White Board Renewal - Chemistry in Action [duplicate]

2024-06-30T13:56:09Z

This is a hack, not a question.

After trying more than 20 various cures from the web for removing ghosts from the white board that didn't work.... I used the molecular attack.

Household bleach. Wipe on. Leave for an hour and let the hypochlorite oxidize the organic pigments from the marker, and then rinse off with water. It chews the dyes from the marker into tiny chemical bits and the board is bright white again. Alpha Mike Foxtrot.

Killing ants with Borax that has been mixed with sugar upon cottonballs: How should I replace the bait?

2024-06-14T17:55:14Z

I have tried to use borax to kill ants. Upon first application, I made a paste using sugar and borax then I soaked cottonballs and placed in areas where I saw ant activity.

Now the cottonballs are wet but covered with a crust of the solution that has dried out. Should I throw them away and make a new one, or wet it and leave it?

Also, I do not know whether making the paste and leaving it in small dishes is also a solution.

Cleaning shower - acid or alkaline detergent first?

2024-06-14T08:30:24Z

I have acid detergent to get rid of mineral buildup and alkaline solution for all the grease.

But which one should I use first?

How can I remove round shaped white colour on worktop in kitchen due to hotness of pan?

2024-06-03T13:29:19Z

I placed a hot pan on a worktop. Due to this white circle shape has come on worktop.

How can I remove it? The original colour of the worktop is black.

How to get very fine tipped pens to write consistently?

2024-06-02T14:00:10Z

I like to take notes in books and for that it’s really nice to have a pen that’s something like .28 but every time I get a pen that has these smaller tips they are very inconsistent.

Different writing pressures, angles, scribbing, shaking, nothing seems to get them to consistently output.

Is there a trick to it or is this just a thing when the tip is small?

Edit: willing to update tags: writing, ink, and pen didn’t exist and I was running low on ideas of how to label this

8,000 btu portable air conditioner inadequate

2024-05-31T19:40:06Z

I live in an area of high humidity. My windows are nailed down and there is just a blanket separating the living area from the kitchen. I have an8,000 btu ac unit, various blower fans & circulating fans, all strategically placed, but it's inadequate.

If I place a fan on the floor, could a good regular fan or circulating fan help cool the room more? Also, how should I tilt it to help with cooling?

Diy puppy pee pads

2024-05-28T15:52:33Z

What are some cost-effective DIY puppy pee pads? I am not trying to keep washing blankets and purchasing disposable pee pads are too expensive at the moment

Accidentally wore my sweaty T-shirt from days ago this morning. What can I do to get rid of the smell for the rest of the day?

2024-05-28T12:45:30Z

This morning my sleep-deprived brain mixed a T-shirt into the clean pile of clothes, which then I subsequently took up and left to work. As time passed, I started to smell the unmistakeable scent of decay and death emitted by my choice of fashion, which makes sense as I sweated through a whole weekend day outside in it just a few days ago. I proceeded to spay an unhealthy amount of parfume onto myself, but it's just not enough to hide this aura of a death metal guitarist I'm bearing.

Any trick to at least reduce the smell for the rest of the day?

How to clean saucepan after boiling oats in milk?

2024-05-24T10:29:49Z

Everytime I make oats in milk boiled in saucepan, it leave a dired scum sort on the wall and base of saucpan which is very hard to get it off with sponge. What methods can I use to make it easy for it to clean?

Help! Baking soda/water stain on finished wood countertop!

2024-03-04T21:37:24Z

I soaked strawberries in a bowl with water and baking soda to clean them, ten minutes later I came back and realized the bowl was cracked and had been leaking. This stain is the result. Wooden countertops have some sort of glossy finish to them. Freaking out. Any tips to get rid of this?

Removing ballpoint ink signature from inside flap of hardback book

2023-11-29T22:41:34Z

I have a 40 year old collectible hardback book in which a signature was made on the inside flap using blue ballpoint ink. I've done some research and come away with a couple of options, but hoping someone here might have done some restoration work:

Mechanical means
- Sand Eraser such as Tombow Mono
- Razor blade
Chemical means
- Acetone on q-tip
- Rubbing alcohol (w/ qtip)
- Lemon juice (w/ qtip)
- Lamy Ink Eraser

I'd like to do as good a job as possible as the book has a bit of value if I can remove my, and my brother's, old signatures (see picture).

