Lifehacks 8

We are constantly putting our clothes under stress when we launder them, especially our silk items, according to this study. Therefore, it is important to have a few trusty tricks up your sleeve when it comes to laundry, not just to protect your clothes, but to also make the process easier!

This is why Bright Side has found some of the smartest tips for the next time you do your laundry.

1. Wash delicates in a salad spinner.

This handy kitchen gadget is also perfect for your laundry, especially when it comes to delicates that need handwashing. Simply add your bras and other delicate items into the strainer and wet them under the tap before adding some detergent and spinning. Leave them for 10 minutes before rinsing them under the tap to wash out the soap.

2. Hook your bras and close all of your zippers.

It is advisable to protect your bras when you wash them, by hooking them closed. This will prevent the hooks from bending and the elastic from being stretched out of shape, as well as snagging on other clothes.

To prevent further tears and snags, you should make sure all of your jean’s zippers are zipped up all the way, so they don’t get damaged, and so that their teeth can’t catch ahold of the rest of your clothes.

3. Unbutton your dress shirts.

It is best to leave the buttons undone on this item, because you could be damaging it otherwise. When left buttoned-up, you may start to notice that the buttonholes are getting damaged and that the buttons are becoming loose.

4. Wash your bras in a pillow case.

If you don’t have a mesh bag to wash your bras and delicates in, then try using a pillowcase. This will protect them from other items in the wash that may damage them, as well as help them to keep their shape.

Simply knot it or tie a hairband around the top of the pillowcase to keep them safely inside before washing.

5. Remove musty smells from clothes with tea tree oil.

Our clothes can sometimes become smelly because of mildew and mold, which thrive in damp conditions. Try adding 10 drops of tea tree oil to your laundry detergent during the next wash to remove any moldy smells. This is effective because tea tree oil is antibacterial, meaning that it will kill off any mold.

6. Steam your clothes in the dryer using ice cubes.

If you are somebody who doesn’t like to do the ironing, then this is an easy alternative. Simply add a few ice cubes to your creased clothes in the dryer and run it on hot for 5 minutes. This will effectively steam your clothing, hassle-free.

7. Dry your clothes faster using a dry towel.

This hack will save you both time and energy when it comes to drying your clothes. Before you start your drier, toss in a dry towel with your wet items and start the machine for a 15 minute cycle. The towel will absorb the moisture of your clothes, meaning that it will cut the drying time in half.

Of course, this does mean that you will end up with a wet towel that you will have to air dry, but the pros outweigh the cons here.

8. Unshrink clothes that have shrunk in the drier.

We have all made the mistake of shrinking one of our favorite pieces of clothing, but don’t worry — you can fix it! Simply soak the item in warm water, with some ordinary hair conditioner, and spread it out to dry. Stretch the item a couple of times to reshape it back to its original size.

9. Use wool dryer balls for an eco-friendly dry.

This product is an eco-friendly and a chemical-free option for your dryer. When you place them inside the drier with your wet items, they will cut your drying time in half, as well as take care of your clothes. They will fluff your clothes and towels, and will also remove the static.

10. Add salt to stop your colors from fading.

A tablespoon of salt added to your wash will help to seal in the colors of your clothes and anything else that is machine washable. This works because the chloride in the salt helps to lock the dyes into the fabrics.

This is a cheap and easy way to keep your clothes looking fresh and new.

11. Wash your baseball caps.

This is an easy and effective way to clean your caps, and it is pretty hassle-free! Simply fill a Tupperware container with warm water and some detergent, until the cap is nearly covered. Next, you will want to put the lid on and shake the box for a few minutes. Rinse it in clean water and leave it to dry.

If you prefer a deeper clean, then soak the cap in warm water and detergent overnight before repeating the steps above.

What are your go-to laundry hacks? Do you believe in these tips or do you have better ones to share with us?

We are used to thinking that getting feedback will help us grow. But Harvard researchers discovered that this isn’t the best strategy. They ran several experiments that showed surprising results: asking for advice, instead of feedback, is much more helpful.

We at Bright Side were astonished to find out that feedback can sometimes hold you back from achieving the best results, and here are 6 reasons why.

1. Feedback is often too vague.

The feedback we receive is often too unclear and doesn’t highlight what we can improve on. According to research, vague feedback can hold women back from developing their careers. Men usually receive specific guidance while women are less likely to get detailed feedback. Another study shows that minority students get less critical feedback from evaluators because they don’t want to appear prejudiced.

