How to Crack a Wi-Fi Network's WPA Password with Reaver
How to Crack a Wi-Fi Network's WEP Password with BackTrack
You already know that if you want to lock down your Wi-Fi network, you should opt for WPA encryption because WEP is easy to crack. But did you know… Read…
Your Wi-Fi network is your conveniently wireless gateway to the internet, and since you're not keen on sharing your connection with any old hooligan who happens to be walking past your home, you secure your network with a password, right? Knowing, as you might, how easy it is to crack a WEP password, you probably secure your network using the more bulletproof WPA security protocol. P
Here's the bad news: A new, free, open-source tool called Reaver exploits a security hole in wireless routers and can crack most routers' current passwords with relative ease. Here's how to crack a WPA or WPA2 password, step by step, with Reaver—and how to protect your network against Reaver attacks. P
In the first section of this post, I'll walk through the steps required to crack a WPA password using Reaver. You can follow along with either the video or the text below. After that, I'll explain how Reaver works, and what you can do to protect your network against Reaver attacks. P
First, a quick note: As we remind often remind readers when we discuss topics that appear potentially malicious: Knowledge is power, but power doesn't mean you should be a jerk, or do anything illegal. Knowing how to pick a lock doesn't make you a thief. Consider this post educational, or a proof-of-concept intellectual exercise. The more you know, the better you can protect yourself.
What You'll Need P
You don't have to be a networking wizard to use Reaver, the command-line tool that does the heavy lifting, and if you've got a blank DVD, a computer with compatible Wi-Fi, and a few hours on your hands, you've got basically all you'll need. There are a number of ways you could set up Reaver, but here are the specific requirements for this guide: P
- The BackTrack 5 Live DVD. BackTrack is a bootable Linux distribution that's filled to the brim with network testing tools, and while it's not strictly required to use Reaver, it's the easiest approach for most users. Download the Live DVD from BackTrack's download page and burn it to a DVD. You can alternately download a virtual machine image if you're using VMware, but if you don't know what VMware is, just stick with the Live DVD. As of this writing, that means you should select BackTrack 5 R3 from the Release drop-down, select Gnome, 32- or 64-bit depending on your CPU (if you don't know which you have, 32 is a safe bet), ISO for image, and then download the ISO. P
- A computer with Wi-Fi and a DVD drive. BackTrack will work with the wireless card on most laptops, so chances are your laptop will work fine. However, BackTrack doesn't have a full compatibility list, so no guarantees. You'll also need a DVD drive, since that's how you'll boot into BackTrack. I used a six-year-old MacBook Pro. P
- A nearby WPA-secured Wi-Fi network. Technically, it will need to be a network using WPA security with the WPS feature enabled. I'll explain in more detail in the "How Reaver Works" section how WPS creates the security hole that makes WPA cracking possible. P
- A little patience. This is a 4-step process, and while it's not terribly difficult to crack a WPA password with Reaver, it's a brute-force attack, which means your computer will be testing a number of different combinations of cracks on your router before it finds the right one. When I tested it, Reaver took roughly 2.5 hours to successfully crack my password. The Reaver home page suggests it can take anywhere from 4-10 hours. Your mileage may vary. P
Let's Get Crackin' P
At this point you should have BackTrack burned to a DVD, and you should have your laptop handy. P
Step 1: Boot into BackTrack P
To boot into BackTrack, just put the DVD in your drive and boot your machine from the disc. (Google around if you don't know anything about live CDs/DVDs and need help with this part.) During the boot process, BackTrack will prompt you to to choose the boot mode. Select "BackTrack Text - Default Boot Text Mode" and press Enter. P
Eventually BackTrack will boot to a command line prompt. When you've reached the prompt, type startx and press Enter. BackTrack will boot into its graphical interface. P
Step 2: Install Reaver P
Update: This step is no longer necessary, as Reaver comes pre-installed on Backtrack 5 R3. Skip down to Step 3. P
Reaver has been added to the bleeding edge version of BackTrack, but it's not yet incorporated with the live DVD, so as of this writing, you need to install Reaver before proceeding. (Eventually, Reaver will simply be incorporated with BackTrack by default.) To install Reaver, you'll first need to connect to a Wi-Fi network that you have the password to. P
- counter(item, decimal) .
- Click Applications > Internet > Wicd Network Manager
- counter(item, decimal) .
- Select your network and click Connect, enter your password if necessary, click OK, and then click Connect a second time.
Now that you're online, let's install Reaver. Click the Terminal button in the menu bar (or click Applications > Accessories > Terminal). At the prompt, type: P
apt-get update P
And then, after the update completes: P
apt-get install reaver P
If all went well, Reaver should now be installed. It may seem a little lame that you need to connect to a network to do this, but it will remain installed until you reboot your computer. At this point, go ahead and disconnect from the network by opening Wicd Network Manager again and clicking Disconnect. (You may not strictly need to do this. I did just because it felt like I was somehow cheating if I were already connected to a network.) P
Step 3: Gather Your Device Information, Prep Your Crackin' P
In order to use Reaver, you need to get your wireless card's interface name, the BSSID of the router you're attempting to crack (the BSSID is a unique series of letters and numbers that identifies a router), and you need to make sure your wireless card is in monitor mode. So let's do all that. P
Find your wireless card: Inside Terminal, type: P
iwconfig P
Press Enter. You should see a wireless device in the subsequent list. Most likely, it'll be named wlan0, but if you have more than one wireless card, or a more unusual networking setup, it may be named something different. P
Put your wireless card into monitor mode: Assuming your wireless card's interface name is wlan0, execute the following command to put your wireless card into monitor mode: P
airmon-ng start wlan0 P
This command will output the name of monitor mode interface, which you'll also want to make note of. Most likely, it'll be mon0, like in the screenshot below. Make note of that. P
Find the BSSID of the router you want to crack: Lastly, you need to get the unique identifier of the router you're attempting to crack so that you can point Reaver in the right direction. To do this, execute the following command: P
airodump-ng wlan0 P
(Note: If airodump-ng wlan0 doesn't work for you, you may want to try the monitor interface instead—e.g., airodump-ng mon0.) P
You'll see a list of the wireless networks in range—it'll look something like the screenshot below: P
When you see the network you want, press Ctrl+C to stop the list from refreshing, then copy that network's BSSID (it's the series of letters, numbers, and colons on the far left). The network should have WPA or WPA2 listed under the ENC column. (If it's WEP, use our previous guide to cracking WEP passwords.) P
Now, with the BSSID and monitor interface name in hand, you've got everything you need to start up Reaver. P
Step 4: Crack a Network's WPA Password with Reaver P
Now execute the following command in the Terminal, replacing bssid and moninterface with the BSSID and monitor interface and you copied down above: P
