Hacks that make life a little bit easier.

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#2694630 19-Apr-2021 08:13

When tidying up a garden hose or even extension cables, do one loop over and then one loop under. My stepdad drilled this technique into my brain. No more tangles.

Shortest. clearest explanation I could find

qwertee

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#2694631 19-Apr-2021 08:20

timmmay:

vexxxboy:

if you are not strong enough to remove the lids off glass jars then run the lid under hot water. Works every time.

I got a jar opener years ago, works great.

I have this in green. Works a treat without having a hernia!

qwertee

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#2694633 19-Apr-2021 08:27

Wakrak:

When tidying up a garden hose or even extension cables, do one loop over and then one loop under. My stepdad drilled this technique into my brain. No more tangles.

I must try this for my electric cords.
Might not work for my garden hose though unless I leave it to warm up on a sunny day. They do get really unwieldy on cold days.

Lizard1977

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#2694688 19-Apr-2021 09:36

qwertee:

Wakrak:

When tidying up a garden hose or even extension cables, do one loop over and then one loop under. My stepdad drilled this technique into my brain. No more tangles.

I must try this for my electric cords.
Might not work for my garden hose though unless I leave it to warm up on a sunny day. They do get really unwieldy on cold days.

I remember reading this one on Lifehacker a few years back. I think it's called the Roadie wrap because roadies use the technique to coil cables. The mnemonic goes something like this "overworked and underpaid" to remember the over/under rhythym. The technique definitely works, and also eases the strain and pressure on the cords.

Gurezaemon

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#2694737 19-Apr-2021 11:12

qwertee:

I must try this for my electric cords.
Might not work for my garden hose though unless I leave it to warm up on a sunny day. They do get really unwieldy on cold days.

When trying it on your hose for the first time, first pull the entire hose off the reel and make sure it has no twists at all.

Trying this technique on a hose that already has twists in it will lead to substantial swearing.

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Stu

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#2694744 19-Apr-2021 11:28

As mentioned here https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=141&topicid=267887&page_no=1#2421969

People often mistake me for an adult because of my age.

Keep calm, and carry on posting.

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#2694945 19-Apr-2021 17:42

neb:
k1w1k1d:

De-solv-it is great for removing all sorts of sticker residues, marks etc.

Also good for loosening sticking plasters from skin. Found this out when removing 14 sticky patches from hairy back and chest after an ECG.

If anyone doesn't know about De-solv-it, go and get some now. It's amazing what that stuff will clean up, and I have no idea how it does it without being packed with toxic solvents. It's like the Japanese glue that effortlessly glues PE and PP, it shouldn't exist but somehow it does.

I need to know all about that Japanese glue!!

Also, CRC Peel Off is basically the same stuff as De Solv It but comes in an aerosol rather than those horrible spray squirter things DSI comes in.

neb

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#2695017 19-Apr-2021 21:00

Journeyman:
I need to know all about that Japanese glue!!

So do I, since the only English identifying words on it are "Konishi", "Adhesive". and "Made in Japan". The rest says, from what my limited Japanese can make out, either "Godzilla is attacking Tokyo!" or "My hand is coming out of my throat". It's this stuff, you can get it at Daiso stores.

For those who don't get what the fuss is about, substances like PE and PP have what's called low surface activity, as does the better-known Teflon, which in effect means they're ungluable. At best you need to first etch it with something nasty like chromic acid, and even then the bond isn't very strong. A glue like this shouldn't exist, but somehow it manages to glue PE and PP without the use of nasty additional chemicals.

neb

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#2695033 19-Apr-2021 21:11

Followup, it feels like it's styrene-butadiene and a search on that turned it up, the official name is Konishi Bond GP Clear. So even if there's no Daiso nearby you can still get it from eBay, Amazon, and the like.

Smix

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#2696549 22-Apr-2021 10:34

From my chef days, use the edge of a spoon to peel ginger. Much less wastage and easier than trying to use a peeler or cut around it.

Wakrak

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#2696562 22-Apr-2021 10:50

Smix: From my chef days, use the edge of a spoon to peel ginger. Much less wastage and easier than trying to use a peeler or cut around it.

Is there a hack for stopping tears rolling down my face when I cut onions?

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#2696565 22-Apr-2021 10:55

Wakrak:

Smix: From my chef days, use the edge of a spoon to peel ginger. Much less wastage and easier than trying to use a peeler or cut around it.

Is there a hack for stopping tears rolling down my face when I cut onions?

Lots. Peel your onion and run it under water, use a very sharp knife. Depending on what you are cooking and what presentation is required, try to cut with the grain so you aren't breaking as many fibres.

As a last resort, wear a blindfold. :)

geoffwnz

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#2696570 22-Apr-2021 11:10

Wakrak:

Smix: From my chef days, use the edge of a spoon to peel ginger. Much less wastage and easier than trying to use a peeler or cut around it.

Is there a hack for stopping tears rolling down my face when I cut onions?

Contact lenses work. Just make sure you *very* thoroughly wash your hands before attempting to remove said lenses. That's a mistake you only make once.

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Fred99

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#2696585 22-Apr-2021 11:49

networkn:

Wakrak:

Is there a hack for stopping tears rolling down my face when I cut onions?

Lots. Peel your onion and run it under water, use a very sharp knife. Depending on what you are cooking and what presentation is required, try to cut with the grain so you aren't breaking as many fibres.

As a last resort, wear a blindfold. :)

Yep - the very sharp knife makes a big difference.

If you're dicing them, then peel off the skin, cut ends off, then cut the onion in half and quickly put the cut side down on the cutting board. Slice the half longitudinally holding the onion together, then slice across. It's a fast way to dice them evenly too - at least once you're used to doing it that way.

Kind of related tip, Indian friends tell me that from the part of India they're from, red onions are the "normal" onions used in curries etc. They cook down in sauces faster than white/brown onions and don't seem to be as irritating when you're cutting them.

Another tip with red onions, if you're slicing them in rings or whatever to eat raw in salads, dunk the slices in hot salted water for a couple of seconds - not too long or they'll go soggy. It takes the pungency away - something that puts kids and some adults off eating them raw in salads.

This thread could be out of the Woman's Weekly, 1975.

networkn

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#2696589 22-Apr-2021 11:56

We have a tool called an Aligator for dicing onions. I am pretty handy with a knife, but I use the Aligator, it's the best thing since sliced bread. We use it for other things too.

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