30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard

Try typing “best life hacks” in Google’s search bar. You’ll find a laundry list of results about must-tries. What isn’t often highlighted are the ones that you may need to think twice before following. Some may even do more harm than good.

Thankfully, we have the people of Reddit to bring these to light by answering the question, “What are some commonly recommended life hacks which are actually wrong or bad?”

You’ll find some of the usual tips about sleeping less to achieve more, going on detox diets, and drinking coffee to sober up. Now that you think about it, these supposedly clever methods may be questionable at best and potentially harmful at worst.

Scroll through this list and see if you’ve tried any of these hacks. Were they as helpful as advertised? Or were they all hype?

This post may include affiliate links.

30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard When people suggest going for a walk or working out to combat depression because “you don’t NEED medication, you just need to clear your head. Depression and anxiety are all in your head.”

B***h, no s**t it’s in my head. That’s why I take brain medicine.

BusyPaws , Tamar Willoughby / pexels Report

173points

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Kirsten Kerkhof 1 week ago

Literally every single person uses anti-depressants. It's just that most people produce said anti-depressants themselves in their brain or body. If you can't make a certain substance, store-bought is fine.

72points

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30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard Don’t quit, keep pushing no matter what.

Sometimes in life you need to understand when to throw in the towel and walk away.

JD054 , Drazen Zigic / freepik Report

154points

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Scott Rackley 1 week ago

You desperately need to understand the "sunk cost" fallacy

40points

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30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard I always see people on reddit say that coworkers are not friends and to not develop friendships with them. Why? That's literally the worst advice I've seen parrotted here. Like don't be a degenerate in front of them but developing friendly relationships with the people you see for a 1/4 of your life is normal and not problematic.

MasterVader420 , Jopwell / pexels Report

136points

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XenoMurph 1 week ago

This is great. Some of the best friendships I've had are through work.

67points

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30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard Any kind of "cleanse" diet or item. Your body already does that. Colonics, shakes, fasts, etc don't "cleanse" anything better than what your actual biology can do.

hovermole , Toni Cuenca / pexels Report

131points

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ucp 1 week ago

Drink more water. Take in less of the processed stuff. It’s not rocket science. As OP says, your body can do this already: you just need to give it the chance to cope.

41points

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30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard That b******t one about how we've all been "opening bananas wrong" because we don't do it upside down like chimps. It literally doesn't f*****g matter. The banana opens easily the way I do it and I'm going to keep doing it that way.

Aquatico_ , KoolShooters / pexels Report

120points

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Ace 1 week ago

Quite so. There's a reason that 99% of people do it one way with no problem,

22points

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30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard No Pain - No Gain.
Pain is the body's way of telling you that you are damaged.

nevermindaboutthaton , Eduardo Romero / pexels Report

110points

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mojo79 1 week ago

Yep, I thankfully had a great trainer who said that if you're in pain and not having fun, then you'll quit. Push to the point you feel you can't do anymore and then stop.

27points

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30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard Sleeping less for success. Sleeping less and hustle more can lead into burnout, health issues, cognitive function. Sleep in essential for mental health and well being of a person.

Conscious_Permit_703:

The 'just sleep less' advice to be more productive is terrible. Lack of sleep affects health and focus, making you less efficient in the long run.

RavishingMistressVib , pvproductions / freepik Report

106points

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mojo79 1 week ago

This, I listened to all the CEO's 'I only sleep 4 hours max'. Tried it and ended up having a mental and physical breakdown because my body couldn't get the rest it needed to recover.

21points

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30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard "Just wake up at 5 AM and your life will be fixed!" Nah, I’ve tried it, and all I got was more tired and cranky 😂

ChevalierA , Miriam Alonso / pexels Report

97points

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Susie Elle 1 week ago

Waking up at 5 AM is horrible. I did it for 7.5 years because of work, and it never got less horrible.

34points

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30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard Repeating constantly "Leave out of your comfort zone". Not everyone wants to leave it and some people work very hard to have a safe space and confort.

Some people just want to settle and it's fair.

CosmicChronicler9041 , Alex Green / pexels Report

94points

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Alexandra 1 week ago

What's wrong with a comfort zone? It's a COMFORT zone. Who wants to be uncomfortable?

