Here on my blog, I strive to share simple, everyday tips and tricks that can help make life a little bit easier. But sometimes, the tips that I want to share aren’t something I can write a whole blog post about. And since I simply cannot waste a good idea, I tuck them away to use at a later date.
Today I’ll be sharing some of those tips and tricks, in this special Father’s Day edition of my ongoing series “Why Didn’t I Think Of That?” And while this particular edition may be inspired by dads, just about anyone can benefit from these practical tips!
1. Simplify Your Socks
Tired of picking through your sock drawer to try and find a matching pair that you actually want to wear? Spend some time researching socks online, with the purpose of finding a quality sock brand that you truly love! Then replace all of your socks with socks from that brand, and all in the same color. You’ll never have to struggle to find matching socks again!
Related: Turn Boring Socks Into The Perfect Gift For Dad
2. Protect Shirt Buttons
If it seems like your shirt buttons are frequently falling off, here’s a quick tip for keeping them in place. Just dab a small amount of white glue over the threads that hold your buttons in place. Once the glue dries, it will help keep the threads from fraying and your buttons stay put longer!
Related: 10 Surprising Reasons To Have A Bottle Of White Glue
3. Wrap Extension Cords
Extension cords can really come in handy, but it can be really obnoxious when they won’t stay plugged in! Use this handy wrapping technique to reduce the chances of accidental unplugging. Take the male end of your appliances plug and the female end of the extension cord in hand, then wrap them around each other about 6″ from the ends. Then plug the ends together, forming a circle with the cords. It will make it much harder for the cords to come apart accidentally!
4. Hanger Tip
When hanging suits and dress shirts, it’s worthwhile to splurge for those nice cedar hangers. Cedar wood acts as a natural repellent for moths, and they absorb moisture too. And since they’re wider than many cheaper hangers, they actually do less damage to clothes over time.
5. Quick Collar Rescue
Use a flat iron to quickly press a wrinkled shirt collar! It’s quicker and easier than pulling out the iron and ironing board. You can fix a rumpled collar on your dress shirt or blouse even when you’re in a hurry!
Related: 25 Quick And Clever Solutions For Your Clothing Catastrophes
6. Eliminate Bathroom Odors
No one wants to use a stinky bathroom! You can find plenty of different kinds of “odor-eliminating” aerosol sprays in stores, but many have an overpowering scent that simply masks other odors. If you truly want to eliminate bathroom odors, you have to start at the source—the toilet. I made a bathroom spray using essential oils that you spray into the toilet itself, and it actually helps keep odors from becoming a problem in the first place! Learn how to make this bathroom spray at the link below, then make a bottle and leave it in your bathroom. Everyone who uses it will soon be singing your praises! :-)
Related: How To Make A Natural Toilet Odor Spray With Essential Oils
7. Juicy Steak Secret
You can enjoy juicy and tender steaks without spending a fortune on expensive cuts of meat. The secret? Salt! Check out the post below to learn how to salt cheaper cuts of meat before grilling them to help break down tough fibers and retain moisture. You can enjoy a mouthwatering steak dinner for a lot less money (and don’t worry, your secret is safe with me!) ;-)
Related: How To Make Cheap Steak Taste Expensive With One Simple Trick
More Ideas You'll Love
8. Easy Home Decorating
I used to recruit my husband’s help every time I wanted to hang something up around the house, mainly because he’s much more confident with a hammer and nails than I am. But once I discovered the plethora of adhesive hooks and strips from Command, I can do it myself quickly and easily. Plus it doesn’t damage the walls!
Related: 11 Stick-On Products That Make Organizing Your Home Insanely Easy
9. Clean With Power!
Power tools definitely help make home improvement jobs easier, but did you know they can also make cleaning easier too? Check out this scrubbing pad that’s attached to a bit that fits perfectly into most power drills. With one of these bad boys, you can save yourself a lot of time and effort on those arduous cleaning tasks!
10. Organize Your Garage
Your garage can be a great place to store things that you don’t have room to store inside. But if you’re not careful, your garage can easily turn into a disorganized mess, or a dumping ground for all kinds of random items. IF you haven’t done it lately, take some time to organize your garage this summer. You’ll find some great tips for organizing your garage at the link below!
Related: Tips For An Organized Garage
11. Soak Your Tools
Any at-home car repair or maintenance is sure to leave your tools covered in grease and grime. But you can clean them up quickly just by soaking them in a bucket of warm water with a splash of Dawn dish soap! The soap will cut through all that grease, then you can just rinse your tools and pat them dry. And as an added bonus, that soapy soak can also help prevent rust form forming in the future!
12. Smelly Shoe Solution
Put a bar of soap into smelly shoes and leave them overnight. The porous soap will absorb the odors, and those shoes will be smelling much fresher in the morning!
