Try typing “best life hacks” in Google’s search bar. You’ll find a laundry list of results about must-tries. What isn’t often highlighted are the ones that you may need to think twice before following. Some may even do more harm than good.
Thankfully, we have the people of Reddit to bring these to light by answering the question, “What are some commonly recommended life hacks which are actually wrong or bad?”
You’ll find some of the usual tips about sleeping less to achieve more, going on detox diets, and drinking coffee to sober up. Now that you think about it, these supposedly clever methods may be questionable at best and potentially harmful at worst.
Scroll through this list and see if you’ve tried any of these hacks. Were they as helpful as advertised? Or were they all hype?
#1
When people suggest going for a walk or working out to combat depression because “you don’t NEED medication, you just need to clear your head. Depression and anxiety are all in your head.”
B***h, no s**t it’s in my head. That’s why I take brain medicine.
Image credits: BusyPaws
#2
Don’t quit, keep pushing no matter what.
Sometimes in life you need to understand when to throw in the towel and walk away.
Image credits: JD054
#3
I always see people on reddit say that coworkers are not friends and to not develop friendships with them. Why? That's literally the worst advice I've seen parrotted here. Like don't be a degenerate in front of them but developing friendly relationships with the people you see for a 1/4 of your life is normal and not problematic.
Image credits: MasterVader420
#4
Any kind of "cleanse" diet or item. Your body already does that. Colonics, shakes, fasts, etc don't "cleanse" anything better than what your actual biology can do.
Image credits: hovermole
#5
No Pain - No Gain.
Pain is the body's way of telling you that you are damaged.
Image credits: nevermindaboutthaton
#6
That b******t one about how we've all been "opening bananas wrong" because we don't do it upside down like chimps. It literally doesn't f*****g matter. The banana opens easily the way I do it and I'm going to keep doing it that way.
Image credits: Aquatico_
#7
Sleeping less for success. Sleeping less and hustle more can lead into burnout, health issues, cognitive function. Sleep in essential for mental health and well being of a person.
Conscious_Permit_703:
The 'just sleep less' advice to be more productive is terrible. Lack of sleep affects health and focus, making you less efficient in the long run.
Image credits: RavishingMistressVib
#8
Repeating constantly "Leave out of your comfort zone". Not everyone wants to leave it and some people work very hard to have a safe space and confort.
Some people just want to settle and it's fair.
Image credits: CosmicChronicler9041
#9
**"Multitasking makes you more productive."**
Actually, multitasking tends to make you worse at everything you’re trying to do. You end up scattered, doing a mediocre job on each thing instead of really focusing and excelling at one task. If you need to get stuff done, block out distractions and tackle things one at a time.
Image credits: LyannaLL
#10
Do not put your toaster sideways to make cheese toast as some lifehacks suggest. It is a fire hazard.
Image credits: TheBassMeister
#11
"Just wake up at 5 AM and your life will be fixed!" Nah, I’ve tried it, and all I got was more tired and cranky ?
Image credits: ChevalierA
#12
"Always carry a small balance on your credit card to build credit"
No. Paying off your debts consistently builds credit.
Image credits: jeffbarge
#13
I saw one the other day that said if you are lost in an unfamiliar location needing rescue and your battery is about to die, change your voicemail to include your approximate location. Then people who call will be able to determine where you are after listening to the voicemail.
Things that are very wrong with this advice:
* Many people can go days without getting a phone call.
* It you don’t answer the phone, most people probably won’t listen to the voicemail greeting.
What you should do, if possible, is send one of your contacts your approximate location. GPS coordinates work. And always call 911.
Image credits: GreenGrandmaPoops
#14
Any food hack that wants you to get sugar boiling hot and then spin it with a whisk in the air to make strings or says it'll turn into fairy floss or some such.
You will burn yourself, and getting it off your skin is difficult because it's sugar. And they always aim it at gd teenagers.
Howtocookthat on youtube has a lot of the food related ones and explains why they're dangerous or don't work.
Image credits: EdithTheBat
#15
That putting bicarb soda down your drain will unblock it. It doesn't do s**t.
Source: I'm a plumber and I'll charge you more as it makes it harder to clear the waste or drain.
Image credits: alfredhospital
#16
Dressing like security or maintenance to gain access to restricted areas of events and venues. this could endanger the safety of others if an actual emergency occurred.
Image credits: chosonhawk
#17
Drinking Lemon Water for Detox. While lemon water can be refreshing, the body already has efficient detoxification systems (like the liver).
Image credits: Due-Degree137
#18
Drinking cod liver oil to induce labour is never a good idea. It can make the baby poop inutero.
'I did it and it worked for me.' Good for you. You are lucky. A percentage of babies aren't so lucky and they inhale the poop and get very sick or worse.
Image credits: Idobeleiveinkarma
#19
The advice I see on Reddit about asking for an itemized receipt is incomplete.
