Life hacks are all the rage because who wouldn’t want to make everyday tasks just a bit simpler? That being said, life as a woman can be a bit different — for better and worse. Women have more concerns in regards to their safety, they tend to dabble more with makeup, and their bodies require a lot of care. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of 40+ life hacks, specifically for women!
Use Rubber Bands for Manicures
Many people think that they can’t give themselves a professional-looking manicure because they’re maybe not the best with a brush. However, you don’t need to have a manicurist’s finesse in order to get flawless French tips.
Simply slide a rubber band over your nail and get to applying your polish! Just make sure you wait for the nail polish to dry before removing the band so that you don’t mess up your perfect manicure.
Use Dryer Sheets on Deodorant Marks
It can be frustrating when you feel like you’ve got the perfect outfit picked out but then realize that you’ve got deodorant marks all over it. As it turns out, those are relatively easy to remove, so you can still sport your look of choice!
Rub a dryer sheet on the deodorant mark until it disappears. If you don’t have any dryer sheets nearby, you can rub the item’s fabric on itself. However, this should be a last resort, as it can stretch or wrinkle the material.
Cover Sink Drains
If a piece of jewelry falls into the sink, don’t try to catch it. Instead, cover the drain with your hand. The truth is that unless you’ve got the reflexes of Serena Williams, you probably won’t catch the falling jewelry.
Those of us who aren’t the quickest will have a much better chance of covering the drain before our jewelry gets into the pipes. We also recommend covering your drain with netting, so that water can still get through but your precious items cannot.
Buy Men’s Products
Certain products simply work better and are cheaper if you buy the men’s versions. For example, men’s razors are cheaper than women’s — the only difference is they aren’t pink. Deodorant is also better when purchased from the men’s section.
Women’s deodorant comes in scents like ‘Lily’ and ‘Morning Dew,’ which is nice and all. Still, it doesn’t exactly get the job done the way that men’s antiperspirant does.
Shave With Baby Oil
Baby oil is a cheaper and more moisturizing alternative to shaving cream. It can also be used to clean your razor’s blades, as it’s quite gentle and will help your razor last longer. Simply soak your razor in baby oil between uses.
If you’re not a fan of baby oil, you can also use conditioner as a shaving cream substitute. It’ll give you that same glide and still leave your skin feeling soft.
Sit on the Toilet Backward
While wearing a long poofy dress may make you look like a princess, it’ll make you feel more like a court jester when it’s time to use the restroom. In order to avoid things going where they shouldn’t, sit on the toilet backward — facing the cistern.
This way, you can see exactly what’s going on with the back of your dress, rather than trying to feel around behind yourself, hoping for the best.
Don’t Use Ice Cubes
We get wanting to have a cold drink on a hot day but ice cubes tend to water down even the best beverages. In order to keep your drinks cool but without losing the flavor, simply pour the drink itself into an ice tray and freeze it!
For example, you can make iced coffee with frozen coffee cubes. When it comes to adult beverages, you can put frozen grapes into your drink. Bonus points if you eat the grapes afterward!
Use Velvet Scrunchies
Scrunchies are making a serious comeback right now and for good reason! They don’t tug at the hair as elastic ponytail holders do, so scrunchie-wearers don’t run the risk of getting their hair pulled out.
Furthermore, since a ponytail done with a scrunchie doesn’t have such a tight hold, it’ll minimize ponytail bumps and create a sleeker hairstyle. Velvet, specifically, is great for all hair types since it’s so soft — making velvet scrunchies the best possible option.
Light Candles With Spaghetti
Just because your favorite candle has burned down to the wick doesn’t mean that you have to go without using it. No, we’re not suggesting that you hurt your fingers either — there’s a far more simple solution to get any candle lit.
Use a piece of uncooked spaghetti as a very long match to reach those trickier candles. Another option is to light a piece of paper and use that. Although, we suggest using caution with that method as the fire will spread through the paper quickly.
Use the Bathroom After These Activities
Using the bathroom straightaway after certain activities is crucial for a woman’s health. One of these instances is after intimacy, in order to flush out any bacteria and avoid infection. Another scenario in which one should use the restroom is after a bath.
This is particularly true if you like to use bubbles or oils in the tub. The general rule of thumb is to use the bathroom within 30 minutes after completing these activities — but the sooner, the better.
Put Clumpy Mascara in Hot Water
If your mascara is getting clumpy or dried up, simply dip the tube in a cup of hot water and let it soak for a few minutes. If you want to clean the brush altogether, leave it in hot water for around 15 minutes.
While we’re at it, ignore the overused beauty advice of pumping your mascara in the tube before application. That actually creates clumps rather than gets rid of them! Instead, twirl your mascara in the tube before applying it to your lashes.
Use Dryer Sheets on Frizzy Hair
If you feel like none of your hair products are working on reducing your frizz or flyaways, maybe it’s time to turn to your laundry products instead. Dryer sheets work absolute miracles on frizzy hair!
Place a dryer sheet onto your hairbrush and comb it through in order to smooth any static or flyaways. Dryer sheets are positively charged, while hair is negatively charged, so the result is a smoothed-down and tame mane.
Put Pads on Underwear Before Showering
We all know that dreaded race against time and gravity when trying to get out of the shower while you’re on your period. Luckily, there’s an easier way than frantically trying to get your pad sticking to your underwear, and then onto your body, in time.
Instead, attach your pad to your underwear before you start showering, and leave it on the countertop for when you’re done. This way, your pad and underwear combo will be ready to go as soon as you’re out of the shower!
