#lifehacks: windex

Now, I might not be quite on the level as the father in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but this stuff is great on any surface to clean away stains or dirt of every sort. It is especially good on upholstery.  

#lifehacks: green dishwashing liquid

The miracle of green dishwashing liquid can not be underestimated. It can be used in many ways beyond cleaning dishes.

• Cleaning greasy hands - let's say you have repaired your bicycle and have grease on your hands. Pour some dishwashing liquid directly into the palm of your hand (do not add water) and rub the liquid around the greasy spots until it turns white and then grey. Rinse off with warm water.
  
  
• Getting rid of oil stains—If you get oil stains on your clothes, immediately apply dishwashing liquid liberally to the spot. Tap it so the liquid sinks into the material. Do not rub the material. Let it soak into the material for at least twenty minutes before putting it in the washing machine.
  
  For some reason, washing machines work better than handwashing. But if the material is too delicate,of course, hand wash in as hot a temperature as the material allows.
  
  
• As a lubricant for the manual pump of the toilets in boats - a few drops of liquid on the shaft of the handle once in a while makes it easier to pump.
  
  
• Cleaning a greasy, dirty bicycle chain - apply the liquid sparingly to the chain links. Wipe excess grease and dirt away with a rag. Add oil or clear lubricant once the worst is off, and wipe off more of the old grease and dirt. Once the chain is clean, apply the new lubricant sparingly. No water is used in this process.

#lifehacks: train travel

Train travel is my preferred method of transport. It used to be air travel, but that is long gone. These are things that I do to make my trips less stressful and more enjoyable.

• If I absolutely need to arrive at a specific time, e.g., for a business appointment or have a connecting train to catch, I tend to take an earlier train.
  
  The DB (Deutsche Bahn) used to have a better record for being punctual. Now, it is not so, yet the DB app and passengers still schedule trips with 5-10 minutes to transfer from one train to another. When they miss a connection, they get really upset. I prefer to go one train earlier, so the likelihood of catching the second train or arriving for the business appointment is better.

• Always reserve a window seat. You do not know what beauty you will experience watching the landscape pass by.

• Book a seat in a department near the first-class department. I have no empirical data, but the bathroom tends to be cleaner in the first-class department.

• Bring a selection of snacks to eat along the way. Nothing too healthy, nothing too large or cumbersome to hold, nothing that is smelly. A bento box of delights and a few crispy or crunchy bits.

• (I'd like to say bring plenty of water. But I don't tend to drink while I am travelling because I do not really want to go to the bathroom. I know this is not healthy.) 

• It is better to pack two small suitcases rather than one large one. 

• This is especially true for older short people. Lifting a large suitcase up and down stairs can be particularly bad for your back. 

• Since I have short legs as well, one of the bags is so packed that I can sit on it while waiting for a train and then store it on the floor of my seat so I can rest my feet on it. This also means I can take off my shoes if I am resting them on the suitcase.

• The other small piece of luggage can be stored overhead. Generally, people will help more easily if you have a small piece of luggage to put overhead than they will if it is large.

• Make sure to have a notebook and pen on hand in case ideas pop up in your head.

• Download several podcasts and audiobooks because you might take a while to find the right thing to listen to. Your mood can change during a train journey. The same thing goes for selecting which books you bring.

• Sometimes, I bring something to work on. I find that working at the beginning of a journey for an hour or so is productive as well it helps me to get into the flow, the slowness of time whiling away.

• I like to bring some knitting with me. It keeps my hands occupied while I look out on the passing landscape, listening to a podcast or audiobook.

I feel as if a long train journey is partly an outward journey of being the observer. Looking out the window or people-watching. It is also partly an inward journey of sinking into a good book or even into a state of daydreaming.

I once met someone who took a seat beside me, put his attache case on his lap, stared ahead, and did not move a bit. After an hour or so, we got into a conversation. He said he travelled back and forth from Hamburg to Munich every week. He worked in Hamburg. His family was in Munich. He had tried everything to make the trip go quickly. In the end, he decided to make a list of things he wanted to think about, and that is what he did; he just let himself think. Amazing. 

