Household hacks end up becoming go-to moves for savvy moms and dads. But how do you learn them? I’ve gathered 15 of the best household hacks of all time below to help you get started building your household smarts. Add your favorites that I didn’t mention in the comments below!

The 15 Greatest Household Hacks of All Time

1. Alka Seltzer tablets can be used to clean toilets, pull stains off of the inside of a vase, clean jewelry and unclog drains. To clear a clogged drain with it, our some white vinegar down after you put the tablets in. Let it sit and then run warm water down.
2. Burn dry coffee grounds in the fireplace to get rid of sooty odors. This tip from The Old Farmer’s Almanac for 1914 really helps fireplace rooms smell less musty.
3. Put asparagus, celery and other stalk veggies in a cup with a little bit of water in it before placing them in the fridge. Trim the stems with a sharp knife every few days to keep them fresh for weeks.
4. Trim the stems on roses at an angle with a sharp knife every few days, and change the water, adding a regular tab of Aspirin every time. I’ve seen this keep roses alive in a vase for over a month.
5. Place fabric softener sheets in your dresser drawers to keep your clothes smelling freshly washed for weeks. You can also do this with towels and linen, and anything you’re storing seasonally in boxes.
6. Put ice down your garbage disposal regularly to sharpen and clean the blades. This is particularly easy to do when emptying out a cooler.
7. Soak greasy tools in Coca-Cola to de-gunk. It’s also good for cleaning de-rusting small things and making metal pots and pans shine like new after they’ve become blackened.
8. Unseal a sealed envelope by putting it in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a knife  under the flap. The envelope glue will be re-sealable when you’re done.
9. To get wax out of a glass candleholder, put it in the freezer for a few hours. The wax will shrink and pop off the glass easily.
10. Permanent marker and other inks can be removed from appliances, counter tops and some painted surfaces with rubbing alcohol on paper towel.
11. Use a damp rag with a little baking soda on it to take Crayon marks off walls. It takes a little scrubbing, but the baking soda breaks down the Crayon wonderfully.
12. Use white vinegar diluted in water to clean the outside of your windows. Don’t do it on a super hot day to reduce streaking, and use newspapers to dry the windows to make them really clear and shiny.
13. Hydrogen peroxide can be used to remove blood stains from clothing. Make sure you rinse it off and wash the clothes after you remove the stains so you don’t bleach the clothing with the hydrogen peroxide.
14. Water plants with cooled cooking water used to boil veggies. Just because you cooked some plants in it doesn’t make it bad. The water might even contain cooked-out nutrients from the veggies that could be good for plants.
15. De-ice steps during winter months with warm water combined with a little Dawn dishwashing soap. Pour it all over the steps. Unless it’s incredibly cold, they won’t refreeze until they’re snowed on again.

Want more household hacks? Check out these cooking tricks, which I photographed at the PerkStreet headquarters. They’ll definitely save you time and money when cooking.

What are your favorite household hacks? Share your best tips for saving time and money and preventing frustration below.