this post was submitted on 01 Jul 2025
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[–] three@lemmy.zip 70 points 14 hours ago (12 children)

One of these stainless steel bars of "soap". It's for getting onion and garlic smell off your hands. I was skeptical when my partner bought it, but it totally works. Rub on your hands under cold water and it's like you never even looked at the garlic.

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[–] Venus_Ziegenfalle@feddit.org 19 points 14 hours ago (2 children)

Fyi this also works with a steel faucet or sink in a pinch

[–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 23 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago) (4 children)

Okay so maybe I've grown to used to the smell of garlic but is it a common problem that people are worried about their hands smelling like garlic/onions? Maybe it's because I wash dishes as I cook, so whatever I chopped/prepared them on I would have washed in the sink while it started to heat up in the pan, but I guess I need to sniff my fingers more after doing so.

[–] Suck_on_my_Presence@lemmy.world 10 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

I don't know about worried, but onions absolutely make my hands reek. To the point where it can ruin a meal I'm eating, especially if it's a hand food like a burrito or burger or something. I don't mind garlic on my hands, but onions are just awful for some reason.

I don't have one of these bars, but I'm seriously contemplating it.

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[–] halferect@lemmy.world 6 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

I think it's home cook weird shit, now sell me something to get rid of fried food smell from clothes. I'll live with garlic and onions which smell amazing over fried oil smell that saturate you skin and leave you as a soggy French fry

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[–] Hugin@lemmy.world 7 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

So any stainless steel will do that. No need for a special disk. I use a stainless steel cocktail shaker to peal garlic. Then when I rinse it clean it also removes the smell from my hands.

Just drop the cloves into the shaker and shake hard for 30-45 seconds. Most of the garlic is now peeled and some just need a bit help. So much faster and easier.

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[–] Vinny_93@lemmy.world 48 points 14 hours ago (5 children)

Oh man, there's this German company Beurer that makes simple equipment for medical home application. They make this sort of zapper thing, which is battery oper and it just heats the shit out of a little ceramic plate. Put that on a bug bite, it heats away the irritation. No more itch, no more venom in your body, just gone.

I am no longer careful around biting bugs. Keep in mind it's not supposed to work for stingers.

I figured for 15 euros it'd be too bad if it doesn't work but I now can't imagine not having it.

I've since also bought a TENS/EMS machine of theirs and a laser hair removal tool is underway for my wife.

I completely trust this company based on just two products.

[–] Lemminary@lemmy.world 17 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago) (2 children)

Oh wow, there's a product out there? I've been heating the back of a spoon on the stove and applying it directly to the skin for a minute all these years. You gotta do it carefully, but it works very well!

NerdageThe mechanism relies on denaturing the mosquito proteins injected with the bite. Meaning the heat causes the proteins to loosen up and deform so they no longer interact with the surrounding tissues in the same way.

[–] idiomaddict@lemmy.world 9 points 10 hours ago

I’ve just run a spoon under the hottest possible tap water. It’s hot enough to work and it’s not hot enough to actually burn you

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[–] PetteriPano@lemmy.world 9 points 13 hours ago

My wife swears by it. For me it does nothing. She gets wasp-sized bumps from mosquito bites.

[–] Asetru@feddit.org 5 points 13 hours ago

BiteAway gang!

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[–] KoboldCoterie@pawb.social 34 points 14 hours ago (6 children)

A roll of really heavy duty velcro. The kind that can, for example, stick a sledge hammer to a wall. It's about $12 for 5 feet or so, and about a 1" piece is sufficient for most tasks, so it lasts a very long time. I use it for all kinds of stuff; it's amazing how many uses for it you find when you have it.

[–] otter@lemmy.ca 9 points 14 hours ago (3 children)

What kind of uses did you have for it?

[–] TheFermentalist@leminal.space 47 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

He stuck a sledgehammer to his wall.

