Best-Selling Products You’re Using All Wrong

Best Place to Purchase: N/A
Average Product Price: N/A

Taking pictures with your new iPhone can be a lot of fun. However, many people confuse that tiny hole next to the camera on the back as the flash. That, however, is not the case. The flash is right next to the camera.

iPhone Hole @Dennis Cortés / Unsplash.com

The tiny hole you see is another microphone for recording video using the camera on the back. That way, the sound is much clearer than using the mic you talk into during a phone call. You get pristine audio through that very tiny hole that barely anyone notices.

Unless you’re in the tech design business, this piece of info is probably new to you. The next time you record videos, you can relax a little knowing that both the camera and audio are completely taken care of as long as you point your device in the right direction.

Best Place to Purchase: Home Depot
Average Product Price: $7.97*

Measuring tapes are very helpful in everyday life. You can use one to measure your wall space for shelves or to see if your door width is wide enough to squeeze a couch through. Metal ones are mostly used for construction, while fabric ones are more suited to taking measurements on the body.

Black Diamonds @protips/Twitter.com

However, it’s the metal ones with a unique feature that not many people know from the jump. There are tiny black diamonds on them along their length: these are called stud finders and are used to measure the center point between two studs behind your walls.

Next time you find yourself reaching for the one you bought from Amazon last year, it might be worth taking a look at it. Measuring tapes have always been functional, but with this knowledge in your back pocket, you can become a DIY expert in no time at all.

Best Place to Purchase: Grocery Store
Average Product Price: 25¢ a cart/per use*

Most of us head to the grocery store at least once a week. We pick out a cart and head in for our groceries, thinking nothing of the helpful cart we’re pushing around. However, did you know that the carts were designed to help you carry more bags than you realize? 

Shopping Cart Loops @ThisIsCanadah / Facebook.com

Those small loops on the back of the cart are even to hold more bags: loop the bag handles around them, and you don’t have to stack your bags on top of each other, resulting in crushed bread when you get home. Never worry about getting too many groceries ever again.

It’s not often you see customers utilizing this feature at stores like Target, but that’s just because the general population is clueless. Now you know, take full advantage of your kart and spend as much as you like. As an added bonus, you can also hook your empty reusable bags on these as you shop, so they’re ready to fill at the checkout!

Best Place to Purchase: Ikea
Average Product Price: $3.72*

Buying a new mug to bring home to enjoy a hot cup of tea or coffee can feel like a reward in and of itself. You pick out your favorite color or the cutest design to add to your cupboard. However, have you ever flipped your mug over and noticed a small notch on the bottom? 

Coffee Mug ©Adrian Miresian/stock.adobe.com

That’s not a defect in the design: that’s actually meant to prolong the life of your mug when you put it through the dishwasher. Instead of water collecting on the bottom, this little notch allows the water to drain so that your cup can dry much faster.

So, next time you pick up a new cup from Starbucks, you can rest safe in the knowledge that it’s designed to last a while – and not just a few months. A good coffee cup can stick around for years thanks to this one little dent.

Best Place to Purchase: Amazon
Average Product Price: $7.41*

Regular power cords on appliances are only so long, which can hinder how often you get jobs done. That’s why extension cords make it much easier for you to get chores done, especially if it involves power tools outside. However, one good tug can result in your power tool getting unplugged from the extension cord.

Extension Cords @rcga / Pinterest.com

That’s because not many people are aware of this handy trick: loops your cords around each other in a loose knot so that they never come undone ever again. You can trim that hedge at the other end of your garden or take your vacuum cleaner further without having to unplug from the wall.

Not only that, but it’s safer. Pulling apart plugs at a fast pace while the electricity is still on isn’t recommended. By doing this, you can make sure you don’t have to take a trip to Home Depot to buy an entirely new cord – and appliance!

Best Place to Purchase: Amazon, Walmart, Dollar Tree
Average Product Price: $0.10 per pen*

Chewing on pens helps you think. Is it the most sanitary way to handle office supplies? No, but it’s a force of habit for many people. Pen companies know that, and that is why they put holes at the end of their pen caps.

Pen Cap Hole ©Vangelis_Vassalakis / Shutterstock.com

If a child (or possibly even an adult) swallows the pen cap, the hole might be able to help them get air through their windpipe until the cap is dislodged. It’s the same reason that Lifesavers candies have holes in their donut-shaped center. Choking is all too common, and safety requires a minor adjustment to the product design.  

Best Place to Purchase: Target
Average Product Price: $11.59*

A recent viral TikTok showed us that we may have been using dishwasher tablets wrong this whole time. They are actually much more versatile than we thought and can be used to clean many other items in your home, including your shower! 

©Shutterstock.com

All you have to do is place the dishwasher tablet in a sponge by cutting a small incision in the side. Make sure the surface of your shower is wet, and then scrub for the easiest shiny sparkle. It’s a super simple way to get those pesky stains off your shower floor. 

Plus, we all know how difficult it can be to get dried-on watermarks to vanish, even with the toughest household cleaning products. You could’ve had the perfect solution in the kitchen cupboard all this time. Now you know, it’s time to get those gloves on!

