Life Hacks. Which unconventional solutions have you found to life's little problems

[Alobar]

This can be audio, or not. Looking for any unconventional solution to an issue where the "accepted" method was either unpractical, too expensive, doesn't work well etc.

This thread could provide ideas to help those who are stumped by some problem, sort of an idea sounding board. Asking for solution to problems is within this thread too. I seem to do this quite a lot. Sit and invent something to do a project, or solve an issue that either doesn't have a ready made one, or if it does, is too expensive etc.

I'll start out with this one. (I have many more)

While I am no doctor, I found that the standard fix for sleep apnea I was diagnosed with 10 years ago was not working very well. I had gone through the sleep clinic where all the wires are connected and you are monitored while sleeping. Afterwards I was prescribed with a $2000 C-Pap machine with the pressurized mask in order to get to a sleep state I was never getting to before.

Well the machine worked, and about every 3rd night I managed to keep all the parts together and on my face throughout the night. Problem was most nights I seemed to want to get rid of the uncomfortable mask in my sleep and after that I was back to starving for air etc.

Then there was the issue of always needing to be near a 110V supply. I sometimes like to camp. Go out for overnight trips in the boat, or take off in the camper. Having this machine made it if not impossible, at least impractical. I suffered with the C-Pap for several years...

One day I was reading a magazine and some article was mentioning that often the case of sleep apnea is caused by sleeping on one's back and if you sleep on your stomach you will be able to breathe. Not all cases are like this, but right then I went out and bought 2 "softballs" and had my wife sew them into pockets in the back of an old T shirt. This forced me to sleep other than on my back, and from that first night on I never used the c-pap again! This solution works well, I can drive 500 mile days now where I used to have trouble with 20 miles.

 

[usedto]

I have been fighting a recurring rash since my heart bypass surgery 13 years ago. Been to several doctors and dermatologists, and the only thing that ever seemed to work was a steroid cream to the tune of $300+ per tube. Little did I know what issues the steroids were causing until I damaged my eye 2 years ago and had to use steroid drops to keep the pressure in my eyeball down. I started having anxiety attacks for no reason, and after a little snooping, found out that steroids were more than likely the cause. They started after my heart surgery, but got worse with the eye injury. Steroids tell your adrenal glands they don't have to work, and they are what help control anxiety. Quit the steroids, and it takes awhile for the glands to get fired up again. I quit all of the steroids, but since I had been using the cream for so long,it can take up to several years for the adrenal glands to get back up to 100% It's been a little over a year, but I still have issues, mostly early in the AM right when I wake up.

Back to the rash. After I found all of this out, I was talking to a friend about my issues, and he said "I can tell you how to get rid of almost any rash - gasoline or bleach". Well, I don't want to go around smelling like a Rochester Quadrajet, so I read a little on line, mixed up some bleach with distilled water (8 to 1) and dabbed some on the rash. Gone in 3 days.

So after 13 years and God knows how much money spent on steroids, something as simple as diluted bleach knocks it whenever it pops up. Now if I can just get my adrenal glands up to snuff, I'll be a lot happier camper than I am right now.

 

[Alobar]

I have been fighting a recurring rash since my heart bypass surgery 13 years ago. Been to several doctors and dermatologists, and the only thing that ever seemed to work was a steroid cream to the tune of $300+ per tube. Little did I know what issues the steroids were causing until I damaged my eye 2 years ago and had to use steroid drops to keep the pressure in my eyeball down. I started having anxiety attacks for no reason, and after a little snooping, found out that steroids were more than likely the cause. They started after my heart surgery, but got worse with the eye injury. Steroids tell your adrenal glands they don't have to work, and they are what help control anxiety. Quit the steroids, and it takes awhile for the glands to get fired up again. I quit all of the steroids, but since I had been using the cream for so long,it can take up to several years for the adrenal glands to get back up to 100% It's been a little over a year, but I still have issues, mostly early in the AM right when I wake up.

