Say what you will about TikTok, but it’s taught us some pretty awesome life hacks over the past couple of years. Most of the time, these are tips and tricks we really wish we’d known sooner in our lives.
At Lifehacker, you could argue that our entire website is a curation of things that make life easier. Yet TikTok continues to teach us a thing or twelve. To save you from our ignorant fate, we’ve collated our favourite lessons, tips and tricks from TikTok to help you level up your life sooner.
The best life hacks TikTok has taught us
How to wear a travel pillow
Who would’ve thought you could be so wrong about something as simple as wearing a neck pillow on long flights? Apparently, they’re supposed to be worn in the opposite direction to the image above, so your chin is actually supported by the cushion. Seems obvious now, doesn’t it?
How to peel an orange
The correct way to cut, peel or slice something is a very TikTok area, and at this point, we really know nothing about the kitchen. That includes how to peel an orange.
Thanks to @lolwutalan’s video, we know that the secret is to actually slice your orange and then invert it, which brings out perfect wedges. Check out the full video here.
How to peel ginger
Next in the series of how to peel everyday ingredients, TikTok taught us how to peel ginger correctly — with a spoon! It really is that easy, but you can see the video for yourself here.
How to dice an onion
Rounding out the food hacks, this onion dicing trick really blew me away. By making incisions in your onion vertically around the stem and then rotating the onion onto its side to make full slices, you’ll come out with diced cubes. The video does a better job of explaining it than I ever will.
How to play Super Mario Bros
Look, I’m sure there are plenty of games we’ve been playing incorrectly over the years, but this Super Mario Bros hack has gamers losing their minds. Did you know that after you lose all your lives, you don’t have to go back to the beginning of the game?
Yep, there’s a way to pick up from the world you left off with, no restarting at Level 1 is required. Excuse me while I throw my NES off a cliff.
How to swallow a capsule
It’s the little things, like literally swallowing a tablet, that can trip us up in the day-to-day.
TikTok user @sidneyraz has taught us a hack to swallow medicinal capsules and tablets, that won’t render you a choking, spluttering mess. Basically, you tip your head forward when swallowing capsules — because they float — and tip your head back for tablets — because they sink.
How to use a microwave
A microwave, we all know how to use one of those. Apparently not. If you’ve ever been stuck with food that’s half cold in the middle, it could be due to your positioning of the dish in your microwave. This TikTok shows us the error of our ways.
How to fill an ice cube tray
In a straw poll of our team, at least half of us were filling up our ice cube trays wrong, so thanks, TikTok! The correct method is to actually angle your ice cube tray vertically as you fill it with water.
How to spread butter
I think we’re familiar with the concept of spreading butter, but did you know you can make it so much more spreadable by using a tea strainer? This actually has a double purpose for measuring out butter for recipes as well, instead of cutting it into chunks and hoping for the best.
The secret to aeroplane bathroom bins
Even as a frequent flyer, I was caught out by this one. According to TikTok, some aeroplane bathrooms have a foot pedal for their inbuilt bins, meaning you don’t have to touch the germy lid of the waste bin to dispose of your paper towels. Keep an eye out for it on your next flight.
Of course, this isn’t everything TikTok has taught us. Go far enough on the website, and you’ll no doubt find even more tips and tricks that social media has blessed us with.
Got a TikTok hack that we’ve missed? Shout it out in the comments.
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