Did you know that VapoRub can prevent your pets from doing their business indoors? This life-changing hack will help you train your pets and teach them not to go to the bathroom in the house. Simply rub a bit of the balm over the spot where your pet usually marks its territory.

The strong scent will prevent your pets from coming back to the same place over and over again. Eventually, your pet will start getting used to this treatment and they will want to go outside to do their business!

Sometimes you might need to fake a few tears to impress your acting coach or to get out of a tricky situation. Making your eyes water by staring into the distance can take some time. You can speed up this process with VapoRub.

Just rub it gently underneath your eyes and the tears will start rolling down your cheeks. This will make you an expert in crying on demand. However, make sure to be careful when applying and do not get any of the balm in your eyes.

Next time you plan on going camping in the forest, make sure you have some VapoRub with you. The product makes a great insect repellent. Apply a small amount of Vicks VapoRub to your skin and clothing and the mosquitoes will be more likely to stay away from you. The balm’s strong scent repels those annoying bugs so you can relax when you’re out in nature.

VapoRub also works to relieve the discomfort of insect bites if you’ve already fallen prey to hungry mosquitos. Apply the product on your mosquito bites to relieve the itchiness.

There’s nothing more annoying than the noise a squeaky door makes. Luckily, some VapoRub can fix this issue in under a minute. In order to get rid of the annoying squeaky noise, just rub some VapoRub on the hinges of the door.

This is a non-toxic and quick solution as well as an excellent substitute for oiling your door hinges. If you ran out of grease and don’t feel like making a trip to the hardware store, grab a tub of VapoRub and get to work on those squeaky hinges.

Discomfort inside and around the ear can be caused by various health problems. Vicks VapoRub can be used as an effective treatment for earache and wax buildup. Putting some balm on a cotton ball and leaving it in your ear overnight can help relieve the pain.

Repeating this process several times a day can help ease the discomfort, and VapoRub can also help you clear up a possible ear infection. However, if the pain persists, you should see a doctor instead.

If you are running out of your favorite makeup remover, don’t panic – if you have VapoRub in your vanity, you can use it to clean the day’s makeup right off your face.

This is a quick and easy method for removing makeup without spending too much money on expensive removers. You should be gentle while rubbing the makeup off your eyelids and make sure not to get any of the balm in your eyes or lashes, as it may be irritating.

Riding a horse during the mating season can be very tricky since male horses can be distracted by the scent of another female horse nearby. During this period of time, it is likely that your horse will not listen to your commands, even if you give him his favorite treats.

In order to keep your horse focused, just rub some VapoRub cream underneath his nose. The menthol will mask the scent of any female horse nearby, and allow you to enjoy your ride without the horse being disobedient.

Cats like sharpening their claws on hard surfaces and they can often destroy your furniture in the process. Apply a small amount of VapoRub to doors, walls or furniture to add a protective layer to the material. Cats will be repelled by the strong scent of menthol, and they will start avoiding those areas.

Thanks to VapoRub, you can leave your cat alone in the house without worrying about your favorite armchair getting completely destroyed. You can also apply the balm on your legs or arms if your cat is prone to scratching you.

For the ultimate home spa experience, try VapoRub’s shower discs. They release therapeutic aromas in the shower which can relax and energize your body. Place a disc at the bottom of your shower to get the best results.

As the hot water hits the disc, the essential oils will release and spread the refreshing scent throughout your bathroom. The disks can also help clear congestion and loosen up the tension in your head when you have a cold. Overall, the VapoRub discs will enhance the relaxing experience of taking a shower.

Having warts on your hands or feet can be uncomfortable and unsightly. Apply some VapoRub on your warts and cover the area with a sock or any clean cloth. Do this twice a day for a period of two weeks till the warts are completely gone.

If you experience any kind of irritation, you should immediately remove the product – but most people tolerate it just fine. Overall, applying the balm seems like a less painful alternative to a surgical removal of the warts.

A bottle of VapoRub can also speed up healing processes. If you ever cut your hand or end up with a splinter, just apply some cream on the wound. It will help your body heal faster without any side effects.

Healing Wounds[/caption]

If you are running out of Neosporin or similar substances, that won’t be a problem as long as you have Vicks VapoRub at home. It will not only help your cuts heal faster, but it will also prevent any fungal infections and protect your skin from germs.