Back to the rash. After I found all of this out, I was talking to a friend about my issues, and he said "I can tell you how to get rid of almost any rash - gasoline or bleach". Well, I don't want to go around smelling like a Rochester Quadrajet, so I read a little on line, mixed up some bleach with distilled water (8 to 1) and dabbed some on the rash. Gone in 3 days.

So after 13 years and God knows how much money spent on steroids, something as simple as diluted bleach knocks it whenever it pops up. Now if I can just get my adrenal glands up to snuff, I'll be a lot happier camper than I am right now.

Not much money to be made in bleach! Nor softballs sewn into a Tshirt, but sometimes these remedies are the best. I have been reading quite a bit about the adrenals and what that gland does (which is also closely linked to the thyroid). Lots of water, and the use of pink salt or other types that have not had the micro minerals removed. Adrenal glands have something to do with heartbeat regularity, and I can always tell when I am getting dehydrated, as my heart will skip a beat once in a while.. I don't know if they are related, just my observations..

 

[onwardjames]

This may seem a bit off topic, but I make a POINT to buy a new bag of socks every couple months.

Fresh socks in the morning simply make me feel better.

Alobar, I like this thread idea.

Oh, another one is occasionally dropping a tiny daub of lightweight oil on my car key, house key, etc, and insert into ignition/lock. Makes things buttery smooth.

Newspaper INSTEAD of paper towels for windexing things. Works great.

Vitamin C, 1000 milligrams in an esterified form, daily, is excellent for sinuses, lung issues, and to PREVENT colds (won't do a thing to end them once they start).

 

[usedto]

Not much money to be made in bleach! Nor softballs sewn into a Tshirt, but sometimes these remedies are the best. I have been reading quite a bit about the adrenals and what that gland does (which is also closely linked to the thyroid). Lots of water, and the use of pink salt or other types that have not had the micro minerals removed. Adrenal glands have something to do with heartbeat regularity, and I can always tell when I am getting dehydrated, as my heart will skip a beat once in a while.. I don't know if they are related, just my observations..

Unfortunately I have to watch my salt intake, so I leave it alone. And, yes, the thyroid is all part of the system.

Another good one for those who suffer from athlete's foot - it's best to have 2 pairs of shoes to alternate daily. And, when you take the pair off in the evening, spray the insides with vinegar. It works!!

Vinegar, bleach, and hydrogen peroxide can cure a lot of ills.

 

[Sharpstik]

This may seem a bit off topic, but I make a POINT to buy a new bag of socks every couple months.

Fresh socks in the morning simply make me feel better.

Alobar, I like this thread idea.

Oh, another one is occasionally dropping a tiny daub of lightweight oil on my car key, house key, etc, and insert into ignition/lock. Makes things buttery smooth.

Newspaper INSTEAD of paper towels for windexing things. Works great.

Vitamin C, 1000 milligrams in an esterified form, daily, is excellent for sinuses, lung issues, and to PREVENT colds (won't do a thing to end them once they start).

I agree. With everything here, lol.

 

[ETLS]

Scrape some bar soap on keys and work it into the tumblers.

 

[sqlsavior]

A mixture of athlete's foot cream, neosporin, and cortizone cream will cure a dog's dry, scaly nose. Mix a dab of each on your fingertip, and apply right before feeding, so it is not immediately licked off.

 

[WillVT]

I just learned this one. In a pinch, the bottom of a mug, the unglazed part, makes a pretty good knife sharpener. Good for when you are staying in a rental vacation home, and the knives all stink.

 

[Alobar]

OK! getting some good responses.. Here is one a little closer to home audio wise. Last fall I bought a pair of JBL LSR 305's for a quick and easy sound system without setting up amps and whatnot. They are playing well above their price point and have since settled into my stereo TV speakers for the time being. The one thing I wasn't crazy about is the lack of any sort of grill protection of the drivers, particularly the LF's. So I went looking in the usual places for a ready made solution but what I found wasn't suitable and would have looked like a real "HACK JOB". Parts Express came the closest but all their 5" stuff was just a little too small or too big, and then there was the slight curve on the face (baffle) of the 305. I came to the conclusion that nothing I could find was going to work.

