooner

But actually, some of the most interesting and useful facts are things that are incredibly simple, and you will find yourself wondering, ‘why didn’t I know that before?’ Take a look at our tip tips for living your best life that everyone should know.

No one enjoys cleaning the oven, let’s be honest. Even if you are a super keen neat freak, this is always one of the more fiddly and annoying cleaning jobs. Getting inside all the little nooks and crannies can be really difficult, especially with the stovetop area.

But did you know that actually many stovetops can be lifted clean off the top of the oven, leaving you free to scrub with ease! Try it next time for yourself.

Don’t Mix and Match

You probably have seen a lot of nifty cleaning hacks that show you how to make up a new and effective cleaning product by combining things together that you already have in your house.

This is great, but make sure you stick to proper verified instructions that you can trust. Because if you just take randomly different items and mix them together, you might accidentally mix ammonia and bleach—which can be super dangerous.

Go Big Or Go Home

When eating pizza, everyone’s priority is of course, to eat as much pizza as possible. In fact, this is pretty much the global priority in life. And so it makes sense that people of a more mathematical persuasion would offer tips on how to make sure your pizza covers more ground.

Because did you know that one large 18-inch pizza, is in fact more pizza than two medium 12-inchers? We don’t really get it either, but we’ll do whatever if it means more pizza.

FORD Focus

Do you sometimes feel awkward and strange when meeting new people? Or even people you already know, because you’re just not naturally the most social of animals? Well don’t worry, we all go through it.

The trick lies in memorizing this secret acronym that will remind you how to deal with it. This is FORD—Family, Occupation, Recreation and Dreams. Stick to these topics and you’ll find the conversation flowing in no time.

Sun Blessed

This one isn’t exactly a hack, but an incredibly interesting piece of information you probably never knew. When you think of the sun, what do you imagine? You think of big orange or yellow circle, right? I mean, that’s how we draw it or write it in emojis.

But actually, the truth is that the sun is simply the presence of all color—meaning it’s none other than bright white. Why does it look yellow to our eyes, then? We may never know.

Lighten Up

Many people are pretty dependent these days on their morning coffee. Without that early morning caffeine hit, and often several more throughout the day, it can be almost impossible to function.

But before you reach for the darkest possible blend, assuming that means it’s the strongest, think again. Because the truth is, the lighter the coffee, the stronger the caffeine hit! Lighten up if you want a bigger dose of the good stuff.

Pill Poppers

We know that medicines can be incredibly helpful when we are feeling under the weather, and it’s amazing that we have doctors and pharmacists to help us get the right prescription we need.

But did you know, that often people take antibiotics for flu and colds, when actually this isn’t the best thing for them! Because flu and colds are caused by viruses, not bacteria—and so antibiotics won’t do anything in that case. Better to stick to natural remedies like resting and drinking lots of fluids.

Milk Maid

When you think of a cat drinking from a saucer, it’s usually milk that they are lapping up in your mind’s eye, right? Well in fact, this is a popular image but in fact somewhat of a misnomer.

Because even though many people do (or at least did) feed their cats milk, lactose actually isn’t great for feline tummies. It’s not poisonous or anything, but it can upset their stomach a bit. Better to stick with water.

Laundry Love

Have you ever wondered why all our clothes have the laundry instructions on the label with those strange and sometimes incomprehensible symbols? Well, the idea is that these can be universal symbols that don’t need translating across several languages.

However, it can be pretty nigh on impossible to work out what on earth they are saying—so take a look at this handy guide of what each one means. We really had no idea of some of these, so it’s really helpful to see the actual meaning!

Power Point

Isn’t it annoying when you pull up to fill your car with gas and realize you’ve parked in the wrong position? You’ve neatly pulled in before you realize your tank is on the other side from the gas pump. Argh!

But did you know, a small tip can help you avoid this situation from ever happening again. Look out for a small arrow on your car next to the fuel gauge, which lets you know which side of the car your tank is on. Genius!

Ice Ice Baby

Have you ever enjoyed a refreshing cool drink, and then once it’s over, continue the pleasure by crunching on the leftover ice? We all do it from time to time, but some people take it to somewhat of an extreme, and just end up crunching ice all the time, with or without a drink.