Nearly everyone has struggled with acne at some point in their life. VapoRub is one of the best at-home remedies for blemishes and acne. Some of the ingredients in VapoRub are known acne fighters that can help clear up skin that’s breaking out.

If you dab some of the balm on the red spots and leave it on overnight, you will notice a significant improvement in the morning. If you are looking for an easy and affordable acne treatment, try this DIY hack at home.

If you love the smell of menthol, you can add some VapoRub to an air freshener or an air diffuser to spread the scent around the house. This is a great way to clear congestion if you are sick and do not want to rub the cream onto your skin.

Using VapoRub as a therapeutic aroma is a great alternative for people with sensitive skin who get rashes easily. Even if you’re not sick and you just want a relaxing scent around the house, VapoRub can freshen up your room in no time!

VapoRub can work wonders in clearing up all kinds of skin conditions. A small amount of this product will help you treat eczema or rosacea. Apply it on the itchy area several times a day and watch the discomfort disappear.

The balm helps soothe your skin and reduces inflammation. Treating your skin with VapoRub can help you achieve a clear and flawless complexion without any dry patches.

One of the most common uses of Vicks VapoRub is to relieve headaches. If you are suffering from a throbbing headache, just apply a small amount of VapoRub on your forehead and temples. The menthol scent can help relieve pain and tension in your head.

Besides the fact that it smells really good, menthol helps lower blood pressure and relieves pain in a few minutes. You can also rub some balm underneath your nose to speed up the relief.

Many women have started using VapoRub to combat stretch marks because of the anti-inflammatory properties of eucalyptus. It can work to tone and tighten loose skin, especially after pregnancy.

VapoRub contains a combination of eucalyptus oil, cedar leaf oil, and other skin-soothing ingredients. This helps to smooth stretched skin from pregnancy or aging. It also serves as a moisturizer, which helps reduce dry patches on the skin that make stretch marks more visible.

One of the most common uses of Vicks VapoRub is to ease muscle pain. The product helps increase circulation and gives almost instant relief. VapoRub can help reduce soreness, as long as you apply a large amount to the painful area and rub it in for at least 5-10 minutes.

The balm will provide a soothing and cooling sensation in the sore area and thus help you feel less tense and more refreshed. Thanks to these properties, VapoRub is very useful for runners and athletes in general.

We all know how sunburns can feel unbearable at times. Being as red as a lobster is not an ideal look for summer. Vicks VapoRub happens to be a great solution for relieving the discomfort of sunburned areas on your skin and helping them heal faster.

Applying the balm on your red areas can help relieve pain, burning and itchiness. Next time you plan on sunbathing in your backyard or taking a beach vacation, do not forget to pack some VapoRub along with your other essentials.

Having a dry scalp can cause itchiness as well as a flurry of unattractive white flakes on your shoulders. You can treat this condition with a bit of Vicks VapoRub – the perfect home remedy for dry scalp.

Apply the balm to the dry areas of your scalp before bed or after taking a shower. The eucalyptus oil combined with other ingredients in the balm will help moisturize the scalp and get rid of the unwanted dryness.

Toenail fungus can be very unpleasant and VapoRub can be a good alternative treatment. If you suspect you have fungus, just rub this product on your nails and the skin around them. In a few days, you will see a significant improvement in the appearance of your feet.

Due to the antiseptic and antibacterial properties of thymol, one of the product’s ingredients, the balm can efficiently treat fungal infections and allow your nails to grow healthy again. Keep applying the product for a period of two weeks to get best results.

If you have a fresh bruise and want to speed up the healing process, try applying Vicks VapoRub on the affected area. The balm will help reduce swelling and heal the wound underneath.

VapoRub can come in handy if you find yourself getting injured often, or if you have active children who are prone to coming home with bruises. Make sure to store an extra tub of VapoRub in the back of your bathroom cabinet just in case you need to fix up a bruise one day.

Chapped lips look really unattractive and they can hardly be masked with lipstick. If you often feel that your lips are dry and chapped, apply a small amount of VapoRub to get softer and fuller lips.

Menthol is one of the main ingredients in the product, and it serves as a natural lip plumper. Applying VapoRub on a fever blister can also help it heal faster and ease the pain.

The skin on the heels is prone to dryness, especially during the winter period. Not moisturizing the skin properly can lead to cracked heels, which can be very painful. VapoRub can alleviate the dryness and bring your feet back to their natural, healthy state.

