Hidden Uses For Everyday Items You Probably Didn’t Know
Everyone gets accustomed to doing things a certain way, but sometimes, there's a much better way - and if you're lucky, this expanded level of convenience is sitting right under your nose.
From hidden gadgets hiding in plain sight on everyday items to unexpected uses for the stuff you already have, this list is bound to make you that much more efficient.
Whiteboard erasers have layers
No whiteboard eraser is going to last forever, but they probably have a little more life in them than you might expect. This is due to their multi-layered design.
If your eraser isn't as effective as it once was, or is too smeared up with marker grease, simply peel off a layer of the eraser to reveal a fresh layer underneath.
Dishwasher not working? Try this
Dishwashers process all kinds of food scraps and grime, so it stands to reason that their inner workings can get clogged up - but many dishwasher owners aren't aware of this required maintenance.
The vast majority of modern dishwashers have a filter than can easily be removed and cleaned. If you're looking for your dishwasher filter, it's probably at the bottom of the unit.
2 small Ziploc bags = 1 large Ziploc bag
Ziploc bags come in many shapes and sizes, but it isn't always necessary to buy a larger size - especially when the bags' trademark grooves can work with other bags.
Simply use two bags, as seen in the photo here, to substitute for one larger bag by intertwining the locking grooves.
Some child safety pill bottles have a hidden feature
Child safety locks are an important feature to have on pill bottles, but what if you don't have kids and just want to access your meds without the hassle?
While it isn't true of all pill bottles, many have a feature where, once opened, the lid can be turned upside-down and placed back on the bottle as a non-locking lid.
Instant Pot lids have a hidden feature
Anyone who owns an Instant Pot, or similar crockpot, has probably wondered why the lid features some unusually-placed square tabs.
As it turns out, these tabs fit perfectly into the handles of the pot itself. It makes it easy to serve from the pot without having to find a separate place to put the lid.
Know which side the gas tank is on
There's little rhyme or reason to dictate which side of the car a gas tank is on, which can lead to confusion if you're driving a rental or borrowing someone else's car.
While the side will vary from model to model, one thing that's nearly universally true is that the gas gauge likely has the answer. Just follow the direction of the little arrow.
A wheelbarrow can be a chair
Landscapers have known about this hack for ages, but it bears repeating: wheelbarrows make for really good chairs.
If you're doing some heavy-duty outdoor work and need a spot to lounge as you eat your lunch, just turn the 'barrow around and rest it on its handles for a ready-made chair.
Some clasps have a safety feature
Some backpacks, especially those geared towards more adventurous and outdoorsy activities, have an odd protrusion on their clasp.
As it turns out, this is a simple whistle. It's just a little bit of extra plastic, but it could mean the difference between life and death in a survival situation.
Tape measure ends are loose for a reason
Tape measures tend to have a metal piece on the end that feels wiggly or loose. This isn't a design flaw - it actually wiggles for a purpose.
The point is to wiggle by the correct amount to ensure accurate measurements, regardless or whether you're measuring from an inside or an outside edge.
Hidden function on potato peelers
If you're peeling potatoes, you already know that part of the job entails digging out black spots as you go.
To make this easier, most peelers have something poking out from the side - either a ring or a sharp gouging tool. This means you don't need to have a knife or a second utensil handy.
Shoes coming untied? Use this
A lot of modern running shoes have an extra hole for the laces. This might seem unnecessary if you're just using them for a short walk, but for runners, it's a life-saver.
That extra hole is called a heel lock, and allows the shoes to be laced more securely. It can mean the difference between your shoes coming untied and staying securely laced if you're on a long run.
You probably don't need a separate staple remover
If you're dealing with paperwork - and paperwork means staples, and staples occasionally need to be removed.
While a purpose-built staple remover will do the job, there's really no need for this tool in the first place. That's because most staplers have a built-in remover. Look towards the back, or the bottom, of your stapler and you'll probably find one.
Get better range from your car key
If you need your car's remote unlock feature to stretch just a little farther - for instance, if you're trying to unlock the car for a family member who needs to grab something - try holding the key to your head and pressing the button.
It definitely sounds weird, but this will actually increase the range of the device dramatically. The same is true for any IR-based remote control.
Here's why pen caps have holes
This isn't really a feature to utilize, but rather a feature that could potentially save your life: the small hole at the top of pen lids.
That hole is put in place because pen lids pose a choking hazard, and the hole allows anyone who may otherwise be choking to breathe through the cap.
Here's what that loop is for
A lot of shirts, particularly button-up shirts with collars, share a peculiar feature: a small loop in the middle of the back.
