Any helpful life hacks?

Seattle said:
I think the idea is that the fat picks up the oil and since oil and water don't mix it surrounds the oil and allows water to wash away the fat.

I'm sure it has to do with polar and non-polar molecules...Exchemist...where are you...
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Haha, I will quote the text of a response I made to wegs this pm on this subject, on another forum we both subscribe to. Wegs had posted a link explaining that soap is made from fats, by a process called "saponification" (from Latin sapo, saponis, meaning....soap! ). I commented:

"Fats are mainly esters of fatty acids, bonded to an alcohol called glycerol (="glycerine"). Saponification of a fat breaks these bonds , liberating the fatty acids (and the gylcerol but this is not important to what follows).

However as strong alkalis, such as sodium or potassium hydroxide are used to break the bonds, the fatty acids get neutralised in the process, so you end up with a fatty acid salt, e.g. sodium or potassium stearate, rather than stearic acid.

The acid salt end of the molecule has a chemical group - COO⁻ on it, which is polar and can form hydrogen bonds with water. So that end is attracted to water (hydrophilic). The other end is just a hydrocarbon chain, which is repelled by water (hydrophobic) but is attracted to oils and grease. Hence its detergent action, as PhDemon has explained.

There are many other classes of synthetic detergents, used for laundry, dishwashing etc, using a wide variety of chemistry, but all share the essential feature of molecules with a hydrophilic part and a hydrophobic part."

So your explanation is good. :smile:
 
billvon said:
On one of our kids (the 4 year old) this works great. On the other one (7) it doesn't. Kids have different things they respond to well.
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The difference is that the 7 year old has a brain. I jokingly refer to 4 year olds as vegetables.
 
Seattle said:
The difference is that the 7 year old has a brain. I jokingly refer to 4 year olds as vegetables.
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Dunno about that. My 4 year old is currently contemplating the difference between dynamic and static stability, and asking if I have any slow motion videos of people running so he can see how they balance when they sometimes have no feet on the ground.
 
Re: Seattle's life hack suggestion of cutting one's own hair. Well, I have long hair, so it's difficult to cut my hair as well as the stylist does, but I've trimmed around my face recently, to give the illusion of layers. #lifehack #cutyourownhair #savemoney #livingmybestlife

:D

(hashtags - inside joke)
 
billvon said:
Dunno about that. My 4 year old is currently contemplating the difference between dynamic and static stability, and asking if I have any slow motion videos of people running so he can see how they balance when they sometimes have no feet on the ground.
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Like I said, I don't have kids, maybe vegetable applies to 2 year olds. I seem to remember that it applies at a certain age.

If he fails while contemplating the difference between dynamic and static stability does he suddenly start to cry? If not, I've got the ages wrong.
 
Seattle said:
If he fails while contemplating the difference between dynamic and static stability does he suddenly start to cry? If not, I've got the ages wrong.
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No, he cries when he falls down, when he can't have screen time and at sort of random things (i.e. when his brother is upset, often he gets upset too.)
 
Did you know that you can quicken the ripening of fruit?

Ripe fruits like tomatoes and bananas give off ethylene, or ethene. This natural chemical is also known as ‘fruit-ripening gas’ and has been used for centuries to artificially speed up fruit ripening. The Egyptians made holes in figs to let the gas out, people in ancient China burnt incense to release ethylene, and modern transport vehicles pump the gas over fruit on their way to the supermarket to ensure it’s ready to eat on arrival. To use this trick at home, just place an ethylene- producing fruit like a banana, fig, mango, nectarine or plum next to an unripe fruit and it’ll be ready to eat in no time.

(taken from ''how it works daily'' website)

Definitely trying this one!
 
wegs said:
Seattle's life hack suggestion of cutting one's own hair
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In Darwin I think it's about $25Aus currently to get hair cut
Years ago think was about $15 when no frills shop set up
I checked out a shop in Bali $5
I can afford that twice a year

:)
 
I can afford it. I used to pay $35 each time but I had to schedule an appointment, listen to small talk and it interrupted whatever else I had planned for that day.

I shave myself and I learned that cutting hair was easy so now I do that as well. Initially I thought that the only people who cut their own hair either had to have a buzzcut or look like their hair was cut with the help of a bowl. :)

Those were just people who didn't know how to cut their hair it turns out. Praise be to Youtube! :)
 
wegs said:
Re: Seattle's life hack suggestion of cutting one's own hair. Well, I have long hair, so it's difficult to cut my hair as well as the stylist does, but I've trimmed around my face recently, to give the illusion of layers. #lifehack #cutyourownhair #savemoney #livingmybestlife

:D

(hashtags - inside joke)
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And I'm sure you did a bang up job! #bangupjob #hairtodaygonetomorrow #badass #imamazing
 
Seattle said:
And I'm sure you did a bang up job! #bangupjob #hairtodaygonetomorrow #badass #imamazing
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:D

Hey. Maybe that's a life hack unto itself. "Look impressive to everyone on your friends list by posting hash tags with meaningless phrases attached." It's quick. It's easy. It's mindless. But, everyone will think you're amazing.
 
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wegs said:
:D

Hey. Maybe that's a life hack unto itself. "Look impressive to everyone on your friends list by posting hash tags with meaningless phrases attached." It's quick. It's easy. It's mindless. But, everyone will think you're amazing.
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I did it! I came up with the best hack yet and didn't even realize it!

If you want to really mess with your friends use that approach one day #onelifetolive and the next day post "sometimes mankind just really disappoints me" or "it happened again today, I don't know if can even deal with tomorrow".
 
Seattle said:
I did it! I came up with the best hack yet and didn't even realize it!

If you want to really mess with your friends use that approach one day #onelifetolive and the next day post "sometimes mankind just really disappoints me" or "it happened again today, I don't know if can even deal with tomorrow".
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lol It's tempting.......
 
Flooding a carborator with wd 40 can help you start your engine and many small engines.

Isporopel alcohol can make bad gas in an engine better
 
Using tomatoe paste and adding your own ingredients can save you money on spaghetti instead of buying sauce. Just add water and simmer for a couple hours.

(Saves money not time)
 
Beaconator said:
White fish can be cooked in lime juice for a day without heat.
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This is called ''ceviche.'' I've heard of it, haven't tried it, yet. Supposedly, you won't know the difference between that and actual cooked fish?
 
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