Hidden household items with secrets and facts

19 Hidden Features in Household Items You Didn't Know About

Published December 16, 2025

Even everyday objects in your home often hide helpful features you probably never noticed. From design elements that make life easier to small safety improvements, many household items are full of hidden surprises. Here's a look at surprising features hiding in plain sight.

The Tiny Hole in a Pencil Eraser
The tiny hole in the pencil eraser allows air to escape, preventing the eraser from cracking or detaching too quickly._[1]
Truck Bed Slots
Some truck beds have indented slots on the sides so you can put 2X6 boards across the bed to section it to keep items from sliding around._[18]
How to Silence a Microwave
Many microwaves have an option to turn the sounds off. The manual will explains how to do this._[8]

American inventor David Goodell is credited with inventing the potato peeler in 1898. While earlier tools existed, his design is considered the first mass-adopted and practical potato peeler

Potato Peeler's Secret Notch
Potato peelers have a notch to pick out the spaces that your peeler doesn't get._[13]
Backpack Lash Tabs
Known as "lash tabs" or "hauling loops," the 4-sided patches on the front of backpacks were originally designed to pass a string through to tie gear like shoes or hiking gear to the backpack._[6]
Why the Loose End of Your Tape Measure Wiggles
The metal end of a tape measure is loose for a reason. It is designed to wiggle to ensure you always get the correct measurement, whether you are measuring from an inside edge or an outside edge. This feature is known as "true zero."_[7]
V-Shaped Stitch on T-shirts and Sweatshirts
The V-shape stitch on T-shirts and sweatshirts is more than just decoration. It makes the neck more flexible and helps absorb sweat._[5]
Beanies with Pom Poms
The pom poms on beanies were originally designed for soldiers and sailors. It protected their heads from knocking into low ceilings or ship beams._[16]
Escalator Brushes Are Not Actually for Cleaning Your Shoes
Escalator brushes are designed to gently nudge you back toward the center of the stairs and away from the edge where loose clothing or shoelaces could get caught. They do also keep the sides cleans._[10]

Margins also helped early printers avoid smudging

Notebook Margins
Margins were first created to protect writing from mice and rats who ate paper edges._[11]
Raised Dots on Shampoo & Conditioner Bottles
Some brands include different textures so users can tell which is which in the shower._[4]
The Thick End on Chopsticks (Disposable)
Users can break off the solid end of wooden chopsticks and use it as a chopstick rest._[2]
The Small Colored Strip on Toothpaste.
The colored square on the bottom of toothpaste tubes is a sensor mark for automatic machinery to identify where to cut and crimp the tube._[3]
The Lower Bar on Women's Bikes
The lower frame on women's bikes were designed specifically for women wearing skirts and dresses._[17]
Tic Tac Boxes Have a Built in Dispenser
Tic Tac boxes lids have a built-in crevice to catch exactly one mint._[9]
Some Prescription Medication Bottles Can Be Un-Childproofed
To un-childproof a medication bottle, flip the top of the lid around. If the bottle has male threading on the inside, it is possible to screw the cap in upside down and bypass the child lock._[12]

The glove compartment is so named because early cars didn't have heaters, so drivers kept gloves in the compartment to protect their hands from the cold and dirt

The Glove Compartment
Most people use the glove compartment to hold their car registration, but early motorists use them to hold their driving gloves. British race car driver Dorothy Levitt said it was a perfect place for the "dainty motorist" to keep a pair of gloves._[1]
Why Padlock's Have a Tiny Hole
There is a small hole at the bottom of a padlock just in case water gets in the padlock. It also allows you to add oil to prevent the lock from jamming._[14]
Why Bear/Soda Bottles are Brown
Beer and soda bottles are brown to protect drinks from sunlight, which spoils the flavor more quickly._[15]