facts about everyday items you did not know

donuts have a hole in the middle and it doesn't stand for oh and donut it's not designed for an easier grip either although it can be quite convenient it's actually made this way for mass baking so that they cook all the way through evenly most metallic zippers have a hidden lock inside them to save you from awkward situations such as an undone fly oh boy don't leave the zipper handle in an upward position when you pull it downwards it automatically locks it's all thanks to those tiny grooves hidden underneath the handle almost any public toilet has a large gap between the floor and the door the reason for such a zero privacy thing is to actually minimize the level of privacy and comfort so that people wouldn't stay there long and there'd be no lines it's also easier to clean and safer if some emergency occurs spoiled milk emits gases like most foods when they go bad a classic plastic milk jug has a concave shape on one side so when the gases expand inside the jug it expands too and the concave shape curves out also if you want to save some milk for later and freeze it the jug will expand when the milk gets solid as well occupying more space in a jug head rests in a car are about comfort and detachable headrests are about safety if you pull the headrest out of the seat you'll see two bars which are quite sturdy if you ever get locked or trapped in a car you can get out of there smashing the window with one of these bars bath foam isn't only for fun or a nice smell it also helps regulate the temperature the bubbles keep the water hot so you can enjoy a bath a bit longer anyway it works for acrylic bathtubs only those made of metal lose heat really fast either way many cups and mugs have little grooves on the bottom on purpose they're designed for dishwashing machines the grooves let the water flow and not spill over your feet when you take the cup out also those grooves let the air flow so the cup doesn't crack even if the tee is scalding almost all measuring tapes have a metal tip with a small slot on the end you can use this slot to hang the tape on a nail or screw and make measurements without anyone's help sometimes this tip has a row of sharp points along the edge on one side that comes in handy when you want to leave a mark without using a pencil doorknobs are usually made of brass bronze and some other copper alloys for a reason they have an antibacterial effect so they stop microbes from spreading they get rid of a range of harmful germs pretty fast within a couple of hours but don't forget to wash your hands anyway grocery carts have loops for a reason you don't want to put your jacket in a cart next to potatoes and onions hang it on a loop this little hook-like thing is here to help you better organize the space in your cart pretty much everyone who's ever been in a public toilet knows what paper seat covers are for but many people find them inconvenient and that's mainly because they don't know how to use them the right way the flap should be placed right in front of you and drop down into the bowl have you ever seen those weird cylinders on cables they're actually handier than they seem because they can help reduce high frequency interference the little sharp point on the cap of an ointment tube is there for a reason too most tubes are usually sealed with foil and it's better to avoid opening it with your fingers unless you're ready to say goodbye to your nails the point on the cap can open even the best sealed tube without a problem the small bumps on the f and j keys on your keyboard have a little known purpose they can help you find the right key even without looking at the keyboard pretty cool if you want to start blind typing ever notice the hole in a ruler it's there if you want to place it on a hook or draw a perfect circle take a look at your iphone you see that weird little dot between the camera and the flash well that's a microphone it's used for recording with the back camera the tiny plastic disc under the lid of your bottle of soda is not there as part of some competition it's actually what keeps your drink fizzy while the cap stops the liquid leaking out this plastic disk holds the gases inside without this thing cola would just be sweet water if you've ever tried to use the blue side of your eraser to get rid of ink your notebook probably ended up with holes in it the blue part is actually meant to be used to erase pencil marks from thicker types of paper it does work with ink as well but make sure the paper is really thick stick satchets of sugar or salt are easier to open than many people think there's no need to tear off one of the ends the right way is actually to tear them down the middle you might think there's no big difference but at least you'll have fewer bits of paper driving on the highway can be stressful and identifying the right exit lane is sometimes really tricky but there's actually a simple way to work it out if the exit sign is aligned to the right it means the exit is on the right and if it's aligned to the left yeah you got it there's no need to gnaw on chicken wings just find the biggest protrusion of bones in the wing first twist the skinnier bone wiggle it and then pull it right out now you can enjoy your boneless chicken bottles have long necks for a reason hold the neck not the bottle if you want to enjoy a cold drink the same