There are many items that we use on a daily basis but have no idea about the extra features they offer, even seeing them every day. Well, in this article, you’ll be shocked to discover that most items we use every day (or take for granted) have been designed to serve a specific function! Whether it is the hole in the spaghetti spoon, on your padlock, or your ballpoint pen’s cap, there are lots of features of everyday items that you might not know about.
Here are 15 of those everyday items:
1. The Hole on The Pen’s Lid
You’d be surprised that the hole on the top of your ballpoint pen’s cap actually has a noble purpose. Nope, it’s not preventing the pen’s ink from drying out. The hole actually serves to prevent suffocation in case the pen is accidentally swallowed. Younger children are the usual victims of pen-cap choking, and the hole in the cap is meant to minimize the hazards of choking by keeping the airway open.
2. The Tab of The Soda Can
The main function of the tab is, of course, to open the soda can. But it also has an additional purpose — it doubles as a straw holder. The hole keeps the straw in place so that your mouth won’t have to awkwardly meet with it.
3. Bottle Cap’s Inner Side
You usually see that blue thing under the screw cap of your soft drink bottle. It’s not just some color under the lid — it’s actually a soft plastic disc that keeps the liquid airtight. Without the disc, your soft drink would lose its carbonation quickly and will cause the beverage to taste flat.
4. Keeping the Tabs on Your Chopsticks
In most casual Asian restaurants and take-out counters, the chopsticks used there are mostly disposable. A pair of chopsticks is “fused” until you break the two sticks apart, and then use them to chow that delicious sushi or ramen.
Turns out that you’ve used the chopsticks wrong all along!
Have you noticed the little rectangular tab at the end of the fused chopsticks? It is not there to hold the chopsticks together. In fact, the chopsticks aren’t meant to be broken apart without removing the tab first. After breaking the tab off, now you can split the sticks.
If you’re going to enjoy a drink or reach out for a napkin (or perhaps go to the loo), you’re looking to put your chopsticks down for a while. Wait, you have nothing to place your chopsticks? Don’t worry, because the tab that you’ve just broken actually serves as a chopstick rest. Now you know!
5. The Hole in The Pasta Server/ Spaghetti Spoon
You may have probably noticed the big hole in the middle of your pasta spoon, but you most likely didn’t care. Or if you did care to think, you assumed that the hole’s purpose was to drain the liquid as you took the pasta out of the boiling water.
Good guess, but that’s not really its main purpose. Actually, the big hole in your pasta spoon serves as a measurement for your uncooked pasta. One hole is equivalent to one serving of spaghetti!
You’ve probably wondered all along, “how much pasta will I cook for four guests?” The hole in your pasta serving spoon will provide you the answer. Pasta mystery solved!
6. Little Bumps on the “F” And “J” Keys on Your Keyboard
Have you ever noticed the Little Bumps on the “F” And “J” Keys on Your Keyboard? They are there for a reason. When your fingers are in a proper typing position, your index fingers will be on the “F” and “J” keys. The bumps on them will help you write and get back to the initial typing form without looking at the keyboard.
This little design hack makes typing faster and easier.
7. Black Grating on the Window of Your Microwave Oven
Ever wondered why is there a black grating on the window of your microwave oven? It’s called a Faraday shield. If it wasn’t there, the microwaves would escape from the oven and turn it into the Faraday cage. So, in short, your food won’t get cooked/heated properly if those rays escaped from the oven. Next time when you look at the window of your oven, thank the manufacturers for putting it there for your own safety.
8. Additional Holes in Your Shoes
Have you ever seen those extra holes in your shoes when tying your laces? Especially at the top of your running shoes? They are there so you can tie them in different ways. If you have a damaged toe or bad stride, you can compensate it by tying your laces higher and tighter. They also help change the look and fit of your shoes according to your requirements.
9. Some Extra Pieces of Fabric with clothing
A few extra pieces of fabric that come with the clothes you buy have an extremely useful purpose that most people aren’t aware of. Usually, it comes packed with a few spare buttons. With these extra pieces, you can test the colorfastness of the fabric rather than testing on your new clothing. They come in handy when you are switching to a new detergent or cleaning agent.
10. The Hole in Your Pan’s Handle
You might know this one – The hole is used to hang your pans on the wall. But it has one more use and that is to hold your kitchen utensils like a spatula or a wooden spoon so it doesn’t swim around in your soup or anything you are cooking.
11. The hole at The Bottom of Your Padlock
The padlock has moving parts inside that can get rusty with time. The small hole beside the keyhole is used to pour oil into so the parts inside can be lubricated in order to work smoothly. Another use of this hole is that it allows water to seep out (that has seeped in due to rain or other causes).
12. The Dimples on Your Golf Ball
Golf balls are designed in a way to go faster and farther but if they were perfectly round, they won’t be able to. When the golf ball is in the air, a dragging force is created which is reduced with the help of dimpled ridges in the ball. So, now you know that those dimples aren’t there for just making the ball look more appealing. And yes even an electric golf trolley can be cool!
13. Toothpick Ridges
Have you seen ridges on the top of a toothpick? It isn’t just a design, actually, you are supposed to break that off and put the toothpick up on it so it doesn’t touch the surface. It is there to support hygiene.
14. Little Score Lines on Your Utility Knife
Ever wondered why there are score lines on your utility blade? Most people are unaware of the purpose of those lines. Due to excessive use, the blade gets blunt. You can pull the cap off (it will have a slot in it), stick the slot of the cap in the blunt end of the blade and snap it off easily. Now, pop the cap back in the bottom – This way you will conveniently get a fresh and sharp blade on demand.
15. Margins in Your Notebook
If you think that the margins in your notebook are originally for providing space for your text then this is not quite the fact. The truth is, in the past, the books often fell victim of mice and rats that gnawed on the corners of the paper. Just so the rodents do not eat the important information along with the paper, people left blank spaces (margins) at the edges, where damage was most probable.