Things That Are So Stupid That They Actually Work

A little while ago, a Reddit user who goes by the handle "NecessaryPrudence" posed a question to the internet. They wanted to know about the things that were so stupid that they actually worked. The responses came flooding in.

A lot of these are things are practices and suggestions that we probably never would have tried if we hadn't come across them online. Now we're sharing all of these stupid but useful tips with you. Enjoy!

Relieve The Itch

Insect Bite
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Photo Credit: BSIP/UIG Via Getty Images

Reddit user stoneyevora wrote, "Putting hand sanitizer on bug bites. It's the most glorious feeling and it works better than any itch spray!" Well, that's definitely a hack we're going to have to try.

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A Week Off

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Park System In Pennsylvania Town
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Photo Credit: Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images
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Reddit user eternairfuge87 wrote, "I drank creek water and got eight days off of work." Well, we can't say we recommend this one, but it will probably work. You're better off just taking a week off for mental health reasons, though.

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The Placebo Effect

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Taking pills
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Photo Credit: Vladimir GerdoTASS via Getty Images
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Reddit user Alt_Universe1 wrote, "Placebo effect. Not just the placebo effect, but knowing it's a placebo and it still works." This is super true. The placebo effect is surprisingly effective.

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A Convincing Argument

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Photo Credit: Photo Prestige/Soccrates/Getty Images
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Reddit user Faythezeal wrote, "Convincing someone that it was their idea to finally get them to agree to it. It works at an incredible success rate." This is the real way to win an argument.

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No More Wrinkles

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Sampracka launderette in Moscow Region, Russia
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Photo Credit: Sergei BobylevTASS via Getty Images
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Reddit user millycactus added, "Putting a few ice cubes in the dryer with a garment that needs ironing. 15 minutes later, you have a wrinkle-free item of clothing with extra time free to spend on other things"

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No More Static

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Laundry room interior of middle-class American home in Kentucky
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Photo Credit: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
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Reddit user mference23 wrote, "My anti-clothing static device. I think I learned about this on Reddit. I live in a dry climate and static cling was always a problem. I really dislike fabric softeners for multiple reasons, but this trick solved the problem. Take an old cloth (mine is a cloth napkin) and pin 7–10 big safety pins to it. Just toss it in the dryer with your clothes. The safety pins hit the sides of the dryer, continually grounding your laundry. works like a charm."

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The Power Of A To-Do List

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Reddit user boysvsfood2 wrote, "For me, personally, I make a to-do list but put like 3 or 4 things that are just mind-numbingly simple. I knock them out, cross them off, feel productive, and feel motivated to hammer out the tougher pieces."

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The Gamer's Hack

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Adolfo Gaich Portrait Session
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Photo Credit: Amilcar Orfali/Getty Images
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Reddit user DFSdog wrote, "Stay at least a year behind in technology and gaming. Better, yet, two. You'll save a ton of money." You'll just get updates a little bit later than the rest of the world.

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Cooling Off

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Instituto Terra Reforests Barren Atlantic Forest Portion
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Photo Credit: Christian Ender/Getty Images
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Reddit user Back2Bach wrote, "On hot days, our neighbor turns on his lawn sprinkler and sits next to it in a lawn chair in his bathing suit." You have to cool down somehow.

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Thieves Beware

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Photo Credit: Jennifer Polixenni Brankin/WireImage
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Reddit user tminor787 wrote, "My aunt puts her expensive jewelry in a Ziplock bag, and her cheap jewelry in the jewelry boxes. She apparently had a lot of her jewelry stolen in the past by family. She now only has the cheap stuff stolen."

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How To Fix A Fridge

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Kitchen interior of middle class American home in Kentucky, USA
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Photo Credit: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
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Reddit user ostentia wrote, "Today I fixed my refrigerator's water dispenser by forcefully pushing random buttons until it started working again. This was after reading the entire manual front-to-back twice didn’t help at all."

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Dirty Up Your Bike

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A nonprofit bkie shop helps kids learn to fix, and earn a bike.
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Photo Credit: Tracy A Woodward/The Washington Post via Getty Images
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Reddit user ElBeatch wrote, "Putting a piece a duct tape on your bike seat so people won't steal it. Who wants to try and sell a potentially ripped bike seat, let alone buy one?"

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Get Out Of His Face

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Photo Credit: Richard Levine/Corbis via Getty Images
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Reddit user jollysystem75 wrote, "Long story short: A boorish guy was bullying my grandfather at a movie theater. My grandpa turned around and literally blew air on his face. The man was so weirded out that he left the theater."

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How To Self-Motivate

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Orange County Register Archive
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Photo Credit: Mindy Schauer/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images
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Reddit user here_for_love wrote, "I have trouble with motivation and procrastination but I am learning that I routinely fall for some pretty dumb tricks... Giving myself a countdown: If I need to do something I don't want to do, I do it on the count of three, and for some reason, it really helps. Setting insanely easy goals to trick myself into starting a task (e.g. spend one minute practicing). Once I’ve started I usually keep going."