Related: 10 Reasons Why Bar Soap Is More Useful Than Ever
13. Clean Your Cooler
If your cooler is looking or smelling a bit grimy, here’s an easy way to clean it. Just pop a spray top onto a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, and use it to spray down the inside and outside of your cooler. Wipe it clean with a cloth or paper towel, and your cooler will be disinfected and ready to go!
If you’re interested in finding out more handy uses for hydrogen peroxide, be sure to check out my eBook Hydrogen Peroxide Magic! You can buy it in my shop, or download it for free if you’re an OGT Plus member!)
More Ideas You'll Love
14. Use Two Skewers
The next time you’re grilling up some shrimp, chicken tenders, or other smaller pieces of meat, grab some skewers first. Thread each piece of meat onto two skewers placed side-by-side. It will make everything so much easier to turn as you’re cooking! It also helps keep the meat from curling up as much, so you can get more of that great char from the grill.
Related: 20 Essential Tips & Tricks For Great Summer Grilling
15. Clean Baseball Hats
Have a sweaty, dirty baseball hat that could use a good cleaning? The good news is that cleaning baseball hats is easy! It just takes a few minutes and a bit of elbow grease, and your baseball hats will be looking and smelling much cleaner! Check out how it’s done at the link below.
Related: How To Safely Clean Baseball Hats
The “Why Didn’t I Think Of That?” Series
- For even more simple tips and tricks that will make your life easier, check out the other installments in this series, including ones you may have missed!
- Explore the “Why Didn’t I Think Of That?” series archive.
I used to wash my husband’s baseball hats in the dishwasher until one day one accidentally ended up in my front-loading washing machine and came out looking great! Now I just throw them in the washer and let them air dry (until one day one ends up in the dryer and I’ll see what happens).
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I do the socks all the same color and brand so they all always match. About bathroom odor after you do a number 2 we just put a capful of isopropyl alcohol in the toilet and it stops any odors immediately. My husband found that out on his own by trying it out and even keeps some where he works and tells everyone to do it and also the other branches where he works now does it too.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Re: the socks. Sounds like a great idea, and I did that quite awhile back. DH wears black socks. Seemed like it would be EZ PZ and it was for awhile – but if they don’t all go thru the wash at the same time, you still end up with different shades of black. As the colors tend to lighten a bit after lots of washes. I don’t bleach them but the detergents seem tough on black The hardest part of laundry day to me is pairing up all the black socks that are supposed to be the same shade of black, with one that is the same shade. DH coesn’t care because he can’t see it. Probably know one will notice but me – but I want the pair to be the same!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I bought a lot of Command stick-tabs. Washed the areas I was going to hang LOTS of pictures and articles. After 3 weeks they started to fall off the walls!! Broke frames and glass. I’m now searching for something else to help rehang all my fallen possessions! Any ideas?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.There’s usually a weight limit listed on the pkg. Use ones made for your frame size and (mainly) weight, You probably used too small of a hook for your item.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I used the correct size for the different frames and unframed items
Oh no! Did you let the strips stay up before adding weight? What did you clean the area with? Did you have heavy-duty enough Command strips (they have a weight suggestion on the package)? :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great idea about the grilled meat on skewers. If you soak the skewers in water first they won’t burn on the grill and are easier to remove.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.#11 – as a woman who has acquired hundreds of dollars worth of my own tools because it was cheaper to buy the tools and do it myself than to pay someone else to do it. I have learned to clean them up by just wiping them off with a paper towel or with the rag I was using for the job. Reason being is rusty tools can either be difficult to remove the rust or use or just stop working altogether. Think cast iron frying pan that you have soaked in soap and water, if you remove the seasoning it will rust. Tools don’t have seasoning nor do they need to be seasoned but a hint of grease evenly coating your tools will protect your tools for a life time. Don’t get me wrong, too much grease left on them will make them too slippery to be safely used so clean them well. Just don’t use soap and water.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The sock solution…yes.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I would suggest using clear nail polish rather than white school glue on buttons. It’s less likely to come off in the washer.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I was going to say the same thing. White glue is going to come out in the wash. There is clear nail polish or something I use a lot of as I sew, it is called Fray Check and you get it at Walmart in the sewing section.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great tip Teri!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I put my ball caps in the top rack of the dishwasher. To dry I fold the cap, tucking the bill into the back of the cap.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Jillee, love all of your tips. But is there a link for the scrubbing pad that’s attached to a bit? Years ago I jerry-rigged my own with a scrub brush but it’s a little wonky.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I was going to ask the same thing!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.There are lots of different types! Check out some options here: https://amzn.to/2K0nCnf
I just got a set on Amazon. They were pretty inexpensive and came with two different styles of pads – one with a coarser texture for more heavy cleaning and one with a finer texture for more delicate surfaces. One of the best cleaning products I’ve ever bought!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I bought a drill that was on sale and a few of these… Love it! https://www.drillbrush.com/
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Of course! Here you go: https://amzn.to/2yo7yqI :-)
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