Are These Popular Apartment and Home Hacks Worth Trying?

In the digital age, we’re met with viral DIY home hacks on social media and blogs left and right. From clever storage solutions to innovative cleaning tips, these hacks promise to simplify your day-to-day and enhance your overall quality of life — whether you’re a renter or a homeowner. But which of these hacks actually work?

With so much information at our fingertips, discerning true solutions from clever marketing can be tricky. So, to save you the time, we dug a little deeper to find out which of these renter-friendly hacks actually work and which, as good as they may sound, don’t measure up to their promises of miraculous fixes, reversals, and upgrades.

The Promise: One of the oldest tricks in the book, this duo can clean almost anything, including clogged drains and grimy surfaces.

The Reality: This trick really does work, but only to a point. Baking soda, a mild abrasive, can help scrub and exfoliate surfaces while vinegar dissolves mineral deposits and grime with its acidic properties. But, disclaimer: baking soda and vinegar is only capable of reversing minor grime and clogs. For harder jobs, look to a professional plumber. 

The Promise: Placing a tension rod under sinks, in closets, and in existing shelves, can elevate your storage capability and organization. 

The Reality: Especially if you’re looking to improve your home’s organization or make room for extra supplies or other items, tension rods really could be your new best friend. Under your sinks, they can be used to hang spray bottles and hair accessories. In your closet, a tension rod can become a new spot for scarves and jewelry, and even shoes with buckles like sandals and heels. If you have exposed storage, like open shelving in your living space, you can use a tension rod to give the space a makeover by hanging a curtain on it — hiding it from view.

The Promise: Wallpaper is back, and peel-and-stick varieties make it a thousand times easier — plus, it lets renters get involved in the home decor trend since it’s removable without a professional. 

The Reality: Peel-and-stick wallpaper is a fantastic way to add more color, texture, and interest to your spaces. As long as you follow the directions on your product’s packaging and apply the wallpaper onto a clean wall, you should have no problem putting up and taking down the wallpaper — although prepare to have some patience with the process and use the proper tools to execute it successfully. 

The Promise: If you move your living room furniture around and end up with unsightly carpet dents from the legs of your furniture, you can put cubes of ice in those dents and it will help raise the fabric. 

The Reality: As the ice melts and moisture seeps into the fabric, it can help bring the carpet fibers back to their original form, although not for all carpet materials. If you’re dealing with fairly mild or new carpet dents, it will work in your favor as you try this hack compared to if your carpet dents were several years old and very deep. Plus, it takes a bit of time and patience.

The Promise: You can use adhesive hooks to hang pendant lights, plants, and other decor from your rental property’s ceiling.

The Reality: This hack will work, and can bring lots of personality (plus light!) to a space that needs it. If it’s your first time hanging something like this, just make sure you follow the instructions on the packaging of the adhesive hooks you use, and do your due diligence when researching brands and reading reviews. You can even weigh the item you’re planning on hanging to make sure you’re buying hooks that can sustainably hold your item.

The Promise: It’s been said that an old mattress hasn’t really reached the end of its life till it’s been turned over and flipped around. If your back is starting to hurt, simply turn your mattress.

The Reality: While turning over a mattress isn’t actually advisable for single-sided mattresses the other side wasn’t meant to be slept on), you are actually supposed to rotate your mattress every three months to ensure that it’s getting even wear. If your mattress is double sided, then you should also be flipping it every time you turn it. If you have a full bed or larger, you may need someone to help you with this task.