When you go on vacation you tend to end up doing something that you wish you hadn't or needing something that you wish there was a solution for. Luckily for you, there are plenty of hacks out there for you to use to your advantage. Whether it's making a speaker from a mug or cooking food with the limited resources you're given, you'll wish you have these tricks up your sleeve on your next vacation. So what are you waiting for? Get to reading!
1. Close Those Pesky Curtains
You may notice that every time you go to a hotel that your blackout curtains simply don't close all the way. If you're the type of person who is really sensitive to those small amounts of light, this can be incredibly frustrating because there doesn't seem to be any good way to close them properly. Well, it turns out there is! You just need to clip it closed with something like a hanger.
If you don't have your own clips, this can be a really easy way to solve the problem. Now you can sleep nice and sound without getting a faceful of sunlight in the morning.
2. Block Out Unwanted Light
If you liked the curtain one, then you'll love this one as well. Sometimes there's too large of a gap in the door and you get a whole bunch of unwanted light coming in from the hallway as well. If you find an extra towel or set of sheets then you can actually stuff it underneath in order to block out the light. This also has the added benefit of muffling some of the sounds from out there as well.
As someone who wants to have a truly relaxing experience at your hotel, this is something you should try no matter what. It's small, but can make a big difference to your experience.
3. Help Keep Your Door Open
If you've got a bunch of bags you're trying to get into your room and the door feels weighted to close fast every time you let it go, then it's time for you to find a way to keep that door propped open. Luckily for you, it's actually a pretty simple task. all you need to do is take a hanger and attach it to the door's latch and you've got yourself an extra "hand" to keep the door open for you.
It's possible, however, that your hotel room door isn't next to the closet, in which case this wouldn't work. There is another way, though, that you can do this.
4. Another Way To Prop Open The Door
If you liked the idea of keeping your door open with the last one, but you don't have a closet next to the door to do so, then we've got another way you can keep it propped open. This one is actually an easier trick that could just be the way to do this. You just have to remember to carry a metal spoon with you so that you can jam it underneath the door's gap.
If you do it right then the friction between the floor and the spoon will be good enough to keep that door open for you. If all else fails you can also ask someone to help you for a minute.
5. Prevent Spillage
If you're worried about your toiletries spilling in your bag while traveling, there's an easy trick to prevent that from happening. You can find a plastic bag (probably one of the bags from the ice machine to carry the ice in) and place it underneath the cap of your bottle. If you do that then no matter what happens you have an extra layer of protection preventing your bottle from spilling.
There are actually plenty of other crafty ways you can use these bags. Take a look at the next one if you don't believe us. It's good for the neat freaks.
6. Make A Pocket For Your Phone
Sometimes, oddly enough, your room might not be equipped with a nightstand. In those instances, it can be incredibly annoying to have to get up to look or charge your phone when you're in bed. With a handy bit of folding, though, you can take the sheets and make yourself a convenient pocket to place your phone and anything else you might want to keep close by.
Now you don't have to worry about leaving your comfort zone all the time. Hopefully, you also have an outlet close by that you can plug your charger into.
7. Keep Your Keys In Sight
If you are the type of person to easily forget things like your hotel key, then you should try this trick out. Assuming there isn't a key hanger somewhere in the room, you can always slip your phone charger through the keyring so that any time you go to grab your phone you won't leave this behind. This only works if you have your phone charging, so make sure you keep it with you otherwise.
The obvious flaw with this is that most hotel rooms these days use electronic locks and keycards which won't come with a keychain. This trick is still handy for some car keys, so don't forget it!
8. Forgot Your Charger? Go To The Front Desk
Now let's assume that you have forgotten or lost your charger and you can't use that trick we just showed you, let alone charge your phone. It's quite possible that someone has forgotten their charger at the hotel themselves and the front desk put it in the lost and found and also have a box for chargers that have no chance of being claimed. You can go to the front desk and see if they have a spare.
You should try not to keep it, though, because they might be coming back for it. That or the people who work there might have had dibs on the lost charger.