2. Feedback is usually in the form of praise.

When you ask people to provide feedback, they generally tend to give praise. An experiment showed that students, when asked to evaluate a course at the end of the year, often gave general praising remarks, like, “This faculty’s content and style of teaching was very good.” Feedback given to women usually highlights that they are generally doing a good job.ADVERTISEMENT

3. Feedback is often associated with evaluation.

We often link giving feedback to evaluation. This happens because, at school, we usually receive feedback with grades. When we grow up and start building a career, we get feedback in the form of performance evaluations. So when people are asked to give feedback, they think more about how others performed in the past rather than possible future actions.

4. The advice focuses on what can be done.

When asked for advice, people usually focus less on the evaluation and more on what can be done in the future. You can’t change the past, but your future depends on the actions you take right now. Studies show that people who give advice focus more on opportunities that you can improve upon.

5. Advice gives you a detailed explanation.

When people are asked to give advice instead of feedback, they usually give more details of what needs to be improved. For example, the same experiment, with the students that were asked to evaluate the course, showed that asking for advice resulted in detailed explanations of what worked and what didn’t.

Do you remember the last time you were given advice instead of feedback? Did you find it helpful?

Baking soda is one of those often ignored powerful allies that everyone has at home: we use it for cleaning, to disinfect food, and even for aesthetic purposes, but we can also use it to take care of our garden.

Here at Bright Side we searched for all the useful data on how this mineral can help us protect the health of our plants, and we wanted to share our findings with you.

1. It fights fungi in an ecological way.

Combined with soap and water, baking soda can help prevent fungus infections in certain types of plants, shrubs, and fruit trees. Simply spraying the plant with the solution can stop the spread. But you do have to keep in mind that since we’re talking about a natural product, the effects might take longer to be noticed than if you were to use chemicals. Another recommendation: observe the reaction of each plant carefully, because over-spraying can damage them.

2. It reduces the presence of annoying aphids.

Aphids are one of those little animals that we definitely don’t want in our garden. Aphids love to eat the tender stems of plants, and in the process they excrete a sweet sticky substance that attracts ants and causes a black fungus to appear. This fungus affects the process of photosynthesis, so it’s a sort of sickness for your plant. When this happens, new sprouts become deformed and the plant loses its strength. By spraying or fumigating your orchard or garden with baking soda and soap, we are more likely to keep these insects at bay and avoid the pain of seeing our plants suffer.

3. It repels ants.

As we have previously mentioned, baking soda combined with soap helps to keep aphids at bay and to prevent certain types of fungi from destroying your plants. If we add other stronger mineral fertilizers to this remedy, such as Viçosa mixture (which is basically a mix of water, copper sulfate, zinc sulfate, magnesium sulfate, boric acid, and hydrated lime) or the Bordeaux mixture (water, copper sulfate, and hydrated lime), we can also reduce the presence of ants. That’s because they will no longer find it attractive to invade our garden or orchard, since they will not be able to find the molasses produced by aphids that ants like so much.

4. It can be useful when measuring the quality of the soil.

Experts know that healthy soil is one that is neither too acidic nor too alkaline, because the more neutral the pH of the soil, the stronger and more pest-free the plants will grow.

To find out what kind of soil your garden has, you just have to follow these steps:

• Get red/purple cabbage, chop it, and pour it into boiling distilled water.
• Let it soak for 10 minutes and then strain. The resulting purple water is pH neutral.
• Put some of the cabbage water in 2 separate cups: in one of the cups add vinegar (the water will turn dark pink because of the acidity) and in the other one, baking soda (it will turn blue or green because of the alkalinity). These are the “control” colors.
• In separate containers, put some of the cabbage water and one or 2 spoonfuls of the soil you want to test. Wait 30 minutes.

If the water turns pink, the soil is acidic. If it turns blue or green, it is alkaline. If it stays purple, you have the perfect soil!

5. It helps you get a better compost.

You now know that a neutral pH is best for plants, so let’s get to work on your compost! Fill it with all the organic waste from your kitchen: cardboard, crushed stones, bones, shredded pruning remains… And make sure you keep it well-ventilated. Remember what we explained in the previous point about how to tell the condition of the resulting soil? This tool that will undoubtedly help you to start a healthy garden or orchard.

We’ve gotten used to thinking that tomatoes are more useful when we eat them raw and make a salad with them. And while this is true, they’re actually a better choice for your stomach when they’re cooked. And there are many more ordinary foods that can surprise you with their changing benefits depending on the way they’re prepared.

We at Bright Side grew curious about what products can become more useful with time or even after being fried — and we’d like to share what we learned with you.

1. Bananas

If you suffer from diabetes, it’s better to eat bananas that are more underripe than overripe, experts say. When a banana ripens, the starch begins to turn to sugar that you need to control during diabetes.

On the other hand, underripe bananas have some other slight health benefits. It happens because of a starch called resistant starch that they contain. It’s difficult for us to digest because it’s like eating a raw potato. In this case, overripe bananas are better for eating.

