The tiny studs on your jeans
Ever wondered why your jeans are littered with little studs? It’s not a stylistic choice – they actually help to hold your jeans together. They serve as rivets, placed in strategic spots to prevent wear and tear. The rivets are actually patented by denim king himself Levi Strauss, who came up with the genius idea.
The bumps on your keyboard
Take a glance at your keyboard, paying particular attention to the F and J buttons. Notice the little bumps on the keys? The purpose of these grooves is to enable users to type through feeling, without even having to glance at their keyboards, dramatically speeding up the typing process.
The extra holes on your sneakers
The extra hole at the top of your sneakers isn’t just for aesthetic purposes, it actually serves a proper function. Known as lace locking, the hole can be used to tie your lace through once more, adding an extra sense of tightness and security to your sneakers – ideal for runners and joggers.
The arrow on your gas gauge
Using a new car comes with a slew of anxieties, least of all worrying about what side your gas tank is on. Thankfully, every car features a small arrow on the dashboard by your gas gauge, telling you which side your fuel cap is on. Armed with your new knowledge, you can say goodbye to gas station woes.
The zigzags on bobby pins
You may have wondered why bobby pins feature one straight side, while the other is wavy. It’s a purposeful choice, allowing the zigzag side to catch clumps of hair if they move out of place, stopping your locks from turning into an untameable mess. It’s a little known fact that you’re actually supposed to place the wavy side of the bobby pin closest to your scalp to neatly secure your hair!
The hole next to your camera
The hole next to your iPhone created a slew of conspiracy theories, namely people believing it allowed Apple to spy on them. The truth is, the hole actually serves as a microphone, helping to pick up audio from front-facing videos. In fact, most phones feature three microphones, one next to the camera, one under the speaker, and one on the bottom edge.
The numbers on shampoo bottles
If you’ve ever struggled to find some bathroom reading material, picking up stray shampoo bottles and reading their ingredients, you may have noticed a number printed next to the barcode. The meaning? 12M means the product should be used within a 12-month period of opening the toiletry.
The tab on cans
The tab at the top of your can of soda isn’t just to open the sweet treat within, it can double up as a straw holder. Save your lipstick from smearing by opening your can and spinning the tab around, creating a perfect fit to slip in a straw.
The pot handle hole
Never misplace a cooking utensil while cooking again – use your cooking pans to keep your spoons in place. There’s a hole located at the top of the handle on all of your pots and pans. These holes aren’t just used to hang up your pots, they’re also the perfect size to keep a spatula or spoon in place.
The loop on grocery carts
There’s a loop on all shopping trolleys, located at the top of the child’s seat. This loop is put in place to allow you to hang your bags, preventing delicate items such as bread and eggs from getting crushed. The seat itself can also be used to home fragile goods if you don’t have a child with you, stopping your fruit from getting bruised.