goes for fancy glasses holding it by the stem stops it from being heated up by your hand you opened applesauce and don't have a spoon with you no need to buy one just take the lid twist the end to make a handle and use the other end as a scoop your little spoon is ready once your tissue box is empty you don't have to throw it away it's a great shape to store things in maybe you can never seem to remember where you keep your plastic bags if you put them in an empty tissue box you'll always know where they are binder clips are great little things to carry around with you when you want to leave the house carrying as few things as possible link one together with your keys and you can just clip bills to it with one of these you'll never need to carry a wallet or purse around with you again if you don't have a computer duster or something specifically designed to clean your keyboard just use a cotton swab lightly moisten it with disinfectant and wipe between the keys once or twice a week you may notice lots of boots have those loops sticking out on the back their main purpose is to help you pull your shoes on easier just pull it up as you push your heel into the boot it has another hand to use too you can use it to hang your boots on a hook when they're dirty or when you want to dry them after washing you can also run your laces through the loop if you're tying them around your ankles it can be irritating when you buy shoes you like and then realize they're really slippery no worries just take a bit of sandpaper and rub it on the soles for better traction now they're more grippy you could even wear them out in the rain okay i admit it i used to believe that the rougher end of the two-tone eraser was there to erase it the truth is that the darker side which is usually blue or gray can erase pencil from more delicate paper this type of paper is usually only used by artists so most people don't know about it that's not all erasers can do though they can polish your jewelry clean electronics and even remove that annoying residue from stickers it can also clean scuffed-up suede and dirt you might have on your walls uh-oh your zipper got stuck again and you're late who has time to deal with that now well wax paper does try rubbing it on the stuck zipper and it should loosen can openers can do so much more than the name suggests for instance they can help out with those frustrating hard plastic packages are you don't have to wrestle with scissors anymore just take a regular can opener run it along the edge of some packaging and enjoy never struggling to open anything again now here's a top secret wd-40 can completely remove gum from the soles of your shoes it removes stickers labels and even crayon marks from walls you could also use it to untangle your necklaces and loosen a ring if it gets stuck on your finger surprise

now your earphones have a new holder neatly rolling them up in a kinder egg is a cool way to stop them from getting tangled hopefully 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 hull 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 well 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 and 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 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 a golf ball make it look cuter now 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 pods 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 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 so you can wash your hands as much as you want but you're never going to get that garlic or onion smell off your hands the smell of certain foods sticks to you because they release acidic molecules when you break them open watching your hands will help clean the food off you but it doesn't do anything to remove the odor itself water on its own can actually make the issue even worse because it reacts with the molecules to make the smell stronger it turns out that the best way to get rid of these smells is to rub your hands against your pots and pans cutlery and baking trays as long as they're made of stainless steel that is this is so good at removing smells that someone even invented stainless steel soap trying to squeeze all of the juice out of a lemon without a strainer can be messy work instead of using your hands try using some tongs place a lemon between the tongs and squeeze it you'll definitely get a lot more juice with much less effort lynch rollers were originally designed to remove tiny fibers from things like upholstery and clothing but you can also use them to keep your silverware shiny and clean the dishwasher might thoroughly rinse and clean your utensils but that doesn't help much if the place you store them is dirty if you want to remove the dirt from the utensil tray you don't have to take the whole thing out of the drawer simply take your sticky lint roller and put it into each compartment and ta-dah the crumbs and dirt are all gone wooden hangers look fancier and more elegant than those plastic ones but that's not the only reason they're more expensive they're actually made of cedar which is a special type of wood that repels bugs speaking of the wardrobe putting a soap bar inside will leave a refreshing scent on your clothes nail polish is not only for beauty treatments thanks to its adhesive and waterproofing abilities it's great if you need to make a protective seal or stick some things together