After applying the product onto your feet, put on socks to let it absorb and prevent it from getting all over your floor if you’re walking around. Vicks VapoRub contains petroleum jelly, which helps lock the moisture in your skin. In order to prevent future dryness, you might also consider moisturizing your heels regularly with VapoRub.

Burning extra belly fat has never been easier. VapoRub can help you reduce fat and cellulite in both the belly and thigh area. All you have to do is create a slimming cream at home using VapoRub as one of the main ingredients.

To do so, you are going to need VapoRub, baking soda, rubbing alcohol and camphor powder. Mix the ingredients together and apply the DIY cream on the desired area. Cover it with plastic wrap to let it absorb and get the full effect. You can repeat the process a few days in a row, but be careful since too much menthol can cause skin irritation.

Dry skin on the face can be the result of various factors, including hot water, winter weather, harsh soaps, etc. Vicks VapoRub can serve as an efficient facial moisturizer to solve this issue. Applying the product on your face can help moisturize the dry patches and leave your skin looking smooth and flawless.

With its healthy ingredients, VapoRub can help restore moisture to dry skin. It will also keep the moisture locked in for a long period of time, so you don’t have to worry if you run out of face cream any time soon.

Itchy skin is an incredibly uncomfortable sensation that makes you scratch all the time, which only makes the situation worse. There are many factors that can cause itchiness, including dry skin, a bug bite, or an untreated skin condition. You can use VapoRub to relieve itchiness in the affected areas.

The eucalyptus oil in VapoRub can help the skin heal and serves as a protective layer. If VapoRub does not succeed in soothing your itch, it would be a good idea to see a doctor since persistent itching can be a sign of a health condition that needs to be treated medically.

Open wounds can easily get infected if you do not treat them properly. You have to make sure to disinfect the area even if it is a small cut or even a burn. Applying VapoRub around the open wound can help you disinfect it properly.

The petroleum jelly in the balm helps seal in the disinfecting ingredients to heal cuts and burns in a short period of time. After applying the balm on the affected area, you will feel a cooling sensation which will instantly soothe the pain.

Some lipsticks can be really difficult to remove. Even some of the most expensive makeup removers may not work on long-lasting lipsticks. VapoRub comes to the rescue – apply a thin layer of the balm on your stained lips and wait for approximately five minutes.

After that, just use a cotton ball or tissue to wipe it off. VapoRub will help you remove lipstick completely without leaving any stains or residue. Moreover, it will keep your lips soft and moisturized throughout the day.

You do not have to be a tennis superstar to get tennis elbow – it happens even to casual players. VapoRub can be used as an analgesic to temporarily relieve aching muscles and joints. If you are suffering from tennis elbow, just rub the cream on the painful spot to relieve any discomfort.

Repeat the process a few times a day until the elbow stops aching. Menthol and camphor, the two powerful ingredients in Vicks VapoRub, will help ease the pain as efficiently as possible.

As we’ve mentioned, one of the most common uses for Vicks VapoRub is to help relieve chest congestion and cough. However, there is another interesting way to do this.

Some people swear by the fact that if you apply some Vick’s VapoRub to your feet before you go to bed it will help you shake off a cough. To make sure that you don’t get Vicks all over your blankets and sheets, though, don’t forget to throw on a pair of socks once you apply it!

If you want a nice candle for your bedside, you can put your jar of Vick’s VapoRub to use her as well! All you need is a rolled-up piece of cotton and a small jar of Vick’s.

First, cover the cotton in Vick’s VapoRub. Now, cut a hole in the lid that you can fit the cotton through and close the cover. Once you light it, the cotton will burn and have the same soothing scent of Vick’s VapoRub.

When you first purchase new shoes, they’re shiny and impeccable. After wearing them a few times, though, you’ll notice this luster starts to fade as dirt accumulates on them.

If you want your shoes to look as good as new, grab a jar of Vick’s VapoRub! Put a little bit on a spare toothbrush and start to scrub away. Not only will this help remove any grime from your shoes, but it will also add a polished appearance thanks to the oils in the rub.

If you struggle to grow hair, you aren’t completely out of luck. There are plenty of products on the market that are meant to promote hair growth but all you might need is a jar of Vick’s VapoRub.

All you have to do is take a little bit and apply it to your scalp. This works for a couple of reasons. First, it stimulates blood flow in your scalp. It also works to kill any bacteria you might have on your scalp.