2. Mushrooms

Although mushrooms may lose vitamin B after they get cooked, there are some great benefits that they gain after hitting heat. First of all, raw mushrooms are like sponges and can absorb toxins that can be destroyed through cooking.

Secondly, cooking increases the number of antioxidants in mushrooms that our body needs so much in the modern world. If you like to eat this veggie, it’s recommended to grill or microwave it instead of boil or fry it. In this case, they boast more valuable health benefits.

3. Tomatoes

We’ve gotten used to eating raw tomatoes. Yes, they contain vitamin C, but experts say that when they’re cooked, they have much higher levels of lycopene. And this can be a more potent antioxidant than vitamin C. Also, cooking tomatoes can soften fiber so they become easier to digest.

4. Carrots

It’s a little surprising, but carrots, which are so good for us thanks to their beta carotene, have higher levels of the nutrient when cooked. This vegetable likes to be heated. Boiling can create even more available beta-carotene in carrots.

It’s better to cook carrots with the skins still on so it can triple their overall antioxidant power. At the same time, chopping them up before cooking might not be the best idea because it eases the surface area for leaching nutrients into the water. It’s better to chop them after boiling.

5. Spinach

Spinach is packed with nutrients, but you may absorb more calcium and iron if you cook it, doctors say. It happens because it’s loaded with oxalic acid, which blocks the absorption of iron and calcium. When you cook spinach, this element breaks down and you can get more health benefits from it.ADVERTISEMENT

6. Cheese

Cheese is an excellent source of protein but each type can have different additional benefits. For example, mozzarella is lower in sodium and calories than most other cheeses. It also contains bacteria that act as probiotics so it may improve gut health and your immune system.

At the same time, blue cheese has more calcium than most other cheeses but can be too salty for some people.

7. Bread

It was found that toasted bread has a lower glycemic index. This index has an effect on your blood sugar level, so it can be a better option for diabetics.

Sourdough bread contains higher levels of antioxidants and folate than other types of bread. Also, it has lower phytate levels so it allows your body to absorb the nutrients more easily.

8. Beetroot

A study examined the effects of drinking 250 milliliters of beetroot juice every day on 68 people with high blood pressure. As a result, researchers found that it significantly lowered blood pressure. On the other hand, boiled beetroot can be easier to digest because its hard fibers break down the same way they do in boiled potatoes.

What’s your favorite food? Would you prefer good tasting food or healthy food?

If a kid comes home crying because she had a fight with her friend, a mother might try to assure her that she’s not alone by saying, “I know how horrible you feel, I had a fight with my own friend once too.” If Rachel tells her best friend Monica that she just got fired, Monica might say, “I know you feel sad, I’ve gotten laid off before too. But look at me now, I have a great job.” But by saying that you understand exactly what they’re going through can sometimes hurt more than it makes them feel better.

We at Bright Side delve into the reasons why we should be careful about saying that we know exactly what other people feel.

We don’t really know how they feel.

We might think we can relate to their situation, but the truth is, even if we have gone through something similar, there’s no way we know 100% how they feel. People experience things differently, and there could be some things that are unique to their situation.

We take the focus away from them.

© The Skeleton Twins / Roadside Attractions

When people tell us how they feel, they really just want to be heard. By saying “I know how you feel,” we’re likely to continue to talk about why we know what they’re going through. We’d give examples and therefore switch the focus to ourselves instead.

© One Day / Universal Pictures

Turning the conversation to be about ourselves is one type of “conversational narcissism.” It comes from the desire to take over the conversation so you can do most of the talking and talk about yourself instead of listening. See the difference in these examples:

Hijacking the conversation

Friend: I’m so tired. I wish I could take a vacation.

Me: Ugh, me too. I haven’t gone on a vacation in like, forever!

Supporting the other person

Friend: I’m so tired. I wish I could take a vacation.

Me: Are you overworked? Maybe you should take a break.

We might sound more insensitive than we think.

© Side Effects / Open Road Films

Saying “I know how you feel” may come from a good place, we may simply want to show empathy. We may just want to let them know that their feelings are valid. But sometimes, it’s hard to empathize with other people’s suffering, especially when we’re not in the same boat at the same time.

© The Hunger Games / Lionsgate Films

One study found that when participants were exposed to the same unpleasant things, like maggots and stinkbugs, they could easily guess the emotions of their partners. But when they were exposed to pleasant things, like puppies, while their partners were exposed to unpleasant things, they thought their partner’s experience was less severe than it actually was.

Here is an example of how we could sound insensitive while trying to make our friend feel better:

Friend: I had a miscarriage. I don’t know how to deal with this.