reaver -i moninterface -b bssid -vv P
For example, if your monitor interface was mon0 like mine, and your BSSID was 8D:AE:9D:65:1F:B2 (a BSSID I just made up), your command would look like: P
reaver -i mon0 -b 8D:AE:9D:65:1F:B2 -vv P
Press Enter, sit back, and let Reaver work its disturbing magic. Reaver will now try a series of PINs on the router in a brute force attack, one after another. This will take a while. In my successful test, Reaver took 2 hours and 30 minutes to crack the network and deliver me with the correct password. As mentioned above, the Reaver documentation says it can take between 4 and 10 hours, so it could take more or less time than I experienced, depending. When Reaver's cracking has completed, it'll look like this: P
S Expand
A few important factors to consider: Reaver worked exactly as advertised in my test, but it won't necessarily work on all routers (see more below). Also, the router you're cracking needs to have a relatively strong signal, so if you're hardly in range of a router, you'll likely experience problems, and Reaver may not work. Throughout the process, Reaver would sometimes experience a timeout, sometimes get locked in a loop trying the same PIN repeatedly, and so on. I just let it keep on running, and kept it close to the router, and eventually it worked its way through. P
Also of note, you can also pause your progress at any time by pressing Ctrl+C while Reaver is running. This will quit the process, but Reaver will save any progress so that next time you run the command, you can pick up where you left off-as long as you don't shut down your computer (which, if you're running off a live DVD, will reset everything). P
How Reaver Works P
Now that you've seen how to use Reaver, let's take a quick overview of how Reaver works. The tool takes advantage of a vulnerability in something called Wi-Fi Protected Setup, or WPS. It's a feature that exists on many routers, intended to provide an easy setup process, and it's tied to a PIN that's hard-coded into the device. Reaver exploits a flaw in these PINs; the result is that, with enough time, it can reveal your WPA or WPA2 password. P
Read more details about the vulnerability at Sean Gallagher's excellent post on Ars Technica. P
How to Protect Yourself Against Reaver Attacks P
Since the vulnerability lies in the implementation of WPS, your network should be safe if you can simply turn off WPS (or, even better, if your router doesn't support it in the first place). Unfortunately, as Gallagher points out as Ars, even with WPS manually turned off through his router's settings, Reaver was still able to crack his password. P
In a phone conversation, Craig Heffner said that the inability to shut this vulnerability down is widespread. He and others have found it to occur with every Linksys and Cisco Valet wireless access point they've tested. "On all of the Linksys routers, you cannot manually disable WPS," he said. While the Web interface has a radio button that allegedly turns off WPS configuration, "it's still on and still vulnerable. P
So that's kind of a bummer. You may still want to try disabling WPS on your router if you can, and test it against Reaver to see if it helps. P
You could also set up MAC address filtering on your router (which only allows specifically whitelisted devices to connect to your network), but a sufficiently savvy hacker could detect the MAC address of a whitelisted device and use MAC address spoofing to imitate that computer. P
Double bummer. So what will work? P
I have the open-source router firmware DD-WRT installed on my router and I was unable to use Reaver to crack its password. As it turns out, DD-WRT does not support WPS, so there's yet another reason to love the free router-booster. If that's got you interested in DD-WRT, check their supported devices list to see if your router's supported. It's a good security upgrade, and DD-WRT can also do cool things like monitor your internet usage, set up a network hard drive, act as a whole-house ad blocker, boost the range of your Wi-Fi network, and more. It essentially turns your $60 router into a $600 router. P
How to Monitor Your Internet Usage So You Don't Exceed Your Data Cap
Internet data caps are becoming a reality and can seriously suck. If you're stuck with the limitation, the best thing you can do is monitor your … Read…
Get More Out of Your DD-WRT Router with an External Drive
You've supercharged your router with DD-WRT, you're using it to monitor your bandwidth use, and yet you still wish it could do more. Well… Read…
Further Reading P
Thanks to this post on Mauris Tech Blog for a very straightforward starting point for using Reaver. If you're interested in reading more, see: P
- Ars Technia's hands on P
- This Linux-centric guide from Null Byte P
- The Reaver product page (it's also available in a point-and-click friendly commercial version. P
Reddit user jagermo (who I also spoke with briefly while researching Reaver) has created a public spreadsheat intended to build a list of vulnerable devices so you can check to see if your router is susceptible to a Reaver crack. P
Have any experience of your own using Reaver? Other comments or concerns? Let's hear it in the comments. P
Posted on November 27th, 2013
Something you know v something you have
Posted on November 27th, 2013
IT Best Practices: The Polarity of Security and Privacy | Connected Social Media
IT Best Practices: The Polarity of Security and Privacy
For more information on Intel IT best practices , please visit www.intel.com/IT
IT Best Practices : Security and privacy are like magnets. When they are turned in the right direction they are perfectly binding. But if one starts turning, they start to push away from each other. Listen to Malcolm Harkins, Intel Chief Security and Privacy Officer, discuss how organizations can manage the polarity of security and privacy with collaboration and a balanced approach.
Related posts:
- IT Best Practices: The 21st Century CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) IT Best Practices: From the book “Managing Risk and Information Security: Protect to Enable" by Malcolm Harkins As the technology environment continues to evolve, many people believe we’re moving toward a future in which organizations outsource much of the delivery...
- Inside IT: Malcolm Harkins – Business Velocity in the Changing Security Landscape IT Best Practices: Episode 61 – In this podcast we engage in a wide-ranging discussion on business velocity, security, and privacy with Intel’s Malcolm Harkins. Harkins has a unique view from his position as the Chief Security and Privacy Officer...
- Inside IT: Security and Business Intelligence IT Best Practices: Episode 45 – Intel’s approach to security has evolved. The current strategy looks to apply reasonable protections that allow information to flow through the organization. This reduces risk, but maintains a quality user experience. A big component...
- Intel IT Best Practices: Rethinking Information Security with Intel CISO In this short IT Security vblog, Malcolm Harkins, Intel CISO, talks about why Intel IT has undertaken a radical new five-year redesign of our information security architecture. Malcolm says that compromise is inevitable under almost any compute model, find out...
- IT Best Practices: Rethink Privacy IT Best Practices: Consumers care about privacy, is your company or organization paying attention? This video shows why companies and organizations should incorporate privacy early in their design, development, and deployment process – whether they’re working on products, programs or...
- IT Best Practices: Information Security and Cloud Computing Intel CISO, Malcolm Harkins shares his perspective on security and the cloud. ...
