30 Features On Everyday Products People Don’t Use Correctly

A lot of products come with unique design features that make them more user-friendly. Unfortunately, a lot of users don’t know that these features even exist. That’s why we’ve compiled this list. Keep reading to learn how your life could be made a little bit easier with a little bit of know-how.

Did you know that you may have been eating Toblerone bars the wrong way? Or how to figure out which side of your car your gas tank is on?

Always Empty Your Iron

After using your iron, make sure you pour out any excess water.

Water left inside your iron can seep into places it’s not supposed to be and damage internal electronics.

Don’t Take The Lid Off Of Your Slow Cooker

It’s tempting to open up your slow cooker while it’s cooking to check on the status of your food, but every time you do that, you’re letting out a whole bunch of heat and moisture.

Keep the lid closed.

Don’t Store Your Toothbrush In Your Medicine Cabinet

When you put a wet toothbrush in a dark cabinet, you’re creating a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Keep your toothbrush in a cup on your counter instead.

It’s a lot more hygienic.

Don’t Set Your Freezer Temperature Too Low

Sometimes, people don’t realize that they can actually change the temperature of their freezer so that their ice cream is more scoopable and so frost doesn’t build up on their freezer walls.

Who would’ve thought…

Don’t Put On Foundation With Your Fingers

When you spread makeup onto your face with your fingers, you’re spreading the bacteria on your hands all over your face.

Use a makeup sponge or a makeup brush instead.

Chill Your Stand Mixer Before You Use It

For the best baked goods, make sure that you chill the bowl and the beater of your stand mixer before you use it.

You don’t want your equipment to melt your baking ingredients.

Clean Your Coffee Maker

Some people think that you can just keep using your coffee maker over and over again without cleaning it because you’re just going to use it to make coffee again.

That couldn’t be further from the truth. Clean your coffee maker.

Don’t Use Metal Utensils On Non-Stick Pans

Metal utensils have the potential to seriously harm non-stick cookware.

Unless you want to strip the non-stick coating off of your pots and pans, stick to wooden and plastic utensils.

Don’t Pump Your Mascara

Some people have gotten into the habit of pumping their mascara wand in and out of the tube in an attempt to coat it with product.

The problem is that every time you do that, you’re putting more air into the tube which causes the mascara to dry out.

Don’t Put Conditioner On Your Scalp First

Some people put conditioner on the roots of their hair first and then bring it down to the ends of their hair. Really, you should do the opposite.

The ends of your hair need moisture the most, and too much moisture near your roots can weigh your hair down and cause it to look greasy.

The Proper Toilet Paper Direction

There has been much debate over the years over whether the toilet paper roll should go “over” or “under,” but it might give you some peace to know that the inventor of the toilet paper roll himself stated in the patent for the product that it’s supposed to go “over.”

I wonder if anyone will change based on his intention though.

Don’t Leave Your Toaster Plugged In

When you leave your toaster plugged in, it’s possible for a fire to spontaneously break out from the access to electricity. It’s unlikely, but it is possible.

It’s best to unplug your toaster when it’s not in use.

How To Eat A Toblerone

Instead of trying to break a Toblerone bar by pulling each triangle away from the rest of the bar, push the triangle towards the rest of the bar to easily break it off.

It seems coutnerintuitive but it works!

Store Organic Peanut Butter Upside Down

When you store organic peanut butter right side up, all of the oil rises to the top.

Store the jar upside down so when you flip it over the take the lid off and enjoy some peanut butter, you don’t need to mix it so vigorously.

Clean Your Garlic Press Right Away

When you don’t glean the bits of garlic out of your garlic press right away, it hardens in the holes and becomes nearly impossible to remove.

Don’t just throw it in the dishwasher. Rinse it out first.

Put Liquids In The Blender First

You need liquid in your blender to pull down the solid chunks towards the blades.

Put in your juice or milk or almond milk first and then add the chunks of frozen fruit.

Tire Treads Tell You When They Need To Be Replaced

Car tires actually come with tread wear indicators that show you whether or not your tire is worn out.

Pay attention to these marks so you know when to change your tires.

Check Your Fuel Gauge To See What Side Your Gas Tank Is On

The little arrow beside the picture of the gas pump on your fuel gauge actually points to the side of the car that your gas tank is on.

It’s a helpful tool for people who tend to forget, or for when you’re driving a rental.

How To Arrange Your Dishwasher

When loading your dishwasher, make sure to put the items most in need of cleaning in the center of the bottom rack facing the spray arm.

You also want to make sure that nothing is blocking the spray arm.

Drink Cup Lids Double As Coasters

Those plastic drink cup lids that you get at fast-food restaurants have indents on their underside that allow you to use them as coasters.

They fit the bottom of the drink cups perfectly.

The Embossed 57

All glass Heinz ketchup bottles have little 57s embossed on them. If you hit the bottle on that 57, the ketchup should come out more easily.

Try it next time you’re at a diner instead of getting frustrated and trying to dig the ketchup out with your butterknife.

The Plastic Discs In Bottle Caps

The little plastic discs that come in bottle caps exist to keep your drinks fresh and sealed.

They may not look like much, but they actually do serve an important purpose.

The Slotted Patches On Some Backpacks

That slotted patch on this backpack is It’s called a lash tab. It serves as a place for you to attach whatever you want to the outside of your bag.

You could clip your shoes to it so they don’t stink up the inside of your backpack.

The Little Pocket Inside The Bigger Jean Pocket

Jeans are actually a lot older than you think. When they were first invented, cowboys and gold diggers were still very much roaming the country.

That little pocket is where people used to keep their pocket watches.

The Pointy End Of Ointment Tubes

Some ointment tubes have points embedded in their caps.

Those points can be used to pierce through the foil seal over the opening of the actual ointment. It’s a really neat feature.

The Black Marks Around Windshields

The black strip that runs along the edge of your car windshield is called a frit. It has two jobs.

It provides an etched surface so the glass can stick to the frame, and it protects the adhesive connecting the two parts from UV light which would degrade it.

The Holes In Pen Caps

Pen caps always have a hole in the tops of them. Those holes were introduced to prevent children from choking on pen caps.

If the cap does get lodged in a person’s windpipe, air will still be able to pass through.

Markings On Cosmetics Bottles

When you look at the ingredients label on any sort of cosmetics bottle, you might notice things like “12M” or “6M” next to a drawing of the jar.

That marking tells you how many months the product is good for.

Which Way Do You Staple?

That metal plate at the bottom of your stapler can be reversed so that when you staple things, the prongs of the staple faces out instead of in.

That way you can hold papers together in a more temporary way (kind of like a paper clip).

Why Some Lollipop Sticks Have Holes Near The Top

Lollipop sticks are hollow for the same reason that pen caps have holes in them. It protects children from accidentally choking on them.

The hole near the top is there to hold the actual candy in place. Without it, the ball-shaped candy would fall right off the stick.