Has anyone tried any of the methods above (or something else entirely)?
Is there a better stack exchange site for this style of question?

Given that this is a hardbound book, I can do a bit of scraping without wearing through the paper too much but not sure if it will leave a surface that is completely mismatched from the surrounding paper either by color or texture.

Does something remove small oily stains from smooth painted wood surfaces?

2023-11-26T12:19:01Z

Does something remove small oily stains from smooth painted wood surfaces?

These are so miniscule that they're only visible form a particular angle with a particular light.

They aren't coming off by scrubbing or with Universal Stone.

I sort of think they've become part of the paint, but maybe I am wrong.

Lenor scent boosters leaving white marks on clothes

2023-09-05T08:14:56Z

Since I started using Lenor (blue) unstoppables in the wash, it’s leaving white spots on dark clothing which if I don’t spot it immediately & ‘rub’ means it needs washing again.

I’m following instructions to put in the drum before loading the laundry.

Any ideas or others coming across the same thing?

Thanks

Removing chewing gum from car Mat

2023-08-27T03:07:04Z

Today someone stick chewing gum to the floor mat of my car. It look pretty badZ how can I remove it? I m trying to freeze it with ice packs and then remove it but it is not helping

Are there any sure fire ways to soften up cotton?

2023-06-10T21:53:56Z

Not having much luck with a few 100% cotton bandannas. I tried what online sources recommended such as baking soda and vinegar in various combinations of washing and also I dry them in a dryer to soften.

But they are still very stiff when dry. I wet them to wear and that makes it a little more comfy. I looked at Amazon question and answer for this product and someone tried soaking in fabric softener but he said it took 50 washes to soften.

Maybe I will just have to wait until it get washed 50 times. Any ideas?

Remove moisture and mould from within hot-tub inflatable ring

2021-11-17T14:59:21Z

I am in the process of winterising my inflatable hot tub.

The first thing I noticed was that the inflatable "body" is heavily discoloured by mould that is growing inside it:

I assume that the cause of this mould is the excessive amount of water that was present inside the inflatable ring itself. By various means, I have removed around 3-5 litres of water from within the inflatable cavity.

I have no idea how this water got in there - my calculations give a maximum amount of water vapour in this volume as around 25 millilitres. But that's another story.

I'm looking for ways to 1) dry out the remaining air inside, 2) kill the mould. Bear in mind that I have a single inflation hole - around 25mm (1 inch) in diameter - through which I can operate.

I've tried warming the surface with a heat gun to get the water droplets to evaporate - but this is ineffective and risks melting the plastic.

I've tried deflating and reinflating a few times, in the assumption that it will replace with drier air each time, but the condensed droplets remain.

How to get rid of the ants without killing them?

2021-08-11T11:49:33Z

I am not sure this question should be in Buddism exchange or this exchange. I do not want to kill the ants. Recently I saw a lot of ants coming to my table on the plain tissues with nothing on it. I am wondering how to get rid of these ants without killing them.

I keep forgetting to take out my wireless mouse dongle -- how can I make it more conspicuous?

2020-11-02T16:03:57Z

I have a wireless mouse and keyboard combination that uses a USB dongle like this:

This is at a desk that I share with other people, so it is important that when I (or others) leave and take my laptop, the dongle stays put. However, it is so small that often I forget to take it out of my laptop and leave it on the desk. I'm not worried about it being stolen -- just forgotten.

I thought of trying to superglue a key ring or something to it, in order to make it more conspicuous, but wondered if others have dealt with this?

Using liquid detergents for a pre-wash cycle with a powder only detergent drawer

2020-01-06T20:07:10Z

I've found that liquid detergents give the best results in my AEG lavamat washer dryer. These work well when I want to do a normal wash, I just pour the liquid into the supplied ball, pop it in the drum and off it goes.

When I want to use a pre-wash programme however, I have a problem.

The washing machine detergent drawer is not designed to hold liquid detergent, only powder, so I can put liquid detergent in the ball for the pre-wash part of the programme, but then have to use powder for the main wash.

