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It’s never too late to teach an old dog new tricks. And the same goes for all of us! Just because your mom taught you one way to do laundry decades ago or you’ve never seen someone come up with an innovative way of folding fitted sheets does not mean that there is no room for improvement.

Redditors have been discussing the things that they were doing the hard way their entire lives until they suddenly realized that there was an alternative solution. We’ve gathered their best life hacks down below, so enjoy scrolling through, and be sure to upvote the ones that blow your mind!

#1

Hands peeling a boiled egg over a plate, focusing on kitchen tasks that might be done wrong, similar to how one washes rice. Peeling boiled eggs. Always peeled off part of the egg white with the shell until my neice, who was 14 at the time, told me I need to roll it around on the counter to seperate the shell from the egg. A 14 year old taught me such a simple trick.

Nymeria85 , user20119892 Report

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Green Tree
Community Member
21 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And peel it under running water or submerged in a bowl of water. The water will get under the shell and separate it much easier

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    #2

    Man holding a razor with shaving cream on his face, focusing on grooming technique. I have a heavy, thick beard. For about a decade, I served in the US military, and as such, was required to shave every day. I probably spent thousands on Gilette Sensor Excel blades, I'd use one for about a week before my beard growth mangled it.

    At the risk of sounding like a f*****g hipster, I now use a safety razor. My wife bought it for me about 3 years ago, and it's one of the best gifts I've ever been given. Had I known of these years ago, I would have saved incredible amounts of money. I spend pennies to the dollar on blades, and they last longer.

    Sometimes, the old ways are the best.

    TheGoodJudgeHolden , freepik Report

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    The Scout
    Community Member
    16 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Jugdging from the current market, in a few years razors will probably have around 20 blades, costing around a hundred bucks per shave. Even importing my (extra sharp) double edge blades from Japan, I still pay much less than I would for Gilette or similar. And a safety razor is not a c**p piece of plastic, it is a solid piece of machinery.

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    #3

    30 Awkward Realizations That Turned Lifelong Mistakes Into Breakthroughs Eating pistachios
    I've only recently learnt to use a shell to open the others without hurting my hands by wedging it open. Helps my salt addiction.

    anon , Sarah Chai Report

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    SD
    Community Member
    19 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    After eating them my whole life, I learnt the proper way to open them🤦‍♀️ Off to get some pistachios.

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    #4

    Sliced kiwi fruit with brown skin, showcasing vibrant green and white interior. I learned how to eat a kiwi correctly. About a year ago I was peeling a kiwi like I always have and my aunt gave me a funny look and said: "why don't you just cut it in half and eat it with a spoon?" It had never occurred to me to eat it that way. I felt so dumb.

    Kodi_Jo , K8 Report

    #5

    A hand with red nails, holding a pen and a blue computer mouse, suggesting multitasking. Literally just learned about the snipping tool on Windows today. Up to this point I had done a screenshot, then paste into paint, then crop my selection from there. I'm a second year grad student.

    mt0622 , Racool_studio Report

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    #6

    Person loading clothes into a washing machine, holding a laundry basket on the floor. Laundry. I had always been taught that you need to wash a shirt, pants, or whatever else after wearing it only once. So I have been doing this for years and years. Going through tons of laundry every week. Finally a friend mentioned to me that he only does laundry maybe once a month tops. I asked how that was possible and he explained the logic of wearing things a few times before washing them (so long as there’s not stains on them from the first wear). Can’t believe I didn’t figure this out sooner.

    autumnreader , Nik Report

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    Bob Brooce
    Community Member
    20 hours ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It depends on weather and what you're doing. I'll occasionally pull on yesterday's shirt because I haven't been sweating and I'm not doing anything where my shirt needs to be clean and odor free. Socks and underwear are strictly one day items. Some dress pants may need to be washed (or worse, dry cleaned) after one day, but who doesn't wear jeans for a week?

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    #7

    Person sitting on a toilet, wearing a shirt, looking at a smartphone in a bathroom. Knees up whilst pooping. Get a stool and elevate your legs and works like a charm.

