An image of someone cleaning their window with homemade window cleaner.
erkantemelphotography/istockphoto

If you’re a human being reading this then you’ve been struck by a case of the hiccups at one point or another in your life. You were likely encouraged by enthusiastic friends and/or strangers alike to try out the ole, “hold your breath for 15-30 seconds” trick. Surprisingly enough, it seems to work quite frequently, even though at its core, how is there logic in that hack? The point is, that sometimes little life hacks or products that we’re encouraged to experiment with are actually not too good to be true. Maybe some of these will help pave the way to you leading just a little bit easier of an existence on this space rock.

1. Use cedar blocks to get rid of bad smells

An image of a dirty basement.
realtwinphotos/unsplash

If you ever find yourself confronted by the unfortunate situation of a funky-smelling basement, you can experiment with cedar blocks to see just how effective they are. Sand them down and leave them there.

2. The trick to getting rid of hiccups

An image of someone who used letter blocks to spell out "hiccups."
Piotrekswat/unsplash

Hiccups come for us all at one point or another. If you’re one of those lucky human beings who has somehow evaded hiccups up till this point in your life, please let us know your secret ways. If you end up with the hiccups though, simply breathe in until you can’t fit any more air into your lungs. As soon as your chest is filled to the literal brim, you then hold it. In about 15 seconds your hiccups should be no more for this world.

3. Use Vinegar and Newspaper to clean windows

An image of someone cleaning their window.
Svetlana Nemtsova/istokcphoto

Spare yourself the rising costs of various window cleaners. Instead give the old vinegar and newspaper cleaner route a go. You might be pleasantly surprised.

4. Take magnesium supplements

An image of numerous magnesium capsules.
hidesy/istockphoto

Magnesium has generated some buzz amongst the health/wellness-oriented communities. Folks have claimed that it’s helped with unfortunate situations like helping alleviate joint, nerve, muscle, heart, and breathing problems. Apparently many of us are walking around town with no knowledge about having magnesium deficiencies.

5. Use daylight lamps during the winter

An image of a mood boosting lamp.
Oleg Rebrik/istockphoto

The feeling of dread that can accumulate for anyone who gets particularly rocked by the shorter and darker and colder days of winter (depending on where you live) can be completely overpowering. This is where a daylight lamp can pull through in the clutch. You might even find yourself with a strange mood lift. That right there is an invaluable development for anyone who is muddling through a harsh and cold winter.

Meet the Writer

Matt has spent over the last 8 years as both a writer and editor, working in Seattle and Brooklyn, where he is now based. He loves escaping the tirelessly fast pace of the “Mad Apple” that is NYC by taking walks and runs through parks where he’s able to catch up on the latest tea about society from the city’s ever chatty, always hungry, occasionally maniacal, pigeons. They always have a lot to say. When he’s not taking his urban nature strolls, or dutifully combing the deepest rabbit holes of the internet to find the content that’s worth sinking your mind’s teeth into, he’s likely holed up at a dark-lit dive bar with a new book and/or some friends, or just as easily he could be on the hunt for the next addition to his steadily growing plant family.

These days Matt’s caught up in trying to provide folks as many vivid glimpses into the days long since passed as he can, through fun and engaging collections of hand-picked vintage photos.