Cold sores and fever blisters are pesky and painful problems. Even worse, they can be triggered by stress, making your week even worse. The good news is that relief is close at hand.

When you notice that you have sores or blisters on your lip, try putting some Vick’s VapoRub on it! This works because Vick’s VapoRub has ingredients like eucalyptus oil in it. This is the same reason the VapoRub works well as an antiseptic too.

When you go camping or even if you’re just enjoying a few hours outside in the summer, you open yourself up to the risk of tick bites. If not treated properly, this can become a huge problem.

Getting a tick off is a challenge in and of itself. Luckily, you can rely on Vick’s VapoRub to help you. Once you realize you’ve been bitten, apply Vick’s VapoRub to the area. The strong scent is likely to get the tick to release.

Just like Vick’s VapoRub is great for relieving sore muscles, it’s also a great tool to turn to if you’re suffering from arthritis pain.

If you find your joints starting to hurt, don’t hesitate to apply Vick’s VapoRub to the affected area to find relief. In fact, you can apply Vick’s VapoRub to the places where your joints hurt up to three or four times a day for continuous pain relief. This will reduce the pain that comes with arthritis.

Have you ever tried to open an old or dirty lock only for your key to catch inside? This can be caused by debris within the lock.

This can be a challenge to clean, though. After all, it’s a small area that’s hard to get into. Actually, you can clean it with your key. Just liberally apply Vick’s VapoRub onto the key before putting it in the lock. When you use it, you should be able to open the lock easily.

If you use a humidifier to help keep your breathing easy at night, you can add Vicks VapoRub to help keep your lungs clear.

Some humidifiers or vaporizers will let you add items like aromatherapy components to the tank. That being said, you have to make sure that your humidifier has an aromatherapy compartment to put Vick’s VapoRub into. Without it, you won’t be able to add it to the humidifier and reap the benefits.

Whether it’s on a bag, a boot, or jacket, a stuck zipper is no joke. It’s a frustrating experience that can hinder how well you can use your items.

Don’t panic when this happens. Instead, just reach for your Vick’s VapoRub and liberally apply it to the zipper and the track. This will help to lubricate it and lead it along the track. This will help you fix your zipper with pulling, tugging, or risking pulling the zipper off of its track.

If you have trouble sleeping at night because of a nasty cough or cold, you might want to keep a tub of Vicks VapoRub on your bedside table. Apply a generous amount of the balm on your chest before getting into bed, and inhale the soothing vapor.

Cure Night Cough[/caption]

Relieving cough symptoms is one of the traditional uses of VapoRub, and it should not be overlooked. This balm can be a lifesaver when you’re up in the middle of the night coughing away and waking up your spouse.

Sometimes you may find yourself in a room that smells so bad, you start to feel nauseous. You can use VapoRub to mitigate the effect of strong scents in your environment. Rubbing a small amount of VapoRub under your nose might help you cope with the offensive odor.

Putting some of the product in an air diffuser is also a great way to freshen up the room and will help put you in a relaxed state of mind for the rest of the day.

Athlete’s foot is a severe fungal infection that usually begins with the toes and spreads all over the feet. This is a very common skin infection that can cause discomfort, itchiness and even pain in severe cases.

If you’re suffering from athlete’s foot, you can use Vicks VapoRub as a remedy. All you have to do is rub the cream on the infected foot twice per day to see improvement. Make sure to apply a generous layer of the balm to see progress faster.

We hope you don’t have to use Vicks VapoRub for this purpose, but if it comes down to it, the versatile balm will help you relieve any pain and discomfort caused by hemorrhoids. The menthol in the balm will help reduce itchiness and provide a cooling sensation.

However, we suggest testing out the balm on a different part of the body first to make sure you can handle the sensation. If you have sensitive skin, you might get a rash if you use too much of it.

Ringworm is another common type of fungal infection also known as dermatophytosis. Even though it’s called ringworm, the infection is caused by a fungus. It appears on your skin in the shape of a worm, which explains the name.

If you’re struggling with an itchy case of ringworm, a bit of VapoRub will help you ease the discomfort. Apply the cream to the infected area two or three times per day and repeat this process until the infection goes away.

One of the most common uses of Vicks VapoRub is to relieve a congested chest. Simply rub some balm onto your chest and throat to suppress a cough and ease your breathing. VapoRub can help open up the airways and make it easier to breathe if you have the flu.