Use Ice Cubes on Wrinkled Clothes
Even if your clothes are wrinkled and you don’t have an iron, that doesn’t mean that you have to give up on wearing a certain outfit. Instead, put the clothes into the dryer along with two to four ice cubes and turn the machine on for about 10 minutes.
The ice cubes will melt in the dryer, creating an effect similar to that of a steamer. Bonus points for the fact that, with this method, you won’t have to worry about iron marks!
Put Bracelets on With Tape
Trying to put on a bracelet alone can feel like a dog chasing its tail, as the chain just goes around and around your wrist, seemingly impossible to catch. For those who don’t have someone at home to help them put their bracelet on, or if you simply want to demonstrate your independence, use tape to hold your jewelry in place while you work the clasp.
This way, you’ll always leave the house fully accessorized but without the frustration of fighting with your bracelet all morning.
Coat Jewelry With Nail Polish
We highly suggest coating costume jewelry with clear nail polish. The nail polish will act as a protective layer, preventing your jewelry from getting discolored and chipped.
Also, if you’re one of those people whose skin turns green from the metals in costume jewelry, then the nail polish will help out with that as well. It’ll act as a shield between the jewelry and your skin, so you don’t wind up looking like a well-accessorized version of the Hulk.
Unjam Zippers With Soap or ChapStick
A jammed zipper can make even the calmest person start to panic. It’s hard not to imagine needing to cut yourself out of your clothes the moment your zipper gets stuck. But, before you reach for the scissors, grab a bar of soap instead.
Rubbing soap over the zipper should create enough lubrication to get it unstuck. If you’re on the go, use ChapStick instead. The waxy substance will have the same effect as a soap bar. No outfits need to be harmed in this process.
Avoid Rust Rings With Nail Polish
No, you’re not imagining things, nail polish really is the answer to many of life’s problems. Yet another use for this product is to avoid rust rings around the house. Anyone who has a lot of toiletries in their bathroom has dealt with those dreaded rust rings.
Next time, simply coat the bottom of the can or bottle in nail polish and that’ll act as a shield between the toiletry and the bathroom’s surfaces.
Store Money in a ChapStick Tube
Finding a safe place to keep your money can be difficult, especially if you’re traveling. The best way to ensure pickpockets won’t come after your cash is by storing it somewhere completely unexpected. For example, inside a ChapStick tube!
No one will find it odd that you have some ChapStick in your purse and they’re certainly not going to bother stealing it. We do warn you, though, that there’s a risk of forgetting and trying to moisturize your lips with a 20.
Keep Bobby Pins on Magnets
Like socks in a dryer, bobby pins seem to have a magical way of disappearing from one’s dresser. It feels like no matter what you do, bobby pins are always getting lost and then magically turning up in random places.
In order to keep these hair accessories from wandering around the house, stick them to a magnet! That way, your bobby pins will stay put and be readily available when you need them.
Use Vaseline When Dying Hair
Nobody wants to be that person who ends up with spots of hair dye all over their face after DIYing a new look. In order to avoid this hair faux pas, rub a thick layer of vaseline onto the skin around your hairline (including your ears and neck) before starting to dye.
This way, any wayward hair dye will go onto the vaseline, which is easy to wash off, rather than getting absorbed into your skin.
Create a Medical Business Card
If you have a lot of food allergies or sensitivities to medication, it’s worthwhile to create a “business card” that lists those items, in the event that something happens while you’re out and about.
This is particularly helpful if you carry around any sort of emergency medication and want people to know to look for it in your bag. You can also write down on your card who to call in case of emergency or what passersby can do to help.
Use a Hair Iron on Clothes
If you find yourself in a bind in which your clothes are wrinkled but you don’t have a clothes iron, you can use a hair iron instead. This is particularly useful while traveling, as you likely won’t want to pack both.
Even if you do have a clothes iron available, you may want to opt for a hair iron anyway when it comes to smaller areas of the clothing, like a shirt collar or an embellished piece.
Pack Shoes in Shower Caps
One of the many challenges of packing a suitcase is figuring out how to pack your shoes without them dirtying up your clothes. Luckily, most hotels give away free shower caps! Simply wrap your shoes up in the shower caps and they’ll be ready to be packed.
If you don’t have any shower caps, you can use a plastic bag instead. Now, there’s just the issue of how to make all your shoes fit into one suitcase!
Remove Gum From Hair With Ice
If you ever find yourself a victim of the cliche of getting gum stuck in your hair, don’t worry that you’ll have to cut your locks. Instead, you can use ice cubes to freeze the gum, making it much easier to remove.
Just hold some ice on the gum for 5-15 minutes, until it hardens. There’s also, of course, the peanut butter trick too. But, we can probably all agree that ice cubes are a lot less messy.
Carry a “Home Alone” Card
Any kind of mom, be it a mom to humans or pets, should carry around a “home alone” emergency card.
In the event that something happens to you, this card will let people know that there’s someone at your house who can’t fend for themselves and is relying on you to come back. Just write down on the card who to call that can go take care of your child until you get home.
Break Shoes in With a Blowdryer
Gone are the days when you need to brace yourself for pain while you break in a new pair of shoes. Instead, break them in before you ever wear them! Put on some thin socks and put the new shoes over them, then blow dry the shoes for several minutes.
When you’re done, allow the shoes to cool off and they’ll be molded to your feet. That definitely beats walking around all day in pain!
Use a Razor on Pilled Clothes
One can always go out and buy a fabric razor to renew pilled clothing, however, they can be quite expensive and you probably have another product at home that’ll work just as well.
A disposable razor, like the one you use to shave your legs, will get the job done just like an expensive fabric razor. Simply pull the fabric taught and use a razor to shave the pilled bits off your clothing.
