You See These Every Day but Don’t Know Their Actual Purpose

Bright Side

Every day, you use dozens of ordinary objects without giving them a second thought… but many of them hide surprising features, clever designs, and original purposes almost no one knows about. From the everyday items you’ve been using “wrong” your whole life to the tiny details built into objects for genius reasons, this collection uncovers the secret side of things you see and touch daily.  Animation is created by Bright Side.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/   Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV  Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Our Social Media:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightplanet/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en   Stock materials (photos, footages and other):  https://www.depositphotos.com  https://www.shutterstock.com  https://www.eastnews.ru  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.

Transcript

00:00Now, bubble wrap wasn't invented just to keep your items neatly stored inside packages.

00:05It was for epic stress relief!

00:07Oh, and one other thing.

00:08Apparently, someone thought their house would look awesome with three-dimensional wallpaper.

00:13They were going to plaster painted bubble wrap all over the walls.

00:16It didn't work, so they tried selling it as greenhouse insulation.

00:20That failed too.

00:22But they nailed it on the third try.

00:24Small bubbles, big bubbles.

00:26Hey, what's your favorite?

00:27After downing a whole thing of mac and cheese, you've got to clean your teeth.

00:31It's a rule.

00:33Off you go to grab your blue toothbrush from the bathroom.

00:36Up and down, circles, rinse.

00:38Hey, good job!

00:39Now, how about a bit of mouthwash to keep your breath fresh?

00:43That mouthwash you're searching for wasn't always mouthwash.

00:46It used to be an antiseptic.

00:48You know, the type of thing doctors and nurses use to keep their hands bacteria-free?

00:54Mmm, minty!

00:55Mouthwash was also used as a floor cleaner and a cure for bad diseases.

01:00It was even marketed as a hair tonic.

01:02Hey, next time I clean my house and find myself out of cleaning products,

01:06I might just pop a few lidfuls of mouthwash into the bucket.

01:11Play-Doh.

01:12Yeah, you love it.

01:13I mean, it does whatever you want it to.

01:16Stretch it, sculpt it into a dinosaur, make the world's longest blue pasta-type thing.

01:20Just don't chuck it at the walls.

01:23Unless, yep, Play-Doh was initially supposed to be a wallpaper cleaner.

01:28And it wasn't until 20 years later that it became the clay we all love to squeeze into weird shapes.

01:34It was a popular way of getting all that soot off your wallpaper.

01:37Everyone was using coal to heat their houses back then.

01:40Rings are big business.

01:42People wear them for loads of different reasons.

01:44You even get one when you win a Super Bowl.

01:46Yippee!

01:47Back in the day, though, rings weren't just for show.

01:50Archers used to wear them to protect their fingers from their bowstrings.

01:54And people doing needlework used them to make sure they didn't hurt themselves.

01:58All while looking extra stylish.

02:01Egyptians used them as seals, a personal ring signature.

02:05You walk into your very nice Egyptian office thousands of years ago.

02:09Everything's made of gold for some reason.

02:11Your boss walks in.

02:12Sign this, please.

02:13And all you do is place a bit of wax on the paper and press your ring on it.

02:19Sweet!

02:19Great idea!

02:20What if you lose your ring, though?

02:22Along with Play-Doh, everyone loves a slinky.

02:25Especially when it's in a YouTube video with some funky music in the background.

02:30They were actually invented by accident.

02:32Back in the 1900s, an engineer was working hard at his desk to find a way to keep sensitive nautical equipment steady

02:39while the boat was swishing around all over the place.

02:42Instead, he came up with a fantastic toy.

02:46Find a treadmill, put a slinky on it, thank me later.

02:49Don't know where to store your freshly baked pie?

02:52Place it on a frisbee, if you want the chef to scream at you.

02:56In 1871, when frisbees first came to be, that's exactly what they were used for, to serve pies.

03:03Here you go, your strawberry pie on a frisbee tin.

03:06College students came up with a much better use for them, though.