Asking for an itemized receipt does not automatically drop the total cost. Instead, asking for an itemized receipt allows you to identify line items that don't make sense, don't apply to you, or weren't rendered.
For instance, I was charged a materials delivery fee as part of a home renovation project, even though I transported all the materials to my home myself. Since the service was not rendered, I got that cost stricken from my total, but I had to first identify it manually and draw attention to it--it didn't just automatically go away when I asked for the itemized receipt.
Image credits: ChuushaHime
#20
The whole "freeze a wet sponge for an ice pack that won't drip" is wrong on every level. If the sponge is saturated, it will absolutely drip as it melts. If it was only damp, it won't drip so much, but it also won't have much thermal mass and thus won't delivery much cold. Either way, it will be a stiff rectangle that won't conform to the body part you need chilled. So many things make much better ice packs, including the classic of ice cubes in a plastic bag.
Image credits: BranwynOfTheTower
#21
Mix vinegar and bicarb in a spray bottle for the most effective cleaner - enjoy cleaning with salt water. The effective part is the reaction of mixing the two, not the resultant solution.
Image credits: Cadythemathlete
#22
To "do it anyway" or "do it scared".
Sometimes you do need to get yourself together/calm down before you do something. Like driving.
Image credits: anon
#23
Freezing hard drives: Risky. Better to use professional services.
Lemon juice as sunscreen: Bad idea. Use real sunscreen.
Coffee to sober up: Just a myth. Only time works.
Image credits: No_Article690
#24
I used to sell mattresses and commonly had customers who believed that the harder their mattress, the better it was for them.
Untrue. If you lay down and you're comfortable, then it's a good mattress. You don't need to sleep on a slab of stone for health benefits.
Also, it's a pain, but turning your mattress every now and them is good for it's long term health.
Image credits: hetep-di-isfet
#25
Using Dawn dish soap on kittens to kill fleas. It doesn’t work. It’s a hoax. Even Dawn said it doesn’t kill fleas.
Image credits: MerlinsMomma2024
#26
Stop applying lemon on your face thinking its gonna heal your acne and pigmentation! and for gods sake putting random food in your hair!! It's better to just eat that food instead.
Image credits: LOLED_AKAASI
#27
It's ok to wipe your eye glasses with your shirt, TP or paper towels. No that s**t can still scratch the lenses and you should use the cloth that came with your glasses instead.
Image credits: Themodssmelloffarts
#28
The idea that drinking cold water burns calories comes from the fact that your body uses energy to heat the water to body temperature, but the amount is minimal (around 8 calories per glass).
Image credits: verykitty05
#29
The saying "it will come when you least expect it", you have to look and fight for what you want.
Image credits: Vegetable_Ad_7940
#30
Using toothpaste to clean or remove scratches from surfaces (like phones or cars).
Image credits: DevotedResidency
#31
Vinegar and baking soda is not a cleanser.
Image credits: mapetitechoux
#32
Putting your phone in rice.
Image credits: bergg98
#33
They can be bad in what people often do with them, even if the theory is good.
For example, big batch meal prep *can be* bad for your health by reducing the variety of foods people consume and by slightly increasing food hygiene risk as meals are prepared, cooled, stored and reheated.
Done well though, for many people, it can actually increase the quality and variety of what they eat. It’s all in the execution not the theory.
#34
Tell the truth 99% of the time. Then when you have that credibility, you can lie and people will believe you.
Image credits: Narrow_Cattle6428
#35
Storing the next trashbag in the bottom of the trashcan. F*****g nasty.
#36
That whole : ask your doctor to put it in your chart and then they'll do whatever you want.
I'm a doctor. Just no. All the chart is for is a record of what we did to be billing insurance for in the appointment. If your request doesn't line up with your symptoms, we are well within our rights to deny it. And considering the chart isn't for negative diagnostic loops, we don't have to put that our patient asked for some unrelated medicine, test, or thing.
That won't get you any resolution unless your doctor was already a people-pleaser to begin with.
#37
Put your phone in the microwave to charge it faster.
Image credits: hengjurmg
#38
"Just drink more water" seems to be the universal answer for everything!
Image credits: Lord--Shadow
#39
Leidenfrost effect for stainless steel pans.
Causes more problems than it solves if all the posts complaining about how people keep burning their food is anything to go by.
#40
People talk about the advice of cleaning as you cook, and while it’s not a bad idea, I think it has some drawbacks:
There are hot surfaces, and washing pans with water immediately when they’re hot is bad. After eating, you still have to wash the plates, glasses, and utensils... I don’t see many advantages compared to cleaning after eating, or if you have a dishwasher, it’s much more convenient and uses less water.
It’s fine, cleaning while cooking has its advantages, but people talk about it as if it’s a game changer and almost as if it’s foolish to do it any other way, when there are several reasons not to. To each their own.
#41
Sucking in your stomach to lose weight, it actually damages your insides
Image credits: capsicum10282
