So listen up. Did you know you've been eating Tic Tacs wrong all this time? Ever noticed
there’s one horizontal buttonhole on your shirt? Everyday things hold a sea of astounding
secrets that can make your life simpler. Well, if you know their purpose!
No, escalator brushes aren’t there to clean your shoes. These bristles mark the edges
of the steps. If you stand too close to the edge, your shoelaces or loose hanging clothes
could be dragged into the gap between the stairs and the wall. We instinctively step
back when we feel the brush touch our leg.
The extra pocket on the right side of a suit jacket is called the “ticket-pocket.”
First, they were used to store coins for people on horseback to pay toll booths without having
to open their jackets. Then, when train travel became popular, they held tickets and passes
for easy access. As for the left chest pocket, it was used to store handkerchiefs – keeping
them away from the other cluttered and dirty pockets.
The hole in a pen cap is there in case the thing gets swallowed – it allows air to
flow through. Lego heads have holes in them for the same reason.
Go look at your bathroom sink – really! See the hole up near the rim? It’s there
to prevent overflows. Excess water goes into the siphon, and your floor stays dry in case
you forgot to shut the water off! It also helps your sink drain faster instead of “glugging”
down slowly as it fights air resistance – the hole gives that air somewhere to escape.
There’s a special oval-shaped compartment under the flap of the Tic Tac container. It’s
supposed to make it easier to extract one little mint at a time. Well, if you still
like the idea of having a handful of them, I can’t blame you!
What side of your car is the gas tank on? It may be a tricky question if you’re driving
a rented vehicle or some brand new wheels. But just look at the little gas pump on your
dashboard fuel indicator – the little arrow points to which side the tank is on.
Holes in tube-like coffee stirring sticks help reduce resistance from the liquid, so
they can stir the sugar more efficiently. And we’re thankful for that! This design
also makes the plastic stick sturdier and protects it from bending in hot water. And
manufacturers save money by using less plastic when the thing is hollow. Plus, you can use
it as a straw!
The microwave door looks completely black when it’s off, but when you’re heating
up your food, you can see through it. Look closely – it’s not just a black glass,
it’s a special mesh against regular glass. This protective metal screen keeps the microwave
energy inside.
Dimples on the surface of the golf ball make it look cuter. No, actually the dimples increase
its lift and reduce air resistance, meaning a ball can go further with them. In my case,
it goes further into the trees and ponds. These dimples don’t have to be spherical
– they can be hexagonal or any other shape. But choose carefully! The slightest change
in form or depth can really affect the ball's performance.
The doors of toilet stalls don’t reach the floor, yeah, so you know when it’s occupied.
But these gaps are also there for emergency access in case the person inside needs immediate
medical help. The gap is also good for ventilation. Well I don’t know – sometimes it better
to keep things to yourself, you know what I mean?
Coins were given ribbed edges to stop people from shaving off parts of them to make whole
new coins. The ridges make it obvious when a coin has been tampered with.
Look at the metal part on a stapler’s bottom. Turns out, this small plate can be rotated
180 degrees. After that, the stapler will bend the pins of the staples outward. This
makes more temporary staples that are much easier to remove.
The pictures on UK coins seem incomplete and random because they all make a puzzle. If
you put together all the denominations from the 1 penny to the 50 pence, you’ll see
the Royal Shield.
Airplane windows have holes to keep them from shattering from air pressure differences.
But only some of them. The window has 3 layers of glass. The outer pane is made from a sturdy
material that can withstand air pressure differences during take-off and landing. The inner panel
is made of cheaper material and prevents potential damage to the window. The hole in the middle
pane balances that airflow. It also keeps the windows from fogging up.
Almost every padlock has a tiny mysterious hole near the turnkey hole. It’s put there
so water can drain out after a rainy day. Also, if your lock got jammed, the right way
to lubricate it is through this hole.
Those little “buttons” (they’re actually called “rivets”) on jeans were originally
put there to keep the seam from ripping. Jeans back then wore worn mostly by miners and other
laborers who put their pockets under a lot of daily wear and tear. We don’t put our
pockets under such stress these days, but the tradition of rivits stuck around! And
no, it's not true that the rivits were named in honor of the frogs the California prospectors
found while panning for gold.
Most of the buttonholes on a shirt are vertical, but the top and sometimes bottom are horizontal.
The reason is simple – these two slip out more often than other buttons. The horizontal
buttonhole can stop your garment from popping open, like the lid on a cheap suitcase.
Next time you’re struggling to peel off that tiny foil cover on a tube of ointment
or cream, look at the top of the cap. It has a spike on it for this exact purpose.
Every toothpick comes with its own handy little holder. Just break off the top! Put it on
the table and place your toothpick between the notches, pointy end up. Now it won’t
touch the table and get all dirty. You can do the same with disposable chopsticks – break
off the top piece before you pull them apart.
A typical box cutter has lines on its blade. These lines show where the blade can be broken
if it gets dull. When doing this, use the removable sleeve on the backside – it’s
safer this way.
For when your butter is too hard to cut, put a glass of water in the microwave for a minute
or so. Test the glass, so it’s not too hot, take it out, and pour out the water. Put the
warm glass over the butter. It’ll soften it up in no time!
Coconut oil isn’t just useful in the kitchen or for making hair masks. You can also use
it to get chewing gum out of your hair. If your pants zipper is stuck or your door hinges
squeak, you can use coconut oil as a substitute for WD-40. You can also polish cutlery and
leather with it.
Toothpaste can clean silver as well. Just apply a small amount on your jewelry, and
rub it with an old toothbrush. When you’re done, your silver will shine again, and there’ll
be no cavities or bad breath.
To get rid of pungent odors in your fridge, use coffee grounds. Put them in the fridge,
and they’ll absorb the smell. Same will work with your hands after peeling onions
or garlic.
A cotton pad has different textures on each side for different uses. The patterned side
is for removing nail polish, and the softer side is for face cleansing. The textured side
is also good for skin exfoliation when applying toners.
Sometimes you need to use a screwdriver at an uncomfortable angle. Put the screwdrivers
handle in the hole end of a wrench, and turn it. This will increase the torque and make
the job much faster!
If you like take-out meals, you probably have a whole collection of tiny soy sauce packets.
Don’t let them lie around in your fridge completely useless – freeze them! They’re
perfect little ice packs for small injuries.
Look closely at the overhead tram lines. You’ll see its contact wires run in a zig-zag path
and not in a straight line. It’s made to extend the life of the current collector,
which is mounted on the top of the tram. Its upper part contacts with the wire and wears
out with use. When a wire is laid with a small zigzag, this collector wears down evenly over
the entire width of the runner.
The ice cream cone was invented accidentally! One sunny day, a vendor ran out of glass cups
to serve his frozen treat in. Luckily, there was a waffle booth right next to him, so he
decided to put the dessert in the rolled waffles. And now your ice-cream holder is deliciously
edible as well!