03:09Can you do the thing where you throw it upside down?

03:13When you go to bed, you expect your pillow to be as soft as cotton.

03:17Or maybe you prefer it a bit stiffer.

03:20The first pillows, however, weren't fluffy-wuffy soft.

03:23They were as hard as stone.

03:25Because, you know, they were literally made out of stone.

03:28They were designed to lift your head off the ground and stop little critters from crawling all over us.

03:34Eww!

03:35They eventually turned soft, thankfully.

03:38I don't think my neck could handle a stone pillow right now.

03:40I'm sore just thinking about it.

03:43Hey, if you're anything like me,

03:44hey, aren't you glad you're not?

03:46You probably can't walk for even a few seconds in heels without falling over.

03:50I think even standing up might be a problem.

03:53Back in the 16th century,

03:55Persian soldiers used high heels to get more accuracy from their bows while on horseback.

04:01It helped them get that little bit taller.

04:04T-shirt.

04:04Now, why is that called a t-shirt?

04:06Come on, people!

04:07Well, they didn't used to call them that.

04:10These classics used to be standard-issue undershirts for the Navy.

04:14Back then, about 100 years ago,

04:16the word t-shirt wasn't even in the dictionary.

04:18Back in ancient Egypt,

04:21some people walked around with eye shadow.

04:23Now, you might think they were really ahead of the game when it came to fashion.

04:27That might be true,

04:28but mostly,

04:29they put it on to protect their eyes from the glare of the raging hot desert sun.

04:33No aviators back then.

04:35It was also used as a part of some ceremonies.

04:38We don't really know what they were doing or why,

04:41but for sure, they look good.

04:43Can't wait to see someone skiing down a hill with a face full of eye shadow.

04:47Okay, you're having memory problems.

04:51No worries, we've all been there.

04:53Where?

04:53I forget.

04:55Go to your drawer and grab a stack of…

04:57Yeah, those thingies!

04:59Post-its!

05:00Now, write yourself a note.

05:02I'm almost out of post-its.

05:03Ooh, very efficient.

05:05They were invented by accident by a scientist who was researching different glues.

05:09While he was trying out different mixtures,

05:12he discovered a special recipe for a glue that only stuck very lightly to most surfaces.

05:17He was actually trying to do the opposite –

05:20find the recipe for the biggest, baddest glue ever.

05:22One that could hold up framed paintings.

05:25Still, I'd argue that post-its are probably way better than an adhesive that strong.

05:32A Kleenex comes in handy anywhere,

05:34especially if you just bit into a hot dog and mustard is oozing all over your hands.

05:40They weren't originally thought to be multi-purpose.

05:42They were originally invented to be a cold cream remover.

05:46What a weird specific use.

05:48Over the years, people started using them for anything and everything they could think of,

05:52especially as a disposable handkerchief.

05:55When their marketing team took notice of this,

05:57they rebranded them into what we know and love – Kleenex tissues.

06:01How generic.

06:04You're trying to blend in and look cool at a restaurant,

06:07and you spill your drink all over the tablecloth.

06:10Uh-oh, you were originally going to order water,

06:13but the waitress convinced you to order their new cherry-infused something-or-other

06:17that's going to stain like crazy.

06:19Well, not to worry.

06:21Cellophane was designed to tackle this exact issue.

06:24The idea was to wrap the tablecloth with it,

06:27and then any and all spills could be wiped clean.

06:30It didn't quite work out.

06:31But instead, we found a great new purpose for it.

06:34Storing food, and it does the job perfectly.

06:37Plus, it's great for the odd prank now and then.

06:40You know what I mean.

06:41You know pom-poms on caps?

06:43If you've ever wondered what those are for,

06:45they're just decorative.

06:47Still, sailors used to use them a bit differently.

06:50They use them as sort of antennas,

06:52the way animals do to sense if an object is too close to them.

06:56Insects have them.

06:57Cats and other small mammals use their long whiskers to test if they can squeeze into a tight spot.