- Inside IT: Stopping Viruses and Threats IT Best Practices: Episode 15 – Information Technology has changed dramatically in just a few years, and the security threat has changed along with it. The opportunities for bad actors to infiltrate an organization have grown, and the nature of...
- Intel IT Best Practices: Intel CISO Discusses Misperception of Risk Intel CISO, Malcolm Harkins believes that underestimating or over exaggerating risk is one of the biggest vulnerabilities we face. Watch this short vblog to hear Malcolm’s explanation. ...
- IT Best Practices: Intel IT Embraces Social Computing Intel CISO, Malcolm Harkins suggests we embrace social media and social computing to reduce risk. ...
- IT Best Practices: Protecting the Perimeter IT Best Practices: From the book “Managing Risk and Information Security: Protect to Enable" by Malcolm Harkins At Intel, we are well aware of the risks associated with social media, but attempting to stop the use of external social media...
Posted in: Corporate , Featured , HD Video , Information Technology , Intel , Intel IT , IT@Intel , Security , Video Podcast
Tags: data security , governance , information security , information technology , Intel , Intel IT , IT Best Practices , IT Business Value , IT Whitepaper , IT@Intel , Malcolm Harkins , privacy , privacy principles , protect to enable
Posted on November 27th, 2013
8 Basic Life-Saving Skills Everyone Should Know
We've featured a ton of survival and MacGyver tips over the years that could help you out of a fix, but what if you're next to someone else who's having an emergency? Don't just stand there as the person chokes or faints! Know what to do in these life-or-death situations.P
Before we start, the very first thing you should do is call for emergency help (or if someone else is around make sure they call 911). Then, while you're waiting, see what you can do to help the person. Also, make your safety a priority too. As flight attendants emphasize before takeoff, when the oxygen mask comes down, you have to secure yours first —otherwise you're of no use to anyone else.P
These things in mind, you don't need to be an Emergency Medical Technician or other health pro to possibly save someone's life one day. Here are a few things to know.P
How to Perform CPRP
When you think "life-saving skills," the first thing that probably comes to mind is CPR , the technique that could make all the difference for someone who has collapsed and is under cardiac arrest. It's always best to take a class, so you know the proper procedures and have practiced them beforehand, but even without official training you could save a life if no one else is around with more CPR experience. Solely watching a one-minute instruction video about CPR could make you a better life-saver . P
"Hands-only" CPR can be done for anyone (except newborns) whose heart has stopped beating, according to the American Heart Association/Mayo Clinic . With this technique, also known as "compression-only" CPR, you press down about 2 inches deep on the chest at a rate of about 100 times per minute until the paramedics arrive—and skip the giving breath part. According to one medical review examiner , singing the BeeGees' song "Stayin' Alive" will help you keep that tempo. (Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" is another alternative, but probably not appropriate in this situation).P
What to Do If Someone May Be Having a Heart Attack P
With one out of every seven deaths happening in the US because of heart disease, it's important to know the common signs of heart attacks and what you can do to help a person going through it. Sometimes the symptoms are obviously cardiac arrest (which would require CPR, above), and at other times they're not so dramatic and could just seem like heartburn . After calling for help, if the person is over the age of 16 and confirms he/she isn't allergic to aspirin—and isn't taking any medications that could interact with it—offer a tablet of aspirin, which the Mayo Clinic says could reduce damage to the heart. P
How to Help Someone Who Is ChokingP
In restaurants everywhere, you see posters illustrating how to do the Heimlich maneuver when the person's airway is blocked by food or another object. Chances are those posters aren't in your home or out in the street as you go about your everyday life, so this first aid technique, demonstrated in the video above, is useful to memorize for any environment. Note: before doing the abdominal thrusts, give five blows to the person's back with the heel of your hand .P
There are different techniques for children and infants , whose small tracheas and propensity to swallow random objects put the fear of choking into every parent. P
How to Save Someone Who's DrowningP
Drowning is one of the most common causes of accidental death, especially among children. If you're not a skilled swimmer who knows how to swim with a possibly flailing person, the most important thing to know is that swimming out to the person should be the last resort. Family Doctor offers this mnemonic: "Reach, throw, row, go" P
- Reach: If the person is near the edge of a pool or dock, lie flat on the ground and try to reach the person. Use a tree branch, oar, towel, or shepherd's hook to lengthen your reach. If you have to, get in the water and hold onto the pool edge or dock while trying to reach the person
- Throw: Throw a safety ring, if available
- Row: Get a boat (again, if one's available)
- Go: Swim out as the last resort. Bring a rescue safety ring, towel, or shirt with you so you can two the person in.
How to Treat BleedingP
There are different kinds of bleeding, from a minor scrape to the most dangerous type, arterial bleeding. In either case, your goal is to stop the bleeding as soon as possible. According to the Mayo Clinic , after washing your hands and putting on gloves (if available. A clean plastic bag could suffice), you should:P
- Have the person lie down and cover him or her with a blanket. Elevate the site of bleeding.
- Remove any obvious dirt or debris from the wound, but leave any large or deeply embedded objects.
- Apply continuous pressure with a clean cloth or bandage for at least 20 minutes without looking to see if the bleeding has stopped.
- Add more gauze if you need to.
- If the bleeding doesn't stop, apply pressure to the artery: "Pressure points of the arm are on the inside of the arm just above the elbow and just below the armpit. Pressure points of the leg are just behind the knee and in the groin. Squeeze the main artery in these areas against the bone. Keep your fingers flat. With your other hand, continue to exert pressure on the wound itself."
- Leave the bandages in place and immobilize the injured body part once the bleeding has stopped.
How to Treat a BurnP
Large or severe burns should be treated by a medical professional, but Dr. Matthew Hoffman offers this advice on WebMD for steps you can take:P
Immediately after a burn, run cool tap water over the skin for 10 minutes. Then, cool the skin with a moist compress. Don't put ice, butter or anything else directly on the burned skin. Clean the skin gently with mild soap and tap water. Take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Aleve) for pain. Simple burns involving only the very surface of the skin do not need dressings.P
The BBC , however, recommends running cold water for at least 20 minutes, as this can help for up to three hours, and also advises you remove clothing and jewelry. (That butter remedy really is a myth, by the way. Apparently people would put yogurt, tomato paste, raw egg whites, sliced potatoes, and even cooking oil on a burn. Butter might be useful if you have hot tar on your skin, but otherwise save those other items for your meals instead.) P
How to Deliver Baby in a Car (or Anywhere Else)P
The fear of every pregnant woman and her partner: Having to deliver the baby without help. This might not be a priority life skill for you if you don't often find yourself in the company of a pregnant lady, but one of the things about survival skills is you never know when you're going to need them. So, take this advice from The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook , which says that babies basically deliver themselves (but still could use a little help):P
- Time the uterine contractions. You'll know it's most likely real rather than false when contractions are about three to five minutes apart and last forty to ninety seconds, as well as increasing in strength and frequency, for at least an hour. This is for first-time mothers.