9. Still No Charger? Try This Out
If you weren't able to find a charger at the front desk, but they were able to provide you with a cable (or, hopefully, you had one yourself), there's still hope for you and your phone. Don't forget that nowadays the TVs that are provided in each room are advanced enough to have a few USB ports of their own. They may not charge as fast, but that wouldn't matter if it was overnight.
It's little things like this that make us so glad that technology is advancing so quickly. It's basically a given that there will be a flat-screen in your room and hopefully it has some extra ports on it.
10. Use A Mug To Amplify Your Speakers
If you typically like to use a speaker for your hone but you forgot yours at home or simply don't have one, then you should consider putting it into a mug. The way the mug is shaped can help to amplify your phone's speakers by reverberating the noise. It might take some adjustment, but you should eventually be able to find the right position to get some good noise out of this.
It's by no means perfect, but at least you'll be able to get a little bit of extra sound out of it. If it's not to your liking there may be other ways to increase the volume as well.
11. Use The Plastic Bag To Prevent Germs
If you are germaphobic or just genuinely don't think it's sanitary to touch the remote control to the TV, then you can also use the plastic bags that you got from the ice machine as a makeshift barrier to prevent contamination. Just wrap up the remote in the plastic bag and you've got yourself a germ-free way to watch some TV. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the program.
Of course, if you don't think there are any plastic bags around, you could always use some Lysol wipes or some hand sanitizer to clean the remote.
12. Use A Paper Cup As A Toothbrush Stand
If you have no way to prop up your toothbrush to dry off after using it, then you should try this trick out. Take one of the paper cups that they likely stored in your bathroom, punch a hole into it, and then you can stick your toothbrush right inside. Physics will cause the weight of the toothbrush to knock the whole thing over, of course.
Just make sure that you punch the hole right in the middle of the cup or you might not have a good center of balance for the hole thing.
13. Use A Matchbox As A Makeshift Nail File
If you forgot your nail file at home and you could really use a light touch-up to your manicure, then you should consider the matchbox that they likely stored for you in your room. The strip that's meant to light up the matches can be a surprisingly useful tool to help file down your nails. While it's not exactly perfect, this is a really good way to file your nails in a pinch.
The friction strip on the matchbox is just good enough to help file down your nails. Just be careful or you might scratch away the whole thing before you're finished.
14. Use Your Sink For A Quick Mini Fridge
If you are unfortunate enough to have been placed inside a hotel room that doesn't come with a mini-fridge and you don't have the ability or desire to upgrade, then there are some things you can do to keep that six-pack you brought nice and cold. All you need to do is get some ice from the ice machine and fill up your sink with the ice and place the bottles inside.
This also has the added benefit of draining all the water out when it starts to melt. This way you don't have to deal with the cleanup when your done.
15. Make A Portable Cooler
If you want to keep those beers cool when you go out, you can also use one of the ice bags and line the small trash can in our room to fill up with ice and do the same thing as the sink. Obviously, you can really only do this if you're going to be coming back to the hotel room, otherwise, you would be stealing.
Just make sure that you aren't putting perishables in either the garbage or the sink ice trick. These are only meant to be temporary and aren't a replacement for actual refrigeration or freezing.
16. Makeshift Bottle Opener
Now that you have your beers all nice and cold, you're probably hoping to pop one open... except that you don't have anything to open them with. There are plenty of tricks out there to get your bottle open, but your hotel room might be equipped with one of those things already. If your door has a soft-closing mechanism, you can wedge the cap into it in just the right way to get the leverage you need to pop the cap.
Just be careful when attempting this. You might end up shaking the bottle up. Then once you open it you're definitely going to get a face full of beer and a nasty smell in the carpet.
17. Use Another Card To Keep Your Electricity Working
You may find yourself one day in a hotel room that only turns on the electricity with the use of your keycard. Well, you may not have a spare on you when you wish to leave the room and keep your electronics on charge. The thing is, a lot of these devices don't seem to distinguish between your actual keycard and another card, so long as it fits in the slot.
If you really need to keep the electricity on, then you can use another card (preferably not a credit or debit card). Just slide it in and be on your merry way.