07:03And humans have pom-poms.

07:06Thanks to them, no more bumps on the head.

07:08The small square patches, on a lot of backpacks nowadays, are mostly decorative.

07:14Still, they used to be nice little gadgets for outdoorsy people.

07:17They used to tie extra equipment onto those squares,

07:20or use them to tie their muddy sneakers onto.

07:23They might have lost their usage over the years,

07:25but they kept their funny name.

07:27You can call them lash tabs or pig snouts.

07:32A good pair of sunglasses completes any outfit.

07:35They're not just for show.

07:36A lot of professionals rely on them.

07:39Professional drivers, pilots, construction workers –

07:42they all use them to make their jobs safer.

07:45About a thousand years ago, judges used to wear them.

07:48Picture this.

07:49You're in a 12th century trial.

07:51Wonder how the judge is going to rule on this one?

07:53You try really hard to guess what the judge is thinking, but you can't.

07:58The judge has sunglasses on.

08:01The perfect way to hide your face while you interrogate someone.

08:06Many shirts have two buttons on the cuffs, but only one buttonhole.

08:11So what is the second button for?

08:14Turns out you can use it whenever you're wearing a watch, so the cuff is looser.

08:18Most clothing items you buy come with a small bag of fabric or a button, or both.

08:25Buttons obviously can be used as a replacement if you lose the original ones.

08:30Pieces of fabric can be used to patch up a hole, but most importantly, it's a tester.

08:36You can use it to test different washing products on it and see what happens to the fabric.

08:42Some umbrellas have a tip at the top, and it turns out it's not just a pretty design.

08:48When going inside on a rainy day, you should just close your umbrella and tap the tip against the floor to drain the water faster and more effectively.

08:58Many backpacks have this diamond with two parallel cutout slits on its front, and it's there for your comfort.

09:05You can attach something to it, like a water bottle or shoes.

09:09It comes especially handy if you travel somewhere or go hiking, so you don't have to hold your stuff.

09:16Okay, the next thing is gear loops, and probably from the name of it, you already have an idea what they're there for.

09:24You can strap in some useful gear you need to have with you, like trekking poles or shovels.

09:30Some gear will need to be secured to do it.

09:32Drop the handle through the loop and rotate it upward.

09:35Then, secure it with the elastic hook at the top, and you're golden.

09:39On the back of many makeup and hygiene products, you can find this symbol with a marking, like 6M, 12M, and 24M.

09:51This is the number of months this product can serve after you open it and before you should throw it out.

09:57The two sides of a cotton pad are different because each of them has a particular purpose.

10:05A cotton pad has several layers to ensure that it's soft, strong, and can absorb liquids.

10:11The edge is stitched to hold it all together.

10:14The smooth side of a pad is for applying products, like tonics and lotions.

10:19And the embossed side is best for cleansing and makeup removal.

10:23Also, any pack of cotton pads has those strings on the sides.

10:29They're there so you can hang the package somewhere.

10:32Then, you can open the package at the bottom, where the perforated line is, and take them out.

10:38Did you know that there is an efficient way to pull a thread from yarn?

10:42When you pull from the outside, the yarn rolls away, so you need to hold it.

10:47However, if you pull it from the center, it will stay together.

10:50We're all familiar with staplers, but I bet you don't know all its secrets.

10:57Most staplers have a compartment to store spare staples, which can be located either on top or at the bottom.

11:05Also, surprise!

11:07This metal plate you press staples against can be turned around.

11:10This way, the device will be able to staple your documents by turning the metal ends outwards.

11:15No need to wonder whether you need to get a smaller or bigger container.

11:21Turns out, plastic food containers have volume measurements on their bottoms, indicating how much food they can fit.

11:29Ceiling fans come with a small switch on the inside of the blade.

11:33You might not have noticed it because it's not in plain sight, so check yours out.

11:37This switch allows you to change the direction of rotation.

11:42Now, why would you want to do that?