If you apply the balm on the upper chest area, it will provide immediate relief from a cough or other symptoms such as shortness of breath. VapoRub is a must-have product during the cold winter days, especially during flu season. If your shortness of breath is not eased by VapoRub – make sure to see a doctor immediately.

If you’re anything like us, then you hate to cook but love to eat. Unfortunately, in order to enjoy a delicious meal, it’s necessary to pay your dues in the kitchen. Luckily, there are some genius cooking hacks that can make food prep a lot easier and go a lot faster. Here are 40+ brilliant tricks for the shamelessly lazy chef who still wants quality meals!

Sometimes, you just can’t be bothered to make a proper snack. Or maybe you’re rushing to work and don’t have time to cook a nutritious breakfast. Either way, this hack will have you covered!

Simply pour some oats into an almost-empty jar of peanut butter. It’s delicious, healthy, quick, and easy to make, and it’ll ensure that you’re not wasting those last peanut butter drops. If you’ve got some extra time and you’re feeling fancy, you can add fruit or nuts to the jar, as well.

Most tasty dishes require fresh garlic, which can be a total pain to peel and chop. Not to mention that your hands will smell like garlic for the remainder of the day. This hack requires some prep work at the get-go but it’ll save you tons of effort later on.

Get a whole bunch of garlic, peel and chop it, and simply throw it all into an ice tray before popping it into the freezer. That way, the next time you need some garlic, it’ll be ready to go!

In order to have enough chicken for all sorts of dishes, simply buy one large rotisserie chicken. You can then cut off chunks of it and use them for several days — even a week! Want a chicken salad? No problem, you already have the chicken ready to go!

Fancy some chicken soup? No need to cook the chicken chunks, just throw them in with some broth and your favorite soup vegetables! Why prepare separate food each day when you can just get one big, multi-purpose chicken once a week?

If you love the flavor of barbequed food but don’t want to spend hours by the grill, there’s one simple spice that’ll solve that problem. Cooking smoked paprika into your food will give it that rich and heavy flavor reminiscent of a BBQ.

Is it exactly the same thing as a meal that’s been on the grill? Unfortunately, no. Is it an excellent substitute for someone who doesn’t like barbecuing or lacks the space for a big grill at home? Absolutely!

Oftentimes, frozen goods can be shockingly tasty and they’re certainly a lot less time-consuming than making your own pastries from scratch. If you still want your desserts to have a bit of a unique flavor, you can always give them your own personal touch

Add some vanilla extract or chocolate powder to your pastry before putting it in the oven. Really, there’s no limit to what you can do to make a basic pastry your own.

Instant foods, such as instant mashed potatoes, are popular for a reason! There may be a bit of a stigma against them, but, let’s be honest, sometimes you really want mashed potatoes and can’t be bothered to spend hours slaving away in the kitchen for them.

You can always add a secret spice or sauce to your instant food in order to personalize it and make it seem like you prepared it from scratch. Or just let everyone know it’s instant — there’s no shame in that!

There’s no need to spend hours preparing the dough if you want to make pizza. You don’t even have to defrost a big pre-made pizza dough — especially if you’re just one person.

Instead, use a flour tortilla or pita bread, spread marina sauce on it, add a bit of cheese, and whatever toppings you want, and put it in the oven for five minutes. There you go, you now have a personal pizza!

There may have been a time when cooking had to take hours upon hours, but not in this day and age. Nowadays, we have tons of technology to help us out. So, are you using all of your kitchen gadgets to their max?

For example, it’s no longer necessary to stand there pulling apart chicken if you need it shredded. All you have to do is use a mixer and your chicken will be shredded in seconds. To think we once believed that mixers were just for mixing!

Potatoes are extremely versatile and can be used for meals at pretty much any time of the day. Dedicate a bit of time, every now and then, to cut and boil potatoes and then keep them in the fridge.

That way, half the work will already be done when you need to make something quickly. In fact, you can always just throw them onto a pan with some butter or oil and spices for a super quick and easy bite.

Turn your popcorn to the next level and make it into a once-in-a-blue-moon snack by using instant macaroni and cheese packets to season the popcorn. Pop your popcorn in the microwave, as you normally would.

When you put it into a bowl, sprinkle the macaroni and cheese powder on top and then mix it in. Once you do that, you’ll be ready for a proper movie night, Netflix and chill, a quick snack, or all three!