18. Easily Soften The Butter At Meals
We've all been there: you get to the meal that's offered at your hotel and you grab a tiny butter slab only to realize that you can't spread it very easily. For some reason, there never seems to be any easily spreadable butter anywhere you go. So, what you can do is place a few of them on top of the toaster and have it running. The heat will not only toast your bread but help soften the butter, too.
Now you can have your butter and eat it, too! This is one of the hacks we use absolutely every time we go traveling. It's honestly a must-try.
19. DIY Humidifier
Sometimes the room is just too dry. Whether it's the weather outside or from using the AC too much, you find yourself with a painfully dry nose that might even start to bleed depending on how bad it is. Well, have no fear because there is a simple way to try and fix that issue. If you grab a towel and get it wet, then put it in front of the air conditioning unit, then you'll have humidity in no time.
You might end up heating your room a nit, but you can always turn the temperature down again later. This one is truly a lifesaver for us and we recommend it.
20. Use The Coffee Machine When You Need Hot Water
If your room or hotel doesn't have a kettle around (we don't know how or why that would happen, but it does sometimes) you're almost guaranteed to find a coffee machine around. You can use these for hot water as well, not just coffee. If you remove whatever it is that has the coffee in it, whether that be some beans or a capsule you put in, then it will simply dispense hot water.
Now you don't have to worry about how you're going to eat those cup noodles or brew that cup of tea you wanted so badly.
21. Freshen Up Your Room
If you have one of those car vent air fresheners on you, they can be a really handy way to freshen up your room without any canned or spray bottle air fresheners. All you have to do is put it on the air conditioning unit just like you would in your car and then start it up for a pleasant and relaxing aroma. This is the perfect way to fix a funky smell or just liven up the room in general.
We just hope that the freshener you use isn't "new car smell" because we think that belongs in the car, as nice as it smells. Or you can use that, too. It's your room.
22. Use A Coffee Cup For The Juice Machine
If you're sick of getting up for a refill all the time because of the tiny cups they give you for the juice machine, then there's actually a really simple fix to that. Grab one of the larger coffee mugs from the coffee machine or the cups they usually provide you in your room and use that instead. It may seem obvious, but we know plenty of people who don't think about doing this at first.
If you can't find any of those then they're probably trying to troll you. They know how tiny those cups can be and love to watch you get up every three seconds for more juice.
23. Steam Your Clothes In The Shower
If you don't have access to an iron or using one just isn't an option, there's another way you can get all of the wrinkles out of your clothing. Turn the water in your shower to maximum and run it after hanging whatever it is you need to steam up in the shower. It may take a few minutes, but the hot steam should help smooth everything out.
If that doesn't work, you should also try to smooth it out at the same time with your hand or another object. Just be sure you're properly protected so you don't burn yourself.
24. Use Any Means To Cook Your Food
Speaking of steaming and ironing, did you know that you can use the hot iron in your room to cook your food? If you're looking to whip up something simple like an egg then look no further than the iron (assuming you don't have a kitchen in the room). All you need is some aluminum foil to place between the food and the iron and you're ready to go. Things that don't need much heat can easily be fully cooked.
Be sure you're taking all the necessary precautions, though, or you might end up burning yourself or not fully cooking your food.
25. More Ways To Cook
If you need something boiled, then there is actually another way you can cook some things. Some veggies that need to be boiled and aren't fit for the iron can actually be placed into the electric kettle. It may make your kettle a bit dirty and you should clean it for the next guests, but it can be an effective way to boil soups, veggies, or anything else you might have a craving for.
Just remember that the kettle is only meant to bring the water to a boil and not hotter. Anything that really needs high temperatures for safe consumption should not be cooked this way.
26. Use The Ironing Board For More Table Space
After you're done cooking in your makeshift kitchen, you're going to need somewhere to eat. In all likelihood, you aren't going to have a table big enough to sit you and you're the whole family. That's where the ironing tools come in...again. The ironing board is the perfect thing when you have a lot of food or a bunch of people that need the extra table space. Who knew ironing could be so much more than it is?
Just be careful because these things aren't the most sturdy. You might want to find a few heavy object to weigh it down in its place so that it doesn't tip over.
