Any helpful life hacks?

Discussion in 'Chemistry' started by wegs, May 2, 2019.

  1. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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    Last edited: May 2, 2019
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  3. cluelusshusbund + Public Dilemma + Valued Senior Member

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    This is the best ever:::

    When you want to reuse some containers... after pullin off the paper/plastic label a very sticky glue remains... smear it wit cookin oil... an wit-in a few houres the glue can be cleaned off wit soapy water.!!!

    Your'e welcome

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  5. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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    Nice one!

    I've always tried scraping the glue off with a knife, and it's all gummy. Speaking of soap, did you know that soap is a fatty acid of salt? I didn't.
     
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  7. cluelusshusbund + Public Dilemma + Valued Senior Member

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    No i didnt... an i also dont know what that means.!!!
    I graduated from school befor i had a chance to master chemistry.!!!
     
  8. cluelusshusbund + Public Dilemma + Valued Senior Member

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    If thers a live bug in you'r ear... lean the bugged ear up an fill it wit olive oil... it will kill the bug an wont hurt you'r ear.!!!
     
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  9. Michael 345 New year. PRESENT is 72 years oldl Valued Senior Member

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    Make sure you do not have a perforated ear drum first

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  10. Seattle Valued Senior Member

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    I'm skeptical of that working. Try it and report back

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    I can't think of any hacks at the moment other than ones everyone probably knows. Tap on a Coke can or bottle before opening and it won't fizz out.

    If you want a battery powered flashlight to last a long time get one where you can reduce the output. The reduction in battery power is linear but the perceived light isn't, since our eyes adjust and since even a little light is a lot better than no light.

    For example I have a small flashlight that runs on one AAA battery. It has two setting one is a higher setting (I can't remember what it is). It would probably burn out in 30 minutes. It has a 1 lumen setting and that will probably last about 10 hours.

    If you were in a cave and had 1 lumen for 10 hours you could get out of a large cave. Having a bright light for 30 minutes and then having no light would do nothing for you.

    You have to really look for flashlights that are capable of going that low though.

    Ok, I'm stretching here. If I think of a more common life hack I'll post later.

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    You can open most basic handcuffs with a paperclip if you know how to use it. Picking most common padlocks is easy to do.

    You can use a green laser pointer as a quick and easy finder on a telescope.

    Nail polish makes a quick touch up repair on a guitar's paint job.

    It's late. I can't think, apparently. I like this thread though.

    Did you know that Teflon was discovered "by accident" as a byproduct of some other experiment. It works basically because highly reaction elements, fluorine was one I think, were combined. They were so reactive that there is nothing more reactive that can stick to them.

    Exchemist will do a much better job of describing that one that I of course.
     
    Last edited: May 2, 2019
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  11. Seattle Valued Senior Member

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    Frequently something like a soft eraser can be used first and then scrape that off. The eraser will first take care of the gummy substance.
     
  12. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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    Thanks! But, I'm hoping to never have a bug in my ear. lol

    Me, too. I always wear two coats of gel nailpolish, so if it works, then I'll be thankfully amazed

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    I don't drink coke much, but I didn't know this.

    haha It's always good to know what to do should one ever be trapped in a cave.

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    Yes, one never knows when she'll be stuck in handcuffs. lol

    Good one.

    I did know that, a guy friend of mine who plays the guitar, does this.


    I did know that! Some of those pans are kind of scary to cook with, considering their backstories.

    We'll see if he has hacks to share!
     
  13. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Lifehack #0: Stay off science forums. You'll have so much free time you won't know what to do with yourself.
     
  14. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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    I've done that one ^ It was time to come back.

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    You're not following your own life hack, Dave.
     
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  15. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    You betcha.

    I break away every few years until the shakes and tremors get bad and I return.
     
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  16. sweetpea Valued Senior Member

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    Not like me, I always carry a small container of olive oil for just such an event. The thing is to try and look normal whilst walking down the street with an ear full of olive oil. That's if the bug decides to be stubborn.

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    Explorer John Hanning Speke (1827-1864)
    http://www.victorianweb.org/history/explorers/jeal1.html
     
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  17. sideshowbob Sorry, wrong number. Valued Senior Member

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    Or the converse: Stay on SciForums all the time and you'll never have most of the problems that need hacking.
     
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  18. Seattle Valued Senior Member

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    Shave with old fashioned double edge blades. They are 100 for $10 rather than 1 cartridge for $10.

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    Cut your own hair, it's easy, cheaper and much more convenient.

    I don't have kids but this is the best life hack of all from my limited experience. My friend has a 3 year old. He fell down and I just knew that a crying fit was going to soon be upon us. My friend said to her son "You fell down but can you handle it?". No tears and everything was good.

    I almost fell down myself I was so impressed. I couldn't believe that all people had to say to prevent crying by a 3 year old was "can you handle it".

    It turns out there is a children's video (search youtube under children's video I can handle it) called "I can handle it". They watch it all the time and it works. For a parent of a small child that must be the ultimate life hack.
     
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  19. exchemist Valued Senior Member

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    Er, you've got this round your neck, wegs. Soap is a salt of a fatty acid. There are no fatty acids in table salt, unless you have upset the gravy boat into it.

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  20. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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    lmao! Sorry for the mishap. I still find that fact rather odd, to be honest. We wash our bodies with something that contains salt of a fatty acid? Obviously, mixed with other ingredients, but still.

    lol I could possibly see this happening with love bugs or gnats. But hopefully not larger insects!

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  21. Seattle Valued Senior Member

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    I think the idea is that the fat picks up the oil and since oil and water don't mix it surrounds the oil and allows water to wash away the fat.

    I'm sure it has to do with polar and non-polar molecules...Exchemist...where are you...
     
  22. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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    Yea, that's it.

    A concise explanation here:
    One end of soap molecules love water - they are hydrophilic. The other end of soap molecues hate water - they are hydrophobic. Hydrophobic ends of soap molecule all attach to the oil. ... This is how soap cleans your hands - it causes drops of grease and dirt to be pulled off your hands and suspended in water.

    This is going into my file labeled "Things I Wish I Didn't Know"
     
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  23. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    On one of our kids (the 4 year old) this works great. On the other one (7) it doesn't. Kids have different things they respond to well.
     

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