But actually, this can be a warning sign of ill health! Because compulsively munching ice is known as pagophagia, and it can be a sign of an iron deficiency.

Wishy Washy

We all love the luxury of having a dishwasher, whether this is a kitchen reality for us or part of our future home dreams. But did you know that dishwashers need as much care as the dishes they wash, and also need to be kept clean.

For a good and healthy functioning dishwasher, you should give it a thorough cleaning about every 4-6 weeks. This will help it operating at tip-top standards.

Pet Poison

Everyone knows the stereotype of cats being insatiably hungry and constantly desperate to swipe a bit of whatever their human is eating. And many of us are tempted to often let them have a little bite, but actually we should all be aware that many everyday substances can be incredibly harmful to cats.

For example, a lovely bunch of lilies could be poisonous to your kitty if it eats them, as well as simple food ingredients like garlic or onion.

Lights On

The check engine light is often a source of stress to many drivers when they see it flash on. But actually, most check engine lights always come on just for a second or so when you first start up. It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong, it’s just the light sort of practicing itself.

In fact, if the light doesn’t come on for a flash when you start, this could be a far more serious sign than needing to check the engine—it could mean the whole car has been tampered with.

Dry Danger

This one might not be super relevant to a lot of us city dwellers, but it never hurts to be too careful when it comes to fire safety.

Have you seen those large bales of hay or stacks of plants? Though they are being stored for useful reasons, they often can also be a huge fire hazard—as they can spontaneously combust! It’s due to the moisture inside which can cause bacteria and thus an increase in the inner heat. So be careful of haystacks in high heat.

Heels for Him

These days, high heels and the pain of wearing them, while looking incredibly glamorous, is pretty much the terrain of women’s fashion. What woman hasn’t known the pain of a gorgeous yet precipitous pair of killer heels?

But did you know, back in the olden days, high heels were actually more popular with men than with women. After all, it’s the men who like to be taller in many situations. Makes sense when you think about it, doesn’t it?

Skunky Smell

Hopefully, not many of us will ever have to experience the unpleasant sensation of being sprayed by a skunk, or need to worry about the best way to remove the smelly odor from our clothes afterwards.

But if you ever have heard about it, you’ve probably heard the old-fashioned method of washing the smell out with tomato juice. But the truth is, you don’t need to mess around with passata—simply mix detergent with an anti-grease detergent mixed with baking soda and peroxide. It will come out in a flash.

Pit Power

There is an entire multimillion dollar industry build around keeping our bodies, especially our underarms, clean and fresh. But did you ever stop to wonder what truly is the difference between antiperspirant and deodorant?

The answer is actually pretty simple—deodorant helps to cover up the smell of your sweat, whereas an antiperspirant stops you sweating in the first place. So it really depends on what job you are wanting the product to do.

X to the Mas

We all are familiar with the abbreviation Xmas for Christmas. However, some people don’t really like to use it, because they feel it is a deliberate removal of the word “Christ” from the full term.

But actually, this isn’t true at all. Because “X” is actually the Greek symbol for “Christ”, so it’s just a short-hand way of writing the same thing. It’s definitely not due to any anti-Christian sentiment or anything like that!

Return to Sender

This is an amazing hack that we had no idea really existed. Isn’t it incredibly stressful when you lose your wallet or ID? You start tearing your hair out trying to work out where you might have lost it or how you can get it back. And if you find someone else’s, you often don’t know how best to return it to them.

But did you know that you can simply drop these items into a mailbox? If there’s an address in there, the U.S. postal service will look it up and return to the owner. Amazing!

Cosmic Color

We bet this wasn’t something you had ever really thought about before. Who stops to wonder what is the overall color of the universe? What a bonkers idea, we didn’t even think there would really be an answer to this.

But the truth is that there actually is a color regarded as the average color of the universe! It’s called “cosmic latte” and is a sort of pale light beigy color. How interesting.

Sitting Strong

Everyone knows the inspirational story of civil rights legend Rosa Parks, a Black woman who changed history when she refused to give up her seat to a white passenger. This simply act changed the course of the civil rights movement forever, and rightly went down in history as a huge moment.

