Man Hacks | How to Sharpen Knives with a Mug, Melt Ice & More

Men know how to fix things, but just because we’re known for being handy doesn’t mean that we’re pros at every project. If you’ve got time to attend eight different trade schools and become an expert on everything, good for you and your time machine. Don’t have that luxury?

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Don’t worry- we’ve got you covered with Man Hacks, every Squatch man’s go-to guide for quick fixes to all of life’s little problems (and for the problems that you didn’t even know you had).

So, grab your notebook and take a seat. It’s Man Hack time.

1. Toothpick Screw Fix

Dining chairs feeling wobbly? That’s probably because the wooden screws that connect the legs became loose- and no amount of screwdriver magic can put them back into a hole that’s stripped out.

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So what can you do?

You’ll be happy to hear that it’s an easy fix, and all you need is a couple of toothpicks. They help fill the void and give the screw something to grab. Just take the screw out, slide a few toothpicks into the screw hole, and then put the screw back in. Snap off the excess toothpicks for a nice, clean finish.

2. Potato Protection

The only way breaking a light bulb could be worse is if you reached in and grabbed the shards with your bare hands.

When light bulbs break in their fixtures, don’t try to pinch the broken shards and metal with your fingers unless you’re in the mood for an afternoon at the hospital.

3. Sharp as a Mug

Imagine you’re preparing a feast when you realize all of your kitchen knives are as dull as string cheese. How are you supposed to slice through that steak without a proper chef’s knife?

If you don’t have a sharpener, don’t despair. As long as you’ve got a mug lying around (most people have around 18,000), you’ve got options.

Turn your coffee mug upside down and you’ll notice a rough, unglazed ring around the bottom.

Hold the knife blade at a 45-degree angle to the ring and draw the blade across it. Repeat a few times on each side and voila! Sharpness restored (with no harm to your mug).

Now go ahead and enjoy that steak.

4. Homemade Ice Melt Spray

No one likes starting their morning commute battling an iced-over car windshield or frozen, stuck doors.

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Winter doesn’t care about your feelings, but we do.

So fight back with a homemade ice melting spray . Fill a spray bottle with 1/3 water and 2/3 isopropyl alcohol. Spray this cocktail on frozen surfaces to defrost ice immediately and get on with your day.

5. Sticky Hands No More

When weekend projects, lumberjack competitions, or deep-sea fishing expeditions leave you with sticky, greasy hands, regular hand soap won’t cut it.

The best way to cut through the grime? Washing with the grit of coffee grounds.

Grab a handful of grounds and scrub away until your hands are soft, supple and clean as a whistle. Use a soap with coffee grounds in it to avoid the messy disaster of cleaning coffee grounds from your sink.

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Have a Hack?

Have a genius Man Hack that you want to share with the Squatch Nation? Or have a problem that needs fixing?

Shoot us an email or comment on this post with your hack or the issue that you’re having. Make sure to check back for your hack feature!