Every day we are the recipients of millions of information, so it is natural for us not to be able to deal with all of it. There are things in our lives that we’ve either been neglecting or ignoring that would make our lives easier.
Fear not, as we’ve made this list of things that we’ve all not been giving much attention. Small things like a pen’s lid, the ridges on the sides of coins, even the tiny hole next to an iPhone’s camera, they're there for a reason. We are about to find out why.
Arrow On Gas Gauge
This one is a thing that most drivers may not have even noticed. Any car from 2010 has an arrow on its gas gauge. Especially if we’re talking about a relatively forgetful driver, this arrow can save anyone from thinking twice. It’s there to indicate whether the gas cap’s on the left or the right side.
Although most drivers know the gas gauge’s direction after filling their cars once or twice, getting confused every once in a while can happen to everyone. Thankfully, the next time we’re in a similar situation, we’ll know what to anticipate. As if the F and E markers weren’t enough!
Loop In Back Of Shirt
Not all shirts out there have this feature, as it is mostly for high-quality button-down shirts. This tiny loop on the back of the shirts is right where the shoulder pads meet. It even used to have a name, called the locker loop, and it reportedly originated from the navy.
It’s merely there to help a person hang it without the shirt getting wrinkled. Many companies started adding locker loops to their shirts to attract specific audiences. Today, it is transformed from something only found in high-end fashion, to somewhat of a college fashion, for obvious reasons.
Activated Charcoal As An Air Purifier & Odor Remover
It is probably no news to anyone, as activated charcoal has been advertised all over for its many different uses. Its most common use is to purify drinking water. However, there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye. As it turns out, it can also be an air purifier.
Unlike other popular purifying chemical sprays, activated charcoal can also remove all sorts of bacteria and allergens from the air we breathe. By putting just some activated charcoal in small bags around the house or the car, one can have an odor-less environment practically for free!
Randomly Placed Buttons On Jeans
Denim jeans weren’t always those long-lasting pairs of pants that we now know them to be. As a matter of fact, in the 1800s, when they started to become popular within the working class, everyone was complaining about how easily they would rip after a long day of labor.
The idea of adding those little button-like rivets on the pockets came much later. It was designed as a patent in 1873. As a result, we can now enjoy rip-less jeans. They might as well be one of the most useful inventions out there, despite the lack of credit we give them.
Extra Fabric On Clothes
Many people might have noticed, upon buying new clothes, that they sometimes come with a tiny patch of fabric and or buttons in the pockets. Instinctively one might think its to sew it back in case the clothing ever gets ripped. However, there’s much better use to it than what comes to mind.
These patches of fabric are there for us to try them in the washing machine. Nobody wants to ruin a perfectly good new shirt on the washing machine. By simply washing the sample fabric first, we get the opportunity to see how it reacts to the water, whether it will shrink or bleed color.
Holes In Pot Handle
Any person that cooks regularly should have noticed those holes on the handles of the pots and pans. Though we’ve seen chef’s kitchens with loads of space to store the pots hanging, most households don’t have the capacity nor room to hand their pans like that.
There’s another, much more useful reasoning behind those handle holes. As the picture shows, we can use them to place our utensils while cooking. We’ve all experienced that awkward moment when cooking a sauce, for example, when we don’t know where to leave the spoon we were using. That little hole will certainly solve this problem for good.
Pom-Poms On Winter Hats
Some people hate them, and some can’t live without them. Other than a fashion trend, however, what’s the use of the fluffy pom-pom balls on our winter hats? The truth is that this technique brings us back hundreds of years. As far as our knowledge goes, they were even used by Vikings.
It’s speculated that they were making tiny balls on their hats as a way to gather all the seams together in one place before other knitting techniques were there. Over the years, however, pom-poms have been used on all kinds of hats, from the military to everyday wear.
Holes In Airplane Windows
Any person that travels around a lot must have noticed, whether it’s with a cheap flight or first class, that the windows on the airplanes have tiny holes on them. Although thinking about it might cause a panic attack, the truth is that they have a significant role to play in keeping the plane safe.
These holes are called bleed holes. Every window has three layers, and the final one, the one with which we have contact, is to balance out the pressure in the other two. It keeps the moisture out to prevent them from freezing. This tiny hole fixes all those problems.
Black Grating In Microwave
We’ve all been in this situation, whether we want to admit it or not, when we impatiently wait for the microwave to finish heating our food while staring at it. Whenever we do that, though, our vision tends to be disrupted by that black grating on the oven’s door. What is it even there for, if not for annoying us?
After a tiny google search, we found out that they’re called Faraday shields. They’re there not as a fashion choice, but to protect the microwaves from leaking. Not only do they play a vital role in the oven’s function, but they also keep us from being harmed by the waves.
Golf Ball Dimples
Anyone who’s ever played golf has probably wondered why the golf balls have dimples on them. It is certainly not there to make the ball prettier; in fact, they have a purpose. As a sport, golf has been around practically forever. It originated in England in the 15th century.