But actually, did you know that this had already been done once before? A few months previously, a teenager called Claudette Colvin did the same thing. We wonder why Colvin, who was arrested for her act, didn’t gain the same amount of attention around it.

Shoulda Woulda Coulda

Now, we are not ones to be sticklers for old fashioned or outdated grammar. It’s a little-known fact that if a certain style of speaking becomes popular enough, it actually slowly becomes part of regular and correct usage.

However, when people say things like “should of” or “would of”, this can be a little painful to hear, as it’s not quite correct. The right way to say these is “should have”, although this can be shortened to “should’ve”, which is probably where the confusion comes from.

Cinco de Mayo

Everyone loves to celebrate the joyous appreciation of Mexican culture that takes place every year on Cinco de Mayo. The dancing, the music, the food! It can be a truly brilliant moment, a great way to honor Mexican heritage no matter what your background.

But did you know that this day isn’t actually celebrating what you might think it is? Many people think it’s Mexican Independence Day, but actually it’s for their defeat of the French at the Battle of Puebla. Mexican Independence Day is on a totally different day, September 16th.

Fishbowl Feels

We know that tiny bowls look really cute for keeping your goldfish, especially with a mini castle or something else pretty inside.

But the truth is, goldfish will not live long and happy lives if you keep them in such a small space. They actually need a lot more space to live in, even though they are such small creatures—so that the water has enough area to circulate the right amount of oxygen for them.

A Hard Pill to Swallow

When it comes to taking aspirin, we are often told two pieces of vital information. The first is that it should always be swallowed rather than chewed, and the second is that it can help save your life in the event of a heart attack.

But these two pieces of advice actually go against each other, as if you are taking the aspirin for a heart attack, it actually is better to chew it in that case. This is because it gets the medicine into the bloodstream more quickly.

Freedom of Speech

In America, we place a lot of emphasis and importance on the idea of freedom, especially freedom of speech. And rightly so! But many people take the idea of freedom to mean that they are able to say anything they want without suffering any consequences.

The truth is, you can say whatever you want, but you are still liable for punishment or damages if you words cause harm in any way.

What’s in a Name

We are not sure how useful this one will be in application to our life, but we guess it will come in handy with literary trivia quizzes and similar things like that. Because everyone has heard of the scary monster Frankenstein, but actually most people don’t realize that that is not really his name.

In fact, Frankenstein is actually the doctor! And his creation is simply called, Frankenstein’s monster. You learn something new every day.

Blue is the Warmest Color

Have you ever looked at the veins in your arms and think about how they look blue, but you know that blood is actually red? You might have even heard the explanation that blood is blue inside the body, but turns red when it comes out and oxidizes.

But this is actually false! Your blood is just as red inside the body—it just looks blue inside your veins because of the way the light travels through your skin and the sun. Weird huh.

Duck Diet

Isn’t it one of the loveliest things about a bright spring day—heading to the park and feeding all the ducks in the pond! It’s just the quintessential wholesome activity for the whole family, and it’s a treat for ducks to. Or is it…

In fact, though people think it’s kind to throw bits of bread to the ducks, it’s actually not that good for them. Think about how many people tend to go and do the same thing—so it often means the ducks are overfed which can lead to problems with their digestion.

Poop a Scoop

Eugh! It’s hard to describe the horror you feel when you find pellets of poop from some sort of rodent somewhere in your house. At least you don’t have to see the rodent itself, but these telltale pellets are an awful sign that they’ve been.

But while your instinct might be to sweep it away and get rid as quickly as possible, this is actually not the best thing to do—because it can spread harmful particles in the air and cause yucky diseases. Instead, you should spray with bleach and water before sweeping.

Hush Hush

Do you discuss with your coworkers how much you all get paid? Some people are pretty open about it, while others think it’s a bit gauche or inappropriate to talk about that sort of thing. Some people even don’t mention it because they think they might get fired for revealing it!

But the truth is, it’s totally illegal for your boss to ban you from talking about your pay. Employers are supposed to be transparent about it, so that they can’t pay people different pay for the same jobs.