While it's more of a stylistic flourish than anything else at this point, the loop originally had a purpose. Back in the day, sailors demanded this feature on their shirts so they could hang them up without leaving them on the floor where they might get wet.
Test before you wash
The little square of fabric that's often included with new shirts is generally thought of as a swatch to patch holes with - and while that's a possible use, it's probably not the best one.
Instead, the little swatch is a way to test whether a given laundry detergent or washing machine will play nice with the fabric without throwing the whole shirt in the laundry and hoping for the best.
Reducing the pressure on wine
The little indentation on the bottle of a wine bottle gives the sommelier a convenient place for a sommelier to plant their thumb while pouring, but this isn't its main purpose.
The indentation is known as a punt, and it gives the glass a little more rigidity, while evening out the distribution of pressure, which will help protect it from breaking if it's dropped.
Here's what the hole is for
A lot of pots and pans have a hole in the end of their handle. This makes it easier to hang them from a hook, but why is the hole placed in that specific spot?
It's actually placed there to give you a place to rest your utensil while cooking. This ensures that the messy utensil will drip into the pot or pan (not the counter), and gives you a handy spot to rest it.
Read your bread tags
Bread has a habit of going stale rather quickly, making it absolutely necessary to know its best-before date. Rather than trying to find this on the bag itself, just look at the little tag.
These tags almost always have a clear date to indicate when the bread was baked. It isn't quite a best-before date, but it will tell you exactly how old the loaf is.
Carry more with your backpack
The little diamond- or square-shaped patch on many hiking backpacks, the one with the small holes in it, has a very specific purpose.
It's called a lash tab, or pig snout, and serves as a reinforced area to thread extra cords or straps through. This makes it easier to attach extra equipment or bags to your kit.
Fully utilize your kitchen scissors
The little gap in the handle on kitchen shears is often viewed as some kind of a bottle opener, even though it does a terrible job of actually opening bottles.
Instead, it's actually designed to strip herb leaves from their stems. Unlike bottle opening, it excels at this task.
Holes mean durability when it comes to padlocks
If you're looking for a metal padlock that'll stand the test of time and resist corrosion, look for one that has a couple of tiny holes drilled into the bottom.
Why? These holes give moisture a way to escape the lock, which in turn helps avoid rust buildup. It also gives you a spot where you can lubricate the internal workings of the lock itself.
Screwdriver handles have a hidden feature
Have you ever wondered why so many screwdriver handles share the same hexagonal shape? It isn't a stylistic choice, but a totally practical one.
The handle is designed to fit neatly inside the socket of a wrench. From there, the wrench can be used to add extra torque to tough screwdriving jobs.
Make use of your soda can tab
Soda can tabs almost always have a large hole at the top. It helps to reduce the materials used, but also creates a unique hidden feature.
The hole is the perfect place to thread a straw through, which will keep it in place in a secure way.
Spaghetti spoons feature portion control
Spaghetti serving spoons share a feature which might seem a bit odd: a big hole in the middle of the spoon.
This hole is put there with a purpose: namely, making it easier to measure out dry pasta portions. The amount of pasta that can fit through the hole is usually one serving.
Hang clothes like a pro
When hanging clothes with clothespegs, most of us simply use the same grip to grip both the line and the garment - but this means that removing the garments often means removing the clothespegs from the line.
Instead, anchor each peg on the line using the hole above the grip rather than the grip itself. This means the clothespegs will stay securely on the line, regardless of what you're doing with the clothes.
Walnuts can help restore furniture
It might sound crazy, but the humble walnut might be able to fix scratches on hardwood and furniture.
This is because walnuts are full of walnut oil, which is often used in woodworking to preserve wood. Rubbing a walnut over a scratch or gouge is an easy way to infuse that area with high-quality oil.
Becoming a foil pro
Tearing off a piece of aluminum foil (or parchment paper, or anything in a similar container) often feels random, with the roll itself coming right out of the box.
Fortunately, most manufacturers include a hidden feature on the packaging. By simply pressing in at the ends, there's an indentation that'll help keep the roll in place.
Wood hangers: more than meets the eye
Wooden clothes hangers are seen as being more elegant than plastic or wire options, but they actually offer more than just style points.
Wood hangers are often made of cedar, which is an excellent choice for repelling wool moths that would otherwise eat your clothes.
The art of silent microwaving
If you want to avoid the annoying beeping of a microwave, there's actually a way, even if microwaves often don't include dedicated mute buttons.
You'll want to look up how it works for your specific model, but microwaves can be silenced by holding down a single button - often the 0 or 1 button, or the one that says 'stop.'
Dan Gray