Naturally, both the equipment and the techniques used have changed a lot over the years. Golfers noticed that old and wrinkly balls were traveling more than new ones, and that was because the bumps create turbulence that reduces drag with the wind. As a result, all golfing balls now have anywhere from 300 to 500 dimples.
Long Neck Bottles
Any person that occasionally enjoys drinking some alcohol might have wondered why most of the bottles have a long neck. The truth is that it took the production companies much time to perfect the product’s packaging. They only became standardized in the ‘90s.
The truth is, that the long neck on a beverage’s bottle not only helps us pour it properly but also distributes the heat from our hands to the beer equally. Overall, they help keep our drinks cooler than other designs did. Next time we drink a beer, let’s take a moment to appreciate this great design.
Flat Takeout Boxes
The way things are right now, Chinese food is on almost everyone’s diet. Most of us, however, take these emblematic cartons home to empty the meal on an actual plate. We’ve all been doing it wrong, as one can unfold the carton into a plate.
There is no need for us to be washing extra dishes when we can unfold it and have a plate right there. Although the Chinese takeout boxes weren’t made in China, better yet, they were made in America. They do serve a higher purpose even though we might have been ignorant of it up until now.
Keyboard Bumps
In case anyone hasn’t noticed yet, every single keyboard out there has two slight bumps on the letters F and J. Although they tend to go undetected, anyone who spends a lot of time on the computer uses them without even noticing. They are there to pinpoint us if our hands are correctly placed on the keyboard.
Usually, when we place our hands on it and get ready to type, by default, our pointer fingers are on the F and J keys. Not only do those little bumps save us the trouble from looking at the keyboard, but they also help us type faster!
Hole In Cap Of Ballpoint Pens
What’s the use of a cap if it’s going to have a hole on its top? That’s a question probably no one’s asked themselves as pen caps are everyday things in our lives. However, come to think of it, why are they designed with a hole?
The holes are there to allow the air to flow through. Not only do they make it easier to take out the cap, but they also prevent tragedies. Who hasn’t chewed a pen cap? Now we can sleep quietly, knowing that if we ever have an accident and swallow one, this little hole will allow us to move it quickly!
Zigzag Side Of Bobby Pin
Not everyone has had the need to use a bobby pin. After all, some hairstyles don’t require excessive taking care of, and that’s understandable. However, anyone that has probably wondered at some time why they have that shape. The answer is pretty simple.
By placing the zigzag side towards the scalp, the bobby pin will then be able to have a stronger grip on the person’s hair. That way, they’re sure to stay there for as long as we need them on. Although their small size makes them easier to lose, anyone who’s ever used them should be thankful for its zigzag design!
Cylinder Toward End Of Cable Cord
All modern-day cables happen to have a mysterious cylinder-shaped piece toward their ends. It’s not there to make them prettier, nor help us untangle them. So what’s their actual use? Any person that knows physics might already know the answer, as it’s purely functional.
They are called chokes, or better yet ferrite cores. Most cables have them so that they block out any electromagnetic interference. Anyone who’s lived through the early ‘00s might remember an annoying noise coming out of a speaker when a phone rang. That problem was solved for good when these cables came out.
Wings On Apple Power Cord
This one is for any avid Apple user out there. Most MacBook chargers come with wing-like shapes on their power cords. If we’re talking about someone that likes his cables untangled, these wings make our lives easier.
If we pull the wings up, Apple has given us the perfect way to keep the cable neatly folded for it not to get all tangled up. Not only do they save us the time we’d need to get it back in its original shape, but they also make for a cool accessory.
Blue Part Of Eraser
Anyone who’s graduated grade school knows for a fact that the blue part of a standard eraser is for pen ink. Well, sorry to say, but we are all wrong. After all, when’s the last time we used it like that, and it didn’t tear the paper apart?
The blue part is actually to be used for ordinary pencils, but in tougher kinds of papers. Meaning, not the every-day notebook paper, but other types that most artists use. In conclusion, let’s leave the blue part to the people with a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from now on.
Square Patch On Backpacks
They are called Lash Tabs or Pig Snouts, but why do they even exist? Those square leather patches on our backpacks look good, but what purpose do they serve other than being decorative? If we’ve not made it clear enough already, everything has a purpose, even though we might not know it yet.
So, these so-called Pig Snouts are there for us to have some additional room in our bags. It doesn’t need to be a designer bag, as for now, every ordinary bag has them. They allow us to hang extra stuff like strings or cables. This particular one is a perfect tip for any campers out there!
Color-Coded Ice Cream Scoops
We didn’t have to work at an ice cream stand to wonder about that, as most of us have already noticed the different shapes and colors the ice cream scoops come in. All the different colors represent something that might be useful to an ice cream fanatic.