Best Place to Purchase: Costco
Average Product Price: $8.98*

Heinz bottles, especially the glass ones, are famous for having a special treatment on the side so that you can get out every single ounce of ketchup. Nevertheless, what has remained a mystery for a long time is the “57” found on the neck of the glass.

Heinz ©pavlofox/stock.adobe.com

It’s not that much of a mystery anymore; it is the best place to tap on the bottle to get your ketchup out instead of smacking the bottom. That gets the condiment out faster without making a mess so that you won’t be embarrassed in a restaurant full of people.

We’re not entirely sure how this magic 57 works, but it’s a tried and tested theory. After all, we’ve all repeatedly smacked the bottle on numerous occasions with no luck. Maybe 57 is the answer to life, the universe, and everything in between!

Best Place to Purchase: N/A
Average Product Price: N/A

Many people go to fill up their gas tanks at least once a week. Nevertheless, not everyone regards the tiny little arrow next to the fuel gauge, and if they do notice, they have no idea what it’s for.

Fuel Tank Gauge @DunlapFinancial / Twitter.com

Well, wonder no longer. That little arrow is pointing out which side of the car your gas tank is on. That saves you time on having to reverse and turn your car around because you’ve parked on the wrong side of the gas pump. Now you’ll always know which side it’s on and be able to fill your car’s tank much more quickly.

While knowing what side your gas tank is on becomes second nature to most car owners, it’s not always easy when you’ve just bought a new Ford or you’re driving a rental car. Having this handy little reminder in front of you can save you time and a red face when you go to fill up.

Best Place to Purchase: N/A 
Average Product Price: $40,000-$50,000* (Including Installation)

Horror movies about haunted apartment buildings or creepy neighbors might have you convinced that the hole in the elevator door is for people who are up to no good. You might even avoid looking at it, just in case you see someone’s eye peeking back at you.

Elevator Door Hole @mrsupot / Pinterest.com

However, there’s no need to go that far. While it’s true that there could be a nefarious peeper, it’s far more likely that that hole in the door might save you. It’s for maintenance or emergency purposes, and authorized personnel hold the key to the hole. They can manually separate the doors in the event that the elevator gets stuck.  

Best Place to Purchase: Grocery stores, dollar stores
Average Product Price: $3.95*

We use toothpaste to remove plaque from our teeth, but there are many more uses for it than that, and not all of them are dental. Toothpaste contains a mild abrasive agent that won’t damage headlights (or teeth), but will instead get any dirt or grime off them.

Toothpaste for Cleaning Headlights @Mansal Denton / Twitter.com

That’s right, you can use toothpaste to clean your headlights. What you want to do is first wipe down the headlights with Windex. Then, take a fingertip-size blob of toothpaste on a soft cloth and rub it onto the headlight. The best toothpaste to use is Arm & Hammer, which has baking soda in it.

Best Place to Purchase: Amazon
Average Product Price: $25.70*

Driving at night can be a hazard, but it becomes even more problematic when you have a jerk behind you, moving with their bright lights on. They reflect right off your rearview mirror into your eyes, making it difficult for you to see.

Rearview Mirrors @kaboomdesign / Pinterest.com

That’s what that little tab on the bottom of your rearview mirror is for. It’s up for when you need to see during the day, and then you can flip it down for night time. That redirects the bright light out of your eyes so that you can drive more safely at night, even if there are jerks behind you.

Nearly every car model from Ford to Toyota has this feature, although some cars have specially designed mirrors that don’t need it. Either way, it’s good to know that you don’t have to worry about actually being able to see the road when you’re driving at night. The solution was there all along!

Best Place to Purchase: Amazon
Average Product Price: $29.99*

Buying a new pair of running shoes can be quite rewarding, especially for the new year when you want to start on your resolutions. Finding the right pair requires a lot of patience in trying on different sneakers, but it’s like a match made in heaven once you do.

Extra Holes on Running Shoes @Illumiseen / Youtube.com

Everyone laces up their running shoes differently, but not everyone uses all the holes near the shoe’s mouth. Too bad, because lacing up through these finals holes will give you a tighter fit and reduce your chances of blisters on your feet. Give it a try, and you may find that your running shoes fit you much better than you initially thought.

Blisters can be so painful that they can stop you from running until they heal, only to open up again once you re-start. Instead of blaming the make of the shoes, try lacing them as we suggested and see if it makes a difference. You might be surprised!

Best Place to Purchase: Walmart
Average Product Price: $1.22*

Tic-Tacs are the little fresh mint that you can take with you anywhere since they’re so small and fit into just about any bag or pocket. Give the container a little shake, and you may have people coming up to you to ask for one. However, getting one out seems complicated for people, even though the Tic-Tac container makers devised the perfect means to get one out. 

Tic Tac Containers @countryliving / Pinterest.com

Just turn your container on its side so that the opening is at the top and open. The lid has the perfect grooves to present one Tic-Tac to you, saving you from shaking out half the container into your hand and having to put them all back in.

Of course, that’s presuming that you eat them one at a time as intended and not as candy. Kids around the world go wild for Tic-Tac’s too, so they may not be quite as interested in this theory as adults will be.