52points

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#10

30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard Do not put your toaster sideways to make cheese toast as some lifehacks suggest. It is a fire hazard.

TheBassMeister , 4fmpb311cf Report

90points

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Jrog 1 week ago

I don't see how even the dumbest people out there do not see this is plain stupid and dangerous.

28points

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#11

30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard **"Multitasking makes you more productive."**

Actually, multitasking tends to make you worse at everything you’re trying to do. You end up scattered, doing a mediocre job on each thing instead of really focusing and excelling at one task. If you need to get stuff done, block out distractions and tackle things one at a time.

LyannaLL , Mizuno K / pexels Report

85points

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Chris 1 week ago

As a programmer, I have a general formula for when people asked me to work on multiple projects at the same time. If I estimate task A is 1 week, and task B is 1 week one done after the other, and I'm required to do them at the same time the estimate is 4 weeks. And it goes up doubling from there for any more projects. Giving the people involved both estimates usually solves the problem, but in rare cases with two managers (yes that was a thing for a time) both would want their projects worked on and wouldn't "wait". So, they both got their projects later than it should have taken.

24points

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#12

30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard "Always carry a small balance on your credit card to build credit"

No. Paying off your debts consistently builds credit.

jeffbarge , Anete Lusina / pexels Report

79points

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Jrog 1 week ago (edited)

Obligatory reminder that the whole "credit score" concept is exquisitely American and mighty stupid. Most sane banking systems reward *not* having an outstanding credit line instead. Solvency is calculated on assets and recurring income, not on whether you are already in debt.

55points

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#13

30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard I saw one the other day that said if you are lost in an unfamiliar location needing rescue and your battery is about to die, change your voicemail to include your approximate location. Then people who call will be able to determine where you are after listening to the voicemail.

Things that are very wrong with this advice:
* Many people can go days without getting a phone call.
* It you don’t answer the phone, most people probably won’t listen to the voicemail greeting.

What you should do, if possible, is send one of your contacts your approximate location. GPS coordinates work. And always call 911.

GreenGrandmaPoops , Kamaji Ogino / pexels Report

66points

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ucp 1 week ago

What Three Words app is your friend in this situation too. Certainly, UK responders use it - I’ve helped an ambulance locate someone in a park. Normally, they I use postcodes, but these are useless in open areas.

30points

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#14

30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard Drinking Lemon Water for Detox. While lemon water can be refreshing, the body already has efficient detoxification systems (like the liver).

Due-Degree137 , Julia Zolotova / pexels Report

59points

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TotallyNOTAFox 6 days ago

Don't forget to use alkaline water to put the lemon in to really get all health benefits /s

32points

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#15

30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard Any food hack that wants you to get sugar boiling hot and then spin it with a whisk in the air to make strings or says it'll turn into fairy floss or some such.

You will burn yourself, and getting it off your skin is difficult because it's sugar. And they always aim it at gd teenagers.

Howtocookthat on youtube has a lot of the food related ones and explains why they're dangerous or don't work.

EdithTheBat , The_Viewerhere Report

54points

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Jrog 1 week ago

This is a legitimate technique in pastry making, common in making isomalt decorations. Does it work? Yes. Is it dangerous? F**k yeah. Do it only if you know how and with proper equipment, but it's not altogether stupid.

49points

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#16

30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard That putting bicarb soda down your drain will unblock it. It doesn't do s**t.
Source: I'm a plumber and I'll charge you more as it makes it harder to clear the waste or drain.

alfredhospital , HomeSpot HQ / pexels Report

53points

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Pernille 1 week ago

Who does that? If cleaning drains with bicarbonate it always need a chaser of vinegar and water, then the bubbles might clean your drain, but I've always found that boiling water and a suction thingy does the trick.

20points

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#17

30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard Dressing like security or maintenance to gain access to restricted areas of events and venues. this could endanger the safety of others if an actual emergency occurred.

chosonhawk , freepik Report

52points

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Lost Panda 1 week ago

Could also get you arrested for impersonation.

49points

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#18

30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard The advice I see on Reddit about asking for an itemized receipt is incomplete.

