Hidden Uses Of Every Day Objects

They’re regular household items we often reach for on a daily basis – but are we really using them to their full potential? Since the first inventions came into our homes, people have been working hard to create items that make our lives easier.

Chances are you may not have even noticed the hidden uses of everyday objects – and once you do you’ll kick yourself for not spotting them earlier. From pasta spoons to condiment cups, measuring tapes to solo cups, here are the hidden uses for everyday objects we often overlook.

Turns out the majority of us have been drinking out of our favorite can of soda wrong this whole time. Not only does the aluminum tab allow for easy opening (unless you have fake nails, that is), it also has a secret purpose we knew nothing about. If you worry about the cleanliness of putting that can of soda against your lips, a simple swivel of the can tab can alleviate those concerns. The large hole on the top of the can tab is made to house a straw – a reusable one preferably – and keep it in place. Genius!

Not many people know this, not even most grocery store baggers, but carts already come with a handy spot to hang your grocery bags. Grocery carts were designed with metal loops either on the side of the carts or the top of the fold-out section to hang grocery bags – a perfect spot for hanging those squishable and breakable items such as bread and eggs. Now that we are trying to get away from single-use plastics and bringing our reusable grocery bags, the loops come in great for stashing environmentally-friendly bags while we fill up the cart with goodies.

Ever spent ages trying to open a child-proof pill bottle? Turns out they can sometimes be adult-proof too. If you’ve ever looked closely at pill bottle caps you will notice they are threaded on each side. One of the sides has standard threads that will allow you to screw the cap back on without it “locking” into place.

No need to dirty your own dishes when you’re ordering Chinese take-out. Turns out those cute little Chinese food containers aren’t just for aesthetics – they serve a pretty cool purpose. Chances are you have been eating your favorite Chinese takeout wrong this whole time by dumping the contents out onto a plate. The boxes are meant to turn into a plate by simply pulling the sides carefully apart and laying it flat on the table. Voila, no dirty dishes!

Ever wonder why utility knives come with that little black plastic cap on the end? Interestingly enough it serves a rather important purpose – one that your fingers will probably thank you for. If you pull the cap off of the utility knife, you will notice a slit on one end. If you take a look at the blade, you will also notice little score lines which indicate where to break off the blade whenever you need a new sharp razor. The slit in the bottom of the cap is there so you can use it to break off the dull blade at the score line without putting your fingers at risk.

The hole in the handle of pots and pans isn’t just there to hang the pans up, it also prevents stovetops from getting dirty. Simply place the end of the wooden spoon you’re using through the hole to create a standing spoon rack. The sauce on the spoon will drip back into the pan and not on the stove – genius!

Hopefully, you will never need to use your vehicle’s headrest for anything other than resting your head against. However, should you get caught in rising floodwaters, or skid off the road into a pond, that headrest could save your life. If you find yourself trapped inside a vehicle, unable to open the windows or doors, the headrest is detachable and the metal end is perfect for smashing the window.

Chances are you’re probably enjoying the contents of your red solo cup too much to ever wonder what the lines and ridges on the cup mean. Apparently, the manufacturer says it’s merely a coincidence that they can be used as a measurement for different types of alcohol. However, the lines equal the recommended servings of liquor, wine, and beer. The bottom line equals approximately 1 oz. liquor, the second line marks the recommended 5 oz. of wine, and the third ridge equals 12 oz. for the perfect serving of beer.

If you’ve ever had to fill up a Jerry can at the gas station you may be wondering what the second, smaller hole is for. It’s there as a safety device and is meant to be opened when filling the larger hole with gas. It prevents the gas from “glugging” which can cause gas to spill.

Still rocking a toothbrush from five years ago? It’s likely the color of your toothbrush bristles have faded, a sure sign you should have replaced your toothbrush ages ago. The colored bristles on your toothbrush aren’t just there to look pretty. The blue bristles actually serve as a reminder to switch out your toothbrush once the color fades, so you can keep your pearly whites in tip-top condition.

Children put everything in their mouths, which is why many household items come with a “choking” warning label on them. Fortunately, pen makers realized early on the propensity for small children – and some grown-ups – to find pen caps incredibly appealing for chewing on. If you’ve ever wondered why pen caps have a hole on top, it’s so that if the item is accidentally swallowed air can still flow through the cap allowing the swallower to get air into his or her lungs.

We all know the reason for getting that extra button with a clothing item we have purchased. It’s very thoughtful of the manufacturer to provide us with that spare button should we lose one. But what about that tiny square of fabric accompanying the button? Again, the manufacturer has our best interests at heart and doesn’t want us to ruin the garment by washing it on the wrong cycle or using detrimental detergent. The little fabric square allows us to test out how we plan to wash the item to see if the colors will run, or, worst still, shrink.

There’s another reason your favorite woolly hat is sporting a pom-pom – and it’s not just to make you look even cuter. There are several different theories as to why woolly hats have pom-poms, but the main reason is that the pom-pom keeps the seams of the hat from unraveling. The pom-pom first graced the beanies of the ancient Vikings in Scandinavia, who created the winter apparel to protect themselves from the frigid Norwegian winters. However, the word pom-pom didn’t come into existence until the 18th century and is derived from the French word “pompon.”

