Look around whatever room you’re sitting in right now. No matter where you are, chances are that you’re surrounded by things that other people made. As a very modern country, our lives are full of little invisible pieces of manufacturing that we may not always be entirely aware of. Although there are plenty of household items we use all the time that make our lives easier, some of these things have little invisible features that you may not have noticed before.
With that in mind, here are 25 basic household items that have secret functions you didn’t know about.
1. Wine Bottles
Have you ever flipped a wine bottle over to look at the bottom of it? If you haven’t, check it out and you’re likely to find a ring of ridges around the bottom of the bottle. These indents aren’t just for show, though—they’re actually there to help control the pressure in the bottle when it’s being corked.
2. Tape Measures
Tape measures all have a hole at the end of them (in the metal tab portion)—have you ever wondered why? It’s so you can put a nail or a screw through the hole to hold it in place for longer or trickier measurements.
3. Winter Hats
Many winter hats have a fluffy ball or bubble on the top of them. Although this looks purely decorative, this was originally an additional feature of the hat for sailors wearing them on ships and the bubble was there to protect their heads.
4. Highway Signs
As you’re driving down the highway, pay attention to the signs you see. Although they seem like they may just be arranged randomly, they actually help drivers see which side of the road their exit is on. Some of you may know this one already, but if you don’t it’s bound to make your life a lot easier!
5. Rearview Mirrors
Look closely at your rearview mirror and you’re likely to see a little plastic tab on the bottom of it. In case you didn’t know, this tab serves as an easily flippable switch to tilt your mirror at night to avoid the reflection from high beams.
6. Padlocks
You may use a padlock to make sure your belongings are secure at the gym or even to keep a box in your home extra protected. If you flip them over, you may notice that many of these locks have a tiny hole drilled in the bottom of them. In case you were wondering, that hole is to help you oil it up if it ever starts getting stuck!
7. Converse Shoes
Converse shoes have a signature look that almost anyone can recognize. Although everyone knows what they look like, they may not know why there are extra holes in the sides of the shoes. As it turns out, these are functional—you can actually loop your laces through them to tighten your shoes even more.
8. Button-Up Shirts
Everybody owns at least a few nice shirts with buttons and there seems to be nothing to them. As it turns out, however, even these have a few hidden features you may not know about. One of them is the tiny loop on the back of the shirt. Although these shirts can also be hung up with a coat hanger, the loop can also be used to hang shirts on pegs.
9. Electrical Cords
You may have nests of cords sitting around your house but some of them have special features. For example, some of the cords may have little plastic cylinders around them. As it turns out, these cylinders are actually designed to help stop the wires from picking up outside signals and high-frequency sounds.
10. iPhones
Smartphones are sophisticated in general but iPhones are particularly ornate. In addition to the cameras on the front and back, you may notice that the back has a tiny hole in it. Though you might have guessed this one, the tiny hole in the back camera is actually a pinhole microphone.
11. Ballpoint Pens
Once again, ballpoint pens are a very common writing utensil that you more than likely have lying around. Although the function of the actual pen is pretty straightforward, have you ever noticed that pen caps often have holes in the top? Although the holes don’t serve much of a writing function, they’re put there to stop people from choking in case they’re chewing on a pen cap and accidentally swallow it.
12. Soda Cans
Although soda cans can be found pretty much anywhere, you may not have noticed that the tabs on these cans have multiple holes on them. Beyond being just a decorative feature, you can also use the can tab to hold a straw in place—now you know!
13. Chinese Takeout Boxes
These white little boxes are what hold your leftover white rice and lo mein. Although these things have a fairly ingenious structure all on their own, they also have additional functionality you might not know about. As it turns out, these boxes also perfectly unfold into portable takeout plates as well.
14. Ketchup Bottles
Heinz Tomato Ketchup is perhaps one of the most iconic condiments in America. Although there are many kinds of ketchup in many different bottles, the Heinz glass bottle is instantly recognizable. What you may not have noticed, however, is the little number “57” embossed on their bottles. As it turns out, the 57 stands for how man varieties they have—though it’s also printed in a place you should tap if the ketchup won’t come out.
15. Backpacks
If you went to school, you definitely owned a backpack at some point. Still, even these common household items have additional functions you might not know about. For one thing, these bags have a tab on the back with two slits in it that you can tie things to—sneakers or sleeping bags, for example.
16. Tires
All kinds of vehicles have tires on them from scooters to bikes. More commonly, if we’re talking about tires we’re probably talking about the ones on our car. Still, even these commonplace objects have their own secret features as well. If you look closely at your car’s tires, you may see that they have ridges buried in them. When the tire grinds down to that point, it’s time to change them out.
17. Toothpicks
Though it may surprise you, even some toothpicks have some special and secret features. Next time you have one in your hands, try to look at the end of the pick and see if there’s a marking on the end where it could snap off. As it turns out, you can break that part of a toothpick off and use it as a rest for the other part of it!
18. Jeans
One of the most common pairs of pants you’re likely to find, even jeans come with some secret features you may not be familiar with. One of these features is the miniature pocket that you can often find inside the main pockets on the front. These are a holdover from cowboy and ranch hand days as these are the right size to hold a watch.
19. Coffee Cups
If you’ve ever been to Starbucks or some other local coffee chain, you’ve likely held a plastic coffee cup in your hand. If so, you may have seen that the lids often have a little plastic ring on the inside of them as well. If you were wondering why that was, it’s because you can pop the top off and use it as a coaster.
20. Aluminum Foil
Though this foil is useful to wrap leftover food, the actual boxes that the foil comes in also have holes on the sides of them that you might not have been aware of. These holes are actually so you can keep the foil roll in place while you slice it. If this is a common problem you didn’t know you had, now you know that there’s a solution.
21. Elevator Doors
Nothing too exciting about a pair of elevator doors on first look. Still, these things do have additional features just like everything else on this list. Next time you’re in an elevator, take a look for a little hole bored into one of the doors. This hole is there to let the staff unlock the elevator in case there’s an emergency.
22. Tic Tacs
When’s the last time you’ve had a Tic Tac? It’s probably been a while, but then again maybe you’re a huge fan of the brand and you eat them all the time. In either case, next time you have a box you should open up the lid and look inside. See that little slot in the lid? That’s for perfectly storing one Tic Tac. Pretty cool, huh?
23. Applesauce
You may not have had applesauce since you were a kid but even these little snack cups have some features you might not know about. The foil caps were not just an innocent design choice—they actually work as on-the-go spoons if you crinkle them up the right way.
24. Beer Bottles
For those of us who drink, there are few pleasures quite like a nice cold beer on a truly hot day. But have you ever stopped to look at the design of these bottles more closely? If you wondered why these bottles often have such a long neck, it’s because holding it in that area helps to keep your body heat from transferring to the liquid inside.
25. Saucepans
Finally, the saucepan. Next time you’re heating up pasta sauce or boiling water, take a look at the handle of your pan. If your pans are anything like ours, you’ll notice that the handle has a handy little hole in it. Although you might use this to hang your pots and pans from a hook, you can also use it to support a spoon that you may be mixing the pot with.
Do you know any other household objects that have secret features like these? Tell us your favorites in the comments area below.
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