Household items are so commonplace, it seems like we were born knowing how to use them. However, many of us are not using these products to their full potential. To make sure you’re not missing out, keep reading to see if you’ve been using these everyday items all wrong.
A place to rest your spoon
Just about every household has a saucepan, and most of them have a hole at the end of the handle. You may already be using these holes to hang your pan on the wall, but here’s another purpose that you’ll be happy to know about.
When you’re cooking in a saucepan, you typically need to stir the ingredients with a spoon. If you’re struggling to figure out where to leave the spoon in between stirring, well, that’s what this nifty little hole is for!
A better fit for your feet
Have you ever wondered about those extra lace holes at the top of your running shoes? They seem pretty pointless, since you can tie your shoes just fine without them. However, professional runners know the benefit of tying your laces all the way to the top.
When you use these holes to create “runner’s loops,” the shoes stay tighter on your feet. This can help improve your balance, and cause less of the friction that leads to blisters.
No more water stains
Fast food soda cups are super convenient, but their constant sweating leaves behind those annoying watermarks. Before you go looking for some napkins, just take the plastic lid off your soda cup. Then, place it on the surface of your table or desk to create an instant drink coaster.
We know these things seem pretty flimsy, but don’t worry about your soda tipping over. Those notches along the edges of the lid are specially designed to hold your cup in place.
No hangers needed
Do you own a lot of dress shirts? If so, you may have wondered about those loops on the back that seem to have no purpose beyond giving pranksters a reason to yank you by the shirt. However, it turns out these are for hanging your shirt when you don’t have a hanger.
So the next time you’re in a budget hotel with just pegs in the wall, you’ll know exactly how to hang your dress shirts.
A neat and steady pour
Pouring liquids out of a cardboard carton isn’t rocket science, right? Well, tell that to all the people who’ve spent many a morning wiping up milk or juice off the counter. It seems intuitive to have the spout as close to the cup as possible when you’re pouring.
In actuality, turning the carton around and having the spout on top can make things go a lot smoother. We know it doesn’t sound right, but don’t knock it till you try it!
Moth-repellent hangers
Wooden hangers can be a hard sell because of the hefty price tag. Now, we’re not saying you should swap out all your plastic and wire hangers, but natural wood hangers do have their time and place.
Natural woods like cedar and maple naturally repel moths, which can eat through just about any kind of fabric. That’s why many people invest in wooden hangers for their most expensive clothes, while using plastic and wire hangers for their less precious items.
Dual purpose bottle openers
We don’t blame you if you’ve never looked closely at the back of your bottle opener. It’s one of those things that just hangs on your keychain until a stubborn bottle cap gives you trouble at the bar.
But if you have a moment, flip it around and see if there’s a deep notch cut into the back. You’re lucky if you do, since that means you can open can tabs without having to break a nail.
Plate out your takeout
It wouldn’t be Chinese takeout without those white cardboard containers. Not only do they keep your food warm, they’re also great for eating out of. On the other hand, they don’t work as well when you want to share your order with someone else.
Instead of looking for a plate, try pulling apart the sides of your takeout carton. And just like that, you have a paper plate that you can both eat out of — and no arguments over who should do the dishes.
Removable headrests
Driving would be a pretty painful and awkward experience without a headrest. Still, why do they pop out of the seat if all they do is support your head and neck? Ah, but that’s where many people are wrong.
If you’re ever in a car accident, there’s a chance you may not be able to open your car door. In that case, pulling out your headrest and smashing one of the windows can help save your life.
More than a cool design
A lot of backpacks nowadays have a diamond shaped patch in the center with two notches cut into the fabric. These might seem like a fun design element, but they do have an actual purpose.
Hikers know them as “pig snouts,” and they’re used for attaching shoes and other essential gear to the backpack. We’re not really sure what you can do with these beyond using them to tie on a pair of shoes, but at least you know what they’re used for now.