Before the advent of bottle-sized koozies to help keep that favorite brewski nice and cold, people had another way to make sure their beer stayed chilled. Not only does the bottleneck help us pour the beer into a glass, but it also prevents the drinker’s body heat from warming up the beer if they hold it by the neck.

Ever noticed that tiny little fifth pocket on your beloved pair of jeans? Although it’s a great place to stash a couple of dollars, back before the advent of the wristwatch it was used to house the expensive – and rather fragile – pocket watches of time-conscious miners and cowboys during the 18th century.

That handy little tape measure has more uses than just providing a measurement reading – and one that comes is helpful when you have no one around to hold the end of the measuring tape. The metal tab contains two hidden secrets – a hole and a serrated edge. The hole is just large enough to fit over the head of a standard nail so you can hold the tape measure in place while you make your markings. The serrated edge allows you to gently press and mark the area you want the end of the measurement to be – no pencil required!

That tiny hole in the bottom of the padlock is there for two very important reasons – and without it, you could run the risk of your padlock jamming up. Firstly, the small hole functions as a drainage hole in case water gets inside. Secondly, should your padlock get jammed and won’t open up, the small hole allows the user to pour a little WD-40 inside to lubricate the lock.

Turns out money laundering has been going on throughout history and explains why some coins – quarters and dimes – have ridges on the side and nickels and pennies don’t. Back in the 18th-century coins were made out of precious metals and conniving criminals realized they could shave off the edges to create new coins. To prevent this from happening, the U.S. Mint added ridges to the edges of precious metal coins to make it easier to tell if the edges had been shaved off. Today’s coins are no longer made of precious metals, but the ridges are still added to coins to make it easier for the visually impaired to identify nickels, dimes, pennies, and quarters.

Ever suffered the embarrassment of pulling in on the wrong side of the gas pump, getting out only to realize your gas tank is on the opposite side? It happens, especially when driving a rental car. However, there’s no need to try and remember which side of the car the gas tank is located on. Back in 1986, Ford employee Jim Moylan had a brainwave after getting out in the soaking rain to fill up his Ford company car, only to realize he was on the wrong side. He had the idea to put a fuel-filler arrow next to the gas gauge letting people know which side of the car their gas tank was located on and sent a memo to his bosses. The rest, as they say, is history. All cars now have an arrow next to the gas gauge. If it’s pointing to the left, it means the gas tank is located on the left side of the vehicle and vice versa for the right side of the car.

Are your poor little feet prone to blisters when trekking around all day in your favorite pair of sneakers? There’s an easy remedy right there in the shoes that most of us don’t know about. Chances are you’ve noticed that extra shoelace hole at the top of your sneakers and may have wondered its purpose. The extra hole helps to stop your feet from moving around when walking or running, thus preventing blisters. Simply lace up your shoes as normal then use the extra holes to create loops on each side of the shoe, which allows you to crisscross the laces inside the loops. When you pull down on the laces it creates a “lace lock” that helps to create a tighter fit.

Just like Chinese takeout containers, those flimsy paper condiment cups also function as small paper platters. If you’ve ever bemoaned trying to dip anything larger than a french fry into the ketchup and mustard housed in those paltry condiment cups, you’ll kick yourself for not knowing their hidden secret. Turns out you can carefully unfold the cup to create an easy-to-dip little plate, perfect for those meaty chicken tenders, or onion rings.

Who knew that a stapler has settings? While we always thought the little metal base plate was there to help bend the staples, in reality, the plate – also known as an anvil – can help you adjust your stapler. If you want to staple something temporarily and remove the staple easily, the anvil can help you do just that. Simply turn the stapler upside down and turn the wheel until it lines up with the hole inside the metal plate. Now, every time you staple something, the arms of the staple will be guided outwards instead of inwards, allowing for easy removal.

Turns out you don’t need to risk getting a water-rim stain on your table thanks to this unknown use of your drink’s disposable lid. Not only does it prevent your drink from spilling during transit, but you can also use it as a coaster once you sit down. Each lid fits the corresponding cup size and has ridges that help your drink stay in place. Genius!

It can be difficult to eyeball the correct serving of dried spaghetti, but help has been in our pasta spoon all along. Not only do the claws on the pasta spoon helps keep the pasta separated as it cooks, but there is a hole inside the middle of the spoon that measures dry pasta. Simply take a handful of dry pasta noodles and slip them through the hole to measure the exact amount for one serving.

That small dot in between the flash and the lens on the back of your iPhone is actually a small third microphone. It helps eliminate background noise when recording video in a noisy place.

If you have never noticed the indentation on the bottom of a wine bottle you need to take a moment and give it thanks. Without it, your favorite bottle of Pinot Noir would likely topple over spilling the precious contents. The indentation is scientifically known as a punt and it also helps keep the bottle stronger if there’s sparkling wine or champagne inside by distributing the pressure from the carbon dioxide.

