Tourists read a map on Westminster Bridge in London, U.K., on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015.Simon Dawson/Bloomberg
Don't let a petty problem ruin your vacation. In his new book, Last-Minute Travel Secrets, author Joey Green shares more than 100 clever – and tested – travel hacks to make any kind of trip more enjoyable. Here are just a few of his tricks
HOW TO SILENCE A DRIPPING HOTEL ROOM SINK WITH DENTAL FLOSS
What You Need
Dental floss or a shoelace
What to Do
- 1. Cut off a piece of dental floss long enough to reach from the end of the spout to the drain in the sink.
- 2. Tie one end of the dental floss around the end of the spout.
- 3. Place the free end of the dental floss so it touches the bottom of the sink.
- 4. Position the knot under the aerator at the tip of the faucet so that the dripping water flows down the string to the bottom of the sink.
How It Works
The drips of water slide down the dental floss and then run off into the drain – silently. Water has both cohesive and adhesive properties, meaning it sticks to itself (cohesion) and other items, like string (adhesion).
More tips:
Want to get a good night's sleep in a hotel room?
- Do your homework. Before making a reservation at a hotel, make sure the hotel is not being renovated and that no construction projects are under way within earshot.
- Consider airport hotels. Upscale hotels near airports are generally built with super soundproofing to mute the roar of jet engines.
- Request a quiet room when you check in. Ask for a room on an upper floor, facing away from the street, without a door to an adjoining room, and away from the elevators, vending machines, ice machines, a wedding party, conventioneers, or a roomful of fraternity brothers.
- Turn off or reset the alarm clock. Make sure the previous hotel-room guest did not set the bedside alarm clock for 4 a.m.
HOW TO WATERPROOF A MAP WITH HAIRSPRAY
What You Need
- Newspaper
- Rubber gloves
- Safety goggles
- Dust mask (or bandana)
- A can of aerosol hairspray
- Ziplock freezer bag
What to Do
- 1. Spread the newspaper on a working surface outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
- 2. Open the map, and place it on top of the newspaper.
- 3. Wearing the rubber gloves, safety goggles, and dust mask, spray a light coat of hairspray over the surface of the map.
- 4. Let the surface dry for 30 minutes.
- 5. Flip the map over, and again wearing the rubber gloves, safety goggles, and dust mask, spray a thin coat of hairspray over the back of the map.
- 6. Let the surface dry for 30 minutes.
- 7. Repeat the entire procedure to give both sides of the map a second coat of hairspray.
- 8. Fold up the map and pack it inside a ziplock bag.
How It Works
The fixative in the hairspray gives the map a waterproof coating, and the ziplock bag further protects the map from moisture and abrasion.
HOW TO SEAL THE CURTAINS SHUT WITH CLOTHES HANGERS
What You Need
3 clothes hangers from your hotel-room closet
What to Do
- 1. Close the curtains.
- 2. Hold the ends of the curtains together so they overlap.
- 3. Clip the clips from the first hanger in place over the curtains to hold them closed.
- 4. Repeat with a second and third hanger, making sure the curtains are securely shut.
How It Works
Although they're attached to the hangers, the clips work to hold the curtains shut, and the weight of the hangers is not enough to pull the clips down from the curtains.
More tips
You can hold curtains together with these clips:
- Binder clips. If you’re travelling on a business trip with documents held together with binder clips, those small metallic clasps work beautifully to hold hotel room curtains shut.
- Claw hair clips. While not as effective as other clips, these talon-like clips work magic in a pinch.
- Paper clips. As long as the air-conditioning unit doesn’t blow a powerful breeze up under the closed curtains, paper clips may work wonders to keep those curtains sealed tight.
- Potato chip bag clips. These long, strong plastic clips firmly grip the curtains together and keep them closed.
- Snap-in hair clips. These slender clips are sturdy enough to hold the two sides of the curtains together, depending on the thickness of the fabric.
HOW TO RELIEVE AN AIR-PRESSURE EARACHE WITH A DRINKING CUP
What You Need
- Tissue or paper towel
- Plastic or paper cup
What to Do
- 1. Carefully dampen a tissue or a paper towel with hot water (hot tea or hot coffee will also work), ball it up, and place it in the bottom of a plastic or paper cup.
- 2. Hold the cup over your affected ear.
How It Works
The steam from the hot water softens the wax in your ear, alleviating the pain caused by the change in pressure in an airplane.
More tips:
- Flying in an airplane while suffering from ear problems can result in excruciating pain. Taking an over-the-counter decongestant an hour before the flight can relieve the congestion in the eustachian tube, preventing pain during changes in air pressure.
- The mere act of swallowing, yawning, chewing gum, or drinking a glass of water opens the eustachian tubes, allowing them to drain.
- Relieve an earache caused by the change in pressure in an airplane by sucking on a piece of hard candy. The candy causes your mouth to salivate, and results in swallowing.
Excerpted from Last-Minute Travel Secrets: 121 Ingenious Tips To Endure Cramped Planes, Car Troubles, Awful Hotels and Other Trips From Hell by Joey Green, published by Chicago Review Press, 2016.