Most hacks waste more time than they save, and these are some of the worst offenders.
Life hacks used to mean something clever—like flipping a can tab to hold your straw in place or using a binder clip to organize cables. But now? Half the internet is recycling nonsense disguised as genius shortcuts. Scroll long enough on social media and you’ll find someone trying to make lasagna in a dishwasher or ironing clothes with a pot of hot soup. It’s not innovation—it’s desperation. And people are falling for it because we’re all hungry for faster, easier, cleaner ways to survive the daily grind.
The truth is, many of these so-called “hacks” are more trouble than they’re worth. They either make a mess, waste your time, or create new problems. But they look just convincing enough to go viral, which is why they keep spreading. There’s a fine line between being resourceful and being ridiculous, and a lot of these tips blow right past it. Instead of saving your sanity, they can leave you shaking your head and wondering what just happened. These are ten of the most laughably useless “hacks” that should be deleted, not shared.
1. Using toothpaste to clean car headlights is a waste of minty effort.
This one sounds logical enough—after all, toothpaste is mildly abrasive. But scrubbing your foggy headlights with mint gel isn’t going to give you the bright showroom shine the video promised, according to Carry Daniels at Be Amazed. What it really does is smear the grime and leave behind a chalky residue that smells like a dental office.
You’ll spend ten minutes rubbing and wiping, only to drive around with headlights that look like they’ve been moisturized, not cleaned. The illusion of brightness disappears as soon as the toothpaste dries. A real headlight restoration kit takes about the same amount of effort and actually works. Toothpaste might help in an emergency, but don’t expect magic when all you’ve got is Crest.
2. Cooking salmon in a dishwasher just makes your kitchen smell like sadness.
Yes, people actually try this. The idea is that sealing fish in foil and running the dishwasher on a hot cycle will gently poach it to flaky perfection. In reality, you’ll get unevenly cooked salmon with a side of detergent steam and an appliance that now smells like low tide, as reported by Naja Wade at Webflow.
Dishwashers aren’t designed to hold a stable cooking temperature. The hot water jets can displace your foil pouch, and unless you like guessing games with raw fish, it’s a terrible way to prepare a meal. Plus, it takes longer than baking it the normal way. If you want sous vide salmon, invest in the real tool—not your LG dishwasher.
3. Using a soda can tab as a key ring will slice your fingers open.
This one comes off as frugal and creative. You pop the tab off a soda can and slide it onto your key ring like a makeshift extender. Sounds cute—until it snags your pocket lining or slices your thumb the first time you try to grab your keys in a hurry, as stated by Luke Lewis at Buzzfeed.
Soda can tabs aren’t designed for utility. They’re brittle, have sharp edges, and bend out of shape quickly. What’s worse, they can snap under pressure and send your keys flying. A real key ring costs about a dollar and won’t give you tetanus. Sometimes it’s okay to just buy the basic solution instead of turning trash into trouble.
4. Wrapping your phone in foil to boost signal is straight-up nonsense.
Signal problems are annoying, but turning your phone into a baked potato isn’t the fix. Wrapping it in foil supposedly enhances reception by “focusing” the signal. What it really does is block it entirely, confuse your antenna, and heat your device faster than usual.
Foil is a conductor and reflector—it’s not some magic signal funnel. If your service is weak, call your provider or step outside. This hack has zero basis in science and maximum potential for embarrassing moments when your call drops mid-sentence. The only thing you’ll boost is frustration.
5. Using a fork and a toothbrush to clean sneakers wastes time and sanity.
Some social media videos make it look satisfying: scrape your dirty shoe soles with a fork and scrub with a toothbrush dipped in soapy water. The reality is a lot messier—and slower. You end up bent over for twenty minutes, splashing suds everywhere, and the results are usually underwhelming.
Sneakers need proper cleaning tools, especially if they’re made with mesh, suede, or sensitive materials. A fork can scratch or gouge rubber, and toothbrushes take forever to cover large areas. You’ll get better results using an old rag and a cleaning solution made for shoes. Or better yet, toss them in the washer if they’re machine safe.
6. Ironing clothes with a hot pot is not domestic genius—it’s desperation.
This “hack” pops up often in hotel survival tip videos: flip a hot pot upside down and run it over your shirt like an iron. Aside from being wildly inconvenient, it’s also dangerous. You’re holding a scalding object by its handle and praying you don’t melt your clothes—or your hand.
The pot never gets evenly hot, and it cools down fast. You’ll have wrinkly clothes and maybe even a water stain or two. Some things are worth doing the right way. Hotel irons exist for a reason. If there’s no iron, hang your shirt in the bathroom during a hot shower. It’s safer, easier, and won’t burn your fingers.
7. Using a glue gun to fix heels is a trip hazard waiting to happen.
The idea is simple: your heel breaks, so you whip out a hot glue gun and patch it on the fly. Sounds clever in theory, but glue doesn’t have the structural integrity to hold your weight through walking, let alone dancing or rushing to work.
Heels take pressure with every step, and even industrial glue has limits. Hot glue is more decorative than durable. A quick fix might last ten minutes before disaster strikes. Instead of risking a public tumble or rolling your ankle, keep flats in your bag and take your shoe to a cobbler later. Safety beats glue every time.
8. Cleaning your keyboard with slime just spreads the gunk around.
Those squishy globs of “keyboard cleaning slime” look satisfying on video. You press them onto the keys, lift up, and supposedly remove dust and crumbs. But in reality, they don’t pick up much—and often leave behind sticky residue that’s harder to clean than the original mess.
The slime starts degrading after a few uses and can gum up under the keys. It’s a gimmick that rarely works as advertised. A small brush or a can of compressed air is a better bet for pulling junk out of tight spaces. Sometimes the low-tech solutions are the best ones.
9. Using cooking spray on your snow shovel makes a slippery mess.
Before every snowstorm, a viral post goes around recommending non-stick spray on your shovel to help snow slide off. While it might work in theory, it usually results in an oily, sticky mess that collects grime and turns your driveway into a skating rink.
The spray wears off fast and can stain your clothes or coat if it transfers. Plus, it attracts dirt and salt, creating a gunky buildup that’s hard to wash off later. A better solution? Use a shovel designed with a slick surface or lightly coat it with wax. Leave the cooking spray in the kitchen.
10. Using a clothes hanger to hold your tablet is just begging for disaster.
It might seem smart to bend a wire hanger into a tablet stand, especially when you want to watch a show hands-free. But those makeshift angles don’t provide stable support, and one jolt could send your expensive device crashing to the ground.
The metal can scratch your screen or pop out of shape mid-use. And if you’re trying to use it in the kitchen, good luck keeping it upright when you reach for the salt. Tablet stands exist for a reason—and they don’t cost much. Trying to save five bucks isn’t worth a shattered screen.