- Support the baby's head and then body as it moves out of the mother's body
- Dry off the baby and keep it warm. Don't slap the baby's bottom, but do clear out any fluid from the baby's mouth with your fingers if necessary.
- Tie off the umbilical cord several inches from the baby with a piece of string (e.g., a shoelace).
- You don't have to cut the cord unless you're hours from the hospital. If that's the case, safely cut the cord by tying it again a few inches closer to the mother and cutting between the knots.
If you have absolutely no alternative and the baby is starting to emerge feet first (a breech baby), the instructions are the same.P
How to Carry Someone Heavier Than YouP
Usually it's best to leave a person who's hurt where they are until medical help comes. You should never move a person who might have a head, neck, or spinal injury. In other cases, however, you might need to move someone to a safer location. If you're not very strong or that person is heavier than you, here's how to lift that person without hurting yourself in the process:P
- With the person facing you, take the person's arm and pull it over your shoulder
- Kneel down or crouch down so the person's middle is against your shoulder
- Thrust up with your legs and hips to stand. Don't lean forward or you'll hurt your back.
- The person will now be hung over your shoulder and you can walk around.
WikiHow offers illustrated steps. It also recommends trying this on small people or children first, which could be awkward or entertaining depending on the guinea pig.P
Hopefully you'll never need to put any of these life-saving tips into play, but whether you have a first aid kit on you or not , at least you'll know what to do just in case. Bonus: Here's a printable two-page guide (PDF) to treating a few other common injuries, including a bleeding nose and sprains, from Real Simple.P
Photos by piotr_pabijan (Shutterstock), J. Heuser , historicair , Little Li , Valerie Everett , City of Boston Archives , Daquella manera .P
Posted on November 22nd, 2013
Decrease Your Chances of Being Arrested with These Tips from an Ex-Cop
Want to stay out of jail? Then listen to the advice from Dale Carson, a defense attorney who used to be an FBI agent, SWAT sniper, and policeman. Carson says cops these days are racing to arrest as many people as possible, but we have ways of beating that predatory system.P
The advice or "rules," taken from Carson's book Arrest-Proof Yourself and summarized on The Atlantic, are: P
- Stay away from cops or, if you can't, try to blend in. I.e., if you're going to do something illegal, do it at home. When out and about, the people who will attract a cop's attention are the ones with pot leaf bumper stickers, unusual hairstyles and clothes, and so on. "In reality, cops love hassling people who stand out."1 P
- Give in to the psychological battle in order to win "the contest for custody of your body." Make eye contact and be polite—no matter how insulting the cops are. But don't smile.2 P
- If that doesn't work and it looks like you're going to get arrested, be pitiful. Ask or beg for a notice to appear before a judge instead of being arrested.3 P
- Never allow a cop to search your car without a warrant or probable cause.4 5 P
Hit up the link below for a bunch of other interesting tips that are good to know even if you're a model citizen. These know your rights cards are useful to have in your wallet as well.P
An Ex-Cop's Guide to Not Getting Arrested | The AtlanticP
Photo by nerdcoregirl .P
I read this piece a while back and got to thinking about it back then. Just for a little added information for anyone who may be in the same boat that I'm in, I've found this video, from a CNN interview on the topic and featuring LeVar Burton himself, to be pretty descriptive, and similar to what I was taught when I was young about interacting with police, especially during traffic stops:
Now, what I was taught was a little different - namely that instead of putting your hands outside the window, put them on your steering wheel at 10 and 2, in plain view from any angle outside of the vehicle.
Another point that I think varies from time to time or person to person is not to smile. I agree you don't want to try and be friendly or chummy - the officer isn't pulling you over to say hello - but in some cases you may want to at least be courteous or crack a smile - otherwise you may be perceived as cold, and at worst, aggressive. I was always taught to be pleasant and polite. Not friendly, and never volunteer information not explicitly asked, but pleasant.
Of course, all of this advice is *in light of,* not in lieu of, keeping your nose clean and trying your damnedest to make sure you don't get pulled over in the first place. That means don't give police a reason to target you at all, whether it's blend in or don't break the law or whatever. Of course, we all know that's not enough to avoid the eye of law enforcement from time to time, so the other tips are useful too.
I've known good cops and I've known seriously bad ones, but best case is that the cop isn't a jerk and you're being overly cautious for nothing and get home safe. Worst case (or well, not *worst* worst case, but you know what I mean) you don't give the officer reason to take you in-or worse, and you get home safe. That's the goal - getting home safe.Yesterday 10:29am
This is a reality that I never understood growing up until I moved out on my own and ended up around a more diverse group of people. It's kind of shocking and even more shocking that some of my friends don't actually acknowledge that it's a problem.Yesterday 11:34am
Not just out to be contrary here, but I have never felt the need to treat a police officer any different than I would anyway else. If they're professional, I'm professional. If they're an asshat, well, our day gets really interesting. Having said that, I rarely run into an asshat police officer. Only a handful of times, I think. Only twice in my home state.Yesterday 12:22pm
Also, something more timely, when you get pulled over by a cop, please don't give him lip, put your hands on the steering wheel, make no sudden movement, if you need to get something from the glove compartment let him know before hand, give him license and registration when requested, and accept the ticket if he issues it and be on your way.Yesterday 9:07am
I always make sure to have my license, registration, and insurance in hand before the cop even gets to the door. It makes me look prepared, and actually boosts confidence because you don't have to fumble around in your glove box looking for it. You can be "Johnny on the spot" with it. ALWAYS be polite and say yes-sir, no-sir (or ma'am). It really goes a long way.Yesterday 9:23am
That may not always be the best idea. Reaching into your glove box could make an officer nervous, thinking you're reaching for something you shouldn't be. Best bet is always to wait until they ask you for it.Yesterday 9:29am
uNever allow a cop to search your car without a warrant or probable cause.
Good luck with that one.Yesterday 9:40am
Yea, in the real world... this stuff only results in black eyes. Yesterday 9:50am
If a Cop asks to search your car, then they have the ability to detain you and make you wait until a Search Dog comes to sniff your car. It is, at that point, that they will look at that dog and take ANYTHING he does as a sign of a hit.
