Help ketchup to slide out of the bottle

Take a drinking straw and slide it all the way down to the bottom of the bottle. Remove it, allowing in air to break the vacuum seal and help the sauce to flow faster.

Avoid twisted bacon

Use a skewer to poke holes in the strips before cooking. As the bacon crunches, the fat drains through the holes stopping the meat from curling.

Perfectly white chicken breast

Chicken breast often contains unappealing dark spots. To ensure it cooks all white, marinate it in salt water for a few hours before preparing your dish. Salt draws out blood, and gives the poultry extra flavor and moisture.

Easy fresh orange juice

To avoid the hard work of squeezing over and over, first microwave the uncut oranges for about 20 seconds. Then lightly roll them on the countertop, breaking down the tiny cells in the fruit so the juice will squirt out without too much sweat.

Perfect filet mignon

Make sure your steak will be perfectly tender by letting the meat sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking. Steaks cook more evenly if they are not ice-cold in the center when you place them on the grill.

Make a moist burger

To prevent beef burgers from drying out, mold the patties around pieces of ice. As they cook, the ice will melt and prevent the inside from drying. Cook until a meat thermometer reads 160F.

Easily sharp your scissors

Snip your scissors through 3 layers of tin foil about 10 times. Try them cutting a piece of paper to see if the blades are sharp enough. If not, repeat the process.

Watering indoor plants while on vacation

Run a wick made of soft cotton rope (or nylon hose) from the soil in the pot to a container of water. The plant will gradually suck moisture through the string and water itself.

Keep a door from catching on the floor

Tape a piece of sandpaper rough side up to the catching spot. Through normal use, the door will slowly be sanded. When it is moving freely, remove the sandpaper and clean the area.

Improvise a carpet shampoo

To remove any unexpected spill or grease stain from a rug, apply some shaving cream to the spot and let sit for about 5 minutes. Scrape off the foam with a spatula and dab the area with a wet cloth. Let dry and vacuum as usual.

Avoid splatters after painting projects

To prevent paint splatters from happening when you are doing your job, dip a clean cloth in petroleum jelly and run it around the edges of whatever you want to protect (windowpanes, doorknobs, hinges etc.). Wipe up any after work mess with a damp clean cloth. This tip works well for windows, metalwork and floors (even linoleum and tiles).

Cleaning a narrow-neck vase

To wash a vase with a narrow neck, pour 1 tbsp of uncooked rice, a drop of dish detergent and some warm water into it. Cover the top with your hand and shake it vigorously. The rice works as an abrasive, removing all the grime.

Extra simple and neat storage in a bathroom

When you need more storage in your tiny bathroom (or if you will just have overnight guests), hang an over-the-door shoe bag to hold lotions, styling products, soaps and other toiletries.

Broken key stuck in the lock

Dab some superglue onto the broken edge of the free piece, slide it into the keyhole and press it firmly against the stuck half. Let dry for about 3 minutes and remove the whole key.

Fragrance for your home

Before using the vacuum cleaner, damp some cotton balls with your favorite scent oil and place them on the floor. As the machine runs and recirculates the air, your home will get a very enjoyable smell.

End facial redness and bumps

Make a cup of green tea, cool it down with ice cubes and apply the liquid to clean skin with a cotton ball. Green tea contains anti-inflammatories that minimize swelling and redness.

Yellow stained fingernails

If you fingernails are stained yellow from that beautiful dark nail polish, cut 2 tooth-whitening strips into 10 nail-size pieces, apply to nails and leave on for about 20 minutes. Repeat the process daily until your nails are clear (it should take a few days).

Ease your annoying cough

If remedies are not helping, eat some dark chocolate. It contains theobromine, which calms the nerve responsible for generating coughs.

Dying MP3 battery

If you notice that your MP3 player’s battery is running low, do not touch those “next” and “back” buttons. Searching through songs requires your device to access its hard drive more often, which drains the battery.

Controlling crying

To stop tears before they start, squeeze the bridge of your nose with your thumb and forefinger. This stimulates the eye movement controlling oculomotor nerve to keep your eyes open, which stops tears.

Rescue unappealing broccoli

To revive an old head of broccoli that it is still edible, just cut and discard the bottom 1/2 inch and stand the stalk in a big glass filled with water. Place in the refrigerator overnight.