no more licking envelopes the nail polish is here it can also keep your glasses frames tighter fix a run in your stockings guys or take care of the fraying ends of the shoelaces you're writing an essay on your computer almost done oh no the internet's gone no problem there's an easy way to use up some time if you use google chrome you'll see a little t-rex show up in your browser right next to no internet when this fellow appears just press the up key on the keyboard and you'll start a platformer minigame you need to help the t-rex run around without hitting any cactuses on its way okay connection no need for you to come back i've got some records to break we all know what a thermos is for but it wasn't actually invented to keep your coffee warm it was made by a scottish scientist who just wanted a safe place to keep his chemicals at a stable temperature so he took two bottles put the smaller one inside the bigger bottle and vacuumed out the air between them ah thank you for helping me keep my coffee warm so anyone who's ever licked a nintendo switch cartridge will confirm they taste bad and the bitterness stays in your mouth for a while you can thank denatonium benzoid for that it's one of the most unpleasant tastes out there and carts are coated with it so people and pets won't accidentally swallow them before we had better storage for books and records they'd be kept in places where mice and rats could easily munch on them but they'd only chew around the edges margin lines were put there to keep the writing away from the edge so you don't lose any important information to the rodents take a closer look at your red solo party cup the lines around it are for measuring liquids the bottom line equals one ounce the second is five ounces and the top line means you have 12 ounces in your cup you've probably been storing your peanut butter wrong your whole life the trick is to keep the jar upside down so the oils don't come up on the surface sometimes screwdrivers are meant to work together with wrenches it helps especially if you're working at an awkward angle just slide the wrench onto the screwdriver's handle it fits snugly and next time you need to put in a hook screw put the screw eye into your drill the round end will hold the hook in place and the project will go a lot quicker if you don't have a screw eye on hand use a key if you get a box of chocolates with a little dent in between the holes for the candy push it the chocolate surrounding it will pop right out of their snug little compartments you shouldn't have to push the sweets from the bottom though this weighs much quicker you try to pull out some aluminum foil but the roll keeps coming out of the box it's not supposed to push in the tabs on the sides of the box they'll hold the roll in place don't throw away those little silica gel packets you get in new shoes and bags you can use them to absorb moisture in any place it collects foam get wet put it in a plastic baggie with a silica gel packet it'll get the water out throw one in your shoes to keep them smelling fresh tape one to the lid of your pet's food container to keep mold out you can even put a packet in your tool box to prevent rust women's shirts oddly have buttons on the left even though most people are right-handed it comes from the times when upper class ladies would have hand maidens dress them the wearer's left became the dresser's right so it was easy for them pants creases have their story too to squeeze in as many goods as possible to transport them folded pants got heavily pressed it was next to impossible to get rid of the resulting creases so why not make them fashionable ever notice that tiny hole on the bottom of a padlock its hidden purpose is to drain water and help prevent corrosion it's also the most convenient place to lubricate the padlock a drop of oil in there will make it open and close much easier the hole in a lollipop stick is not a free whistle that you might have assumed in fact it's designed to save your life the hole stops a person from choking if it gets stuck in their throat if you struggle to peel an orange there's actually a secret way to get into it efficiently cut into the peel at the top and bottom make a slit on one side and then just pull it open yogurt is a great healthy snack to eat provided you have a spoon with you but if you don't i've got a trick for you all you need do is twist the foil lid from the yogurt pot into the shape of a spoon if you can't just get rid of the food stuck in your teeth you might not be using dental floss the right way it can be hard to get perfect results with loose floss to increase the tension tie it in a knot that way it won't hurt your hands as well grocery carts have metal loops on the sides for a reason you don't really want to put your jacket in the cart next to the onions do you so hang it on one of the loops these little things can help organize the space in your cart better we all keep our pans in oven drawers they're designed for kitchenware after all but there's another way to use them that's even more useful these drawers can actually keep your dish hot for a while without overcooking it remember that the next time your friends are running late for dinner plastic cup lids can become super handy cup holders there are three small bulges on the reverse side and the cup fits in there perfectly no more coffee stains most people