I was sitting at my work bench looking at this little fan motor, with a chrome guard on each side. This fan had long since went bad, bearings were shot and the fan didn't have enough poop to get spinning on its own. Looking at the guards I noticed that if I bent the eyes into 2 90 degree offsets that they would fit perfectly into the LF mounting screws on the LSR's! Instant success and about a 5 minute operation! Re purposing is what the recyclers call it, and I often do this and when successful it just gives me a little thrill every time!
Probably wont win any speaker design contest, but neither will the LSR's.. Actually the look is growing on me!

 

[ZR9B]

Heart burn....I put a 4x4 block of wood under the head of the bed...bed now is inclined 4 inches...not much heart burn anymore.

 

[bashman]

This may seem a bit off topic, but I make a POINT to buy a new bag of socks every couple months.
Newspaper INSTEAD of paper towels for windexing things. Works great.

If the window is really dirty, use a rag first and then the newspaper to get rid of smears. My boss when I was a furniture mover in college taught me this one -- I thought he was crazy when he suggested it.

If you have a zipper that doesn't move smoothly, run a pencil "lead" over it a few times in both directions. That applies just the right amount of graphite.

The best food bag closer-uppers are older wooden clothespins with strong springs -- much cheaper and more durable than new plastic clips.

 

[leesonic]

If you need a bathtub stopper quickly, use a small plastic cup like the ones you might have for water when you brush your teeth. The center threaded part in the tub drain just broke off, meaning the toe tapper type stopper wouldn't work.

Lee.

 

[Alobar]

I just learned this one. In a pinch, the bottom of a mug, the unglazed part, makes a pretty good knife sharpener. Good for when you are staying in a rental vacation home, and the knives all stink.

I'm going to remember that one next time we are at a VRBO or time share!

 

[Oerets]

I've found Probiotics and Alcohol cure most aliments.
In moderation of course.....


Barney

 

[Andyman]

Heart burn....I put a 4x4 block of wood under the head of the bed...bed now is inclined 4 inches...not much heart burn anymore.

Cut out the carbs. I stopped eating cereal for breakfast last summer and eat a two egg spinach and cheese omelet, plus less bread and bakery. I lost 15 pounds and my heartburn/acid reflux/GERD basically went away. I used to take OTC acid reducers and tums daily, now it's rarely.

A friend at work told me it worked for him when he quit carbs, and i was quite pleased to see i had the same result.

 

[ZR9B]

"Cut out the carbs"......ya....you ain't kidding. Im worse in the winter.,...beer isn't helping.

 

[Alobar]

Cutting out the carbs

Cut out the carbs. I stopped eating cereal for breakfast last summer and eat a two egg spinach and cheese omelet, plus less bread and bakery. I lost 15 pounds and my heartburn/acid reflux/GERD basically went away. I used to take OTC acid reducers and tums daily, now it's rarely.

A friend at work told me it worked for him when he quit carbs, and i was quite pleased to see i had the same result.

"Cut out the carbs"......ya....you ain't kidding. I worse in the winter

Yeah, same here. About 6 years ago I got the wakeup call from the doctor, time to get on meds for seemingly everything.. BP, I was pre diabetic, had some cholesterol issues too. Blood numbers were out of the norm. And I was at least 60 lbs overweight too. I went out of there determined not to go on meds if I could get there on my own. I stumbled onto the low carb diet and stuck with it and dropped the 60 in about 7 months, and the next time I went to the dr my numbers had mostly normalized. I have managed to stick with it, and in fact my wife joined me and she cooks all low carb and has around a thousand recipes for that. I can't go off from the diet or else I feel like shit. I am pretty much normal except that I have damaged myself metabolically from decades of abusing carbs (My reasoning). I remember that within a year of going onto the low carb I got the best rate for life insurance they could give after acing their physical!

 

[faber12]

The best food bag closer-uppers are older wooden clothespins with strong springs -- much cheaper and more durable than new plastic clips.

These binder clips work excellent too. Very strong, and available in many sizes:

 

[jocko_nc]

I use the binder clips too...