Some AEG lavamat washer dryers have a detergent tray which comes with a flip over divider (you can buy replacements or print your own) but mine does not.

I have played with using sellotape (Scotch tape) and offcuts of plastic to seal off one end of the powder drawer so I can add liquid detergent, but this hack rarely works for more than a few washes, it is fiddly to remove when I don't need it, and I'm always concerned that the plastic or sellotape will come loose, get sucked into the washing machine pipes where it will get stuck and cause a blockage or worse.

I've already dismissed the idea of using detergent tablets as I want to be able to tailor the amount of detergent I use per wash (minimise the detergent used given out water hardness). I've also had bad luck with pods (Liquid 'tablets') in the past. With low temperature/eco washes the plastic didn't always dissolve fully, leaving clothes covered in tiny plastic fragments (especially noticeable on black jeans).

Does anyone have a better way of making a washing machine powder drawer compatible with liquid detergents?

How can I stop my pillow from falling off a border-less mattress?

2019-11-26T08:46:10Z

My grandparents didn't appreciate their Duken IKEA Bed Frame's head-board

until they bought a TEMPUR-Ergo Extend Power Base that doesn't have one! They lower the bed flat to sleep, but because their head moves around, their pillows fall off the top.

Does pressing "9" on a phone actually put my number on an internal "Do not call" list?

2018-10-31T14:51:59Z

Background

According to Lifehacks #1777, pressing "9" on a phone will apparently add your number to an internal do not call list on the other end. This is also apparently verified by a very hoaky looking website. But I cannot find a solid confirmation or denial of this Lifehack.

Question

Is it true that I can press "9" on a phone to put a telemarketer on a do not call list?

What to use as a bandage substitute?

2018-02-12T10:43:51Z

I've always wondered what I could use In case I ran out of bandages. So, it made me wonder, what exactly could I use to complement bandages.

Note - The answers should be household items and not stuffs that should be bought.

How To Keep Sleep Mask On While Sleeping

2017-02-01T03:01:43Z

I have a Lewis N Clark sleep mask with a 3/4" elastic strap around the back. Trouble is it keeps falling off halfway through my sleep. If I tighten the strap then it presses uncomfortably around my eyes. Any suggestions for how to keep it on so it doesn't fall off and cause me to wake up?

How can you get algae out of of a glass bottle?

2016-06-26T12:57:09Z

I have a few glass bottles for drinking water. I accidentally left one out of the fridge for a while when it was almost empty. Some algae has grown at the bottom. I don't have a bottle-brush to clean it out with. It's easy to kill the algae with boiling water which should detach most of it, but how do I remove it all of it afterwards?

EDIT

The hot water removed none of the algae.

What can I use to replace a missing battery cover?

2016-01-16T09:42:42Z

I lost a battery cover for my TV remote control. It is similar to the one in this photo.

It is a very old model TV so I don't think replacement parts are available. What would make a good substitute battery cover?

Ideally something which is easily removable and replaceable when the batteries need to be changed.

My initial thought was tape but I am not sure this would work as the batteries wouldn't be kept secure and would likely lose contact with the terminals.

How does one efficiently clean up hair from sink after shaving or trimming beard?

2015-03-26T11:14:10Z

How does one efficiently clean up hair from sink and counter area after shaving or trimming beard?

After shaving, but more so trimming my beard (using electric trimmer), mustache, or trimming my hair a bit, there is inevitably leftover hair to be cleaned up after the fact despite best efforts to contain the mess, such as crouching down over the sink and other methods I am intentionally not listing.

The clean-up process can end up taking longer than the actual grooming. I would like to find a more efficient way to clean it up so I do not leave little hair pieces remaining, nor should it take longer than shaving/trimming.

Taking into account that hair is more stubborn around any residue (soap, toothpaste, etc), calking, and angles to easily being cleaned up.

I already have tried the following:

Using baby wipes (work best of what I have tried, but not good enough)
Using toilet paper
Hot vs. cold water doesn't seem to make a difference as far as getting the hair to bunch or attach to rag
Microfiber rag (damp and dry)
Normal bathroom towel
Vacuuming is not a practical option, nor did using a dust buster hand vac the one time I tried it both to noise, convenience, and some hair will be wet

I really want to focus the answers on the cleaning aspect, not prevention. I did not list every prevention I do or try method on purpose and some of them being listed will simply transfer the problem that would again create cleaning problems. So focus on the 'cleaning' aspect please.