Cleaning a blender can be tricky, as you run the risk of accidentally hurting yourself on the blade. However, there’s a much quicker, easier, and — most importantly — safer way to clean the blender, simply by letting it do its thing.

Fill your blender a little less than halfway with warm water (not too hot), add a touch of dish soap, put the lid on, and run the blender for a few seconds. Pour the dirty water out, rinse the blender, and you’re done!

Peeling garlic can be a serious task that leaves an even more serious odor on your hands, but it doesn’t have to be. Heating the garlic up a bit can save you a lot of time and energy.

Just toss a head of garlic into the microwave for 20 seconds and then the peels will slip off with ease. This method will ensure that you won’t have to deal with juices, messes, or smelly hands — just some ready-to-cut garlic!

Fish can be cooked even while frozen, meaning that you can skip the stage of waiting for it to thaw. This might increase your cooking time but you’ll save more on all the time you would have waited for it to reach room temperature. So it all depends on how urgently you need it ready.

What’s nice about this method is that not only do you not need to decide in advance if you want fish, but, since it’s frozen, the spices and sauces will stick to the outside and the fish won’t get overcooked inside.

Whipping cream by hand can leave you feeling like you’ve just grown an extra bicep. Save that energy for the gym, instead, and shake your whipped cream. Pour heavy whipping cream into a jar, add powdered sugar and vanilla, close the jar tightly, and shake it until it’s nice and fluffy.

Feel free to blast some music and dance around the house while shaking your whipped cream like a maraca — it sounds like a soon-to-be TikTok trend, doesn’t it?

De-seeding pomegranates is often messy, frustrating, and seemingly impossible. Luckily, there’s a trick to getting those pomegranate seeds out efficiently and without any messiness involved.

First, cut the pomegranate in half, and then soak it in some water. Pick out the seeds and let them drop to the bottom of the bowl. The pomegranate membrane and rind will then float to the top. Just drain the seeds and you’re ready to go!

Making a dish like polenta or grits can take quite a bit of time and energy. However, there’s a quick trick to getting these meals ready in half the time: add baking soda. The baking soda will get your food to the right consistency and texture, without all the effort.

Just make sure not to overdo it — you don’t need more than a pinch. For polenta, mix the baking soda with water before adding it in and your dish will end up perfectly creamy.

Certain foods, like casserole or lasagna, take ages to heat up in the oven. However, if you heat them up in the microwave, they’ll lose their original texture.

The solution to this dilemma is to defrost your food in the microwave first, and then finish warming it up in the oven. The microwave will quickly heat the insides of the dish and the oven will heat up the outside, while still maintaining the texture.

Very few things taste as good as some warm apple pie. Unfortunately, very few things require as much time and effort to bake as apple pie does. That being said, there’s a lazy option for this classic dessert.

Cut an apple into small cubes and place it into a cup or bowl. Add butter, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Then, put it in the microwave until the apples get mushy. Finally, sprinkle crushed graham crackers on top. There you have it — five-minute apple pie!

If a recipe calls for squeezing lemons or lime, you can save yourself some time by using bottled lemon or lime juice. It’s a lot less messy, a lot easier, and won’t leave you trying to fish out the seeds.

We’ll be honest, the flavor won’t be as fresh as it’d be if you squeezed lemons or limes yourself. Therefore, you should really just use this hack for recipes in which the food is being cooked or mixed with a lot of other flavors anyway.

Leftover food doesn’t need to go to waste and you certainly don’t need to prepare a new meal every single day. But, don’t think that means you have to eat the same food every day, either! Instead, recycle your leftovers and use them for a different dish.

For example, leftover mashed potatoes can become tater tots. Leftover rice can be used for a buddha bowl or even rice pudding. Pasta can become a casserole or a pasta salad. You get the idea…

Boxed dessert mixes are often looked down on but no one can deny that they’re a true time-saver and taste just as good as something baked from scratch. You can even add your own touch to these mixes in order to personalize them.

Throw some ground coffee into a chocolate cake mix in order to give it a mocha flavor. Or splash a bit of milk into a brownie mix to make it creamier. Add chocolate chips, coconut flakes, nuts, or whatever you want!

We’ve all been in that dreaded situation in which we’ve spent time and energy baking a cake, just for it to break and ruin the whole aesthetic.

Not all hope has to be lost, though, as you can easily turn the broken cake into a trifle. Just layer in some fruit and whipped cream and… voilà! No one ever has to know that your perfect trifle was once supposed to be a cake.

