Fast 2-Minute Fixes

We know you’re strapped for time, so we’re not going to waste any of it. Here are ingenious ways to move fast on lots of things—often before anyone even realizes there’s a problem.

De-ouch a bee sting. To remove the stinger before it pumps in more venom, scrape a butter knife or credit card across it. Then apply a paste of baking soda and water.

Unstick a zipper. Try rubbing some lip balm on it.

Save the earth. Well, at least do your part by adjusting your home thermostat 3 degrees—a bit cooler in winter, a bit warmer in summer. Doing so saves a half ton of CO2 emissions annually.

Cure creaky knees. If you spend most of the day sitting behind a desk and your joints are sounding like a bowl of Rice Krispies, do this exercise periodically: Sit and extend your legs with heels on the floor. Contract your thigh muscles for a few seconds, release, then repeat nine more times. Doing so lubricates the knee joints.

Quell a food craving. Drink a glass of water and wait 2 minutes. The craving will usually disappear. We often mistake appetite for thirst.

Soothe a burn. If you slice your finger dicing onions, run the cut under cool water, then put an onion on it. The juice contains a mild analgesic.

Banish “bed head.” To add more volume to a flattened ’do, blow-dry your hair upside down for a few minutes. This inside-out approach creates more body at the scalp.

Look thinner and taller. Buy a pair of boot-cut jeans. Their slight flare draws attention down the leg and away from the hips. Works for every body type and look. Trust us.

Go ahead and shine. Make a diamond sparkle by scrubbing it with a toothbrush and vodka.

Limber up in bed. Backs are most vulnerable to strain immediately after awakening. Loosen yours with this 2-minute exercise: While lying on your back, flex your knees until the soles of your feet are flat on the mattress. Slowly lower both knees to the left while extending the opposite arm to the right and looking in that direction. Then reverse the motion.

Tighten a loose screw. If you suspect the hole is stripped, remove the screw, slide in a piece of toothpick, then retighten. Note: This does not work with humans. Let us know if you have a 2-minute solution for a few screws loose in that realm….