In partnership with The Fresh Toast

By tweaking a few little things here and there, you can make your life so much less complicated. Here are some hacks everyone should know.

If we were ever in need of some simple tricks to make our lives easier, it’s now. While life hacks may sound like they take some effort, they’re actually creative solutions to simplify everyday tasks. Here are just a few clever and effective shortcuts that you’ll wish you had in your arsenal sooner.

No more leaky trash

Taking out the trash is always an unpleasant experience, especially if you have a big bin and the trash has been sitting there for days. While the smell is always unpleasant, the worst part about taking out the trash is the tendency for bag to break and leak into your bin, floors…everywhere. In order to prevent leaks and an overall bad time, put some newspaper at the bottom of the bag, ensuring that there won’t be any accidents and your trash won’t topple over.

Quickly clean your microwave

cbd water is the next big thing — Photo by TapisRouge via Pixabay

Microwaves can get dirty in a hurry, especially since the device isn’t exactly at the top of our mind when it comes to appliances that need to be cleaned. If there’s dried food in your microwave, try heating a bowl filled with water for 2 minutes. The steam created by the hot water will force any gunk to become unstuck, making it easier to clean. Be careful as you take the water out, since it’ll be very hot.

Use velcro to keep rugs in place

While you certainly don’t need to put velcro under every rug, you should consider this hack for the most traversed areas in your home, like the rug in the TV room or the one in the living room. Velcro is discreet, and will save you the hassle of always having to move the rug around because someone kicked it up or moved it out of place.

TV as a phone charger

the 10 best tv shows movie to watch when high — Photo by franckreporter/Getty Images

Phone chargers are one of the most necessary and often forgotten items, especially when traveling. If you don’t feel like going to your nearest convenience store, you can always use your TV, which most likely has a USB port in the back. The charge will likely be slow, but it’s a good hack to have in unexpected situations.

No speaker? No problem

Speakers are great, but sometimes you forget about them or they’re too expensive and your computer does a fine enough job playing music. But in a pinch, you can put your phone into an empty glass, mug or bowl. Paper cups tend to work best (or even Solo cups), boosting the volume to higher decibels. While the sound won’t be as good as the one you’d get from a regular speaker, it works when there’s no other option.

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