20 Weirdly Brilliant Life Hacks

Are these hacks weird? Yep. Are they kind of brilliant, too? Heck yeah! 

I wish I’d known trick #3 back in college. It would have saved me a lot of grief after an incident involving my father’s car, being overtired, and a narrow parking garage. It is now filed away in my memory for the next time… I need to help out a friend of a friend. Yeah, that. 

1. Glue a magnet to the end of your hammer.

This hack is super useful for any handyman. A strong magnet is required if you want spare nails to stay put while you swing, but you can also use the magnet to collect dropped nails from tight spaces and to find hidden nails or staples during final cleanup. 

2. Quickly chill a beverage with compressed air.

We’ve all been there: it’s crazy hot out and someone took the last cold can of pop from the fridge. Don’t sweat it. Fetch a can of compressed air and spray it upside-down onto the drink. Putting the bottle in a container with a sponge will make the process even faster.

3. Fix a dent in your car.

That can of compressed air can also be paired with a hair dryer to hide the evidence after minor fender-benders. Expand the plastic by blowing the hair dryer over it, then follow with the compressed air. The sudden change from hot to cold will cause the dent to pop right out. 

4. Lock a door with an old fork.

If you’ve got a broken lock or are staying in a sketchy neighborhood and just want to be extra careful, you can use an old fork to prevent the door from unlatching. All it takes is some basic tools to cut the handle off and bend the tips of the tines.