Dad Hacks: Helpful Hints to Make Life Easier

By Dan Marshall

The author of Life Hacks returns with this indispensable, fully illustrated manual—featuring 112 ingenious yet simple tricks, shortcuts, and ideas—every dad needs to solve a host of everyday annoyances and dilemmas.

Packed with a wealth of advice, Dad Hacks offers invaluable solutions for more than one hundred common problems fathers face everyday. These hacks—“a trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method that increases productivity and efficiency”—use basic materials and familiar techniques in ingenious ways. Tired of replacing your razors? Blast the blade with a hairdryer. The shot of hot air will eliminate residual moisture and help prevent oxidization and dulling.

Conveniently packaged in a portable flexibound format with rounded corners, Dad Hacks provides creative fixes—all fully illustrated and easy to follow—for a wide range of ordinary occurrences, including:

• Household Hacks

• Food and Drink Hacks

• DIY Hacks

• Gadget Hacks

• Health and Well-being Hacks

• Hacks on the Go

• Car and Bike Hacks

• Hacks for the Kids

• Garden and Outdoor Hacks

• Clothing and Grooming Hacks

With advice for the car, office, house, electronics, travel, and much, much more, Dad Hacks is essential for every tool kit, glove box, and work drawer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: May 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9780062467942

Dan Marshall

DAN MARSHALL grew up in a nice home with nice parents in Salt Lake City, Utah, before attending UC Berkeley. After college, Dan worked at a strategic communications public relations firm in Los Angeles. At 25, he left work and returned to Salt Lake to take care of his sick parents. While caring for them, he started writing detailed accounts about many of their weird, sad, funny adventures. Home Is Burning is his first book.

Book preview

DISCLAIMER

Neither the author nor the publisher can be held responsible for any loss or claim arising out of the use, or misuse, of the suggestions made herein.

CONTENTS

Disclaimer

Introduction

Household Hacks

Heavy-Lifting Helper

Wardrobe Expansion Kit

Key-Ring Cracker

Easy-Empty Trash Can

Small Item—Retrieval System

Velcro Holders

Bathroom Bucket Fill

Crayon Remover

Hoodie Popcorn Holder

Silly Safety Routine

Nook-and-Cranny Vacuum

Dead-Battery Bounce

Food and Drink Hacks

Paper Beer-Chiller

Super Nutcracker Hands

Leftovers—Pizza Party

Instant Ice Cream Sundae

Boozy Watermelon

Leftovers—Microwave Magic

Paper Bottle Opener

The Ultimate Toasted Sandwich

Cheap-Wine Improver

Juicy Ice Cube Burgers

Stay Fizzy

No-Mess Pancakes

Six-Pack Dining

DIY Hacks

Blister-Pack Crack

No-Dust Drilling

Anti-Drip Paint Can

Garden Rake Tool Organizer

Bread Eraser

Nonslip Rug

Power Cord Perfection

Easy-Clean Paint Tray

Razor Paint Remover

Cola Cleanup

Screwed Screws Unscrewed

Gadget Hacks

Retro Phone Stand

Cable Organizer

Phone Lantern

Laptop Cooler

Beanbag Camera Tripod

Bonus USB Charging Point

Tab Restorer

Charger Holdall

In-Flight Smartphone TV

Emergency Phone Resuscitator

Charge Booster

Health and Well-being Hacks

Mow Yourself Smarter

Small Stomach—Smaller Plate

Assisted Splinter-Removal

Workout Piggy Bank

Snuff Out Your Sniffles

Nondrip Ice Pack

Tickly-Throat Reliever

Stop Smoking (Seriously, Stop It)

Custom Hydration System

Hacks on the Go

Monkey Banana Peeler

Privacy Coat Hanger

Portable Chip Bowls

The Beer-Mat Beer Saver

Karabiner Bag-Holder

Multipurpose Shower Cap

Get On a Roll

Balloon Ear-Popper

Glass Fly-Repellent

Car and Bike Hacks

Car-Remote Booster

Car Door Bumper

In-Car Hostess Trolley

Car Crash Safety Splash

Headlight Brightener

Car Feng Shui

Gas Cap Predictor

Budget Bike Rack

De-Stink Your Water Bottle

DIY Snow Tires

Sugar Hand-Degreaser

Hacks for the Kids

Magic Banana Messages

Mess-Free Painting

Bedtime Bumper

Bug-Proof Drink Cover

Instant Table Hammock

Ice Cube Tray Snack Caddy

The Frisbee Throw

Diy Stairway Slide

Popsicle Drip-Catchers

Apple Slice Trick

Glow-in-the-Dark Bowling

Garden and Outdoor Hacks

Sand Storage for Tools

Baking Soda Weed Killer

Garden Hose Repair

Two-for-One Herbs

Potato Rust-Remover

Coffee Critter Repellent

Daylight Measure

Bug-Bite Reliever

Seeing in the Dark

Tea Bag Boot Deodorizer

Backpack Trash Bag

Clothing and Grooming Hacks

Collar Straighteners

Stuck-Zipper Release

Lemon Sweat-Stain Remover

Iron-Free Ironing

Freezer Jean Clean

Closet Clear-Out

Restring a Drawstring

Work Shirt Shuttle

DIY Beard Oil

Suit-Jacket Buttons

Shaving-Razor Saver

Random Hacks

Wake-Up Call

Baby Dust-Buster

Re-Ping Your Pong

Tortilla Chip Kindling

Snow Skid Pads

Life of Pi

No-More-Tangles Headphones

Final Word

Hacks Index

Copyright

About the Publisher

INTRODUCTION

Being a dad is tough. As a responsible parent, you’re expected to dedicate time and attention to the upbringing of your child (or children)—essential things, like their ABCs. But where does that leave the three Bs—beer, burgers, and baseball? (Other sports work here too, but there are only so many beginning with b.) The truth is, whatever you’re into—be it books, beer, or ballet—parental duties always require effort, and we here at the Life Hacks Institute are doing everything in our power to free mankind from this terrible, terrible burden.

Inside you’ll find over a hundred ways to save time and effort—whether it’s while cleaning up around the house, chowing down on some delicious takeout, or helping little Johnny or Daisy have a kick-ass time with a cardboard box. In short, this book will help you in almost every aspect of your life (except maybe in the bedroom—if you made it to fatherhood, you’re probably doing OK in that area already).

HOUSEHOLD HACKS

A dad’s duties around the house can be challenging. Efficient snacking, for instance, is a serious business—and what’s a guy to do when his novelty shirt collection has grown too large for the closet? Not to mention solving the age-old problem of keeping track of the TV remote. This chapter will help with all of these issues and more.

HEAVY-LIFTING HELPER

Having moved houses several times, I must confess that this next hack never crossed my mind. I’m an idiot. An idiot with a bad back. Here’s how it should be done.

If you’re packing up to move or simply storing the mountain of painfully expensive and now woefully neglected stack of toys that have been gathering dust for the past year, load heavy items into a suitcase with wheels and pull it to wherever it needs to go. The last thing you need is to load up a heavy box only to have the bottom fall out on you. Heavy things hurt when they land on your toes.