Look on the side
You’d think aluminum foil makers would come up with a way to secure that roll inside the box. That way, you can actually tear off a piece without pulling out the entire roll. Turns out they’ve already taken care of this problem, but most of us didn’t get that memo.
You see those perforations on the side of the box? Push your finger in, and voila: you can now keep the roll from popping out while you pull on the foil.
Keep your drink straw in place
We all know soda can tabs have a hole at the end, but why? You can just as easily pull up the tab without a hole. But once you open that soda can, putting in a straw and keeping it there isn’t so easy.
Luckily, there’s a solution for making sure your straw doesn’t fall in, or pop out of the can from all the bubbles. Just spin the tab around, push your straw through the hole, and move the tab over to clinch your straw in place.
Wall stud finders
Want to hang a picture, but don’t know where the studs are in your wall? There’s a few ways you can find out, like tapping the wall and listening for a hollow or solid sound. However, there’s a much more accurate method that’s right on your measuring tape.
Unroll your measuring tape and look closely in between the numbers. See those tiny black diamonds? They’re called “stud finders,” and indicate the center point between two wall studs.
A perfect serving size
Eating too much pasta or being stuck with leftovers is inevitable, since there’s no way to measure one serving without a scale. But wait, there is a way to get around this problem, and it’s been staring you right in the face this whole time!
See that big hole in the middle of your pasta ladle? Sure, it’s great for draining the water when you’re lifting out the pasta, but it’s also a way to tell how much noodles you’ll need for one serving.
Look on your fuel gauge
We’ve all had those days where we just can’t seem to remember anything. However, drawing a blank is awfully inconvenient when you pull into a gas station and realize you can’t recall which side your gas tank is on.
Fear not, because we have a way for you to avoid this problem from here on out. If you look at your fuel gauge, you’ll see a little picture of a gas pump with an arrow. Whichever side it’s pointing to is the side that your gas tank is on.
More than a storage space
Finding enough cabinet space can be challenging for most households, which is why baking pans and trays often end up in the drawer beneath the oven. It’s not a bad idea to use it that way, but this drawer is actually a warming rack for keeping your food hot until you’re ready to serve.
It’s particularly helpful during the holidays, when you’re struggling to keep things warm while you’re still preparing and cooking the other dishes.
Spicy insect repellent
Tabasco can be used for so much more than adding a dash of spice to your dishes. In fact, the spicy ingredient in Tabasco sauce, capsaicin, is a natural deterrent for insects.
To use Tabasco as an insect repellent, simply mix a few teaspoons of Tabasco sauce with water and a drop of dish soap in a spray bottle. Shake well and spray around windows, doors, and other entry points where insects may enter. The spicy scent will keep insects like flies and ants away, making it a handy and natural alternative to chemical insect repellents.
Get more of your favorite sauces
Paper condiment cups allow you to help yourself to your favorite sauces when you’re dining in at a fast-food restaurant. But their tiny size means you have to use a whole bunch of them at once, or keep going back for more ketchup, mustard, etc.
A simple solution is to pull the sides and flatten the cup, which automatically gives you more space to work with. It’s also a great way to dunk your food without the sauce spilling over the side.
Cleaning kettles
If you’re not careful, tea kettles can get dirty and filled with grime. Luckily, you can wash them by boiling them as usual, but with some special ingredients inside. To remove stubborn stains or odors from a plastic tea kettle, fill it with equal parts water and white vinegar.
Let the solution sit overnight, then rinse thoroughly with warm water and dish soap. For extra stubborn stains, you can add a tablespoon of baking soda to the vinegar solution before letting it sit.
Save your bread and eggs
It’s hard to see anything exceptional about a shopping cart, but these things actually have clever design elements that most people are unaware of. Those loops on the sides, for example, are meant for holding your plastic bags.
That way, you can place fragile items off to the side, where they won’t be squashed by the other bags. It won’t take away all the stress of grocery shopping, but at least you won’t have to worry about your bread and eggs.