From there, the cop will have the ability to search your car based on that.
If you've got nothing to hide in your car, just do yourself the favor and let them search it because they're going to anyway..Yesterday 10:19am
Here's a tip: Don't break the law...?Yesterday 11:33am
If you're in a city, are young, and live your life fully (or if you're not white), it's inevitable that you'll be questioned by cops for some reason.Yesterday 1:27pm
That's a good start.Yesterday 1:51pm
seems to explain pretty darn good, and it's from both a current Cop and a LawyerYesterday 9:35am
1) See linked YouTube video, interest piqued
2) Click linked YouTube video to play
3) See "48:40"
4) Click linked YouTube video to stop
5) ???
6) PROFIT?Yesterday 9:42am
Yes, it's an actual class lecture so it's long. It's also quite good and worth watching, seriously, even/especially for a law-abiding citizen.Yesterday 9:51am
uGive in to the psychological battle in order to win "the contest for custody of your body." Make eye contact and be polite—no matter how insulting the cops are. But don't smile.
What exactly is wrong with smiling? I have always considered smiling to be part of being polite...Yesterday 10:25am
I wondered the same thing.Yesterday 10:45am
Unless you're totally comfortable with an armed individual questioning you, then smiling shows a sign of nervousness and/or insecurity that can signal you're hiding something.Yesterday 12:00pm
Might I also suggest: SHUT UP. Don't offer extra information. Don't say shit that you think won't incriminate you. If you're in some sort of "arrest zone", just STFU and ask for a lawyer. The cops are NOT your friends. Doesn't mean they're evil, but they really don't have your (a suspect to them) best interest in mind.Yesterday 9:23am
Exactly. I have tried to teach my kids this - there is no right answer to "do you know how fast you were going?" Anything you say is incriminating in some way. Either you're an inattentive driver or a scofflaw. Hand the nice officer your license and insurance, and keep your mouth shut.Yesterday 9:31am
What is incriminating in saying, "I believe I was under the speed limit."?Yesterday 9:41am
uIf that doesn't work and it looks like you're going to get arrested, be pitiful. Ask or beg for a notice to appear before a judge instead of being arrested.
Also, if you know that the charges they are putting on you are total and utter garbage (to pad his numbers at the end of the month.*) you can ask to see a higher ranked officer. DEMAND IT. Chances are you will be getting some 350lb Desk Dinosaur who hasn't been out on a real crime scene in a decade, and he will be so pissed with you making him come all the way out there that he will tell the lower ranked officer to let you off with a warning.
But you have to be sure that the charges are really garbage. Because if TWO cops issue you garbage, and you show up to court to fight them—that is two cops that are off the street, not making money with tickets, and also they HATE showing up to court for bogus stuff.
* A "quota" is MOSTLY a myth that is perpetuated by urban lore... That is not to say that there are not more tickets issued at the end of the month—there are—but there is no official on paper thing that says you need to issue X number of tickets a month. How could they? What are they doing to do, go out and make up crimes to hand out tickets for? No, that doesn't make sense... But if one officer hands out 100 tickets, and another only does 25... Well... Internal investigations can happen 'randomly' like that...Yesterday 11:41am
There is enough anecdotal evidence of quotas to suggest that they aren't a myth, but they don't exist in the way that people probably imagine that do. Rather than official department policy of 100 tickets a month or what have you, it's more like if you want to be promoted/noticed you'd better turn in a higher job performance than your peers, and number of arrests/citations is one major way of showing that.Yesterday 12:54pm
If you think internal affairs cares about them writing bogus tickets to pull in revenue you are a precious and naive snowflake.Yesterday 1:13pm
Those auto-play video ads you have on this site now.... Get rid of them.Yesterday 9:30am
Don't just get rid of them. Kill them with fire.Yesterday 9:41am
Ads... Never Heard of them...Yesterday 9:42am
I would HIGHLY recommend against ANY bumper or window stickers on your vehicles. Don't think that a "D.A.R.E." sticker will protect you or a Police Association window sticker will help, it actually FLAGS the officer to check you out. Don't put political bumper stickers on your car either. You may love Obama, but that cop might have voted for Romney...or vice versa. Don't give them ANYTHING that sets your car apart!
Make sure your car is in good operational condition, and especially that ALL of your headlights, tail lights, and turn signals are operational. Also, WEAR YOUR SEATBELT! Statistics say that something like 70% of unbuckled drivers have a warrant out on their arrest, so guess what the cops will be looking for?
These things all sound so simple and obvious, but its amazing how many people ignore these "simple" things, and consequently have to deal with the police on a more frequent basis than they should have to!Yesterday 10:50am
You didn't seriously just imply that 70% of unbuckled drivers have a warrant for their arrest did you...
There are approximately 320 million people in the U.S. Let's assume 80% of people actually DO wear their seat belt (this varies from below 70% to over 90% per state, but 80% is a good estimate for our usage). That would mean 320 million * .2 = 64 million people don't wear their seat belt. Out of that 64 million, you're telling me 44.8 million people in the U.S. have a warrant out for their arrest?
Maybe what you meant was that the majority of people who have a warrant out for their arrest don't wear seat belts, but definitely the other way around is not true.Yesterday 12:43pm
You didn't seriously just imply that 80% of drivers actually DO wear their seat belts? Yesterday 1:48pm
I tell everybody the first key to not getting arrested is not breaking the law. Cops love when you explain that to them at parties, I usually start by telling them I have a method to not getting arrested, they all get interested and when I tell them I just follow the rules they crack up laughing. Yesterday 9:39am
I hope I never get stuck at a party with you.Yesterday 10:23am
Sounds sensible. Don't break the rules. Don't hang out with people who break the rules. Don't do stupid things. Chatting with some local police recently, I was impressed at the percentage of issues they have to deal with that involve some sort of mood altering substance, from alcohol to much harder drugs...it was something like 90+% around here.Yesterday 11:46am
Okay, so here is a problem I have with this advice:
It says to not let cops search your car without probable cause. However, in my state, I have been told by cops that all probable cause includes you refusing a car search. So... what the?Yesterday 9:39am
Lucky for us citizens, cops aren't lawyers. Allow them to search your car and you've allowed it. Tell them no and then have them search your car and your lawyer can at least fight it.Yesterday 9:48am
Can't help but wonder if they are just playing mind games with you at that point so you are left thinking you're damned if you do, damned if you don't.Yesterday 9:49am
The one issue I always see when people talk about protecting or exercising your rights (as a citizen), when in a police confrontation, is the difference between rights and convenience. For example, say Ted is a 100% law abiding citizen. He gets pulled over and the officer wants to search his car. He doesn't have a warrant or probable cause. Ted is on his way to an important meeting or interview. He declines consent.
