8 Life Hacks You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner

These life hacks will make your daily to-dos (plus a few random projects) so much easier!

• Pasta Lighter

We’re sure you’re stocking up on sweet-smelling candles to make your home extra cozy for the colder months. But, if you can’t reach the wick, there’s no reason to go without your favorite scent. All you have to do is use a match or lighter to light the end of the spaghetti and then use it like you would a long match to light the wick of your candle, and then toss the pasta.

• Remove Highlighter Stains

Ever wish you could remove highlighter marks from a book? Well, all you need is two ingredients: lemon and a cotton swab. First, you cut the lemon in half and soak up some juice on the tip of the cotton swab. Then, run the swab over the highlighted text and it will disappear like magic.

• Club soda helps shuck oysters

If you love oysters but find shucking them to be near-impossible, try soaking them in club soda before you shuck. The oysters won’t exactly jump out of their shells, but they will be much easier to open.

• Fog-Free Mirrors

Prevent your bathroom mirror from fogging up after a hot shower with car wax. Apply a small amount of car wax to the mirror, let it dry, then buff with a soft, dry cloth

• Cornstarch unsticks marshmallows

Ever buy a bag of marshmallows only to find them stuck together? No good for your s’mores-craving crowd. Add at least 1 teaspoon cornstarch to the bag and shake. The cornstarch will absorb the extra moisture and force most of the marshmallows apart. Repackage the remaining marshmallows in a container and freeze them to avoid sticking in the future.

• Instant Picture Frame Bumpers

Sometimes, even the most beautiful picture just won’t hang straight on your wall. Don’t put it in storage! Your frame just needs a little extra grip, brought to you by hot glue. Put small dots of hot glue on the back corners of the frame. The hot glue not only prevents movement, but it also holds the picture away from the wall to prevent scratches and nicks.

• Make Any Rug Extra Comfortable

Want to make any rug feel extra plush and luxurious? Add a layer of carpet padding underneath your rug—it’s thicker and cheaper than a typical rug pad.

• A toilet plunger serves as an outdoor candleholder

Looking for a place to put one of those bug-deterring citronella candles? Plant a plunger handle (use a new plunger, please!) in the ground and put the candle in the rubber cup.