11:45The blades of a fan push the air in different directions, depending on the way they rotate.

11:50In the summer, you need the air to be pushed down to create the effect of a breeze.

11:56In the winter, the direction should be changed so that the air is pushed towards the ceiling.

12:01It then heats up before going down the walls.

12:06Have you noticed that the gas tank sign on cars' dashboards has a little arrow next to it?

12:12Well, this arrow has a purpose.

12:15It points at the side of the car where the gas tank is located.

12:19It's very useful for forgetful people who constantly wonder where their gas tank is,

12:24and also for those who drive rentals once in a while.

12:27The answer is right in front of your eyes.

12:29If you can't find the arrow on your panel, then the fuel hose on the icon indicates the side instead.

12:38All car tires have 12-digit numbers printed on them,

12:41and they're actually important codes for car owners if they want to get the right tire.

12:46The first letter identifies the type of tire.

12:50P stands for a tire for light passenger cars, and LT is for heavy vehicles.

12:56Then, the following numbers stand for the width of the tire, its radial, and its diameter.

13:04Measuring tapes have that metal stud on the end,

13:07which you can use to attach the tape to the surface you measure.

13:10This way, you don't need to hold it yourself.

13:13But there's also a small slot, which can be used to hang the tape on a nail,

13:18again to free your hands and keep measuring.

13:21The bottom of the end of the tape has a ridged edge.

13:26It will help you make a mark if you don't have a marking tool with you.

13:30On the tape, there are black diamonds that are placed every 19.2 inches.

13:36They're useful for construction workers when spacing engineering joists.

13:40They can also be useful for you if you want to hang something heavy, for example.

13:46The diamond will mark the exact center of a wooden joist.

13:50Those are placed 16 inches apart from one another.

13:53There, you can drill something to that center

13:55to make sure whatever you hang is safely attached to the joist

13:59instead of the unreliable thin wall.

14:02Pictures will survive, but it's particularly important if you're hanging something heavy.

14:06Did you know that batteries have an expiration date?

14:12Yes, it's printed right on their label, but I've never noticed it before.

14:17The expiration date doesn't mean you can't use it after that.

14:21It's more like a recommended usage period,

14:24after which the manufacturer can't guarantee full battery life

14:29due to deteriorated components.

14:31These little feet keyboards have are actually a standard.

14:38The height of a keyboard should be adjustable,

14:41allowing the angle between 0 degrees and 15 degrees.

14:45The reason to fold the feet out is for you to see the keys better,

14:51in case you don't type blindly.

14:53A little problem that comes with it is that, in this case,

14:57your wrists are bent,

14:59and it's not good to keep them in this position for a long time.

15:04Pans have those holes on the ends of their handles.

15:08They're not just there for you to hang them.

15:10You can also place your cooking spoon in there.

15:14It'll hang right above the pan,

15:16and the sauce will not spill around.

15:19Make sure to tap off the sauce or food beforehand, though,

15:23so that it doesn't go down the spoon's handle.

15:25Stickers with numbers you can find on fruits

15:30can tell you some information on how the food was grown.

15:35A four-digit code that starts with a four

15:38means that the fruit was grown conventionally,

15:42meaning it contains chemicals and pesticides.

15:46So your best choice should be a fruit with a five-digit number.

15:49And if you see the number nine,

15:52it indicates that the fruit is certified organic.

15:57On the bottom of plastic bottles,

16:00you can often notice a mark of a triangle

16:02with a number engraved in the middle.

16:06This number specifies the type of plastic

16:09that was used to produce the bottle.

16:11These codes help people and local recycling centers

16:15to sort returns.

16:18Products that were made of plastic of types 1 and 2

16:22are the easiest ones to recycle.

16:25Plastics of types 3 through 7 are tougher to recycle.

16:29That's it for today.

16:32So hey, if you pacified your curiosity,

16:35then give the video a like and share it with your friends.

16:37Or if you want more,

16:39just click on these videos and stay on the bright side.

16:41So let's get started.

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