You will be amazed that you can use these ordinary items in a different way
Clever!
The ordinary items you use on a daily basis sometimes have a secret function. Or can be put to use for different purposes. From a smart wooden coat hanger to the design of the wine bottle and even a pen cap: we list the ordinary items with dual functions. Come see what we mean.
Click through to the next page for useful tips and tricks. Bet you won’t forget these from now on!
Shirt loop
If you wear a shirt regularly, you may have already noticed: the loop on the back of the neck. This originated in the navy in the past. Storage space on a boat is limited, so marines often hung up their shirts. Nowadays they are a sign of class and quality and can be found on many shirts.
Image: Unsplash, Wendell Fernandes, Nathan van der Graaf
Blue square on toothpaste
Take a good look at your toothpaste. You’ll always find a blue, red, black or green square at the end of the tube. These squares serve a very useful purpose. These squares are called eye marks. As a result, belt machines know where to cut and fold the packaging. Were you already aware of this?
Image: Unsplash, Jonathan Cooper
Charcoal in the bathroom
Do you have some charcoal lying around the shed? Aside from it being useful for barbecuing, it serves another very useful purpose as well. Charcoals purifies the air and eliminates odors. This does not apply to all types of charcoal. You will need activated bamboo charcoal. Place a net bag in your bathroom and you won’t need an air purifier anymore!
Image: Unsplash, Sara Kurfess
Rivets on your jeans
Do your jeans also have those extra buttons? Fun fact: these were designed for miners in the past. The designer, Levi Strauss, was told by miners that the pants wore down quickly, and that the seams tore open during work. To reinforce the seams, Levi added extra buttons. The extra buttons are therefore called rivets.
Image: Unsplash, Anne Nygard
Fuel gauge arrow
Have you ever ended up on the wrong side of your car because you forgot where the fuel cap was? Your car’s dashboard has a very clever arrow that shows you exactly where it is. You’ll find it next to the fuel gauge icon. The arrow’s there for a reason!
Image: Unsplash, Cole Freeman
Extra fabric with new clothes
When buying new clothes, you usually get a couple of sheets of paper, extra buttons and extra fabric as well. You get the fabric for a good reason. This allows you to determine which settings you should choose on your washing machine for washing that piece of clothing. Practical, because you’ll never ruin another piece of clothing by washing it incorrectly this way.
Image: Unsplash, Henry Co
Extra holes in sneakers
Most sneakers have extra holes above the laces. These are not a manufacturing error, but are put there on purpose. When you just bought a new pair of shoes, they’re often a tad bit too large. You can tighten the shoes by using the hole. The extra hole therefore has a fitting name: heel lock.
Image: Unsplash, Lefteris Kallergis
Hole in saucepan handle
Cooking a dish can sometimes result in a big mess. Fortunately, that is no longer necessary. That hole in the handle of your saucepan is there for a reason. When your sauce or your soup needs to simmer for a bit, you can easily slide the spoon into the hole. This keeps your countertop clean and you have it within reach.
Image: Unsplash, Bernard Tuck
Hat with pom-pom
In winter, hats with pom-poms can be seen everywhere. Fun fact: the pom-pom used to have a function. The seams of the hat were placed at the top of the hat. This made it easy to close the hat. Nowadays this is no longer an issue, so it mainly serves as a stylish addition now.
Image: Unsplash, Izzy Gerosa
Black grid in the microwave
Microwave doors are often fitted with a black grid. This grid is called the Faraday shield, and it protects against electromagnetic fields. So you can stare at your food carefree while it’s in the microwave! Did you know this?
Image: Unsplash, Naimi Hebert
Hole in airplane window
When you are sitting by the airplane window, you should take a close look. Often, the air plane window has a small hole at the bottom of the window. No worries, because this hole serves a practical purpose. It’s called the breathing hole and it absorbs the pressure difference. This keeps the cabin at a safe and comfortable level.
Image: Unsplash, Jaku Arias
Long bottlenecks
Besides the fact that a bottle with a long bottleneck is easy to hold, it has an extra function as well. The long bottlenecks were designed to easily pour the beverage into a glass. And the long bottleneck allows for a better distribution of heat in the bottle. A fun fact to share next time you have a drink!
Image: Unsplash, Anirudh
Golf ball dimples
Have you ever noticed that golf balls aren’t completely round? They actually have small dimples all over them. However, the dimples are there for a good reason. Smooth balls don’t fly as far as balls that are not round. The dimples create turbulence so you can send them flying very far across the course. This will allow you to hit a hole in one!
Image: Unsplash, Markus Spiske
Unfolding the box
Do you regularly order food? Then you will find this tip very useful. You can actually unfold the boxes. This makes it much easier to eat. Whenever you’re unable to use plates, this is a very clever solution!
Image: Unsplash, Emmy Smith