27. Saving Your Food
And when you're done with everything but you have some leftovers, there are plenty of ways for you to cover it all up and put it away for later. If you have a small container then you can use the shower caps that are probably in the bathroom as a plastic cover for the top, assuming you don't have more tin foil from the ironing cooking. Also, don't forget about the ice bags.
As it turns out, all the things around your room are perfect for making the most out of your stay and have many other purposes than what you previously thought.
28. Sugar Can Be Sweet For Other Things, Too
Take, for example, the sugar that's around for the tea and coffee in your room. If you want to give yourself a bit of grooming then you can actually use this to make a DIY exfoliant. Take a little bit of lotion and mix it together with the sugar for a light scrub or the brown sugar for a heavier duty scrub. This is an all-natural formula and many companies actually make exfoliants this way themselves.
And because you used the lotion that you might have around, this exfoliant will also leave your skin nice and moisturized. It's by no means the best product around, but it sure gets the job done.
29. Take The Toiletries With You
A really easy way to save a couple of bucks is to take all of the toiletries they provide. Mind you, you shouldn't go around stealing extras, but the ones they leave in your room are expected to be used and will be thrown away or taken home by the workers there whenever you leave, so you might as well take it with you.
Eventually, you'll have saved up so many that you won't have to go buy more products for a while. That, or you'll have a bunch that you can use whenever you go out traveling again.
30. Take The Toiletries Anyway
If for any reason you're still not convinced in taking the extra soaps and toiletries, then how about this. You can actually take what they provide you and, especially if you haven't used them yourself, donate them to places that will use them. There are plenty of people out there who could use the extra savings or have a general need for these products and you can really help by doing this.
If not for yourself, then do it for others. The hotel is giving them to you for free anyway and there are a lot of people who don't have the privilege of receiving these benefits.
31. DIY Drain Plug
One of the most disappointing things about a hotel room can happen when you're all ready to take a nice warm bath and you find out that they forgot to stock your bathroom with a drain plug (or someone stole it or lost it for some reason). In a case like that, you do still have options. Remember those handy ice bags we can't shut up about? Put some things in that and use them to plug up the drain.
This will safely cover your drain and protect anything from going down with the water. Then when it's time to get out, the extra material can act as the string for you to pull it all out.
32. Always Keep A Splitter Handy
There are quite a few things that can be extra frustrating when you come to a hotel room. Sometimes you expect there to be ample electrical outlets for you to use only to find that all of the outlets in the room are being used for the things they used to decorate like lamps, phones, or clocks. If you buy a cheap splitter then you can easily circumvent these really annoying problems.
You should never have to choose between charging your phone or having light in your room, so the ability to have them all plugged in can be very beneficial and convenient to you.
33. Makeshift Laundry Hamper
Sometimes you come to a hotel room and find that they don't have any cleaning service for your clothes or it would be too inconvenient for you to do it there for whatever reason. Instead of throwing your dirty laundry into your luggage with all of your clean clothes, you can actually use the dry cleaning bag provided as a makeshift laundry bag to separate your dirty clothes.
You can also, of course, use the ice bags, too, for smaller things like your socks or even a bathing suit. Never stink up your clean clothes again with this simple trick.
34. Extra Value
If you're looking to save some money and get some rewards in the process of your travels, you should consider signing up for the rewards programs that are offered by the hotel. This is especially useful if you travel a lot. If you stick with the same hotel chain that you like, you can rack up a whole bunch of extras that you wouldn't think to get otherwise and they definitely have a program for this.
If you travel a lot, there's no sense in skipping this. Hotels expect people to not get too much benefit out of them and you can be one of the few people making more than full use out of this.
35. Extra Security
And finally, we have a bit of an extra tip for helping you with your room security. You may not think it's the most necessary, since you'll be in your room when you do this, but anything can happen and this can actually be really useful in the event of an emergency. You just need to tie of bit of a rope around the latch that keeps your door locked aside from the electronic lock.
You may think this is unnecessary, but if you're locking the top latch for any reason, you should do this, too. A do not disturb sign can easily slip through the door to push the latch out of the way.