Post Haste

We all hate it when our keyboards get dirty and clogged up and the keys stop working. Haven’t we all had those annoying days when the “e” key doesn’t work or something and all the words are messed up. But it’s so hard to keep the keyboard clean!

Well did you know, that it’s not actually so difficult. All you need is a regular household object you probably already have—a post-it note! That’s right, just run the sticky bit of a post-it note through the keys and it picks up all the dusty bits.

IRS IRL

No one wants to get a surprise phone call from the IRS. The thought that you might have made some sort of mistake on your taxes, and now the man is coming to get you and take all your money, is enough to have any of us waking up in cold sweats.

But you’d be happy to know that this is in fact not at all a possibility, because the IRS actually doesn’t ever phone anyone. They only ever contact you via mail! So if you get a phone call from the IRS, hang up right away—it’s a scam.

Nether Netherland

We had always thought that the term Holland and the Netherlands were essentially the same thing and interchangeable. But there is in fact a difference!

Holland is actually just the name of a province INSIDE the Netherlands, but it’s so famous that it became something of a synonym for the whole country. But did you know that in 2020, the Netherlands officially removed Holland from its wording in all tourist marketing. Interesting!

Ocean Eyes

You probably have heard of the majestic and popular sea creature the narwhal. And looking at the pictures of them, you would be forgiven for thinking they were some sort of mythical or imaginary being. But did you know that they are in fact completely real!

That’s right—the narwhal is a totally real-life sea creature, despite its wildly amazing and weird looking appearance. We’d love to see one ourselves in real life.

Cotton Coddle

Have you ever bought a bottle of pills from the pharmacy and wondered to yourself why there’s always a random piece of cotton inside the bottle? What on earth is it doing there, right?

Well the answer is actually—not a darn thing. The cotton balls were originally used to protect pills and tablets from breaking, but since the introduction of sugar coating, this was no longer a risk. But they just keep putting it there anyway, out of habit! How weird.

Knees Up

OMG! This is such a cute fact, we can’t bear it. Did you know that babies are born without kneecaps? Well, sort of—they do have kneecaps, but they are not actually made of bone—they are only made from cartilage. Later, as the baby grows, they change to bone.

This is an amazing natural development to make childbirth easier, so that babies can squeeze out without breaking any bones. This is another reason why you should be careful with little babies’ delicate legs. Aww!

Number Crunching

What’s great about using desktop programs to build your spreadsheet, is you can use the various functions to add up fields and make calculations and formulas for them. This is great, but there is one thing to be aware of.

A lot of these spreadsheet programs are brilliant for math calculations—but they don’t do much in terms of spellchecking. So you have to try and keep an eye on your spelling when using this sort of software.

Per Example

Have you noticed people always throwing around the phrases “i.e.” and “e.g.”, often using them to mean basically the same thing, both sort of meaning “for example”?

Well, it sort of makes sense, but they are not actually the same. “i.e.” stands for “id est”, which is a Latin phrase meaning “that is”. Whereas “e.g.” stands for “exempli gratia”, which does mean “for example”. How interesting!

Fuel on the Fire

If you ask someone what’s the best way to put out a fire, chances are they will probably tell you that it’s to pour water on it. And this is true in a lot of cases, but actually there are some instances in which this is actually the worst thing to do.

For example, if the flames are coming from a grease fire, putting water on it will make it worse. In that case, you should do everything you can do block the fire from getting any more oxygen.

Healthy Weight

In today’s society, a lot of focus is put on our bodies and how we should look, and the best ways to keep ourselves looking fit and trim. And so when we find ourselves losing weight without even meaning to, this can be delightful!

But if you are losing a lot of weight and very quickly, and you don’t know why, it can be a sign of ill health—so in that case, get checked out by your doctor.

Everything in Moderation

We are all pretty aware of the idea that too much of anything can be bad for us. As a species, we should always try to exercise moderation for optimum health.

But did you know that this actually extends even to the air that we breathe?! That’s right—we all know that humans require oxygen to live. But even oxygen, in too high quantities, can be poisonous to us! It can cause lightheadedness, and can be pretty serious in extreme cases.