You’d think everyday items are pretty straightforward to use. They’re self-explanatory, right? Well, you’d be dead wrong. From aluminum foil to chairs, perfume, toilet seat covers and toothpaste, these are but a few of everyday items you’re probably using the wrong way like most people. But we’re here to help you get it right.
Aluminum Foil
Don’t you just hate it when the aluminum foil doesn’t stay put in the box like it’s supposed to? You’re getting ready to bake or pack food and the aluminum foil just won’t cooperate. Every time you unroll the aluminum foil, it gets everywhere and even rolls out of the box most of the time.
If you’ve always been struggling to keep the roll in place, the struggle stops today. You only need to do one thing. See those unnoticeable tabs on each end of the aluminum foil box? Just press those in and the roll will stay in place. Now you can roll away your aluminum foil like a boss.
Apples
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” the quote goes. But an apple a day also means you’re probably eating the fruit wrong. Even if you’ve been snacking on apples since you were a little kid and you always end up with a core, you may not know how to eat this fruit properly. And did you know that by eating apples the wrong way, you’re essentially wasting about 30% of the fruit every time?
That has to stop. To eat an apple right, simply eat it from top to bottom or bottom to top. Don’t bite on the sides. You’ll see the core will practically disappear. Just like magic.
Bananas
As long as you’re not wasting bananas, then you’re eating it right. But when it comes to peeling bananas the right way, humans can only learn from the best – from the monkeys themselves. Monkeys peel bananas from the bottom and not from the stem. And that’s exactly how you should do it too.
Peeling bananas from the stem can be a struggle. Sometimes, you may even need to get a knife to get the job done. That’s how humans do it. And that’s completely wrong. If you do it monkey-style, you’ll just need to pinch the bottom of the banana and it will peel off in seconds.
Bobby Pins
For women, bobby pins are tiny hair essentials you cannot live without. You use them practically everyday but it doesn’t mean you’re using them right.
Do you see the wavy side on your bobby pins? More often than not, you’re putting the wavy side up. Maybe you don’t notice it. Maybe you think looks good that way. Maybe it’s common practice doing it. In any case, putting the wavy side up of your bobby pin is actually wrong. The reason why bobby pins have a wavy side is so it can better grab your hair while also holding it in place. The next time around, make sure the flat side is upright, and notice a world of difference with how well they hold your hair.
Chairs
“Sit up straight.” We hear it from our parents. We hear it from our teachers. We hear it from so-called experts. We also read about it. But sitting up straight is actually bad for you according to a recent study conducted by Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen Scotland. Results show that those who sit straight experience more back problems than those who slouch.
It’s time to get rid of those chairs with straight backs. Instead, get yourself an ergonomic chair that will allow your back to slouch comfortably while you’re working on your desks. A stool will work too.
Chinese Takeout
You’re in the mood for some Chinese food so you ordered takeout from your favorite Chinese restaurant. Like always, you eat in the box. It isn’t always easy but getting a plate is just too inconvenient, isn’t it?
It turns out, you don’t really need to get a plate to enjoy your Chinese takeout. Takeout boxes aren’t just for storing food. They’re designed to unfold so you’ll have a makeshift plate in seconds. If you can’t finish your food in one sitting, the take out box also folds back easily for quick storage. Now you know.
Dental Floss
Brushing your teeth isn’t enough. Any dentist will tell you that regular flossing should be a part of your oral hygiene regimen. But the real question is, are you using your dental floss the right away?
If you’re like most people, you probably knot the floss around your fingers a few times to begin with. Doing so gives you the tension that you need for flossing. But those knots can be damn inconvenient not to mention you’re wasting the floss too. Well, there’s no need to waste your floss. Just tie a small amount of your floss in a loop and you’ll still get enough tension.
Ketchup Cups
If you love a lot of ketchup with your fries, one ketchup cup isn’t always enough when dining at fast food chains. Either you grab multiple ketchup cups or you go back for seconds. Carrying multiple ketchup cups in one go is our usual habit. If you fumble and fall, then that’s just too bad. And really embarrassing too. But you don’t really have to risk it.
See those folds on your ketchup cups? Just pull them apart and you’ll have twice as much space for your ketchup. There’s no need to grab multiple ketchups to satisfy your ketchup needs. Just one cup and you’re good to go.
Disposable Razors
Once they’re dull, throw it away. Right? Wrong. The issue is not about whether you’re using your disposable razor right or wrong but rather what you do with it once the blades are dull. Throwing it away and buying a new one make sense. But why do that when you can turn your dull razor into like new ones with a simple trick?
Just get some pilly clothes, take out your dull disposable razor and start shaving off the pills. In no time at all, you’ll have a razor as sharp as it was brand new. So simple a trick but works like a charm every time.
Flat iron
We girls want variety with practically everything including our hairdos. There are days when we want our hair flat and there are days when we want it curly. And you probably think you’ll need a flat and a curling iron to do both. Not really.
A flat iron, as its name suggests, is for flattening or straightening hair. That’s correct. But that’s not its only use. If you’re using it for straightening purposes only, you’re using it wrong. Flat irons are handy for curling hair too. Just loop your hair around the flat iron as you would on a curling iron. You’ll end up with beautiful curls when you’re done.
Pasta
You love pasta and you’ve cooked your fair share of pasta. But bad news, you may be cooking your pasta wrong. If you’re adding oil in your water when cooking pasta, you’re definitely doing it wrong. To make great pasta, never add oil to the water. Water and oil do not mix so there’s no use to this incorrect practice. Instead, add oil only after you’ve drained your cooked pasta.
And it’s not just about when to add oil either. If you want to cook the best pasta, remember to cook it in a giant pot filled with cold water. Season with salt and do it heavily.
Perfume
How do you apply your perfume? If you’re like most people, you’re likely doing what we’ve seen on movies and even cartoons. Spray the perfume into the air and walk through it. For some of us, we spritz a generous amount from head to toe. It turns out that’s how you use perfume the wrong way.
Granted that if you have an excellent brand and scent of perfume, less is more works perfectly. Rather than use it as if you’re bathing in it, just spritz the right amount on the right places. And that includes the pulse points, which are behind the ear, inside wrist, base of throat, inside elbow and behind the knee.
Soda tabs
Soda tabs are those tiny things you throw away once you’ve opened your soda, right? Not really. They have a couple of useful uses you might not now about. Instead of throwing them away, you can turn the tab around and use it as a straw holder. Now you don’t have to worry about your straw not staying put when the soda fizzes.
Another use for soda tabs is to use them as closet space saver. With the right type of hangers, you can simply loop the soda tab into the hanger and let it fall all the way to the neck. You can now hang another hanger on the extra soda tab hole saving you a ton of closet space in the process.
Toilet seat covers
It happens to the best of us. You sit on your toilet seat cover and it falls into the water. It just annoys you every time it happens, doesn’t it? Fortunately, there is a way to put an end to this struggle. You just need to use your toilet seat cover the right way.
Common practice will tell you that the flap on your toilet seat cover should be placed behind on the seat. But that’s actually incorrect. Rather than backwards, position the flap in the front and the seat cover should stay in place. No need to reach for that second one to try again.. you can do it right the first time!
Toothpaste
When it comes to using toothpaste when brushing your teeth, less is more works. You don’t need too much toothpaste to ensure you’ve got clean teeth. A pea-sized amount is enough for cleaning. So don’t believe those ads that tell you to fill your entire toothbrush with a generous amount of toothpaste. They only want you to use up your toothpaste as fast as you can so you’ll buy another tube.
