Life hacks. We all love them. We all read about them. And we all love to try out as many of them as possible. But traditional Sri Lankan life hacks? The ones that your grandma talks about? Oh, we don't really take them seriously! Most of these traditional Sri Lankan life hacks are simply in the category of old wives' tales and deserve to be disdained, we think. But wait, we can be wrong. Surprisingly there are many useful Sri Lankan life hacks that have been passed down from generation to generation which are useful even today. Let's discuss a few of them here. 

1. Cloves For A Toothache 

If you have suffered from a toothache, you would know that at the height of its excruciating pain you would do absolutely anything to relieve yourself of that agony! If your friend tells you to chew some gum, you would do it. If the lady next door tells you to pray about it, you would do it. And of your mother tells you to chew some cloves, you would do it, and then joyfully find the relief that you need so bad! Cloves are universally acknowledged as the number one remedy for relieving toothache and many all over the world use them in various forms when toothache rears its ugly head. Cloves are found in almost every Sri Lankan kitchen so you will always have this wonderful solution at your fingertips. Simply placing a few cloves on the hurting tooth and chewing them will reduce the pain in minutes. 

2. Aloe Vera For Brighter Skin 

Yes we have heard this countless times. There are some women who swear by the efficiency of aloe vera in keeping the skin bright and glowing. But most of us haven't actually given this gorgeously green plant a fair chance to work its magic on our dried out faces. It certainly used to be the preferred cosmetic before the commercial beautifying products took up the market by storm. The amazing properties of aloe vera in maintaining beauty of your skin is not just a myth that is stuck in the heads of those who prefer all herbal remedies. It is actually a scientifically proven fact. 

3. Turmeric For Fairer Skin, Healing Wounds And Yes Even Keeping Ants Away! 

You cannot escape the bright yellow bottle of turmeric in your kitchen. You have very good reasons too to keep it full and fresh given the amazing benefits that turmeric renders. It is a popular ingredient that is included in many home made facial masks that guarantee fairer skin. Turmeric can also be used as a first aid to treat wounds. It has the power to reduce pain and kill bacteria that can grow on the site and infect the wound. And if pesky ants start crawling all over your kitchen you can just sprinkle some turmeric around the entry points and keep those annoying creatures well away. It is not a toxic solution like the commercial sprays and powders that can be bought at the store, hence your children and pets will come to no harm too. 

4. Toothpaste For Stain Removal 

Our mothers have discovered that even a simple household product like toothpaste has multiple uses. It is quite effective in removing various types of stains from your clothes. Simply dab a bit directly on to the stain and scrub away, rinse with water and viola! You now have a stain free fabric! 

5. Garlic For Ear Infections 

Garlic has been used for many many years in Sri Lanka as a natural remedy to fight ear infections. The next time you get an ear infection, crush some cloves of garlic, wrap it all in a piece of cloth, carefully place it on the infected ear, (taking necessary care to ensure you can take the piece of cloth out ofcourse!) and leave it for about half an hour and you will certainly feel a difference. 

6. Bread Soaked In Vinegar To Remove Odour From The Trash Bin 

This is not a very commonly practiced one, but it sure is one that definitely works. Trash bins can really start having a haunting odour unless cleaned regularly. And since most of us cannot always depend on our husbands to keep the trash bin spotless and clean regularly, we somehow resign to our fate and live with a horribly smelling trash bin inside the house. (The one in the kitchen is probably the worst!) If you are looking for a way to naturally make the awful smell go away, next time you step on the pedal to pop some trash in the bin, do yourself a favor and drop a slice of bread soaked in vinegar right inside the bin, and thank us later!