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search  An urawaza (Japanese for "secret trick")[1] is a quirky,
ingenious technique that optimizes an everyday activity like
cleaning up spills, preventing odors, or folding laundry.[1][2]
In Japan, urawaza have been shared by word of mouth and passed
down to descendants for centuries.[1] In the aftermath of World
War II, urawaza helped the population make best use of scarce
resources, like using alcohol instead of more expensive
household solvents for cleaning.[1][2] Lifestyle urawaza were
popularized in the Japanese television series Ito-ke no
Shokutaku (The Ito Family Dinner Table), incorporating many
viewer-submitted tips.[1] The term itself became globally
popularized when video gamers in the 1980s began sharing their
game-related urawaza online.[1]  Many cultures and countries
outside Japan have similar folk wisdom under different names.
American columnist Heloise has published many such tips in her
column "Hints from Heloise".[1] Modern urawaz