Asking for an itemized receipt does not automatically drop the total cost. Instead, asking for an itemized receipt allows you to identify line items that don't make sense, don't apply to you, or weren't rendered.

For instance, I was charged a materials delivery fee as part of a home renovation project, even though I transported all the materials to my home myself. Since the service was not rendered, I got that cost stricken from my total, but I had to first identify it manually and draw attention to it--it didn't just automatically go away when I asked for the itemized receipt.

ChuushaHime , Brad Montgomery / flickr Report

51points

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ucp 1 week ago

A co-worker was once astounded that I kept receipts. I explained that this allowed me to check my credit card statements each month. I was once victim to a repeat charge scam, and was able to report it to the card company (later, the FBI wrote me a letter to ask if I’d stand witness at the trial, so it was effective - I had to decline on geography grounds). I’m amazed that anybody wouldn’t check everything they spend.

22points

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#19

30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard To "do it anyway" or "do it scared".

Sometimes you do need to get yourself together/calm down before you do something. Like driving.

anon , MART PRODUCTION / pexels Report

51points

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Alexandra 1 week ago

"Do it scared"??? That's just begging for trouble. 'Do it anyway', maybe, depending on the context, but if you're scared you can't think straight and that's when trouble starts.

13points

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#20

30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard Putting your phone in rice.

bergg98 , Xcyelm Report

50points

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Jrog 1 week ago (edited)

Rice -being very dry- is a good medium to extract some moisture. Salt would be even better, but it damages stuff. Dryers usually come with heat, and sometimes it damages the plastics. All these work for wet electronics provided you don't turn them on before and there are not other associated damages. I usually suggest using silica cat litter, that is readily available in quantities, cheap and is the same stuff you find in the silica gel packets.

24points

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#21

30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard I used to sell mattresses and commonly had customers who believed that the harder their mattress, the better it was for them.
Untrue. If you lay down and you're comfortable, then it's a good mattress. You don't need to sleep on a slab of stone for health benefits.

Also, it's a pain, but turning your mattress every now and them is good for it's long term health.

hetep-di-isfet , Max Vakhtbovycn / pexels Report

47points

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Lost Panda 1 week ago

I hate that in the passed 10 years I have yet to find an afforable mattress that would let me flip it over and still be comfortable. They're all one sided...

62points

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#22

30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard Drinking cod liver oil to induce labour is never a good idea. It can make the baby poop inutero.

'I did it and it worked for me.' Good for you. You are lucky. A percentage of babies aren't so lucky and they inhale the poop and get very sick or worse.

Idobeleiveinkarma , athriftymrs.com / flickr Report

47points

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ObsidianAce_ 6 days ago

I think that’s what happened to me- my dad swears that the nurse induced my mom’s labor at a well visit a few hours before. I was also “in distress” during labor and ended up being an emergency C section. Both me and my mom were ok!

8points

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#23

30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard The whole "freeze a wet sponge for an ice pack that won't drip" is wrong on every level. If the sponge is saturated, it will absolutely drip as it melts. If it was only damp, it won't drip so much, but it also won't have much thermal mass and thus won't delivery much cold. Either way, it will be a stiff rectangle that won't conform to the body part you need chilled. So many things make much better ice packs, including the classic of ice cubes in a plastic bag.

BranwynOfTheTower , Handicapreader Report

45points

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Bewitched One 1 week ago

Or frozen peas?

44points

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#24

30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard Vinegar and baking soda is not a cleanser.

mapetitechoux , trenttsd / flickr Report

38points

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TooTrue 1 week ago

Here in Spain, a type of vinegar is sold specifically for cleaning. It works brilliantly, is pet friendly and non-toxic.

31points

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#25

30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard Freezing hard drives: Risky. Better to use professional services.
Lemon juice as sunscreen: Bad idea. Use real sunscreen.
Coffee to sober up: Just a myth. Only time works.

No_Article690 , Collectibl3 Report

37points

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e gads 1 week ago

Why freeze a hard drive?asking for an enemy.

29points

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#26

30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard Using Dawn dish soap on kittens to kill fleas. It doesn’t work. It’s a hoax. Even Dawn said it doesn’t kill fleas.