    Fewer hemorrhoid problems, less straining and much cleaner.

    Kitcat1987 , dusanpetkovic Report

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    Missy
    Community Member
    20 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And fiber food! Smooth discharge = less pressure needed = less to no sores for the backdoor

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    #8

    30 Awkward Realizations That Turned Lifelong Mistakes Into Breakthroughs It was at least 25 years before I realized it's easier to sit down to pee in the middle of the night than it is to aim in the dark. Bonus: You can keep your eyes closed so you don't fully wake up.

    DenL4242 , Miriam Alonso Report

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    Abdul Rahman Falih
    Community Member
    20 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    another idea, why not sit down to pee ALL the time?, you don't have to aim, you wont have to hear the insufferable sound from the splashback of the water and no spray is left on the toilet seat!

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    #9

    A hand holding a slice of pepperoni pizza over a pizza box. Reheating pizza in a frying pan

    SOOOOOOOO much better than the microwave

    Edit: some instructions (may vary depending on the type of pizza crust)

    Lightly grease the bottom of the pan. Cooking spray is fine.

    Place pizza in pan, cover, and set to medium-high heat

    occasionally slide the pizza in the pan to prevent sticking.

    Heat until the cheese is melty, and the crust is crispy.

    Razorray21 , The Nix Company Report

    #10

    Shower head with water flowing against a tiled wall, highlighting daily routines like washing rice. I used to stand in the shower and suffer that first blast of cold water. Did not consider any alternatives until I saw my partner patiently waiting outside the shower for a few minutes until the water warmed up. Life changing!

    diamondskindx , vovashevchuk Report

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    Christos Arvanitis
    Community Member
    14 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wait... whuuuuut? Somebody just learned that it's a good idea to, wait for it... wait for the water to warm up? I'm worried about what this person does the rest of the day.

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    #11

    30 Awkward Realizations That Turned Lifelong Mistakes Into Breakthroughs For years, washing laundry with liquid laundry detergent, and the old soap sludge on & around the little cap/cup used to measure the detergent would build up and get nasty and get on everything. Then, I realized I could just toss the cup into the washer too.

    BrazenNormalcy , RDNE Stock project Report

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    Bob Brooce
    Community Member
    20 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I dump the detergent in the machine and then hold the cap under the running water. Give it a shake, and screw it back on the bottle.

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    #12

    Person loading a dishwasher with dishes, focusing on proper cleaning techniques. I never knew you can take the basket out of the dishwasher that holds the utensils and carry it to the drawer to unload.

    Brontosaurusus86 , Vladdeep Report

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    Robert T
    Community Member
    14 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not only that, but you can slide back and forth and even move it to a different place in the dishwasher so you can get awkward items in.

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    #13

    An orange clothespin hangs on a line against a blurred green background. Whenever I got the washing from the line I used to take the pegs down too and put them in a basket. When I got married, I found my husband would always leave them sitting pegged on the line. At first it would irritate me but then I thought about it. You don’t have to always be reaching up and down and up and down. The pegs are already waiting on the line for you. It changed my world.

    onionrings4eva , Vitalii Khodzinskyi Report

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    JL
    Community Member
    21 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If you don't mind them getting prematurely worn out from constant exposure to the elements.

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    #14

    Woman using a microwave in the kitchen, wearing a light blue shirt, holding a green mug. Your microwave has power levels, and they're super useful.

    Tired of having half your food on fire and the rest frozen? Hit that power level button. It cycles the microwave emitter on and off for a percentage of the cook time that you choose. This gives the heat time to diffuse throughout the food. Just remember to increase how long you cook it for and voila! Trust me, your leftovers will thank me.

