By now, it’s no surprise that a lot of people have become obsessed with tips and tricks that are meant to make life easier. With so much going on, many of us will try anything to make everyday tasks simpler and quicker to accomplish, and while some “hacks” end up requiring more time and effort, every once in a while, others are life-changing.
Below are just a few examples of tricks that have been sitting under your nose for far too long. It turns out, some of the most common products and items in the average home either have hidden uses or are easier to use than you may think! Check out the list, give the hacks a try, and see if they blow your mind.
There’s a “sweet spot” on your glass ketchup bottle.
According to Heinz , the easiest way to get a good flow of sauce out of their glass ketchup bottle isn’t to hit the bottom of it, but rather to tap the tiny “57” that is embossed on its neck.
Condiment cups can actually hold way more sauce than you realize.
These classic fast food accessories can fan out, giving you more real estate for your favorite condiment.
You can peel a hardboiled egg without actually peeling off the entire shell.
Simply tap the top and bottom of the egg on your kitchen counter and remove the small pieces of shell. Next, place the egg in the palm of your hand, one of its ends on your lips, and blow!
Those applesauce containers come with a spoon.
The lid you peel off can be twisted into one!
My mind was just blown!
Your spaghetti spoon can measure out the perfect serving of noodles.
Never worry about making too much or not enough spaghetti again with this simple, useful trick!
The handles on your pots may have a spoon rest.
I took a look through mine and some of them definitely have one !
There are handles on juice boxes.
That small tab on each side of your child’s juice box is actually meant to be used as a handle!
Juice box game changer right there!
You’re probably using the wrong type of plunger for your toilet.
Cup plungers (right, which most people use for toilets) are actually meant for unclogging sinks. Flange plungers (left) are what you should be using in your toilet!
You’re storing natural peanut butter wrong.
Placing a jar of natural PB upside down in your pantry will actually prevent it from separating, which means you don’t have to stir a big, oily mess every time you want to enjoy a sandwich.
The tab on your soda can actually has a purpose.
Simply twist the tab around so that it is sitting over the opening of the can and place your straw through it. This will prevent it from bobbing around!
WOAH!
That loop on the back of your dress shirt is useful.
It can actually be used to hold the shirt on a clothes line or hang it on a hook without getting wrinkled.
You’ve been putting bobby pins in your hair upside down.
Most people slide bobby pins into their hair with the smooth side resting against their scalp, but the side with the ridges is actually supposed to be there to give you extra grip.
Those tabs on the side of your aluminum foil and plastic wrap are there for a reason.
They keep the roll inside the box as you pull!
Now that I see it, it’s so obvious!
Chinese food takeout containers fold out into plates.
You can open them up and enjoy your food freely without having to dig into the bottom of the container.
When you realize the oven drawer isn’t for storage, but for WARMING!
Personally, this blew my mind. What I’ve always known to be an area for storing pans and tins is actually a useful warming drawer for hot food.
When you realize the oven drawer isn’t for storage, but for WARMING!
Personally, this blew my mind. What I’ve always known to be an area for storing pans and tins is actually a useful warming drawer for hot food.
There’s a way to break off the perfect piece of Toblerone every time.
Instead of pulling the segment towards you, push on the top of the triangle segment towards the bar.
Why am I only finding out about this now?!
You don’t have to break your nails trying to open a can.
Keychain bottle openers , like the one pictured below, actually come with a tab opener!
Tic Tac containers have a built-in dispenser.
The tab you pop open has a small crevice that is meant to dispense a single Tic Tac. Now you have no excuse for spilling an entire container all over yourself.
I think the penny just dropped…
You’re not peeling bananas properly.
If you watch a monkey peel one, you’ll notice they start from the bottom!
There’s an easier way to peel an orange.
Start by slicing off the top and the bottom. Next, make a small cut into the peel to reveal a collection of delicious segments.
Believe it or not, eating a cupcake can be even more enjoyable than it already is.
Rather than trying to fit an entire bite in your mouth without giving your nose a Belgian dip, take the top off of the cupcake, turn it upside down, and place it back on the bottom half. You now have a delicious cupcake sandwich filled with an amazing icing filling!
Got squished bread?
Everyone loves a nice piece of fresh-outta-the-oven bread, but it’s never easy to cut.
Try flipping it over and cutting it that way, instead!
This weird loop thing isn’t just a style choice.
It’s actually built into your closet so your hangers can easily glide through. Neat, huh?
I always forget that pipe cleaners are meant to clean, uh, pipes.
But, they’re also pretty good at cleaning reusable straws, too.
Your stove top is just as tricky as your oven is.
You can lift the top of it to clean underneath. This is pretty darn genius if you ask me!
There’s a reason there are flaps at the top of a baby onesie.
It’s so you can pull the onesie down towards their feet, instead of having to pull a dirty onesie up near their face.
That hole in your measuring tape actually has a purpose.
You can put a nail or screw in it, so it’s easy to measuring things with one person.
I didn’t realize stealing license plate stickers was a thing, but apparently it is.
If you’re worried about something stealing yours, just cut through it so it’s impossible to get off in once piece.
A great way to keep your cookies nice and soft is to add a piece of bread to the container.
This is great because i’m a sucker for a nice, soft cookie.
Who knew?!
Play-Doh was actually manufactured to be a wall-paper cleaner in the 1930s!
It was later redesigned with the intention of being a children’s educational tool for arts and crafts at home and at school. Later, it was introduced as a modeling clay toy – which it remains as to this day!
Earbud-style headphones should be worn around the ear and upside down.
This method of wear can reduce the likelihood of your headphones falling out during more rigorous activities, increase noise cancellation, and improve sound quality.
If you’ve been the victim of spilled groceries, this one’s for you.
You can use those little loops at the top of the cart to hold up your grocery bags and avoid the enraging frustration of food everywhere.
The end of wooden chopsticks is used as a pedestal to keep your utensils off of the table.
That’s nice, but in reality most of us are tossing out chopsticks for a fork. Because we are not able to use, or are undeserving of them.