[–] FartMaster69@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 11 hours ago

Something every kobold needs.

[–] KoboldCoterie@pawb.social 8 points 12 hours ago

A lot of small things. I have some velcro on the wall in few rooms that I can stick a tablet to, for example. I've got velcro holding down a few items on my desk - a USB hub, speakers and the like, that I want to move sometimes, but that were commonly getting knocked off (by the cat). I've got a small whiteboard and a few places I can stick it, so I can use it to sketch something up and take it with me to our workbench, for example, and not have to precariously balance it.

All things that could be solved with other solutions, obviously, but the heavy duty velcro just happens to be a one-size-fits-all solution that leaves no permanent marks and is very convenient to set up.

[–] Geometrinen_Gepardi@sopuli.xyz 5 points 13 hours ago

I have a IKEA pergola on my backyard and I've been trying to come up with a way to attach some plastic paneling on top of it without drilling. This might be it.

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[–] TheFlopster@lemmy.world 25 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

I bought a reusable tote for like $3 in the section at the front of Target where they stick all the cheap stuff. It looks like it's made of woven burlap. It says "Going to Market" on the sides. It's shorter than the standard reusable tote, but a reasonable width.

I bought it on a whim and thought it would sit in my trunk after I forgot about it. I use it all the time, and I've gotten a ton of compliments on it at checkouts of various stores.

[–] toynbee@lemmy.world 6 points 11 hours ago (6 children)

I knew I wouldn't regret starting to use user notes.

collapsed inline mediaDemonstration of user note reminding me that I share a fandom with this user

[–] idiomaddict@lemmy.world 5 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Isn’t everyone a better off Ted fan? Some people just don’t know it yet.

Actually, I just realized that I have only seen Portia de Rossi in two things and they were both fucking killer. Maybe I should watch ally mcbeal…

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[–] Zier@fedia.io 18 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Metal Chopsticks $9 https://www.amazon.com/BamLue-Stainless-Chopsticks-Dishwasher-Restaurant/dp/B07RTNWLM1 These are no longer for sale. They are not just for eating. Great for deseeding jalapenos, tomatos. Mixing small sauces. Too many uses to list. They are super durable. Very 'buy it for life' vibes. The tip texture is the most helpful. Not to be used as Ninja weapons.

[–] Little8Lost@lemmy.world 7 points 11 hours ago (4 children)

Chopsticks are also nice to mix fluids in a bottle because for some they are long enough
I also started eating potato chips with them, can reach deeper in + clean hands

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[–] Venus_Ziegenfalle@feddit.org 15 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Opinel carbon steel pocket knife. They're awesome. Cheap, robust and easy to keep sharp. Just need to oil the blade every now and then for corrosion resistance and you're good to go.

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[–] chaosCruiser@futurology.today 15 points 13 hours ago

I got two of these squiggly window wedges. They are incredibly versatile and handy when you want to keep a window open.

[–] rumschlumpel@feddit.org 13 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) (4 children)

One of those cocktail stirring spoons with a long, round handle. Makes stirring a glass full of ice extremely easier compared to normal spoon handles. In contrast, I found mixing glasses and cocktail shakers fairly optional (and those tend to be more expensive than $20 anyway if they're decent quality).

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[–] vaionko@sopuli.xyz 13 points 5 hours ago

A Victorinox Swiss army knife. Bought it used for 10€, and it has everything from a very good blade to screwdrivers, a bottle opener, pen and tweezers. Always in my pocket in case I need it.

[–] hakase@lemmy.zip 12 points 6 hours ago (3 children)

$20 bread maker I found at at a thrift store. There's no telling how many hundreds of loaves of healthy, fresh baked wheat bread I've churned out of that thing over the past two years, especially now that we're grinding our own wheat too.