What happens next? The cop can do many things such as making Ted wait while he calls backup units or a K-9 unit. But wait, the K-9 is on another case on the other side of town and it'll be at least 45 mins. The cop has all day; this is his job after-all. Can Ted spare the time? "If he's innocent, why not let the officer search the car?"
What else can happen? Oops, the officer found no front license plate. Oh wait, what's what? Is that a broken taillight? *SMASH* yup, broken taillight.
I want to protect and exercise my rights as much as the next guy but let's be honest, unless you are a teenager or young unemployed adult, you don't have time to fight this. And notice I didn't say "if you're innocent, what do you have to hide" because I absolutely do not agree with that notion.Yesterday 9:58am
Letting them search your car lets them "discover" the joint in the ashtray that wasn't there before.Yesterday 12:51pm
While I do agree, I think it is important to some that their rights are upheld. Truth be told sometimes this means that you are going to be inconvenienced. The people that fought to gave us our rights knew this and I think it is important that sometimes we make the willing sacrifice. (Not saying that your average person who refuses consent is some arbiter of justice btw)Yesterday 1:44pm
If I haven't broken any laws I'll talk to the police however I want, wear whatever I want and display my opinions however I like. I'm a citizen of a democracy and a taxpayer: they work for me. Yesterday 10:03am
And you'll get beat up and go to jail for defending those rights.Yesterday 10:20am
I wish I could do that. I'd give 20 years of my life just to tell the next badge carrying sack of shit to fuck off and leave me alone to his face without repercussion. Yes, that would be worth 20 years of my potential lifetime.Yesterday 2:06pm
"In reality, cops love hassling people who stand out." Thanks. Finally one admits he's prone to racial profiling.Yesterday 9:22am
Race is just one part of "standing out". A large picture of Che Guevera might increase the hassle, as would a cute logo of an Molotov cocktail brandishing anarchist on your rear window. Yesterday 9:38am
It's not just racial. It's certainly not all cops, but unfortunately people who want to control and dominate others are attracted to law enforcement.
Go to a restaurant where cops eat and eavesdrop on their conversations. Listen to how they talk about ANYONE who has power over them, judges, supervisors, etc. You will hear some mind blowing hatred. They cannot stand it when someone else is in charge.
Nor can they stand it when someone who is not in charge (citizen) tries to act like they are in charge by refusing to comply, talking back, etc. That is the psychological battle the author mentions.Yesterday 1:17pm
You have to realize that cops are people with varying degrees of training and professionalism. Expectations aren't going to help you. Just be aware of everyone's rights and responsibilities.
I remember my first arrest. The officers weren't too friendly but the other people I was with just kept screaming at them so I managed to be ignored for the most part after I was cuffed. The city jail didn't have a clock and a few meals were passed around so I was thinking I had been there for a day or more but it was only about 9 hours. I remember one guy being brought in that was practically comatose and bleeding from his nose and mouth. I don't know if he took a fall running from officers or if they decided to do some batting practice on his head. Getting arrested isn't fun but it's extra scary the first time. You're probably just going to be hanging out with some drunks for a few hours if it's minor stuff.Yesterday 11:43am
Wow, your first arrest, meaning there have been more and you say it's been less scary for you on subsequent arrests. You know, the vast majority of Americans manage to keep their number of arrests at 0.
Maybe you have been unfairly profiled, but if not, you might want to consider changing some things about your life.Yesterday 1:26pm
Some people actually live their lives according to THEIR OWN values, not just whatever bullshit the government uses to keep their citizens in line. And yes, if you're caught, it may lead to arrest.
People act like "getting arrested" necessarily ="being a bad/immoral person." It's not always that simple.Yesterday 9:39pm
Depends on if you don't have anything in your car.
I ran a red light one time spacing out while I was talking to my friend. The cop pulled me over and asked why I ran the stop light. I told him that I just spaced and was sorry. He asked if he could search my car and I said yes. I'm sure he though I was high and was carrying. I was not, he found nothing, and after about 5 minutes let me go without a ticket. Yesterday 9:48am
I'd probably do the same thing in your shoes. In fact it's happened to me before and I consented to a search without knowing any better.
It always seems to come down to whether or not you think your local cops are crooked, and whether or not you think it's worth the hassle to stand up for your 4th amendment rights and accept the consequences of a pissed off cop who may or may not think he's just trying to do his job and catch bad guys.
I'm on the side of protecting the 4th amendment, I just know I take the safe route and try to keep out of trouble. Our justice system is broken and our rights are trampled every day, but I guess until we're braver or ready to make things worse on ourselves to make them better overall, we're stuck until we organize. Yesterday 10:06am
Unless you are completely fluent in every single federal, state, county/city/local law applicable in every location you ever travel in, ever, you cannot tell me with 100% certainty that you are innocent of any wrongdoing. (And food for thought: Even if you are fluent in every single applicable law, is the cop who's pulling you over?)
There are lots of things that are legal in one place and illegal in another. There are lots of things that are legal but cops think are illegal. Even shrugging off the idea of cops planting evidence, what if they think something is illegal when it isn't? Any gun owner knows and fears this one, trust me, especially gun owners in blue states.Yesterday 2:53pm
People need to understand that you have the right to refuse any search unless they can produce a warrant. If a cop searches you or your property without a warrant after you have clearly expressed you do not consent, anything they find can't be used in court.Yesterday 9:43am
That really depends. The bar for what constitutes a reasonable search is really probable cause. Probable cause may give them the ability to get a warrant or may give them the ability to circumvent a warrant all together. Further, reasonable suspicion could lead to a frisk which could lead to probable cause for a search. The whole thing can get awfully convoluted. You could get stopped and detained under reasonable suspicion, which could give the officers time to get a K-9 unit who could alert on your vehicle giving them probable cause for a search. It's bullshit most of the time, but they do it anyways.Yesterday 10:19am
Actually not necessarily, it can be used for indictment hearings and to impeach the defendant during their testimony in court. Yesterday 2:30pm
Never try to verbally invoke your constitutional rights. Cops hate that, and frankly, they don't give a shit.Yesterday 10:39am
Never argue with them if you can help it. For example, I got pulled over my a cop that was pulling pretty much everyone over and he told me my windows were too tinted (they weren't and I bought it that way) and some other stuff like that. I could have explained that to him and he would have given me a ticket I'd have to fight in court. Sure, I'd win it, but it's much better for me to just be polite and apologize and leave with a warning.Yesterday 12:13pm
Apologizing is a bad idea because it can be taken as an admission of guilt unless you word it really specifically, like "If I did something wrong, I apologize..."