Believe it or not, any pizza can be made into a deep-dish pizza — without all the effort of making the dish from scratch. Whether or not you live in Chicago, you can still enjoy a deep-dish pizza — even from home!

Buy a pre-made supermarket pizza, let it thaw for roughly 20 minutes, toss it onto an oiled pan, add whatever toppings you want, then bake it for an additional 10 minutes.

If you’ve ever cut your finger on the lid of a can, don’t worry, you’re not the only one. Lifting a can’s lid can be a dangerous task if you’re prone to clumsy accidents.

For those who are maybe a bit less agile, we suggest using a strong fridge magnet on top of the lid to lift the lid completely off the can. That way, you won’t end up hurting yourself when trying to reach the can’s contents.

Believe it or not, potato skins actually add a lot of texture and flavor to most spud-centric dishes. Given that mashed potatoes can be quite monotonous, potato skins are a great way to break up the flavor and add a little something extra.

Furthermore, you’ll be saving yourself tons of time by not peeling all the potatoes before boiling them. You’d be surprised how being “lazy” about making potatoes can actually result in a unique and delicious dish. Just make sure to still clean them before use!

We’ve all been guilty of forgetting to put a drink in the fridge and then being stuck with having it at room temperature. Sure, you can try to put it in the freezer for a bit but that never works as quickly as you’d like it to.

However, there’s an easy way to make the freezer work much more efficiently. Wrap the bottle in a wet paper towel and then put it in the freezer. It’ll be nice and cold in just a few minutes!

Pico de gallo, aka salsa fresco, can be used instead of fresh veggies as a huge time-saver. If you have a recipe that calls for onions, peppers, and tomatoes, you can just throw in store-bought pico de gallo instead.

It contains all those ingredients already chopped and ready to go, and it’ll taste exactly the same as fresh veggies when cooked into a dish. If you’re more of a DIY person, you can always make your own every once in a while, and keep it in the fridge.

Trust us when we tell you that it’s entirely possible to make a delicious dish from instant ramen noodles. Yes, we know how that sounds but stay with us here. Add peanut butter and sriracha to instant beef-flavored ramen and your mind will be blown by how simple, yet tasty, it is!

Of course, if you’re not a fan of sriracha or peanut butter, you can add other ingredients instead. The point is that you can create a delicious ramen dish without starting from scratch.

Cooking spaghetti in a skillet, rather than a pot, will reduce the time it takes for it to be ready as the water will boil much faster. Furthermore, the leftover water is the perfect base for making a sauce.

It’ll be concentrated and starchy, so you don’t need to start creating a sauce from zero. When the spaghetti’s finished cooking, put it on a plate and use the same skillet to make the sauce, which you’ve already started with the water.

Separating egg yolks from the whites is no easy task… unless you know the trick to it, that is! All you need is a water bottle in order to easily extract egg yolks. Crack the eggs into a bowl, hold the mouth of the water bottle over the egg yolk, and slowly release your grip.

When you release the squeeze, the bottle will suck up the yolk. You can then deposit the yolk into a separate bowl, as needed.

Despite being absolutely delicious, many people don’t have hollandaise sauce on a regular basis because it’s such a pain to make. This sauce requires endless whisking and perfect timing, in order to come out just right.

However, if you don’t mind cheating a bit, there’s a much easier way to get this sauce. Simply mix the ingredients in a blender and, at the click of a button, it’ll be ready. Feel free to keep this trick a secret so your guests admire your expert “whisking” abilities.

Not everyone loves the taste of anchovies but if you use them sparingly, they can elevate a dish without giving off that fishy flavor.

For example, dissolving one or two anchovies into a bolognese sauce will give it that extra oomph that makes it taste like it’s from a gourmet restaurant. It’s also a wonderful alternative to salt! If you’re cooking for other people, just make sure they’re good with eating fish as they won’t taste the anchovies in the dish.

Who doesn’t love French toast for breakfast in the morning? However, who really wants to spend their whole morning cooking? That’s where French toast in a mug comes in. Rip up pieces of bread and place them in a mug.

Then, create a French toast batter (eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla) and pour it into the mug. Put it in the microwave for one minute. Take it out, pour maple syrup on it, microwave it for another 15 seconds, take it out again, and enjoy your breakfast!

Remember, leftovers never have to go to waste while there’s still no need to eat the same thing every day. Making a quiche or frittata is a great way to utilize any savory foods that may need repurposing.

