Shaving: You forgot your shaving cream at home. If you forget the razor, chances are you can pick up a three-pack of twin blade razors anywhere and for a couple of days, it really won’t make a huge difference. However, one difference between an OK shave and a good one is the shave cream, and the can of Barbasol or Edge the purpled-haired lady at the hotel shop counter offers you isn’t gong to cut it. So, use the personal size conditioner that’s in the shower. Conditioner does many of the same things that a good shave cream does: makes hair soft and manageable with emollients and vitamins, plus leaves the skin supple. And it won’t cost you anything. 

Shoe shine: If you’re like me you’ve taken the time to shine your shoes before you left home for a trip. But what if you didn’t and couldn’t find the shoe shine guy at the airport or scuff your shoes before the big meeting? Simply grab a banana. Rub the inner peel on your shoes in a circular motion, then wipe with a clean cloth or napkin. You’ll get a quick, passable shine, without the mess or the tip. Be sure to eat the banana, the potassium is good for you.

Shirt Button: The button comes off of the shirt and you don’t have needle and thread. Your meeting’s in 25 minutes and getting another shirt is out of the question. Assuming the thread is still attached to the button, use a safety pin to fasten the button to the shirt as a temporary fix. Push the pin through the shirt placket from the back, catch the threads, then back down. Button the shirt and don’t mess with it. The thread will unravel if you fiddle with it, not to mention you’ll give away that there’s a problem. The pin and thread will hold through the meeting. 

Stain removal: So you spilled wine or oil on your only change of clothes. WTF? Fortunately, most of the home remedies you’d use can be found at hotels, restaurants, or in the homes of total strangers (also known as colleagues).

Contact Lenses: This probably happens more on non-travel related “visits” than on actual trips, but let’s says for the sake of argument, you forget your solution and need to make due over night. Tap water will work, but depending on the hardness of the water, you might get mineral deposits on the lenses if exposed for an extended period of time. But for a night, clean water won’t ruin the lenses or give your eye some sort of fungus.