It turns out that the most commonplace items such as backpacks and erasers have their secrets.
Only the most curious will find out where the sugar came from, what is in the coffee shop at work and what the hard ends of the laces are called. The only thing that everyone has already figured out is why the holes in the “tongues” of soda cans are needed: it turns out that it is convenient to insert a straw there. And we will tell you about the secret side of life of other things that we use every day.
1. Hole in the spaghetti spoon
We always thought that it was only for the water to drain. But in fact, this hole has a second purpose: it can be used to measure the perfect portion of spaghetti. The manufacturers thought so that a bunch of pasta weighing 80 grams was placed in it – this is what is considered sufficient for one person.
2. A piece of fabric with a button on the clothing label
Think this is a potential patch? No matter how it is. Clothing manufacturers are well aware that nowadays few people will bother with patches. This piece of fabric is needed to check how the thing will behave during washing, react to various detergents and bleaches.
3. Hole next to the well in the padlock
If suddenly the lock starts to stick, you need to drop a little oil into this hole – and everything will work again. In addition, this hole acts as a drain if liquid enters the lock.
4. Pom-pom on the hat
Now they are needed just for decoration. And once they were an indispensable component of the uniform of the marines in France – pompons took care of the heads of sailors, because the ceilings in the cabins were very low.
5. Rhombus with holes on the backpack
This is not just a decorative piece. The diamond is needed in order to thread a rope through it or to attach a carabiner, thereby freeing up your hands and allowing you to load more on your back. Ideal for camping.
6. Deepening at the bottom of the wine bottle
It is believed that this is done for the sake of sustainability. And this is so, but just ensuring the sustainability of the “duty” of this deepening – it is called a punt – is not limited. The punt allows the bottle to cool faster and allows it to withstand more pressure.
7. Buttonhole on the back of the shirt
And this is also not for beauty. If you suddenly run out of hangers, you can hang the shirt on a hook by this loop, and it will not crumple.
8. Two-color eraser
A red and blue eraser, the easiest one to find in a stationery store. Few know that the blue side is for heavier paper. She is also able to erase the marks that the red side leaves.
9. Colored squares on the seam of the tube
You may have seen them on toothpaste or creams. There are many myths around these marks: someone says that this is how products are labeled by the amount of terrible chemicals in them. The darker the square, the less natural in the cream or paste. This is all nonsense – the squares are needed for the production of tubes. They indicate in which direction to cut the material from which the tubes are made.
10. Golf ball pits
They were once smooth. And then the players noticed that the balls, battered by life, fly farther and better. Therefore, the balls began to be released already “beaten”.
11. Brass fittings
This metal was chosen in order to make doorknobs, for a reason. The fact is that brass has bactericidal properties – it simply kills microorganisms. All in the name of hygiene.
12. Metal buttons on jeans pockets
They are needed to strengthen the seam at its weakest point. No mysticism, and even aesthetics has nothing to do with it.
13. Long necks of bottles
Not at all, but only with soft drinks that we drink on the go. The fact is that the neck heats up quickly from the heat of the hand, warming the drink too. The longer the neck, the longer the soda stays cold.
14. Hole in the cap for the pen
You might think that this is so that the paste does not dry out or something else. In fact, this tiny hole has a serious purpose: if a child accidentally swallows the cap, it will not suffocate precisely because of this hole through which air passes. For the same reason, holes are made in small Lego parts.
15. Arrow next to the fuel level icon on the torpedo
This is a mega-handy thing, especially for novice car enthusiasts. It indicates on which side you have a gas tank cap so that you do not get confused when driving up to a dispenser at a gas station.
16. Wavy side of invisibility
It was a real shock – we always wore invisibility wrong! The wavy side should be turned towards the skin, the smooth side should be turned outward. This way the hair clip holds the hair better.
17. Extra holes on the sneakers
Look at your favorite Converse – there are a pair of lace-up holes on the inside. We thought it was just for ventilation. It turned out that they are needed for additional fixation of the foot with laces. After all, these sneakers were originally invented for basketball players – they need perfect stability to protect themselves from injury.
18. Hole in the bucket handle
Your favorite ladle, in which you cook porridge and sauces, is about it. There is a hole at the end of the long handle, the purpose of which we hardly thought about. But it is convenient to insert a long spoon there, with which you stir the food – and nothing is lying on the table, unnecessary dishes do not get dirty.
19. Fields in a student notebook
They are not needed so that the teacher can leave an indignant remark. And so that the rodents, who used to love to feast on paper so much, do not get to the valuable part of the manuscript. And then they came up with more spring-loaded notebooks, making the task more difficult for mice.
20. “Wings” on packs of juice
They are needed for the child to hold the box while drinking through the straw. If the baby holds the package directly behind the body with his entire palm, there is a risk that he will squeeze the cam, and the contents of the box will spill out directly onto him. The hour is not even, he will choke.
PS The hard end of the lace is called eglet. Don’t thank.