7 Clever Uses for Tea Bags and Hair Clips

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Are you looking for quick and simple ways to make life easier? These ingenious life hacks involving two common household items — tea bags and hair clips — can help you stay organized and more efficient. Take a look.

Tea Bags

The first days of autumn bring crisper weather and a penchant for hot beverages. After a cozy cup of tea, don't throw out the tea bag. Instead, re-purpose them in these handy ways. (See also: 10 Terrific Uses for Tea)

1. Diffuse Under Eye Swelling

Tea bags are an age-old trick to diffuse bags or swelling under the eyes. Just sit back, apply used tea bags to your tired eyes, and allow the caffeine and cool dampness do their magic.

2. Clean Mirrors and Glass

Mirrors and windows are notoriously hard to clean. Use your old tea bags to clean them — their soft, cloth or paper surface is ideal for removing smudges and fingerprints.

3. Absorb Odors

Want an easy alternative to baking soda for a fresh fridge? Place tea bags in mug, and put them in your fridge — this absorbs odors efficiently.

Hair Clips

Hair clips are another common household item to which we rarely give a second thought, but these smart hacks will make you see them in a whole new light. (See also: 15 New Uses for Hair Clips)

4. Organize Your Cords and Wires

We all have a bunch of cords, wires, and cables hanging around at the home entertainment center or computer desk. You can use jaw clips or large barrettes to keep them looking much more neat and tidy. Use several small clips along the length of the wires, or if you have them, a couple of the much bigger clips. As they come in a wide variety of colors, you can even use clips that coordinate with the color of the wires, including white, black, yellow, or blue.

5. Prevent Tangled Necklaces

Banana clips come in many varieties, but the ones with teeth spaced apart widely are great for hanging necklaces over. Hang one over each tooth, then close and fasten the banana clip, and place it in a drawer. No more tangles, knots, and other necklace annoyances.

6. Turn a Hair Clip Into a Chip Clip

One of the most popular uses for hair clips in my household is for keeping large bags of chips closed. Hair clips are just as good as chip clips for this job, and when the chip bag is empty, you still have the hair clip available for its original use, should you need it.

7. Keep Socks Together

Socks. They have a habit of losing their partners, and you end up with a bunch of odd ones. Snap clips are a great way to stop this from happening. Simply place the snap over the top edges of the sock where the two pieces of fabric meet. This can even keep them together in the washing machine, if the snap clip is strong enough and water-resistant.