That's why they ask things like "Do you know why I pulled you over?" an admission of a crime is often probable cause for a search.Yesterday 2:14pm
"An Ex-Cop's Guide to Not Getting Arrested"
#corrections
That said, I bought this book about a year ago (?), and it wasn't half bad.Yesterday 9:43am
ThanksYesterday 10:04am
I didn't even need to click 'Play' to know exactly what Fletcher is about to scream into that phone =)Yesterday 9:44am
I'd have posted this clip, too, if it weren't for you meddling kids...Yesterday 9:56am
I forget what it's called, maybe someone else knows, but there's a video on YouTube about your rights and handling situations like getting pulled over. With tips like if asked to step out of the car, open the door then roll up the window take out your keys and lock the doors, as you're getting out, and place the keys in your pocket. Unless they have a warrant or probable cause already when they ask you out of your car, you're allowed to do so. Of course, you want to be careful to do that as your progressing toward getting out of the car, so they don't think you're trying to run, slow movements. And refusing searches no matter what. Unfortunately, I've seen many cops who consider that probable cause, but legally it is not probable cause at all. Neither is locking your car up while you talk to them.Yesterday 9:29am
Ya know, videos and advice like that is fine but at the end of the day, probable cause is in the eyes of the police officer. You can argue all you want but if they want to arrest you they are going to arrest you. The DA may not file or it may get thrown out latter, but that won't turn back time and keep you from going to jail or having your vehicle towed.
I just never saw the point in challenging a police officer out of principle, especially if I don't have the time or money to deal with the fallout. You can be completely innocent of a crime at the time of arrest but that doesn't mean you don't have to set bail, return to court (probably multiple times, taking off work each time), possibly hire a lawyer, etc; and unless everyone is working for you pro bono you will end up investing more money than you'll see returned in the end.Yesterday 10:15am
Actually, at the end of the day probable cause is not in the eyes of the police, it's in the eyes of the judge and jury. The cops may think they have probable cause, but they don't get to determine that.Yesterday 12:04pm
Is there any advice out there for those of us who get nervous when we get pulled over? I don't ever give in to a cop, I keep my fat mouth shut other than to say 'I have no idea why I was pulled over' when the cop asks.
However, I shake uncontrollably during traffic stops because I have a fear of cops and other authority figures, I believe they can make my life a living hell just because, and it hence causes the shaking. And EVERY SINGLE TIME, they ask me if I am on or have been doing drugs and they want to search my vehicle. I know I have nothing to hide, but I always say no. I will not give them the satisfaction, nor will I make their job easier. You want to search my car? Get a goddamn warrant.
Maybe I should keep a bottle of aspirin in my car for such occaisions? Any ideas on how to get over the shaking? I ask because I live in Southeast MI in the Detroit suburbs. I'm white and they still fuck with me pretty bad.Yesterday 2:15pm
I think what you are describing is a release of adrenaline and nothing is going to make you stop shaking if that's what it is until you're system purges it. Not sure why you get worked up but maybe you can tell yourself that even though they CAN make your life a living hell, that it's probably not on their agenda for tonight.Yesterday 3:15pm
Yeah, that's a fair point. Although there was one day I was parked on the street waiting to see if a family member was going to be home, and someone must have called the cops on my because I had an officer pull up behind me and turn his flashers on and harass me for about 20 minutes as to what I was doing. Needless to say, I don't sit in my parents neighborhood anymore unless I am actually visiting them.
As to the adrenaline thing, I'd agree it's that or nerves. I just have a strong dislike of authority figures after bad experiences with them in the past.Yesterday 3:23pm
Sure way to get in trouble.Yesterday 1:50pm
Well, to be accurate, Dwight had a LOT of bodies in his trunk.Yesterday 1:54pm
You can't just not allow a cop to search you car, they can just overpower/bully you.What you do is make it clear that you do not consent to the search. Say it loudly, say it repeatedly. Generally speaking, when a police officer searches your vehicle, they're doing it illegally. If you voice you opposition, they can't say you consented, and what they find (if anything) will get thrown out in court.
A lot of police officers will argue that by refusing to consent to a search, you have given them probable cause to search you. This isn't true. The court in the United States v. Fuentes in 1997 held that refusing to consent, or withdrawing consent, does not give probable cause or the a right to search you. For one, most people have a reasonable expectation of privacy. And, if refusing did give the police the right to search you, they could search anyone at anytime for any reason. The Fourth Amendment would be irrelevant.
Basically, be polite, hold your ground, don't fight, but voice opposition. Be willing to win the long battle, at the expense of a couple of blows.Yesterday 9:39am
Record the stop in states where it's clear you have a legal right to do so also.Yesterday 11:24am
Darn it. you beat me to it. though IMHO this video gives much better advice than the article, other than the "don't stand out" part, but then again that's also profiling and not a real probable cause .Yesterday 9:43am
I just pay Lester to get rid of my wanted level. Much easier that way.Yesterday 10:32am
I could really use that goddamned ability in the new game. The cop AI is for the birds in that installment.Yesterday 2:04pm
It comes down to this:
1. Don't surprise the cop. Approaching a motorist is a very dangerous thing for them. Sit with your hands where they can see them (on the wheel). If you need to reach for something, tell them that you're going to reach for your wallet or whatever along with where it is, and that you are not armed. It may sound silly, but you do not want them jumpy.
2. Don't be an ass. If you were speeding, or ran a light, or whatever, don't make up bullshit excuses. If you say "I guess I didn't realize my speed" or something, you're better off than trying to bullshit. People bullshit them all day long and they're mostly pretty good at reading it.
3. Don't argue with the heavily armed person who is just off the peak of an adrenaline fueled approach. If you can't be friendly, say little and accept that they have the power. Even if (especially if) they're in the wrong. The time to fight about it is later, in court or through a compliant process. Fighting with Mr. Testosterone who's 20 something years old, heavily armed, wearing mirrored shades and sporting his first mustache is a really bad idea. He's got all the power, and may well be too insecure to be willing to back down even if he realizes you're right. Just shut the hell up and do what he says. Complain later.Yesterday 10:42am
Guys! I found a REALLY easy way to not get arrested ever! It works 1,000%!!! :D
HOW TO NOT GET ARRESTED:
Step 1) Don't do anything illegal.
Step 2) Enjoy never getting arrested.