MerlinsMomma2024 , Specialist_Ad9150 Report

35points

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Kirsten Kerkhof 1 week ago

I believe they use it around the kitten's neck to stop the fleas from escaping to the kitten's head to avoid the water as it is bathed. Not to kill the fleas.

30points

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#27

30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard The saying "it will come when you least expect it", you have to look and fight for what you want.

Vegetable_Ad_7940 , Julia M Cameron / pexels Report

28points

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Doctor Strange 1 week ago

Nothing happens unless you make it happen. I've been single for a long time and always get told 'just stop looking and it will come!'. BS. Maybe Some people are lucky enough to be attractive and other people will pursue them. But the rest of us? We have to put ourselves out there, its never going to just drop in our laps. Had a friend who took the 'it'll come when I'm not looking' approach. For TEN YEARS. When he finally took my advice and made the effort? He found the woman he married, and they are expecting a second kid.

12points

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#28

30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard Mix vinegar and bicarb in a spray bottle for the most effective cleaner - enjoy cleaning with salt water. The effective part is the reaction of mixing the two, not the resultant solution.

Cadythemathlete , cottonbro studio / pexels Report

26points

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Matt Du 1 week ago

We live in a hard water area and it's great for cleaning the toilet below the water line(removing the water first). And I often put bicarb in the washing machine. It's not the end all and be all but both have some very good uses together and separately.

10points

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#29

30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard Stop applying lemon on your face thinking its gonna heal your acne and pigmentation! and for gods sake putting random food in your hair!! It's better to just eat that food instead.

LOLED_AKAASI , RDNE Stock project / pexels Report

18points

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Pittsburgh rare 1 week ago

This is stupid. *Some* foods are effective applied to hair (honey)

16points

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#30

30 People Debunk The Worst Life Hacks They’ve Heard It's ok to wipe your eye glasses with your shirt, TP or paper towels. No that s**t can still scratch the lenses and you should use the cloth that came with your glasses instead.

Themodssmelloffarts , Polina Tankilevitch / pexels Report

12points

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Fellfromthemoon 1 week ago

I have glass lenses, not plastic. As long as I don't wear shirts made of diamonds I can wipe my glasses with my shirt.

62points

CanadianDimes 1 week ago

Just don't forget on the day you're wearing your diamond shirt!

21points

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Jrog 1 week ago (edited)

If paper towels scratch your lenses, or even your lenses' coating, your lenses are s**t in the first place. Average reflective lens coatings have a hardness rating of 3-5 on the Mohs scale, with anti-scratch ones going as up as 8. Glass is normally 6.5. Steel is in the 4 range, paper is sub-1...

9points

and_a_touch_of_the_’tism 6 days ago

PAPER TOWEL??? Who does that? I’ll admit to wiping them on my shirt but PAPER?

5points

Upstaged75 6 days ago

I wipe my glasses with whatever I have available. And I wash them with soap and water. I have yet to find anything that scratches the lenses. And I'm not stupid enough to put anything abrasive on them either.

3points

C. S. M 6 days ago

So-called microfiber cloths are not asorbent, and just smear greasy stuff. Cotton and absorbent paper tissues work best every time.

1point

Damned_Cat 6 days ago

Sadly, I usually lose that little cloth within a week.

1point

Alexandra Nara 6 days ago

there is a company that sells shirts with added clothpart to wipe glasses. To be fair cotton were used for glasses too before they invented microfibre

1point

BrunoVI 6 days ago

SOME people have treatments on their glasses which can rub off or be scoured.

1point

Leebo13 5 days ago

In my more than 30 years of wearing glasses, this is news to me.

0points

ArchangelLoki 6 days ago

As someone who works in optics, yes! This!

0points

keyboardtek 6 days ago

OK if you are wearing soft cotton tee-shirts. Poly carbonate lenses are extremely hard and scratch resistant.

0points

Tim Douglass 5 days ago

I've never had a pair of poly lenses, regardless of coatings, that wasn't scratched beyond use in 6 months to a year. And that's with care in cleaning - always with cleaning solution and the "optical quality" cloth they sell for cleaning them. I always had to work to scratch my glass lenses, but the "scratch resistant coated" poly ones seem to scratch just from the floaters in my eyes.

0points

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