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Trick The Wasps

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Wasp colony builds nest around disregarded sneakers
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Reddit user Guaic wrote, "Tie up some plastic bags outside to mimic a wasp nest. Other wasps won't make a new nest thinking there is already one there." Nobody wants wasps near their house, not even other wasps.

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Make Your Bed

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A king size bed guest room at Bonaventure Resort and Spa.
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Photo Credit: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
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Reddit user xynix_le wrote, "As simplistic as it sounds, I make my bed every morning as soon as I get out of bed. Before anything else, no procrastinating, no 'I'll do it after I make coffee.' Small things like that have kept me moving. Especially as I've had to be stuck at home since Feb 28th, seeing that fresh looking bed every time I pass by my room is just an easy trick to feeling like I accomplished at least one thing today."

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I'm Talking With The Man In The Mirror

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Bathroom vanity in middle class American home in Kentucky USA
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Photo Credit: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
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Reddit user frejsinatorn wrote, "Telling yourself you look good in the mirror will make you think that you look better." We needed this wholesome content today. Go tell yourself you look amazing.

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Drink More Water

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Photo Credit: Lindsey Nicholson/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
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Reddit user Greensalsa96 wrote, "Feeling tired, headache, muscle cramps? Drink water. It is amazing how many people walk around in a state of dehydration. Water is an amazing fluid that solves a lot of problems."

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When You Feel Like You're Being Followed

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Re-opening Continues Across Densely Populated New York And New Jersey Areas
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Reddit user Zedofourkay wrote, "If you think someone is following you, literally act as crazy and stupid as you can. It is so stupid, but the other person is usually so freaked out they leave you alone"

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Go For A Dive

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Photo Credit: Edwin Remsberg / VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
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Reddit user Danke_Boyle wrote, "Spitting on the inside of a diving mask, and rubbing it around to prevent it from fogging up. I don't know the science behind it, but it’s a technique used by most divers I’ve met, including myself."

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Dress For Success

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Street Style - New York Fashion Week: Men's
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Photo Credit: Matthew Sperzel/Getty Images
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Reddit user lefouilly wrote, "Dressing well at work. You can be an amazing worker but people really do judge you by how you look. And by well I mean looking put together and professional."

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The Shaving Cream Trick

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Orange County Register Archive
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Photo Credit: Jeff Gritchen/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images
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Reddit user rednecknrusty wrote, "Wash your hands in shaving cream to remove fish/onion/nasty smells." This hack really works. For some reason, shaving cream gets rid of smells even better than soap.

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The Earbud Trick

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Street Style - Day 7 - New York Fashion Week February 2020
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Photo Credit: Edward Berthelot/Getty Images
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Reddit user Midas_artflower wrote, "Putting in earbuds but not listening to anything & instead listen to the people around you." We all know about this one, and boy is it a useful hack.

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Cure Your Brain Freeze

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Orange County Register Archive
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Photo Credit: Leonard Ortiz/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images
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Reddit user bishslap wrote, "Sucking your thumb on the roof of your mouth to ease brain freeze." It looks stupid, but it actually does work. So does pressing your tongue to the roof of your mouth.

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Unplug It And Plug It Back In

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A Dangerous Outlet
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Photo Credit: Tom Kelley/Getty Images
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Reddit user MackieMesser7 wrote, "Taking the plug out of a non-working machine and putting it back in." For some reason, this always works. It's basically foolproof. Why are machines so finicky like that?

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Take The Pain Away

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The human foot
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Photo Credit: Robert Alexander/Getty Images
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Reddit user Imnotcreative_lol wrote, "My friend told me when I stubbed my toe to say 'anal' and it actually helped the pain. I'm actually quite a serious person, but one can't deny results."

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The Toilet Song

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Dual Flush Toilet
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Photo Credit: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
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Reddit user Pronoetic wrote, "Sometimes, after using the restroom, I get worried that I forgot to flush so I go and check. 99.99% I did, but my brain is broken so I am constantly anxious about it. I now sing a little six-word song straight after flushing. The song sticks with me so I may chill in peace without worry that I left something for the next person to use the toilet."

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The Sock Solution

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Celebrity Sightings In Los Angeles - July 22, 2020
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Reddit user Bobby6k34 wrote, "Wearing two pairs of socks, one thin pair under a thick pair. Sounds stupid. It helps wick the sweat away from your feet reducing stinky feet and crusty socks."

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An Antiquated Hack

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Photo Credit: Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post via Getty Images
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Reddit user MotherAccount wrote, "Not that it's useful anymore, but dropping a VCR from a small height often fixes it. Source: cousin who worked as a VCR repair tech and my own personal experience."

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A Spoonful Of Peanut Butter

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Peanut Butter Prices Set To Rise Up To 30 Percent
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Reddit user Arkannofzakkul wrote, "Eat a spoon of peanut butter to stop hiccups. Works every time for some reason." Is there a problem that a spoonful of peanut butter can't fix?