#lifehacks: metal sinks

If you are cutting up anything smelly, like onions or fish, and you want to get the smell off your fingers, just wet the bottom of a metal sink a bit and rub your fingers back and forth. The smell will disappear instantly.  

#lifehacks: icecubes

Icecubes that are not made of water are a really good way to cool things down quickly.

• Carrot juice - a little carrot juice is good for babies because of the added vitamins. By placing a carrot juice ice cube in a hot bottle, you can cool it down quickly to the right temperature.

• Ginger shots and freshly squeezed lemon juice - add to boiling water and instantly have ginger lemon tea in the morning.

• Vegetable broth - add to a hot bowl of soup to cool down quickly

• Smoothie - instant mini popsicle 

The wonderful thing about ice cubes made with other things is that you only have to do it once, and they last a long time. 

#lifehacks: plane travel

Before I start, please look at videos about how to pack your luggage, how to get good deals, and how to spend your flying miles. There are so many good channels out there that deal with such matters marvellously.

This post is for older people travelling by plane long distances. I will mention a few tips in random order.

• Arrive at the airport at least three to four hours early because the problem isn't checking in but how many millions of passengers are waiting to get through security.
  
  If fast lane security is possible, buy it, but even these lanes are not full-proof.
  
  
• Use the extra time you have before the flight in a lounge. The prices for these lounges can be very steep, depending on the airport, but you have to minimize your stress before going on a flight. Having fewer people around you and less noise is always good. 
  
  
• If you have checked-in your luggage, carry at least two days' worth of clothes. Two swimsuits are a must if you are going anywhere warm.
  
  
• This next tip is for anyone who is short. After passing through security, I transfer all of my electronics and purse into my carry-on luggage. Then, I put clothes into my small backpack, place the backpack under the seat in front, and pull it out later on and use it as a footrest. For some reason, having my legs raised helps me get into a relaxed/sleep state during long flights Especially, if I can turn a bit on my side.
  
  
• I wear silicon earplugs with noise-cancelling headphones. Reducing the amount of noise during the flight is one of the game changers for arriving in good shape.
  
  Obviously, if you can sleep that would be wonderful, but I cannot. So quiet is almost as good.
  
  
• I order a special meal. This usually arrives first. So I can eat, close my eyes, and pretend to sleep while the whole process goes on with everyone else.
  
  (The engineer in me makes it hard to look at the flight crew serving drinks and food because they so often do it without any love, as if feeding cattle, and some of them are so inefficient.)
  
  
• I drink a lot the day before a trip, not so much on the day I travel, and then drink a lot on the day after I arrive. Maybe this goes against common practices, but it usually means that I do not have to go to the toilet so often during the trip.
  
  
• I eat before going on the plane. Sometimes, the airline food can be very poor quality, so it is better to wait to eat until after arrival.
  
  
• I have a small spray bottle of water that I spray my face with every 30 minutes or so. If you breathe in while spraying, you moisturize your nasal passages. This reduces the damage dry air does and, therefore, potentially reduces the chance of catching airborne illnesses.
  
  
• After sitting down, I wipe down my seat and the table in front of me with disinfectant. Someone who knows their stuff told me that the air is actually very clean; it is the surfaces that are not.
  
  I carry a package of wipes, as well as one small container of liquid disinfectant. I have a second small container in my check-in luggage for the trip back.
  
  
• At the beginning of the flight, I go to one of the toilets near my seat. I always wipe down the toilet seat before using it. I also wipe down the sink and surfaces around the sink with paper towels before I leave the toilet, which means all surfaces are dry. Each time I leave the toilet, it looks like it was not used. I continue to use only this one toilet throughout the flight.
  
  I do not have any scientific data, but my experience is that people are less likely to leave a mess behind in a clean toilet than they are if it is already messy when they come in.
  
  
• Finally, I leave my seat as orderly as possible. I put the blanket and pillow on the seat. I bring a bag to put my garbage in and place everything there. I also wipe down the surfaces for the next passenger.