don't associate takeaway food with fancy dinners but a takeout container can still be turned into a plate you just have to unfold it correctly does two zips for one section of your bag seem like too much maybe but it's actually a great safeguard against pickpocketing you can put a small lock between the two zippers to make sure no one can open your backpack the slits on a box cutter blade are there to help you snap off a piece of it when it wears out to do so safely use the lid from the other side of the box cutter place it on the blade and bend it to break a section off a pack of cotton pads has those strings attached so you can hang it on a hook or holder and there's no need to unfasten the pack every time look at the bottom it has that perforated line tear along it and now you can pull the pads out easily the button on the back of a shirt collar is there to hold a tie in place although with skinny ties being popular nowadays it's become mostly decorative pom pom-poms on clothing sure look nice but they also used to have a purpose behind them there's one unusual theory for how they came about french sailors used to hit their heads against the cabins of their boats when out on the oceans so they invented pom-poms to soften the bump a drawer under the oven it's simple you need it to store all those pots and pans maybe but it wasn't this drawer's original purpose you can use this place to keep your food warm while something else is being prepared in the oven wooden hangers they might look more stylish and sturdy than metal or plastic ones but it's not all about looks the very first wooden hangers were made from cedar which is an effective natural insect repellent the smell scared off moths and safe clothes fabric patches some pieces of clothing come with a small patch of fabric with a button on it while it's quite obvious how to use the button the fabric's purpose isn't so apparent is it to patch holes then why is it so small well you're supposed to test your cleaning products on it then if something goes wrong you won't ruin the whole garment diamond slits on backpacks these diamonds were originally placed only on traveler backpacks and were designed to carry ropes now you can find such slits on pretty much every backpack why not use them to carry a bottle of water an umbrella or a pair of sneakers a hole in the elevator door this seemingly random diamond-sized hole is actually a keyhole if the elevator doors get stuck an operator can open them manually by inserting a special key in this hole the same tool is used when an elevator needs routine maintenance a dent in the milk container some plastic milk containers have dents in their sides that can serve several purposes for one if milk spoils this process can cause swelling and high pressure buildup inside the container that's when the dent comes in handy it pops out and doesn't let the jug blow up plus if you decide to freeze the milk it'll expand like any other liquid and then the indentation will pop out and prevent the container from bursting inside the freezer removable head rests even though it wasn't its original role a removable headrest can turn into a crucial survival tool being trapped in a car you can use the headrests metal prods to break the window and get out applesauce lids ever been stranded with a pack of apple sauce but no spoon in hand if i had a nickel then you probably don't know that each snack pack already has a built-in spoon several twists of foil lid and ah there you go bread tags colorful plastic tags on bags of bread indicate when the loaf was baked the color code is the following monday a blue tag tuesday green thursday red friday white and on saturday you can buy fresh bread with a yellow tag apparently they don't bake bread on wednesday that's so they can loaf around grooves on keyboards palpable lines on the f and j keys help those who type without looking at the keyboard to position their hands correctly you place your right and left index fingers on the grooves and immediately understand where your other fingers should go none of which should be up your nose rings in zippers ever paid attention to those outer rings and zipper sliders especially when two sliders are used together these rings are added so that you can connect the sliders with a lock and keep sticky fingers away chinese takeaway boxes a first-timer might think that chinese takeaway boxes have a peculiar shape most experienced diners know that by unfolding the sides of these containers you get a paper plate with the food already sitting on top tri-color toothpaste lots of toothpastes have blue red and white stripes such coloring isn't mere aesthetics all the stripes have their own ingredients and purposes the blue one contains antimicrobial elements and has a breath freshening effect the red one includes some ingredients crucial for healthy gums and the white most valuable stripe removes plaque and whitens the teeth little studs on jeans hey that was my gang in middle school you know the first jeans had one problem workers and miners who were the original jeans wearers put so much stress on their denim pants that it seems couldn't withstand the pressure and tore tiny metal studs were invented to prevent this from happening utility knife this instrument is supposed to last way longer than most people think take a good look at the knife's blade and you'll notice that it's made of