Most of us go through life pretty confident we know how to use basic products—after all, it’s not complicated to figure out how to use a Swiffer, and you don’t need a YouTube tutorial to understand the proper use of peanut butter (eat it, in case you’re wondering).
There are, of course, off-label uses for a lot of things, including Swiffers and peanut butter. But a creative hack that uses a product beyond its official brief is one thing; discovering that products you use all the time have secret on-label uses and design features that you never noticed is a lot more exciting.
Aluminum foil tabs
It’s surprising how many people are still unaware of the simple, genius design feature found on almost every box of foil or kitchen wrap. On each end of the box is a perforated tab, called an end lock. Before you open the box, push in those tabs—they will hold the roll of foil (or whatever) in place when you pull out a fresh sheet. If you’ve ever wasted moments of your life wrestling with a roll of foil that keeps popping out of the box, your healing can now begin.
Hammer claws
You can purchase a hammer with a magnetic nail holder that makes starting a nail simple, and spares your thumbs from being clobbered. But if you lack such an advanced hammer, you can simulate the feature simply by placing the nail in the claw with the pointy side out.
It’s debatable whether this was ever an intended use for a hammer, and it’s really only useful if you’re driving in a small number of nails and you’ve got a track record of hammering yourself—if you’re going to be driving nails all day this will slow things down to a brutal snail’s pace, and you’d be better served getting a nail gun anyway. But if you’re nervous about hammers and need to drive a small number of nails, this could spare you a painful lesson in the limits of hand-eye coordination.
Padlock holes
If you’ve got something secured with a padlock, take a closer look. On the bottom of a standard padlock (or sometimes on the face of differently-designed locks) you’ll almost always find a small hole. This is there for drainage, so that rainwater or other liquid can drain out of the lock if it gets wet—but it’s also where you can add lubricant. Oiling your lock once in a while will prevent internal rust or other problems, and if your lock is stiff and difficult to open, a shot of lubricant in that hole might make all the difference.
Shirt loops
If you own a button-down dress shirt, you’ve observed the loop of fabric on the back of the neck. There’s actually a long history behind that loop, which likely goes back to early military uniforms but came into vogue in the mid-20th century at colleges and universities. It’s officially known as a “locker loop” and it’s designed to let you hang your shirt up on a hook in a locker so it doesn’t become a wrinkled mess.
Gas gauges
This has become a rite of passage for every generation: the day you’re informed that on every fuel gauge in every car there is a little arrow. That arrow shows you which side of the car your gas (or electric) cap is located. In other words, you will never pull into a gas or charging station on the wrong side ever again.
Pasta spoon holes
Go to your kitchen and look at your pasta spoon (that big gangly-looking spoon you use to lift cooked pasta out of the pot). Look at that large hole in the middle. It’s for drainage, right? Wrong. Your pasta spoon drains just fine without it. That hole is officially so you can measure out one serving of spaghetti. Just insert your dry pasta until the hole is filled, and voila, you have a serving.
Tic Tac lids
Eating Tic Tacs is a study in frustration. You pop open the lid and start shaking, and you either get no Tic Tacs at all as they bunch up in the tiny opening, or you get a tsunami of Tic Tacs in the palm of your hand (and probably all over the place). This is because we are dumb and not using the container properly. Look at the lid more closely. Do you see how it has a little slot? As demonstrated in this video, that slot will serve you exactly on Tic Tac without muss or fuss.
Childproof prescription caps
Childproof caps on prescription bottles protect children from ingesting dangerous drugs, but if you don’t have any children in your life, they’re just irritating. And if you suffer from arthritis or any similar affliction, they can be downright maddening. But most childproof caps are designed to be reversible: Flip them over and pop them onto the pill bottle. They still function as caps, but now without all the annoying security.
Tape measure hooks
Tape measures are essential items for any toolbox. The metal bit at the end is called the “hook,” and it’s obviously designed to latch onto an edge so you can pull the tape measure to the other side to get your measurement. But there are two secret features that every tape measure hook can offer you: One, there’s usually a little hole in the hook, which is designed to be placed over a screw or nail head so you can measure in places without a convenient edge, and two, the bottom of the hook is usually slightly serrated so you can make a mark in soft wood without having to let go and grab a pencil. Your home improvement projects just got a little easier.
Backpack lash tabs
Quick, look at your backpack. Is there a leather square or diamond with two slits in it on the back? That’s a lash tab. They were once only included on packs used by serious outdoorsy folks who climbed mountains and the like, but now they’re on a lot of backpacks used to carry water bottles to yoga class or books to school. And they’re incredibly useful, as you can attach anything you want to them for some extra and easily-accessed cargo. Stuff your wired earbuds through the slits, attach a water bottle with a carabiner, or use a bit of twine or a ziptie to carry your keys or anything else back there.
