Bad smells in the fridge, old cookies, microwaved food that’s not evenly warm. All of these little disasters are easy to prevent with some simple life hacks. And there’s no need to spend lots of money to make your kitchen look professional. All of these solutions are right under your nose.
We at Bright Side know that the kitchen is a special place and we would like to show you some simple hacks to minimize any issues you might encounter while you’re in it.
1. Heating food evenly in the microwave
You might notice that after heating your food in a microwave the middle is not very hot, while the edges of your plate are. This happens because microwaves are sending radio waves to your food, but don’t heat it from underneath like ovens do.
To prevent heating your leftovers unevenly, just make a ring with your food. This little trick will help you to enjoy an evenly hot meal. Bon appetite!
2. Preventing potatoes from going bad
The idea of limiting food waste really useful and trendy nowadays. And products like potatoes need special care to keep them from sprouting. Store them with an apple and avoid having onions nearby. It is also better to keep them in a cool dark place.
3. Separating egg whites from the yolks easily without a special device
If you can’t filter the yolks from the egg whites perfectly, and there is no special equipment or you lost it, then a slotted spoon can come to the rescue. With its help, you can separate egg whites like a professional chef.
4. Saving a grater from a deep cleaning
If you are tired of cleaning the grater every time after using it, a piece of regular, not so thin polyethylene can help you. Cover your cooking equipment with it and start rubbing products you want to grate on it. After that, you can simply throw out the polythene and the grater will remain clean.
5. Making your knife sharp again, using a cup
Kitchen knives also require additional care and often get dull. If you don’t have a special sharpener, take a mug and turn it over. Now you can sharpen the knife on the edge of the mug at a 45° angle!
6. Keeping your strawberries longer, by washing them with vinegar
Strawberries are the kind of a product that can rot really fast. So, to keep them as fresh as possible use this lifehack. Wash your berries in a vinegar-water bath. You need 1 cup of white vinegar and 8 cups of water. Leave your strawberries in this bath for a little while, and then drain and rinse them.
7. Getting rid of bad smells from plastic and glass jars, using newspaper
When a jar continues smelling bad, even after you’ve washed it, it’s time to use a special, but still simple, trick. Newspaper can absorb bad odors. Take several sheets of newspaper and crumple them up. Then put them inside the jar or plastic container. Now leave it for 24-48 hours.
8. Getting rid of a bad smell in your fridge, by leaving baking soda in it
Rotten vegetables and fruits, spoiled soup, and old chicken can leave a bad smell in your fridge for a long time. If you want to prevent it and get rid of the odor, put a box of baking soda in your fridge. It doesn’t have a smell by itself, but it’s very good for absorbing smells.
9. Keeping your cookies fresh, using an apple wedge
You want something tasty and then you remember that you have some cookies. You open the box and realize that your lovely cookies have gotten too dry and there is no way to eat them. Store them with a piece of apple. When it dries up, put in a new one to keep your cookies fresh.
10. Saving your fingers while chopping vegetables, using your own homemade finger guard
Cutting your fingers while chopping veggies is frustrating. To avoid this, you can quickly construct your own finger guard. And you only need a plastic bottle and a rubber band. Take a normal plastic bottle (like a Coke or a water bottle) and cut a piece from the top of the bottle, like shown in the picture. Then make 2 holes on the edges and insert the rubber band. Now you can use it by putting this guard on your fingers while chopping.