narrow parallel sections when your knife gets blunt break off the top section with the cap you find at the bottom voila you have a brand new sharp blade again just don't forget to put some safety gloves and goggles on first a slot near the iphone camera not every iphone owner pays attention to an almost unnoticeable little hole between the camera and the flash it's the gadget's second microphone its role is to block outside noises when you're filming a video this microphone also makes the sound clearer use it when you're on the phone in a noisy place to find an expiration date on makeup look for a little open jar icon it's called the pao period after opening and it tells you how long you can safely use the product after opening it next to the jar there's usually a number with the letter m which stands for me no it stands for months the only thing you need to do is to remember when you open the package most gas cans have two holes with caps one bigger and one smaller you're supposed to uncap the smaller one before pouring gas inside the bigger hole it'll prevent the liquid from glugging and spilling all over your clothes on the ground book pages are often printed on large sheets of paper rather than on small individual ones if there isn't enough content to fill these sheets there are blank pages left publishers often print the word notes or leave some other signs on them so that readers don't think it's a printing mistake fabric squares that come with clothes are for you to try out your cleaning products on them first this way you won't ruin the entire item once you decide to wash it the rumble strips on the side of the road are supposed to wake up sleepy drivers who doze off behind the wheel when your tires drift off onto these strips the noise and vibration work like an alarm clock don't peel post-it notes off from the bottom it'll create a crease in the paper and the note won't stick well after that tear it off from the side and it'll stick longer weird markings on the bottom of a toothpaste too have nothing to do with the ingredients they're actually there for factory robots to brush their teeth nah colorful squares mark the line for a machine to know where to cut and fold the two each heinz packet has a number on it the same product can have different numbers because they indicate which filling line the packet was filled on the soft round part under a soda bottle cap keeps the carbonation from escaping without it your pop would go flat in no time probably even before you buy it cover the mirror in your bathroom or at least a face size part of it with a thin layer of non-gel toothpaste wipe it off now when you take that hot shower the mirror won't fog up this trick works with car mirrors too french sailors were the ones who started to use pom-poms fluffy balls prevented them from hitting their heads against the ship's low ceilings later the pom-pom design was adapted by army troops and that's how they ended up decorating our beanies if you don't have anywhere to put a toothpick after using it snap off the flat end at the first groove and put it on the table now you can balance the used portion of your toothpick on the grooved part so it doesn't have to touch the table each of the rings on a phone jack represents different components if your phone jack has three rings it means your device can produce stereo sound and your earphones have the microphone function a little groove on the bottom of a cup or mug lets cool air flow underneath it saves glassware from cracking when a scorching beverage heats it up plus when you place cups upside down in the dishwasher the grooves prevent water from stagnating in the cup bottoms as soon as you notice the blue bristles on your toothbrush fading it's a sure sign it's time to replace it if you don't have small kids around turn the lid on a child proof prescription bottle upside down and there you go no more struggle the tiny hole in a padlock bottom helps drain the water from the outdoor lock after the rain it prevents the things from rusting and clogging you can also use this hole to oil the lock's hinges so that it doesn't get stuck if a lock doesn't have this small hole you should only use it inside outer rings and zipper sliders especially when two sliders are used together are added so that you can connect them with a lock and keep sticky fingers away bath foam relieves stress cleanses the skin and keeps the water warm foam is made up of tiny air bubbles they form an insulating layer on the water surface keeping heat from escaping side holes and sneakers are for laces since sneakers were originally invented for basketball players this interesting design allowed to accommodate any player's foot they just needed to lace their sneakers in the most comfortable way for them colorful plastic ties on bags of bread indicate when the loaf was baked the color code is the following monday a blue tag tuesday green thursday red friday white and on saturday you can buy fresh bread with a yellow tag the utility knife is supposed to last way longer than most people think the knife blade is made of narrow parallel sections when the instrument gets blunt break off the top section with a cap you find at the bottom voila you have a brand new sharp blade again just don't forget to put some safety gloves and goggles on first some button-down shirts have a button on the back of the collar it's there so