Trust me! It works!!! :D!!!Yesterday 10:30am
It's funny, but that doesn't always work. Sometimes, they arrest you and then later let you go because you're actually innocent. That's still worth avoiding.Yesterday 12:21pm
The sure way to be investigated further is to be the loud, less reasonable person that spouts off. My officer friends say all the time, only answer what's asked...know your rights in your location...pay attention. You can live to fight another day and in a different way. I remember a few years back a friend telling me that his friend was arrested in a raid...the raid was on the wrong house. The guy got a ton of money and apology. Seems he was the child of some well connected types, home on vacation from school and picking up a friend but no one listened when he told them that's what he was there to do...give a friend a ride. Luckily for him he kept his head and made the right call. I've heard way worse stories. I think that police work can be a most honorable profession but it puts people in front of the worse situations to try to figure out what's going on in a split second. It's not enviable! Oh and the best way to deal with being pulled over is to make sure you have what's required...license and insurance card...yes technology has moved to mobile cards but you are still expected to produce one from a killed tree...just do it no matter how silly it's seems. Take up how silly it seems with those that make the laws not those that enforce them.Yesterday 9:58am
Posted on November 20th, 2013
Watch later: World's Easiest Homemade Laundry Soap $.05 per load Easy for Preppers
Here is a very easy recipe for homemade laundry detergent. It will cost you less than 5 cents a load, and you will be amazed how good your house will smell while preparing it. The prep time is less than 10 minutes. Have fun and enjoy!!
Posted on November 18th, 2013
Watch later: What is aquaponics, the bare bones basics..
Thought I would do a layman's explanation of what aquaponics is for those that are curious.. Thanks to Edwina for asking the question :) Not a real in depth one but it will give those an idea on how the system works & the relationship between the fish, bacteria & plants.. I have mentioned it in previous clips but not where it is easily found in one spot.. Most of the information I found for helping me to understand aquaponics was first found on You Tube as well a few of the aquaponic forums & sites on the internet.. The YT channels I have found loads of great info on & helped give me some ideas are, (in no particular order) The Urban Farming Guys http://www.youtube.com/user/TheUrbanFarmingGuys Paul from Earthan Group http://www.youtube.com/user/EarthanGroupFilms Bright Agrotech http://www.youtube.com/user/BrightAgrotechLLC Rob from Bigelow Brook Farm http://www.youtube.com/user/web4deb As well as the many clips that I randomly click on while searching "aquaponics" here on YT.. A great site with a few handy DIY ideas & more in depth information on aquaponics & aquaculture is Earthan Group.. Paul has gone out of his way to provide some great information for us novices to take advantage of.. Am also hoping to add a few "Earthan Beds" to our system in the future when time permits :) http://www.earthangroup.com.au The forum I have used the most is the Backyard Aquaponics based here in Australia.. There are loads of members from all around the world on there so the info is relevant to all I think.. http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/ There are loads of good forums on the internet & are only a quick search away.. I have had some excellent help along the way from fellow backyard growers on forums as well as from some very knowledgeable professionals who like to help out when they can.. To all these people I would like to say a big THANKS.. They have helped me sort out a few of my newbie mistakes on more than one occasion & can take some of the credit for us not losing any fish :D **knocks on wood** For more regular updates & pictures from the aquaponics & the patch you can visit us at http://www.facebook.com/Bitsouttheback Have a great one All...
Posted on November 15th, 2013
50 Life Hacks to Simplify your World «TwistedSifter
50 Life Hacks to Simplify your World
Life hacks are little ways to make our lives easier. These low-budget tips and trick can help you organize and de-clutter space; prolong and preserve your products; or teach you something (e.g., tie a full Windsor) that you simply did not know before.
Most of these came from a great post on tumblr . There is also a great subreddit ‘r/lifehacks ‘ with some fantastic tips as well.
20. Separate egg yolks like a boss
40. Ninja Fold
Sources
- muxedo task: 99 Life Hacks to make your life easier!
- r/lifehacks: http://www.reddit.com/r/lifehacks/
If you enjoyed this post, the Sifter
highly recommends:
Posted on November 12th, 2013
5 Awesome Life Hacks for Home Appliances
Appliances are built for convenience and simplicity, but you're not using them to their full potential.
You’re a full-grown person, an adult. You can eat ice cream for breakfast if you darn well please. You can also choose to run up your utility bill like a deranged nobleman, engaging the Heavy Duty Steam Refresh Sanitize Cycle for a pair of lambskin riding gloves.
But chances are you'd rather save on said energy bill. Chances are you'd rather not worry about your home appliances. Chances are you'd find the following life hacks helpful and practical.
Dryer
You can also make equal-sized balls from wool yarn or a bunch of rubber bands. The blog One Good Thing explains how the yarn functions as a fabric softener. The process of making these yarn balls is a bit more time-consuming than simply tossing a few tennis balls into the dryer, but it seems to be the safer and more versatile option.
Washing Machine
Make your own detergent! It's a topic we’ve covered at length . We even tested four popular DIY detergent recipes against a name-brand detergent. While they were all inferior to the stuff you can get at the supermarket, the money you’ll save—not to mention, the ego boost it’ll give you—makes DIY detergents a decent life hack.
Dishwasher
A dishwasher needn’t be a dish- only -washer. You can use any domestic dishwasher to clean everything from baseball caps and vacuum hoses to cabinet handles and fan grilles. Oh, and you can use it for cooking too! On many dishwashers, the dry cycle gets hot enough to cook potatoes, lasagna, and even salmon. While we’ve never tried this, there seems to be an entire subculture of dishwasher chefs on the internet. They’re worth checking out .
Refrigerator
Spills happen. Why not preempt them by covering your fridge shelves with a layer of cellophane? Then, when a spill happens, you can just remove the sticky cling wrap, thereby preserving the medical-grade shine of your fridge's interior.
But what about those items at the back of the fridge? They're oh-so hard to reach! No problem. Just fit a small plastic turntable or lazy susan to the top shelf, and voila! That carton of expired, curdled milk is suddenly within reach.
Stoves get crusted with nasty, burnt-on food over time, and the longer you leave it there, the harder it is to remove. The good news is that you can effectively clean your stovetop—without chemicals—by dousing it in a layer of boiling water. Apartment Therapy recommends letting the hot water sit for about five minutes, then using some steel wool to extract those really tough stains. Brilliant!
Life hacks are a dime a dozen, and these are just a few of the best appliance hacks we’ve come across. For further reading, we recommend checking out this list of awesome food and cooking hacks, as well as this list of more general life hacks.
[Hero image: Wikipedia Commons, "Peter Crossman of the Mary Rose Trust"]
Posted on November 10th, 2013