Substitute for a tablet stylus

2015-03-13T00:35:11Z

I do a lot of sketching and drawing on my iPad. I usually use a stylus, but I recently lost mine. I can draw with my fingers, but I would prefer to use a stylus because it's just easier and I can do more stuff with one. I'm getting a new one soon (probably), but I need something to replace it for a week or two. What is a good substitute for a tablet stylus?

How should I store super glue to prevent it from drying out?

2015-01-31T08:55:15Z

It seems like every time I open a tube of super/Krazy/cyanoacrylate glue, I get one use out of it, and the next time I go to use it months later, the nozzle is clogged with dry glue (or worse, the entire tube has hardened. I put it back into its sealed canister, but it doesn't seem to matter.

What's the best way to store super glue to increase its longevity in the tube? Does it matter if I store the tube nozzle down, nozzle up, or nozzle sideways? Should I let it sit with the pin in or not? (I assume not, or at least not all the way in; otherwise if the glue dries up around the pin, the pin won't be long enough to puncture the dried glue around it.) Should I glue something to the tip of the tube to try to seal it?

How do I remove a bandage from thin skin?

2015-01-07T16:24:55Z

I have a family member who has very sensitive skin. Sometimes He will have a cut or scrape or some such that needs to be covered with an adhesive bandage. While peeling off the bandage, the adhesive sometimes tears his skin further, despite that fact that we tried to remove it gently.

So, are there any ways to break down the adhesive or moisturize the area before removing? Water works sometimes, but other times it would be best not to use it.

Its required to remove the bandage to remove I.V. dressings.

How can I keep the roll of plastic wrap from falling out of the box?

2014-12-31T17:21:02Z

I find that pulling a sheet of plastic wrap out of the box can be incredibly tricky.

The plastic sticks to itself, so it takes a bit of force to pull it apart.
The force to pull the plastic off the roll is enough to pull the entire tube out of the box.

I can't seem to hold it in a way that keeps the roll inside the box, while allowing me to pull a sheet of the plastic out with enough force to pull it from the roll. If I'm holding onto the roll, then it can't roll to let plastic out.

Is there something else I can do?

Recent Questions - Lifehacks Stack Exchange

White Board Renewal - Chemistry in Action [duplicate]

Killing ants with Borax that has been mixed with sugar upon cottonballs: How should I replace the bait?

Cleaning shower - acid or alkaline detergent first?

How can I remove round shaped white colour on worktop in kitchen due to hotness of pan?

How to get very fine tipped pens to write consistently?

8,000 btu portable air conditioner inadequate

Diy puppy pee pads

Accidentally wore my sweaty T-shirt from days ago this morning. What can I do to get rid of the smell for the rest of the day?

How to clean saucepan after boiling oats in milk?

Help! Baking soda/water stain on finished wood countertop!

Removing ballpoint ink signature from inside flap of hardback book

Does something remove small oily stains from smooth painted wood surfaces?

Lenor scent boosters leaving white marks on clothes

Removing chewing gum from car Mat

Are there any sure fire ways to soften up cotton?

Remove moisture and mould from within hot-tub inflatable ring

How to get rid of the ants without killing them?

I keep forgetting to take out my wireless mouse dongle -- how can I make it more conspicuous?

Using liquid detergents for a pre-wash cycle with a powder only detergent drawer

How can I stop my pillow from falling off a border-less mattress?

Does pressing "9" on a phone actually put my number on an internal "Do not call" list?

Background

Question

What to use as a bandage substitute?

How To Keep Sleep Mask On While Sleeping

How can you get algae out of of a glass bottle?

EDIT

What can I use to replace a missing battery cover?

How does one efficiently clean up hair from sink after shaving or trimming beard?

Substitute for a tablet stylus

How should I store super glue to prevent it from drying out?

How do I remove a bandage from thin skin?

How can I keep the roll of plastic wrap from falling out of the box?