The "life hack" concept is a fundamental part of the DNA of platforms like YouTube and Instagram. The original goals behind these tricks are to learn something new, reuse things you might have at home gathering dust, optimize spaces, and as much as possible save money, which is always welcome. The problem is that most of them don't work as well as they're shown in the videos, so today we're going to try to recognize the ones that actually have some use.
A fairly recurring comment I see on channels and portals focused on "life hacks" is that the tricks are very pleasing to the eye... but nobody should actually try them. A clear example of this is the 5-Minute Crafts channel, with nearly 15 million subscribers on YouTube, and something similar happens on cooking shows. The dishes are delicious and the presentation is formidable, however, the ingredients are perfect, the kitchens qualify as utopia, and there are always the "Rositas" — true background heroines — who come to the rescue with the pre-mixed blend to save time. In other words, the mission of the user/viewer is to separate reality from fiction and check firsthand what actually works.
For example, creating a black light with the average smartphone's white LED (which has no emissions below 400 nanometers) won't work, unless your plan is to get a "fake black light." Meanwhile, using a Sharpie as an emergency candle is a terrible idea, but the "bottle of light" is quite effective (I recommend adding a bit of chlorine to the water). Using Velcro (which polarizes people a lot) on small objects to save space and not lose sight of them is convenient, as is tying a small knot in power cords so they don't unplug with a simple tug. Using a rod with liquids I learned in chemistry class, and clear nail polish works well for securing screws or insulating low-voltage electrical points in circuits.
Making liquid soap will help you reuse all those courtesy soaps or oddly shaped ones (use a double boiler instead of the microwave, and the process changes if they're glycerin or oil-based), toothpaste works as polishing paste (though I'd think twice about using it on prescription glasses), and then there are very old hacks, among which stand out ironing with starch, water to peel eggs, and thick cardboard bags like McDonald's style when wrapping glass. Personally, I stick with clothes-folding tricks. My "closet crisis" is eternal, and anything that lets me gain space will be welcomed with open arms.