that the tie doesn't stick out from under the collar as for that locker loop on the back you can use it to hang the shirt on a hook without wrinkling it a seemingly random diamond sized hole in the elevator door is actually a keyhole if the doors get stuck an operator can open them manually by inserting a special key in this hole the same tool is used when an elevator needs routine maintenance the holes in the bottom of earphones allow air to circulate up and through the speakers it helps to increase low frequencies making the bass sound deeper the whole sound quality also becomes much richer you finally arrive home after a long day's work you understandably don't feel like cooking so you sit on the couch and watch a bit of tv and order some takeout how about chinese perfect there's the doorbell that has to be your food it smells delicious wait before you grab the plates do this instead open your chinese food container on the table it becomes the perfect plate and it's cardboard which means no cleaning either the can of soda you got with your food has a cool feature too look at the tiny metal tab there the one you use to open the can guess what you can fit your straw in there in fact that's exactly what they're made for go ahead try it for yourself keyboards have another hidden feature too have you ever noticed that the f keycap and the j keycap have little bumps on the bottom of them as it turns out they're there to help people figure out where they are on the keyboard without having to take their eyes off the screen grabbing a takeaway cup of coffee at your favorite cafe might be just what you need to fully wake up in the mornings when you get back home or to work though you might be afraid to stain your desk when you put the steaming hot coffee down worry not your plastic lid isn't only good for keeping your coffee hot it also doubles as a coaster in fact they're the perfect size to hold a cup try it for yourself black stripes on yellow school buses aren't an element of design they're actually metal rails put along the sides and the back of the bus to protect its rather thin walls in case of a collision they absorb most of its force it means that the crash doesn't affect large areas these rub rails are also positioned in strategically important spots the lowest one runs at the floor level the middle one matches the bottom of the seats and the top one corresponds either to the top of the seats or the bottom of the window your ceiling fan can move in more than one direction for a reason one is for summer the other for winter when the weather is hot ceiling fans should move counterclockwise this makes them pull the warm air up and push the cold air down and the clockwise winter mode moves the warm air down and raises the cool air as soon as you notice the blue bristles on your toothbrush start fading it's a sure sign it's time to replace it you can adjust your stapler so that it staples documents together only temporarily it's done by rotating the crimp area most staplers have two options for stapling one is standard but the other side bends staples away from the center later when you don't need them anymore you can easily remove them by hand lots of people use a knife to remove strawberry stems but this way they throw away a lot of stuff they could otherwise eat instead of a knife use a regular drinking straw insert one end of the straw into the bottom of the strawberry and push it gently all the way through if everything goes as planned the straw will pop the stem out a tiny hole in a padlock bottom helps to drain the water from an outside lock after the rain it prevents the thing from rusting and clogging you can also use this hole to oil the locks hinges so that it doesn't get stuck if a lock doesn't have this small hole you should only use it inside it's a bad idea to place dirty dishes covered in mashed potatoes or any other leftover carbs closer to the sides of the bottom shelf of your dishwasher several studies have shown that such plates get washed better when you put them in the middle of the rack so now you know weird markings on the bottom of a toothpaste tube have nothing to do with the ingredients they're actually there for the factory robots not so they can brush their own teeth either such a colorful square marks the line where the tube has to be cut and folded now most cotton pads have two different textures on each of their sides one surface is firmer and more absorbent it's supposed to be used with nail polish remover the other side is way finer and softer you should use it to remove facial and eye makeup [Music] the color of your bead tie tells you when the bread was baked and how fresh it is blue means monday green tuesday red is thursday white friday and yellow is for saturday not for all but for most bakeries but don't throw your bread ties away use them to fix broken flip-flops organize your hanging cords label which plug goes to what in a power strip or just wrap your earphones around them to keep them from tangling in your bag or pocket frisbee started their life out as pie containers after enjoying some delicious dessert students started throwing the empty tin plates to each other it turned out to be really fun and eventually became its own toy the fur on the hood of your winter coat is there to keep heat near the face it's great at catching wind and snow too the hole in your spaghetti spoon helps you