Me: It’s okay, I know just how terrible it feels. I had a few miscarriages too. But today, I have 2 beautiful children.

What they need is a listener.

© Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker / Lucasfilm Ltd

Silence can sometimes be golden. When people are telling us what they’re feeling, using body language, like hugging them, patting them on the back, or just nodding with our eyes looking at them can be enough. We could also try to gently get the story out of them so they know they have a trustworthy confidant to talk to. These gestures could be a thousand times better than telling them you understand their pain completely.

Has anyone ever said they know exactly what you’re going through? If yes, how did that make you feel? Have you yourself said to others that you get what they’re feeling? What was their reaction like?

We at Bright Side have been busy looking for the best tips and tricks to simplify and improve your everyday life. Here’s an awesome list of 20 life hacks that will teach you how to quickly dry your clothes, make your shoes waterproof, amplify your phone’s speakers, and much more!

1. Grow roses from cuttings

Here’s a great tip for growing roses from cuttings. Before planting, push the bottom ends of the cuttings into small potatoes. Moisture and nutrients in the potatoes will allow the cuttings to develop healthy roots.

2. Waterproof shoes

To turn your canvas shoes into waterproof ones, you need nothing but beeswax and a blow dryer. Spread beeswax all over your shoes. Next, use the blow dryer to melt the beeswax until you can no longer see it. Voila! Your waterproof shoes are ready!

3. Dry your clothes faster

If you don’t have a dryer and need to dry your clothes quickly, here’s what you can do. Place your wet clothing on a dry towel. Roll the towel with the garment inside. Pick it up, and twist it as tightly as possible to squeeze out the excess water. After you’ve drained the excess water, hang your garment on a hanger to fully dry.

4. Smelly shoes

If you have bad-smelling shoes, place a few dry tea bags inside each shoe to absorb the smell. If your shoes are not just smelly but also wet, fill them with a mixture of rice and baking soda and leave for a few days.

5. Tight shoes

If your new shoes feel too tight, here’s a way to stretch them. Stuff each shoe with wet newspaper as tightly as you can. Let the shoes dry, and then remove the newspaper.

6. Start a fire

Chips are not just a tasty snack. Fat, oil, and the chemicals in potato (or other) chips make them a perfect fire-starting material.

7. Find small lost items

Use your vacuum cleaner to find tiny items you’ve lost, such as earrings. Just cover the end of a vacuum cleaner with a stocking or pantyhose, and start your search. Check from time to time to see if the object you are looking for is already there.

8. Time-marked water bottle

Here’s a great way to keep track of your daily water intake. Draw lines on your water bottle with a marker pen, and then write the time beside the marked level. The marking will serve as a visual reminder for you to drink water, and it will help you achieve your daily water intake requirement.

9. Remove toilet bowl stains

Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl, and let it sit overnight. Then wash it with soapy water, and flush clean.

10. Unclog drains easily

Run hot water down the drain for a minute, and then sprinkle 1 cup of baking soda down the drain. Slowly pour 1 cup of vinegar down the drain. Flush one more time with hot or boiling water.

11. Clean the shower head

To clean your shower head or bathroom faucets, fill a plastic bag with white vinegar and secure it to the shower head with a rubber band. Allow it to soak in the vinegar overnight, and remove the bag. It will be as good as new!

12. Keep buttons from falling off

To keep your buttons in place, simply paint a bit of clear nail polish over the threads.

13. Body odor

If you forgot to put on deodorant and you don’t want to smell like you’ve been at the gym, cut a fresh lemon or orange into two halves and just rub it onto your skin.

14. Amplify your phone’s speakers

Put your phone into a drinking glass or a bowl to boost the volume of its speakers.

15. Make ice last longer in a cooler

When you go to the beach and take your cooler with you, sprinkle salt on the ice so that it stays frozen for much longer.

16. Fresh breath

If you left home and forgot to brush your teeth or you ran out of toothpaste, chewing an apple can help with bad breath.

17. Citrus candles

Do you want your house to smell good for hours? Make an orange or a lemon candle, and its light and aroma will last a long time.

18. Open a stuck lid

You’ve probably heard numerous ways to open a stubborn jar lid. One of the most well-known and effective methods is to remove the lid using duct tape. But here’s what you can do if you don’t have duct tape on hand. Try running hot water over the lid for a minute or two, wipe down, and then open. You can also soak the lid in hot water to get a similar effect.

19. Wooden spoon trick

This old trick never fails. To keep your pot from boiling over, put a wooden spoon over the top of it. If it starts to boil up too high, the spoon will pop the bubbles and keep it from overflowing quickly.

20. Open a SIM card tray when an ejector tool isn’t around

Insert the small paperclip you bent earlier into the small pin hole opening in the SIM tray.