    MacAtack3 , freepik Report

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    #15

    I'm sure there's lots I'm not thinking of but one is cleaning. It used to be so hard and take so long to do just one thing. But at some point I realized that at least part of the reason is because I thought of cleaning as a negative thing, I'm not sure how to word that out, but cleaning was never fun and seemed like a drag. At some point I quit thinking of it as a bad thing, it's good because it makes things look nice, smell fresh etc. That change makes cleaning way more positive and I get it done faster now.

    icyangel2666 Report

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    Green Tree
    Community Member
    21 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When I was given a cleaning chore as a kid I always had to do it completely and correctly so I took that into adulthood at first and hated cleaning because things would take so long. After awhile I finally realized that doing things half-a*s as an adult is not only fine but actually a net positive: if you kinda just keep up with everything in small 30 second ways you avoid things piling up and becoming an unpleasant chore. Wash a handful of dishes while your waiting for the microwave, move things to the proper room when moving that way, pick a weed when walking by etc etc

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    #16

    I used to squirt the shampoo directly onto my scalp. I did this until the first time I took a shower with another person and saw them just squirt it into their hands. It blew my mind.

    babysalesman Report

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    LillieMean
    Community Member
    19 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Works especially well with sulfate-free shampoos. It is easier to apply to the scalp after it has been activated by rubbing the hands together. They don't foam in quite the same way. The product is also not wasted and the bottle lasts longer than if you just pour it directly on your head.

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    #17

    30 Awkward Realizations That Turned Lifelong Mistakes Into Breakthroughs To be honest, drinking water before and after bed. I used to just bring some soda or iced tea with me and drink similarly sugary beverages in the morning (I wake up at 5am and work 2 jobs getting home around 8:30). Drinking a quick glass of water especially before I leave the house greatly improved my mood going into work where I just wait to get our first break to get something in my stomach. Feels much better and I don't wake up feeling like s**t or anything negative.

    IneffableSounds , Lisa Fotios Report

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    Raymond Core
    Community Member
    15 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Proten before bed makes you thirsty; carbohydrates before bed make you urinate. Best to eat and hydrate well before bedtime.

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    #18

    Washing rice in a colander under running water in a kitchen sink. I just learned at 25 that you're supposed to wash rice.

    Seohnstaob , pixel-shot.com Report

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    Glasofruix
    Community Member
    18 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    UNCOOKED rice, if you're washing cooked rice, you're cooking it wrong. Cue uncle Roger.

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    #19

    Crispy bacon strips cooking on a grill pan. Cooking bacon. Apparently cooking it in the oven is the best way to cook it.
    Goodbye bacon grease splatters! My arms are no longer under siege whenever I want some bacon. All hail whoever figured that out.

    degraffendore , Racool_studio Report

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    Howard M. Lewis Ship
    Community Member
    20 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Also, start it in a cold oven, to give the bacon fat time to render out. Works especially well for thick cut.

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    #20

    Feet in colorful socks resting on a wooden railing outdoors, with lush greenery in the background. I wear my socks inside out on purpose. The seam is on the inside, and it puts a lot of fuzz on your toes and you can feel it against your toenail.

    Flip those bad boys inside out and you've got yourself a smooth, smooth sock. And (with ankle socks) no one will ever know the difference.

    MacAtack3 , Getty Images Report

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    timhood
    Community Member
    18 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Get better socks. I've never been bothered by the seams.

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    #21

    30 Awkward Realizations That Turned Lifelong Mistakes Into Breakthroughs Switched from my dominant hand to my non-dominant hand.

    It's almost like someone else is doing it.

    TheMakoSoldier , Luis Quintero Report

    #22

    Opening jars. I used to try everything - running it under hot water, using a dry cloth, using a rubber band around the lid... literally every method I could find on google. After five years in food service and thousands of jars, I finally figured out what I needed to do.

    Just hit the s**t out of the lid.

    Take the lid of whatever jar you have to a hard surface, and forcefully tap around the lid in a small semicircle. The lid will practically fall off and still be able form a sanitary/protective seal when you put it back on. Never opened a jar another way since.

    mewithoutjew Report

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    Wonko the sane
    Community Member
    20 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Or use a bottle opener to let some air in. I found that out in the last couple of months. Amazing.

