‘Aunty’ lifestyle hacks: 20 lesser-known tips to help you ‘win’ at cooking, shopping and others in between

4. Lizards hate the smell of eggs so wipe some eggshells dry and put it in places where you often see them scuttering about (like in the kitchen). 

5. If you want to take your chicken or mutton dish to the next level, add ground nuts (like cashew and almond). It thickens the stew and “makes it nicer”. 

6. If you get burnt by hot oil while cooking, immediately run the affected area under tap water. Apply some petroleum jelly on the burn to keep the skin moist while it’s healing. 

7. Tying a rubber band around the lid of a jar increases friction and makes it easier to open. You can also rap the top of the lid several times with something hard, like a spoon, to release pressure. 

8. After preparing food, rub your fingers on the flat side of your stainless steel knife as you wash it and it’ll help remove the odour from harsh-smelling ingredients like garlic. 

9. Fill your salt shaker with rice grains to prevent it from clumping.

HOUSEHOLD

10. To make your shoes stink less, steep two teabags in hot water for a few minutes, let them cool, then place a teabag in each shoe. After an hour, remove the teabags and let the shoes dry. Use more teabags or keep them in for longer if the smell is especially foul. 

11. If a zipper keeps getting stuck, rub a bar of soap over the teeth to make it run smoother. You can also try another lubricant, like petroleum jelly. 

12. Accidentally left a piece of tissue in the wash and now your sweater’s covered in lint? A regular shaver works in a pinch.