Source: Sam Whited / CC BY 2.0Not being an engineer, it isn’t often that I can see a simple solution to an everyday problem through all of the minutiae of life. I often overlook details and make seemingly simple tasks more complicated. As such, I am always on the lookout for ways to simplify life and recently discovered a number of engineering hacks designed to do just that: simplify everyday tasks.

While this list is by no means an exhaustive one, it does include a number of my favorite engineering hacks.

Deliver It!

Does it seem that whenever you order a pizza that the near perfect circle of cheese and dough becomes a sea of uneven cheese after a trip in your car? To avoid this, use a standard 2-liter soda bottle and place it underneath your pizza box(es) at the back of the seat to prop up the side of the box that is at a declining angle. This move will keep the pizza box level as you transport it home.

Entertain It!

If you have ever taken a long car ride with a small child (or in some cases, an unruly adult), it pays to be prepared for their inevitable boredom. In addition to packing the requisite activities such as books or toys, make sure to include a ziplock bag. Using the clear plastic bag, you can mount your cell phone or other such device to the back of the front seat of your car by way of the headrest. Place the device inside the bag and secure it by closing up the space between where the top of the seat and the headrest meet. Hands-free entertainment all the way to your destination!

Clean It!

Disgusted by the collection of food crumbs, dust and other detritus that has fallen between the cracks of your keyboard? Use the sticky end of a Post-it Note to clean the crevices. Simply lower the sticky side of the Post-it in between the keys to collect the accumulating filth.

Another handy way to clean these tough to reach spots is by placing a squeezable ketchup bottle top at the end of a shopvac hose. The pointed head of the bottle top will make it easier to access those crevices as well.

Smell It!

Want to avoid the slimy, smelly mess that “food juice” leaves at the bottom of your trash bin. Add an old newspaper to the bottom of the bin to absorb the fluid that inevitably collects there from discarded foods and takeout containers.

Tape It!

Nothing will ruin the holidays faster than throwing a roll of tape through a window while attempting to wrap gifts because you can’t find the end of the tape roll. Instead of struggling, after each use, adhere a paper clip to the end of the tape so that the section won’t be lost in the seamless roll the next time you need to wrap a present. Note that this trick will work with all of the tape varieties in your life.

Cool It!

Expecting company but only have lukewarm bottled beverages to offer your guests? Wrap whatever warm bottled beverage that your guest has selected in a damp paper towel and place it in the refrigerator for fifteen minutes. In the time it takes to greet and seat your guest, the drink will be cold enough to serve.

Lock It!

If you’ve ever locked yourself out of the house before, you know how expensive replacing a “fist-sized” plate of glass can be…especially if you’ve had to replace it more than once.

Although a possible solution might be to store a key somewhere near your front door, this does not necessarily keep the keys out of unwanted hands; placed under the doormat or in a potted plant, and bam, you have someone going through your drawers.

Instead, take an empty pill bottle, like the kind you would get from the pharmacy, and glue a pinecone to the bottom of it. Once it’s dried, twist open the top (now bottom) of the bottle and place the key inside. Then, grab your gardening tools and dig a hole large enough to accommodate the bottle but that would still leave the pinecone visible in your yard.

How do you keep your pinecones straight? Make sure to draw yourself a map noting where you’ve left the pinecone, otherwise, you’ll be the talk of the neighborhood as you frantically overturn pinecone after pinecone in your yard.

Zip It!

Have a pair of pants with a wandering zipper? Take a key ring (minus the key) and hook it to the eye of the zipper. When you are ready to pull up your zipper, hook the key ring over the button and voila! No more wandering zipper.

Eat It!

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you have an entire cake but no knife? To avoid making a spectacle of yourself by digging into the cake with your bare hands (which is likely to be the go-to solution for those of us afraid of missing out on cake), consider cutting the cake using unscented (or scented, depending upon your proclivities) dental floss.

More realistic is that you have a knife but perhaps you simply want to impress your guests with your cutting precision. The floss can help you achieve such a feat, resulting in nearly perfect slices each time. The dental floss can also be used to gently slice through other foods with softer consistencies such as cheeses.

Cool It (Again)!

Does your laptop overheat? Consider a solution straight from your refrigerator. Take an empty egg carton and overturn it. Once overturned, place your laptop on it, and it will serve as a buffer between your legs and the hot laptop. The empty, overturned cartons will offer plenty of airflow, thus cooling the device. A quick DIY solution that will save you the expense of going out and purchasing a cooling pad.

What are some of your favorite engineering hacks?

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