6 jobs around the home that you should be able to do by now

There’s a meme going around that rings too true. You know the one about the horrifying moment when you realise you’re an adult so you look around for someone that’s better at adulting than you… But you can’t find them.

Because the oldest person in the vicinity is you and you’re supposed to know what you’re doing now. Cue existential crisis…

It’s a frankly terrifying realisation, and while I do not claim to have all the answers, here are some ways that I have gathered, as a fellow millennial, that will help you to adult smarter – not harder.

You’re welcome.

Iron clothes in a hurry

If you have a couple of pesky creases or the point of a collar sticking up funny, you can use a hair straightener to quickly fix the problem.

First, while cold, make sure the device is clean of any hair products. As a rule, use it on your clothes first, hair second.

Play it safe by only using a low heat setting until you’ve figured out how hot you can go. But as a guide, delicate fabrics such as silk should always be done on a low heat, whereas thicker more durable fabrics like jeans or a sweater can take higher heat levels.

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Dry stuff faster on a towel rail

Drying clothes on a heated towel rail is of course much faster than on a regular rack, but you can super-charge this process further.

Wrap your garment around the bar of the towel rail rather than leaving it folded over the top. Literally life changing.

Remove stains with babywipes

Babywipes are a home essential even if your only baby is a cat or a plant.

They’ll remove everything from makeup to coffee stains and are also great for shining your shoes, or wiping the basin or kitchen bench clean before friends come over.

What to do when your wireless speaker dies

Vibing to your favourite tunes and the speaker dies? No worries. Use any clean, empty vessel to amplify your music and save the party.

The larger the vessel the better it’ll work, but even a beer pong-sized cup will be better than nothing.

Simply place your phone playing music on full volume inside the vessel. Ta-da.

Unstick a zip

The traditional fix for a stuck zip is running a lead pencil up and down the area. But as we digitalise, you probably don’t have one of those on hand, especially if you’re out and about.

Instead, you can use soap or even a waxy lipbalm to lubricate the stuck portion of the zip. Hold the garment together at the top and zip. Good luck.

The many uses of bi-carb soda and vinegar

These two ingredients are worth always having in the pantry. Bi-carb soda alone can be used to freshen up stinky shoes or added to the wash when you are washing gym gear or re-washing something you left in the machine too long.

Together with vinegar and hot water, use it to flush a blocked drain or sink, or to clean your toilet, washing machine or dishwasher. You can even use it to wash your hair (though perhaps avoid it if you’ve had a recent dye job).

Vinegar alone can be used to take the slimy factory film off new towels, to freshen up old towels and sheets, or to remove stains from pets (when combined with water).

– This story originally appeared on stuff.co.nz