Can tabs ©SiljeAO & stockphotofan1 / Shutterstock
For the most part, companies thrive on selling products that are easy for consumers to use, master and integrate into their everyday lives. This exact reliability is exactly why so many products go on to become iconic parts of both the cultural and industrial psyche.
But you might be pretty surprised to learn that we’ve been using all kinds of products – even ones familiar to us for decades – totally wrong all these years! These small mistakes even sometimes end up costing the average American more and more money over time. Read on to see how these classic products are actually supposed to be used.
1. Tic Tacs
Best Place to Purchase: Wholesale store, Amazon
Average Product Price: $10 for 12-pack*
Tic Tacs help you keep your breath fresh no matter where you are. However, it’s often hard to just tap out one or two Tic Tacs at a time. The key to not spilling all of these mints is in the container. Turn the pack upside down horizontally, so that the lid, when you open it, is facing up.
Tic Tacs @Mad Russian Scientist / YouTube.com
You’ll notice that there is a Tic Tac-shaped indentation in the lid. By emptying out the Tic Tacs that way, you can get one at a time. If you’re a big breath mint fan, you can buy a twelve-pack for just $10 on Amazon.
2. Extra Holes on Running Shoes
Best Place to Purchase: Nike, Adidas, Foot Locker
Average Product Price: $115-$120*
One of the most annoying things that every runner has experienced is heel slippage. If you’re running and your heel consistently slips out of your shoe, try a lace lock. Road Runner Sports identified a lace lock as double-tying your laces through the top two lace holes on either side of the running shoe.
Extra Holes on Running Shoes @Illumiseen / Youtube.com
This pulls your foot back, stopping slippage and the potentially disastrous fall that can result. It also works if you need a little more toe room. If you find that this problem is common for you, you might also need to be resized at stores like Foot Locker to make sure you’re buying the correctly-sized shoe.
3. Chinese Takeout Containers
Best Place to Purchase: Walmart (50-pack), bulk stores
Average Product Price: $13-$25*
Food Beast and Reader’s Digest broke the news to everyone that we’ve been using Chinese food containers incorrectly this whole time. Chinese takeout containers actually unfold into a self-serving plate. And, if you don’t finish all your food at once, the box refolds for storage.
Chinese Takeout Containers @Hacks DIY / Pinterest via @Kelly Davis / Pinterest
That will save you time, as you won’t be washing any extra dishes. If you want to buy Chinese takeout containers for your home, you can. They’re available at Walmart, usually in packs of fifty for a little under $14.
4. Measuring Tape Diamonds
Best Place to Purchase: Budget/dollar stores, Amazon
Average Product Price: $3-$5*
You might be wondering how you could possibly be using a tape measure wrong. There’s more to it, as it turns out, than just unrolling it and looking at the numbers. If you look at your tape measure closely you’ll notice that there are black diamonds on the tape measure. Those are actually stud finders.
Measuring Tape Diamonds @DragonflyzDesig / Twitter.com
For those of us who aren’t very handy, a stud finder is used to locate framing studs behind the walls. The black diamonds on the tape mark the middle point between two studs, if you start your tape measuring at one stud. The cheapest places to buy tape measures, generally, include online retails like Amazon, as well as most dollar stores.
5. Heinz Ketchup Bottle
Best Place to Purchase: Local grocery stores, wholesale (if you’re a big ketchup fan)
Average Product Price: $2.88-$5.98*
Heinz ketchup is delicious, but sometimes, it just absolutely refuses to come out of the bottle. Most people just smack the bottom of the bottle as hard as possible and hope for the best. However, there is a hack for getting stubborn ketchup out that you might have missed.
Heinz Ketchup Bottle @LMP 360 Media / Pinterest
The best place to smack the bottle is not, in fact, the bottom. Instead, hit the Heinz bottle right on the “57” sticker, near the top. Give the sticker several solid taps with a knife or other utensil, and the ketchup will come right out far more conveniently.
6. Juice Boxes
Best Place to Purchase: Costco, Sam’s Club
Average Product Price: $8.49/40 (Costco)*
As any parent knows, kids are total professionals at making messes. Juice boxes, though they might seem mess-proof, aren’t always that convenient. Turns out one way to minimize the mess is to unfold the flaps at the bottom of the juice box. That gives kids a little ledge on the box that they can hold while drinking.
Juice Boxes @michaelwtravels / Pinterest
If your kids drink a lot of juice, another life hack is to buy in bulk. At stores like Costco and Sam’s Club,you can get a 40-pack of juice boxes for under ten dollars. The quantity and price may vary based on new sales or products offered.
7. Reynolds Wrap Foil Boxes
Best Place to Purchase: Walmart, Target
Average Product Price: $9-$10/2-pack (Walmart)*
One little detail on a box of Reynolds wrap has long gone ignored despite being hidden in plain sight. Reynolds wrap, as sold in stores like Target, Walmart and local grocery stores, is one of the most popular tinfoil brands out there.
Aluminum Foil Boxes @lynp1 / Pinterest
If you look at the side of the box, there is a little tab. This tab can be folded inward. It is large enough for you to slip a finger through the hole and hold the tinfoil in place. In turn, it’s easier to unroll a sheet and tear it without unspooling more foil than you meant to.
8. Shopping Cart Loops
Best Place to Purchase: Any store that has carts
Average Product Price: $0 to use*
Once your plastic grocery bag is filled from a store like Target or Walmart, it seems like they become ten times heavier and twenty times more uncomfortable to carry. Not to worry: people have finally figured out what the loops on grocery shopping carts (the one near the child seat) are for.
Shopping Cart Loops @ThisIsCanadah / Facebook.com
They’re for carrying your grocery bags. You can hang the bags from the loops after you’ve checked out. This works well for shoppers with a lot of bags and delicate items. You don’t have to worry about the heavier bags squashing delicate eggs or bread—just hang them on the shopping cart loops on the way out to the car.
9. Soft Drink Lids
Best Place to Purchase: Fast food places ($0 with purchase)
Average Product Price: $1-$3/drink*
This one has made the rounds before on social media, as people realize there is more to your soft drink lid than getting to press the little buttons on the top after the cashier hands you your drink. Reader’s Digest noted that you can use soft drink lids as a coaster.
Soft Drink Lids @u/3t_clemente / Reddit.com
Just flip the lid over and you have a new use for the lid. If there isn’t a coaster nearby, you can avoid getting water on the table. This will work with pretty much any lid, whether it is from McDonald’s, Burger King, or Wendy’s.
10. Plastic Applesauce Containers
Best Place to Purchase: Costco/Sam’s Club
Average Product Price: $9.97/45-count*
Applesauce can be a yummy, healthy snack when you’re on the go. But we’ve all been in a situation where we have forgotten a utensil. The applesauce lid is made of tinfoil, which means that it is malleable and durable. In a pinch, you can mold a spoon out of the tinfoil, using the plastic container as a bowl for the applesauce.
Self-Serve Applesauce @u/IRunOverThings / Reddit.com
The tinfoil is sturdy enough to hold the applesauce, and you can smooth down the sharp edges. That way, you don’t miss out on your snack. If you’re a big applesauce fan, considering buying in bulk or from budget stores like Walmart to save money.