Everyone wants to save time, space and money but not everyone knows the smartest tips and hacks to do it. These will transform your kitchen, from keeping bread fresh to getting rid of fruit flies…

Check out our 18 favourite kitchen life hacks:

1. Organise with a pegboard

2. Put your backsplash to work with a magnetic knife strip

3. Magnet spice rack on your fridge

4. Create rolling shelves or use Lazy Susans in your cabinets

5. Use an over-the-sink cutting board to increase counter space

6. Removed baked on grease with heat and hot water

1. Hit up your pan over the stove. Face the baked-on grease side towards the flame/hot element.
2. Once heated, place the pan in hot water for 10 minutes.
3. Clean with soap and a scrubber.

7. Peel ginger with a spoon

8. Remove egg shells with the egg shell

Sometimes egg shells can escape into the bowl of shelled eggs. Ever try to grab the shell but at the last minute it slips through your fingers? Next time, simply use a large piece of the broken egg shell to scoop it out.

9. Another egg trick! Use a water bottle to separate egg yolks from the whites

Image: Thekitchn.com

1. Crack egg into a bowl
2. Squeeze an empty plastic water bottle slightly
3. Place the bottle opening over the yolk
4. Release your grip – the yolk is sucked inside separating it from the egg white
5. Squeeze the yolk into another bowl

10. Peel garlic by shaking it

1. Put the garlic cloves in a container.
2. Place the lid on and shake vigorously for just 20 seconds
3. The garlic will be peeled!

11. Get rid of fruit flies with apple cider vinegar 

Image: Apartmenttherapy.com

1. Pour apple cider vinegar in a small glass
2. Roll up paper into funnel shape and place in glass
3. They’ll fly in and won’t come in – RIP fruit flies

12. Stale bread? Coat it in water and bake it again!

1. Coat your baguette in fresh clean water
2. Pop it in the oven at 230C for about 5 to 7 minutes
3. Crispy, crunchy bread!

13. Wash your hands with stainless steel to remove onion smell

1. Get a stainless steel utensil
2. Pretend this utensil is a bar of soap and wash your hands
3. The stainless steel will remove the onion from you skin

14. Avoid splatter when mixing using a paper plate

Image: Join Dark Side

Simply cut a hole in the middle of a paper plate and place around the whisk to stop any splatter when mixing!

15. Use lace to decorate your cakes

Image: Sweet Verbena

To get this beautiful design, place a square of lace fabric on top of your baked cake or muffin, and sift icing sugar on top

16. Get rid of air in your cake…by dropping it

Before you pop your cake batter into the oven, drop it gently a few times on the kitchen counter to work out any trapped air in the mixture.

17. Avoid sticky situations when measuring

18. Keep cake from drying out

Image: Baked Bree

Pop a slice of bread on top of a cake to prevent it from drying out.

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