Unless you’re a mechanic, or super into cars, most of us don’t go around inspecting the little grooves and bumps on our tires, but if we did we would notice little rubber bumps on the tread of the tire. They actually serve an important purpose, since driving around on bad tires could lead to a bad accident. The bumps in the tire tread indicate when it’s time to change the tire. If the bump is even with the edge you need to get a new tire pronto. If the edge is above the bump you are good to continue driving.

Turns out we’ve been using bobby pins wrong this whole time! If like the majority of us, you have been placing the flat side of the bobby pin along your scalp and having the wavy side facing up, you’re guilty of bobby pin ignorance. It’s the wavy side of the pin that actually holds the hair in place and should be placed against the scalp.

It just so happens that Aquafresh wasn’t appealing to the nation’s sense of patriotism by using red, white, and blue stripes in its toothpaste. The real reason is bad breath – or rather the desire of customers in the 1970’s to smell minty clean. Aquafresh listened to the woes of halitosis-prone users and added a blue stripe that contains a breath-freshening ingredient. It later added the red stripe, whose sole purpose is to control plaque. Even though many toothpaste manufacturers use different colors, the dental benefits are the same.

The triple-handle on a Jerry can may seem confusing. Do you hold it by the middle handle, one of the outer handles, or try to grasp all three? Well, it all depends on how many people are willing to help you carry that 5-gallon Jerry can. The handles help to make sure the fuel is evenly distributed when the Jerry can is being carried. If two people are bearing the load, you each grab one of the outer handles. Having to haul it single-handedly? Use the middle handle.

Plastic liners on the bottoms of bottle caps have a more important purpose than revealing reward codes. Without the plastic liners on the bottle caps, that delightful fizzy bottle of soda you’re about to indulge in would be flat. The plastic operates as a seal keeping the carbon dioxide trapped inside the bottle.

Ever noticed the tiny ridges on the letter ‘F’ and ‘J’ buttons on your computer keyboard? They are there as a guide to help users locate the correct keys without looking down. They also mark where typists should place their hands in the optimal keyboard position, thus allowing for more efficient navigation.

As parents, we are often looking for those hacks that make life easier and eliminate mess, which is why we’re surprised this overlooked juice box tip hasn’t gone viral. Normally children, unaware of their strength, hold their juice boxes by the main body and squeeze, which results in spilled juice. The small, bulky flaps on either side of a juice box were designed with small hands in mind and function as a holder for little fingers. Simply flip both sides up and let your offspring hold the juice box without dropping it or squeezing out all of the contents onto your new couch.

Pea coats and trench coats normally sport a very fashionable-looking half belt on the back – and no, it’s not there for aesthetic purposes. Back in the day, pea coats and trench coats were worn by men serving in the military and those coats had to double as their blankets at night. The half belts were used to gather up any extra material and hold it in place when the coats were being worn.

Turns out those holes in the bottom of your favorite pair of Converse aren’t just a fashion design – they have a couple of distinct purposes. Firstly, they allow more ventilation which helps prevent sweaty feet. Secondly, they allow for customization of the laces. Originally designed for early 20th-century basketball players, the extra shoelace holes allowed the players to customize the fit of the shoes and prevent the laces from unraveling when playing.

Years ago rats were pretty prevalent in most homes and we all know rodents love to chew. Although “the dog ate my homework” may be a common excuse for not getting homework done today, back in the olden day’s rodents did routinely nibble on papers left lying around. To combat this paper manufacturers implemented wide margins on lined paper. These margins allowed the rats, or mice, to nibble the paper without chewing through the important notes. The margins are still there today as they help protect the writing on the outer edges from damage.

Remember the joy of finishing your lollipop and creating a whistle from the plastic lollipop stick? Ah, the joys of childhood. Funnily enough that little hole in the lollipop stick has another more important job than creating a DIY musical instrument for kids. It is actually there to help the lollipop adhere to the stick. When candy makers pour the scalding hot melted candy into the mold, some of it drips into the hole and hardens so that the candy stays on the stick.

Airplanes are designed to maintain air pressure, which is why airplane windows have tiny holes. Known as a “bleed hole” they help balance air pressure as the plane climbs in altitude. The “bleed holes” also prevent the windows from fogging up by releasing moisture from the air gap.

If you think wooden hangers are primarily to house heavier clothing items you’re halfway correct. Back in the day, heavier items such as coats and dresses were made of wool – a veritable smorgasbord for moths and other insects unable to refrain from nibbling on the material. Wood hangers are made out of cedar, which is known to repel bugs and has a delightful scent.

Not that we are suggesting you study a pair of women’s panties in great detail, but if you have ever wondered why there’s an odd pocket of material in women’s underwear, the answer lies in how expensive the panties are. All women’s undies typically feature a gusset, which is made from breathable, moisture-wicking material and helps to prevent infections. However, some undie manufacturers cut costs by not stitching up all of the sides, thus creating a “pocket” of sorts. According to the Daily Mail, higher-end manufacturers will go the extra step to sew all of the seams closed.