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    #23

    30 Awkward Realizations That Turned Lifelong Mistakes Into Breakthroughs This sounds so f*****g stupid, but I was never told how to "flash" my lights whilst driving. For the first ~3-4 years of driving, I'd turn my full beams on and then off again really quickly. Then one time, I accidentally pulled it towards me, made it flash, and my life changed.

    I noticed one of my friends doing my same old trick a few months ago, and when I pointed out the actual, correct way to do it, one of the girls in the back was like "NO F*****G WAY!" and the other one was like "Yeah that took me a while to figure out but was too embarrassed to say anything"

    I'm not saying this is a widespread thing that people didn't know, but I guess driving instructors in my town just don't tell you that s**t.

    Water_Meat , Patrick Report

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    Dusty's mom
    Community Member
    19 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In some places flashing hi-beams is illegal. Check the driving rules before doing it again.

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    #24

    30 Awkward Realizations That Turned Lifelong Mistakes Into Breakthroughs Washing my hair and drying my hair. Not necessarily doing it wrong but my hair used to be constantly greasy even after showering despite scrubbing my hair as much as possible to remove grease. One day I was hungover and had a shower, shampooed my hair but forgot I did it and did it again before conditioning. My hair has never been cleaner. I even use half he normal amount so I’m not using too much shampoo and it works.

    And I used to just put my hair up in a towel without actually trying to get water out of it (this was mostly when I was younger though).

    LoneThestral , Kaboompics.com Report

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    Tucker Cahooter
    Community Member
    20 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There's a reason why "lather, rinse, repeat" is a commonly used phrase. It's probably written on the shampoo bottle already

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    #25

    Person in striped shirt holding scissors, demonstrating proper grip technique. I am two handed. Been using the scissor in my left hand for 20 years.. Always struggled in shcool projects.. Then, my gf made me put it in my right hand. Turns out I am a god-tier scissor user.

    anon , dolga1987 Report

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    #26

    30 Awkward Realizations That Turned Lifelong Mistakes Into Breakthroughs Let's be honest guys, eating with a spoon is way more efficient than eating with a fork or chopsticks.

    SeyiDALegend , Tirachard Kumtanom Report

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    RU Sirius
    Community Member
    21 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    eating spaghetti or steak with a spoon is never as nearly efficient as with fork or chopsticks.

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    #27

    30 Awkward Realizations That Turned Lifelong Mistakes Into Breakthroughs Opening bananas. Not the stem end, the other end. Push the end between your fingers. Opens right up, never have an issue and no more mashed ends at the stem.
    Monkeys and apes do it this way or some s**t.

    McTurtleHurdles , Ryutaro Tsukata Report

    #28

    Peanut butter spread on bread with a knife, next to a jar and a glass of milk on a white background. Mixing natural peanut butter. Took me years to realize that if you store the jar in the pantry upside down, the the oil rises to the bottom of the jar, making it a breeze to stir.

    laurakeet1209 , Racool_studio Report

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    #29

    I always right clicked, then opened a new tab. I just realized I can middle click on the mouse wheel and it does that for me.

    PridePoint Report

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    Bob Brooce
    Community Member
    19 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Depends on the mouse or how it's set up. Middle clicking on my mouse wheel toggles scrolling with the entire mouse.

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    #30

    30 Awkward Realizations That Turned Lifelong Mistakes Into Breakthroughs Doing sit ups for better abs. I used to do over 500 sit ups a day every day because I thought more was better. In reality I was just destroying my lower back.

    I was told that doing a "proper plank" for 5 minutes is just as good. I don't believe it though. I can hold a plank for 20 minutes no problem, but I used to be able to do 500 sit ups no problem before I destroyed my back... there has to be a 'better' way to work those muscles...

    TommF , Jonathan Borba Report

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    josh M
    Community Member
    19 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's mostly about body fat ratio, the abs are already there. But biscuits are better than having abs, so who cares?

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    Note: this post originally had 66images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.

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