This whatever-goes type of cooking is also a great way to use up vegetables that are going to go bad soon. Use them in any sort of baked egg dish — it’s pretty much impossible to go wrong with those.

Cooking bacon can make you feel like you need to wear a full-body shield. Frying this delicious food will leave grease splatters all over your kitchen — and all over you.

In order to avoid the mess but still enjoy a bacon-filled breakfast, bake your bacon in the oven rather than frying it. Line a baking pan with tin foil (you can also use a cooking sheet), put the bacon on it, and pop it into the oven. There you have it!

Peeling eggs can be pretty frustrating and time-consuming — if you don’t know the trick to it, that is. In order to peel hard-boiled eggs quickly and painlessly, put them in a jar of cold water.

Then put the lid on (make sure it’s screwed on tight), and shake the jar. When you go to take the eggs out, the shell will come right off! This trick should cut down your egg salad prepping by half!

Peeling onions isn’t really anyone’s favorite task. It’s difficult to do, it stinks up your hands, and most people get teary-eyed from it. A simple solution is to soak the onions in hot water for a few minutes before starting to peel them.

This trick will make peeling the pesky vegetable much easier and help a bit with the crying (sadly, it won’t completely eliminate the tears). Another trick to help with tears when cutting onions is to put the onions in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before cutting them.

We all want people to be impressed with our amazing cake-decorating skills. That being said, not all of us have those abilities handy. Luckily, you can fake it by placing cookies into the cake, making it look like you’ve drawn the design on with frosting yourself.

If your conscious can handle cheating even further, you can buy several different-sized cakes and pile them on top of each other. That way, it’ll look like you’ve baked a huge three-tiered cake!

A true first-world food problem is reaching for a handful of popcorn only to discover that you’ve eaten a mouthful of bitter kernels. Apparently, the bag that microwavable popcorn comes in is designed to prevent that very instance — but no one uses them properly!

The bag is meant to be opened just a small bit, at first, so that you can shake the kernels out into a bowl. Once they’re all gone, you can open the popcorn bag all the way and enjoy without fear of a bad bite.

Everyone loves taco Tuesday — except for when all of the contents of our taco fall out of the tortilla and onto our hands, that is. In order to keep your taco whole, place the tortilla in a microwave-safe cup.

Then, fill the tortilla with whatever you want in your taco. Microwave it, and only take the taco out of the cup when it’s ready to eat. That’s how you get an (almost) mess-free taco.

Most people use butter on their grilled cheese. While delicious, it’s pretty easy to burn if you’re not careful or willing to keep a close eye on it. An alternative, and equally tasty, option is to use mayo instead.

It’s a lot less likely to burn and needs less attention when being grilled. Bonus points for the fact using mayo saves you the time of needing to soften the butter so you can spread it.

When it comes to onion and garlic, powders are just as good as the fresh stuff. We admit that, at first, they’re a bit less flavorful. However, that can easily be fixed by simply mixing the spices with a touch of water.

Anyway, you won’t really notice if the recipe in question calls for the onions or garlic to be cooked into something. Powders will save you the time you would’ve spent peeling and chopping, and they’ll also save you a whole lot of mess.

Certain ingredients can make any basic dish seem fancy. For example, sun-dried tomatoes have the magical power of always feeling gourmet. Figure out what your “fancy” ingredients are and make sure to always have them on hand to quickly spruce up a meal.

If you’ve got excellent culinary skills, you can make an actual fancy meal. However, if you’re in a rush or cooking just isn’t where you shine, fake it with a “fancy” ingredient.

Who says egg slicers have to be exclusively for eggs? This useful tool can be used for pretty much anything that’s soft and needs slicing. You can use egg slicers for strawberries, mushrooms, soft cheeses, olives, and so on.

Why sit there, spending your time chopping all sorts of foods, when you have an egg slicer that can be used for so much more than its original purpose? Feel free to find multiple uses for your other kitchen appliances as well! Get creative with it!

Caramel sauce can be a true pain to make, as it requires endless whisking, quite a few ingredients, and will burn unless you keep an eye on it. However, there’s a way for even the laziest chef to cook caramel sauce — and it only requires two ingredients.

Mix condensed milk with boiling water, let it sit for roughly three hours, and you’ll have caramel sauce! The best part is that there’s no need to stand over it while it cooks.