Alex Buscemi
Not all life hacks are created equal — some are brilliant, but others make you wonder how they even qualify as helpful.
In this gallery, people share the absolute worst life hacks they’ve come across. And many of them appear to be almost helpful advice at first glance.
From refusing to befriend coworkers to cleanse diets and sacrificing sleep for productivity, people are sharing on Reddit the hacks that aren’t making life easier.
Scroll on for the kinds of tips that could only end in regret.
1.
Don’t quit, keep pushing no matter what. Sometimes in life, you need to understand when to throw in the towel and walk away.
2.
I always see people on Reddit say that coworkers are not friends and to not develop friendships with them. Why? That’s literally the worst advice I’ve seen parroted here. Like, don’t be a degenerate in front of them, but developing friendly relationships with the people you see for a 1/4 of your life is normal and not problematic.
3.
When people suggest going for a walk or working out to combat depression because “you don’t NEED medication, you just need to clear your head. Depression and anxiety are all in your head.” B***h, no s**t it’s in my head. That’s why I take brain medicine.
4.
No Pain – No Gain. Pain is the body’s way of telling you that you are damaged.
5.
Any kind of “cleanse” diet or item. Your body already does that. Colonics, shakes, fasts, etc. don’t “cleanse” anything better than what your actual biology can do.
6.
Sleeping less for success. Sleeping less and hustling more can lead to burnout, health issues, and impaired cognitive function. Sleep is essential for mental health and overall well-being.
7.
That b******t one about how we’ve all been “opening bananas wrong” because we don’t do it upside down like chimps. It literally doesn’t f*****g matter. The banana opens easily the way I do it and I’m going to keep doing it that way.
8.
Repeating constantly “Leave out of your comfort zone”. Not everyone wants to leave it, and some people work very hard to have a safe space and comfort. Some people just want to settle, and it’s fair.
9.
“Multitasking makes you more productive.” Actually, multitasking tends to make you worse at everything you’re trying to do. You end up scattered, doing a mediocre job on each thing instead of really focusing and excelling at one task.
10.
Do not put your toaster sideways to make cheese toast as some lifehacks suggest. It is a fire hazard.
11.
“Just wake up at 5 AM and your life will be fixed!” Nah, I’ve tried it, and all I got was more tired and cranky.
12.
“Always carry a small balance on your credit card to build credit.” No. Paying off your debts consistently builds credit.
13.
If you are lost in an unfamiliar location needing rescue and your battery is about to die, change your voicemail to include your approximate location. What you should do, if possible, is send one of your contacts your approximate location. GPS coordinates work. And always call 911.
14.
Dressing like security or maintenance to gain access to restricted areas of events and venues. This could endanger the safety of others if an actual emergency occurred.
15.
Any food hack that wants you to get sugar boiling hot and then spin it with a whisk in the air to make strings. You will burn yourself, and getting it off your skin is difficult because it’s sugar. And they always aim it at teenagers.
16.
That putting bicarb soda down your drain will unblock it. It doesn’t do anything. Source: I’m a plumber, and I’ll charge you more as it makes it harder to clear the waste or drain.
17.
Drinking cod liver oil to induce labor is never a good idea. It can make the baby poop in utero. Good for you if it worked, but a percentage of babies aren’t so lucky.
18.
Drinking Lemon Water for Detox. While lemon water can be refreshing, the body already has efficient detoxification systems, like the liver.
19.
The advice I see on Reddit about asking for an itemized receipt is incomplete. Asking for an itemized receipt does not automatically drop the total cost. Instead, it allows you to identify line items that don’t make sense, don’t apply to you, or weren’t rendered.
20.
The whole “freeze a wet sponge for an ice pack that won’t drip” is wrong. It will drip as it melts, and it won’t have much thermal mass. Many things make better ice packs, including ice cubes in a plastic bag.
21.
To “do it anyway” or “do it scared”. Sometimes you do need to get yourself together or calm down before you do something. Like driving.
22.
Freezing hard drives: Risky. Better to use professional services. Lemon juice as sunscreen: Bad idea. Use real sunscreen. Coffee to sober up: Just a myth. Only time works.
23.
Mix vinegar and bicarb in a spray bottle for the most effective cleaner—enjoy cleaning with salt water. The effective part is the reaction, not the resultant solution.
24.
I used to sell mattresses and commonly had customers who believed that the harder their mattress, the better it was for them. Not true. If you’re comfortable, it’s a good mattress. You don’t need to sleep on a slab of stone for health benefits.
25.
Stop applying lemon on your face thinking it’s gonna heal your acne and pigmentation. And for god’s sake, stop putting random food in your hair. It’s better to just eat that food instead.
26.
Using Dawn dish soap on kittens to kill fleas. It doesn’t work. It’s a hoax. Even Dawn said it doesn’t kill fleas.
27.
It’s okay to wipe your eyeglasses with your shirt, TP, or paper towels. No, that stuff can still scratch the lenses, and you should use the cloth that came with your glasses instead.
28.
The saying “it will come when you least expect it”. You have to look and fight for what you want.
29.
The idea that drinking cold water burns calories comes from the fact that your body uses energy to heat the water to body temperature, but the amount is minimal (around 8 calories per glass).
30.
Using toothpaste to clean or remove scratches from surfaces (like phones or cars).
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