Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Explain Which Items Can Actually Be Used For A Different Purpose Than Intended

People Explain Which Items Can Actually Be Used For A Different Purpose Than Intended
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

Make us preferred on Google

Multi-purpose and multi-task are the only the way. The new cornerstone of invention are items that can be used any which way you please. The way to design something can have a hidden meaning you never realized. Like, I'm sure the people who created the Snickers bar were just thinking about fun tasting craziness. They didn't know a Snickers bar, after a breakup.... could save lives.

Redditor u/HoldThisBeer wanted to know about all the treasures of multi-purpose by asking:

What's an item that can be used for a totally different purpose than it's originally meant for?

I use almost everything as a double resource. Pens are also era picks. Toothbrushes (Old) are razor scarpers and Adele is for sad AND happy times. Who can relate?

Smash

Season 4 Nbc GIF by Good GirlsGiphy

"A hammer can be used for a window opener."

- Evi1_Panda81

"Only once."

- GreatJanitor

Strung Out

"Silly string is used to detect bombs, since it sticks to the tripwire and makes it visible, while being light enough not to trigger it."

- Blooder91

"The juxtaposition of shaking a can of fun party string, to detect a life-altering string. I can only imagine the situation would have me enter a manic laugh."

- Awisemanoncsaid

Lead Ways

"You can use a pencil to rewind a cassette tape."

- boulomai_mathein

"Amen! Who would try to rw, or ff a cassette tape without having a cap to grab the gears?!? Pencils... PSHAW!!!"

- mike_e_mcgee

Scratched

"The corner of a wall to scratch your back, much like bears do on a tree. A blessing to those of us cursed with short/inflexible limbs."

- Silverback62

"I've been pushing my back against wall corners recently to massage my upper back and shoulder. It's the only way I can reach that spot while also applying enough pressure to relieve the muscle stiffness."

- H0lyThr0wawayBatman

So Many Things

justin long film GIFGiphy

"Ask a mechanic they all say a wrench is everything. Need a hammer? Wrench. Need a tool to pry something off? Wrench. Need a murder weapon? Wrench. Best thing to ever exist."

- ResidentDurian9845

Well, I feel educated. I need to test some of these theories. I have a ton of this laying around already. Let's learn more...

Face Stuff

Billy Crystal Crying GIF by MOODMANGiphy

"Facial tissue, Kleenex in particular, was invented to remove theatrical makeup."

- rosanymphae

Firestarter

"Potato crisps are perfect to start a fire when you have no tinder. They're so greasy that they burn really well. Same goes for tampons if you pull them apart a little. They also come packaged in waterproof plastic so even when it rains you always got some dry tinder material. If you go camping it's a good addition to your gear even if you're a guy."

- Heiminator

Clean it Up

"Vinegar is good for so many things. My grandmother always used it for cleaning and all my cousins and I have spray bottles filled with equal parts vinegar and water that we use for cleaning. It can also be helpful in getting rid of candlewax, or a natural weed killer, among other things. You can use apple cider vinegar to prevent fleas on your pets but I haven't actually done this, just have a friend who does it."

- DTownForever

Pour it In

"Pour melted wax into an egg carton packed with sawdust and let it cool and harden. Cut each 'egg' into quarters and store them. Take them camping with you or when hiking. A source of fire, and it'll burn continuously, letting you have plenty of time to build a fire with sticks in an emergency situation. I tested it with my bro. A quarter burned for like 15mins, outside in the rain."

"Might be silly, but it weighs nothing and have nothing to lose to have one on you. Addendum: if you're going to make this, make sure you do a test run. Outside, light with match or something. Nothing worse than placing false confidence into a survival item and it not actually working when it counts. I also heard you can pour cooling down wax over individual matches to make them more weather proof, but I never tried this."

- Someone_Who_Cared

Open Up

the lord of lightning vs balrog GIF by King Gizzard & The Lizard WizardGiphy

"Lighter as a bottle opener. Although you can use pretty much everything as a bottle opener."

- MainAdhesiveness2281

I can always use another bottle opener. And I do like lighters. I feel so enlightened about things and their purposes. And now I'm gonna go clean with my vinegar.

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Omar Jimenez and Nancy Mace from CNN interview
CNN

Nancy Mace Gets Blunt Civics Lesson After Claiming Every Muslim Elected Official Is A 'Trojan Horse'

South Carolina Republican Representative Nancy Mace was called out by CNN anchor Omar Jimenez for her lack of understanding of the First Amendment after she published a series of Islamophobic tweets, including one referring to every Muslim elected official in the country as a "Trojan horse."

Mace's posts came after Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan's Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. El-Sayed, a physician who campaigned on expanding healthcare access, strengthening the economy, and ending unconditional U.S. military aid to Israel, became the first progressive to win a statewide primary in a state carried by President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. He is set to face former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers in November.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bill Cassidy; Donald Trump
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

GOP Senator Hit With Brutal Reminder After Slamming Trump Over Executive Order To Break Up MMR Vaccine

Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy was criticized for voting to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) after he spoke out against President Donald Trump's executive order recommending that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine be broken up into separate shots.

The new policy would recommend giving the MMR vaccine as three individual injections rather than as a combined shot, while also spacing childhood vaccinations across separate doctor visits.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dean Cain (left) questioned Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s (right) high school football history.
aul Archuleta/Getty Images for FreedomFest; Finn Gomez/Getty Images

MAGA Actor Dean Cain Swiftly Fact-Checked After Doubting Dem Senate Candidate Actually Played High School Football

Dean Cain had a question, a theory, and one consequential mistake—he asked the internet to “do your thing.” The former and failed Superman turned MAGA try-too-hard fan took aim at Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on Sunday, but this investigation had less to do with truth, justice, and the American way than high school football.

It all started when Cain took his suspicions to X and invited the internet to find the receipts:

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
@atrupar/X

Trump Slammed After Claiming Infants Get Vaccines The 'Size Of A Bottle Of Soda' In Unhinged Rant

In the latest move toward promoting conspiracy theories and anti-vaxxer pseudoscience over legitimate research, MAGA Republican President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled Delivering Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations for Americans.

The signing ceremony was attended by members of his administration and other guests, including anti-vax activist and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., White House policy advisor and Project 2025 architect Stephen Miller, and health economist and controversial National Institutes of Health Director and acting Centers for Disease Control Director Jay Bhattacharya, who attended medical school but never practiced medicine.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ryan Reynolds; Janice and Jeff Ivey
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images; Jeff Ivey

Ryan Reynolds Has Hilarious One-Liner After Texas Couple Moves To Wrexham After Being Inspired By His Reality Show

After watching Welcome to Wrexham on Disney+ and visiting Wales seven times in the past two years, Texas couple Jeff and Janice Ivey decided to make the big move from Texas to Wrexham.

The docuseries stars Ryan Reynolds, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Rob McElhenney, and the Wrexham soccer team, and it showcased a sense of community that the couple loved. Since Jeff has UK citizenship thanks to Scottish ancestry, the Iveys decided to put it to good use to visit various places in Wales, focusing their time on Wrexham.

Keep ReadingShow less