Each color represents a different measure, and any self-respecting ice cream shop uses that color code to coordinate their scoops. A single scoop can cost up to hundreds of dollars. That’s a lot of money to invest in ice cream. They can hold anywhere from 1 to 4 ml of ice cream depending on size.
Brass Doorknobs
We wouldn’t expect anyone to be paying attention to doorknobs. Upon thinking about it, one will notice that most of them are made from brass. Why is that? Of course, it’s something far more interesting than a fashion choice, as things in this list tend to be.
Brass makes for a natural disinfectant. That’s the reason why many things in public places, from poles to carts and even doorknobs are made from brass. That effect is the oligodynamic effect, meaning that the metal in the brass is toxic for most bacteria and living organisms.
Tab On Rearview Mirror
Here’s one for all the drivers out there. Anyone who doesn’t know about it already will be happy to find out that there are a day and a night mode on our rearview mirrors. As most of them are manuals, it’s up to us to adjust them.
That is when the little tab on the bottom side of a mirror comes in place. It switches it from night to day mode with a single pull. Anyone who’s driven around at night can relate to the problem of being blinded by another guy’s car lights. This little tab is there to save us from that nasty reflection.
Ridges On Coins
This dates back to when the value of a coin was attributed to the value of the material used to make it. Adding ridges to the original coins made it impossible for people to craft new coins salvaging the edges of older ones.
Not only did adding the edges make the coins seem more appealing, but also impossible to counterfeit. Although that’s not an issue anymore, as coins are mostly from copper, zinc, and nickel, we have to admit they wouldn’t feel the same without the ridges.
Loops On Grocery Carts
We don’t need to be shopping experts to wonder why there are those weirdly shaped loops on the back of a shopping cart. Most households go out shopping for groceries each month once the paycheck comes. However, a neatly organized shopping cart can easily change into a chaotic one after the cashier.
As we came to realize, those loops are there for us to hang the bags in. That way, we have more room to get by inside the cart. We can also keep pressure off of some more delicate and fragile groceries like eggs or glasses.
Margins On Lined Paper
The margins on the edges of the notebook paper weren’t for angry teacher notes. Much like anything on this list, they used to have a purpose. Anyone interested in having his or her work being presentable, those margins are quite helpful, but we can’t help but wonder where they originated.
When people only used paper to save their thoughts, instead of tablets and phones, they also had to face all the paper’s weaknesses. Be that water damage or being eaten by a rat. The margins are there so that even if the book were in an accident, all the written information would be safe.
Discs Under Bottle Caps
Despite them being mostly rich in bad calories, everyone likes to drink a soda now and then. However, there might be one slight detail on its packaging that we’ve been ignoring. We are, of course, talking about the little plastic disc on the bottom of each cap. Why is it even there?
Surely it must have a use, as companies put loads of thought into their packaging. It’s called a liner and can be from many different materials. The reasoning behind it is quite simple. It helps seal the bottle correctly and preserve the carbon dioxide in our drinks.
Soda Can Tab
Over the years, there have been many innovative uses for the soda can tabs. Be that making ornaments, bracelets, or playing games, anything that kids figure out with their active imaginations. It seems as though we’ve been misusing them as there’s a more useful thing to do with them.
After using the tab to open the can, try rolling it the other way and using it as a straw holder. That way, we make sure that the straw stays in place while we enjoy our carbonated beverage. Although soda cans might not be great for one’s diet, at least now we get to enjoy them more.
Colored Squares On Toothpaste
Now, there has been an occasional theory about the use of the colored square on the toothpaste packages, but the truth is somewhat dull. It all started when people wanted different colors to indicate whether or not there are harmful chemicals on the kinds of toothpaste, with the colors of the squares being red, blue, green, etc.
However, upon looking it up, the truth is that these markers are there for no other reason than to pinpoint the manufacturing machine where correctly to fold, cut, or seal. The different colors are because of the various sensors used in each device, so really, there is no mystery there to unfold.
Extra Holes In Sneakers
Any avid gym-goer must have faced this problem. It’s one thing to have a good workout schedule, having blisters on your feet by all the running is an entirely different thing though. Blisters occur if the shoes we’re wearing don’t fit out feet properly. However, it’s not the shoe’s fault as we’ve probably been misusing them.
Those little extra holes at the top of our sneakers are not a design flaw, but instead, they’re there to help us. By tying the laces using that additional hole, we can make them much more stable. That type of tying is called lace or heel lock.
Hole Next To iPhone Camera
As iPhones are practically taking over the world, one can’t help but wonder why there are these little holes next to their cameras. No, they are not there to spy on us apparently, as they are but a tool designed to make our lives easier.
Starting from iPhone 5, the company decided to spread three microphones in their devices to make it more difficult for the sound to get disrupted. One of those three is right next to the camera. Next time we make a perfect recording with our phones, we’ll undoubtedly be thanking that little microphone.