measure the perfect portion it's just enough for one person so multiply that by however many you need to prevent water from boiling over just lay a wooden spoon across the rim of the pot it only works for a little while though if the spoon surface gets heated up to boiling point the bubbles will just foam up and around it that's why metal spoons won't do they heat up too quickly does the audio jack to your headphones have one two or three stripes one band means your headphones just play sound two means stereo sound and three mean the headphones also have a microphone a pop can tab has a hole on the other end so you can twist it around and put a straw through it the metal tip of a tape measure has a slit that lets you anchor it to a nail or screw you can also press the tip against the surface to make marks when your pencil is not within reach to open a glass bottle without a bottle opener hold the bottle vertically by the neck press your thumb on the lid and cling the edge of it onto something hard gently hit your wrist not the bottle and the glass won't break but the cap will pop off you don't need a special scissor sharpener do those even exist cutting fine sandpaper or folded aluminum foil will do the trick coins haven't always had ridges on the edges back when they were made of gold and silver people would shave off pieces from the sides and melt enough shavings to make a whole new coin the ribs were put there to show the coin is still intact today it's more of a tradition you can use a penny to check the tread on your tires put the coin in between the tread lines with the head upside down if you can see in the top of the head well it's time to pony up for some new tires that small square piece of fabric that comes with clothes often with a button sewn to it isn't for patching holes it's so you can test if the material fades stays or pills in the wash before you throw the whole garment in the machine and possibly ruin it side holes in the bottom of converses are actually lace holes try looping your shoe strings through them and you'll get a better fit with less rubbing on the heel paper margins started out as a way to prevent important information from winding up in a rat belly people kept their riding away from the edges because that's where rats chewed books and paper and storage the blue and red parts of the eraser aren't for pen and pencil the red side rubs the pencil particles out of the paper while the blue side is stiffer and scrubs off a thin layer from the paper itself that's why is for tougher grades of paper whether it's getting rid of pen or pencil unfold the pleated paper cup you get for condiments at fast food places you'll have enough room to dunk nuggets and a whole handful of fries same goes for the oyster pails you get for take away unfold it and you get an entire plate a utility knife has a removable part on the end of the handle use it to snap off the dull piece of the blade to reveal a new sharp one a pen cap has a small hole in the top in case of accidental swallowing it keeps the airway unblocked the loop on the back of a shirt came from sailors who'd hang their shirts from hooks on the ship this locker loop is still useful for hanging the shirt without a hanger the metal plate on a stapler base is turnable rotated and the staples pins will be bent outward this creates easily removable temporary staples lids on paper and plastic to go cups work as coasters the ring in the middle of the lid is exactly the size to fit the bottom of the cup the lids lips also catch dripping condensation from cold drinks the hole in your frying pan's handle could hold your stirring spoon and keep it from messing the counter or stove top a pasta spoon has a hole in the middle to measure out one serving before you cook the spaghetti noodles you can change which side your fridge door opens on those round plastic caps on the top and bottom of the door on the handle side cover holes needed to do the job you can use your car's detachable headrest to break the window in case you get stuck in just slip one of the legs down in between the door and the glass pane and it'll shatter the glass with some shimmying the small dot on the back of an iphone between the camera lens and flash is the third microphone is for noise cancellation during conversation and sound enhancement when recording videos ever notice the tiny hole in the bottom of a lock it's there so excess water on rainy days can drain out this is also where you're supposed to add oil when the thing jams if you look at your gas gauge on the dash you'll notice a little arrow on the gas pump it shows which side of the car the tank is on a must know when you're renting a vehicle or just got some new wheels jerry cans have three handles so you can carry it without sloshing the liquid around you grab the middle one if you're alone or you and a friend each grab a side one and gas cans have an extra tiny hole to prevent glugging that's a real word keep it open and it gives the air somewhere to escape wooden closet hangers are often made of cedar because it repels bugs and smells knives but if your delicate tops keep slipping off your wooden hangers wrap some pipe cleaners around the shoulder part buttons were originally put on the left side of women's garments because it was easier for their right-handed maids to dress them people dress themselves nowadays but the tradition stuck