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[–] nebulaone@lemmy.world 12 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)
  • knife sharpening steel
  • squeezing bidet (made me realize how gross using toilet paper is)
  • caffeine pills (extremely cheap [15€ for 180pcs. x 200mg] compared to coffee and great if you're in a hurry)
  • Raspberry Pi Zero (tiny single board computer, tbh not in use anymore, but I had fun tinkering for days)
  • remote controlled power outlets
  • easily cleanable drinking bottle and switching to drinking tap water
[–] MrStag@lemmy.world 12 points 13 hours ago (2 children)

Electric screwdriver from Lidl (well, it was less than £20) - as a DIY novice/flat pack builder, it changed my life

[–] ouRKaoS@lemmy.today 5 points 11 hours ago

In the same vein: one of those little magnetic parts tray/bowl things.

I've gotten a few of them for free from harbor freight, and they're perfect for when you have the giant bag of screws and nee to pick out 6 "E's" and 6 "H's" for step 7.

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[–] jinwk00@sh.itjust.works 11 points 6 hours ago

A screwdriver kit with multiple head tips, can repair almost anything as long as I am given some schematics

[–] FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 11 points 7 hours ago (5 children)

My pocket stun gun was $19.99. Decided I needed a defense mechanism I could conceal after an encounter with a scary aggressive homeless man.

Also has a flashlight.

[–] VetOfTheSeas@discuss.online 10 points 5 hours ago (4 children)

Be careful with a stungun. It requires close range confrontation, and It's not effective if the assailant is drugged up or heavily drunk and ignores the shocks.

Mace gives good distance, and pepper in the eyes doesn't care about the stimulants in your blood stream.

Also practice with it. A large number of people carry self defense tools and choke under pressure/fail to use it correctly during situations.

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[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 10 points 13 hours ago (1 children)
[–] GreenMartian@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 7 hours ago (2 children)

It's hilarious that they say

Swiss made nail clipper with two functions

Followed by not mentioning what the other function is...

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[–] sacbuntchris@lemmy.world 9 points 13 hours ago

A good, insulated cup. I make ice coffee every morning and a good cup doesn't get condensation and keeps the coffee cold for hours (I drink slowly while I work)

[–] Nemo@slrpnk.net 9 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Wool poncho. I've used it to stay warm, stay cool, as a groundcloth under my sleeping bag, as a blanket, as a pillow, as a decorative throw, as a cat bed, as a picnic blanket, as a beach blanket. It's incredibly useful and versatile.

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[–] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 9 points 9 hours ago (3 children)

Tesa outdoor double sided tape.

That stuff is basically magic. It will stick anything to everything and you can remove it from almost any surface without leaving a mark. I used to stick a dashcam to my car window, a birdbath to my brick wall, a remote LED lamp to the ceiling (felt iffy, works great!). It's even holding a metal plate from the doorknob in place because the door is more hole than wood by now.

It beats basically every other kind of tape of multipurpose glue, and it's removable. It's kinda thick though, so you might see it, but that's also a feature when sticking rough textures to eachother.

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[–] edg@lemmy.world 7 points 6 hours ago (3 children)

A basket/bowl thing for keys, wallet, and whatever one carries around. No more hunting for them when walking out the door.

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[–] Libb@piefed.social 6 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

A pencil (edit: less than 1 dollar most of the time)

[–] Mothra@mander.xyz 6 points 10 hours ago

A mini pen I keep on my lanyard.

Cost me like $2.50, I thought it was too expensive for what I was getting but it works. Now when those bitches lose the pens, I can still write instead of dancing a pat-everything-pat-myself-look-for-pen-everywhere

[–] BonesOfTheMoon@lemmy.world 5 points 4 hours ago

Wireless phone charger. I'll be stuck somewhere looking at my low battery life, and suddenly remember it's in my purse. It isn't the fastest charge but it is useful.

[–] RodgeGrabTheCat@sh.itjust.works 5 points 8 hours ago

A dry erase notebook. $2. The marker that came with it is crap so that was another $12 for a pack of 4.

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