11 Secret Design Features Hidden On Products You Use Every Day

Brace yourself... we're about to shock you! It turns out that items we use every day have some pretty nifty hidden design features.

Today we're sharing our favourites. Prepare to be amazed and have your life made that little bit easier...

1. Drinks cans come with an inbuilt straw holder

Have you ever put a can of pop on the table, only for the straw to shoot up out at you?  It turns out that the little tab on your drink's can has a secret function.

Once you've opened your drink, pull the tab back down and pop your straw through the hole. It's there to keep your straw firmly in place - who knew?

2. Tic Tac containers have their own serving tray

How do you get your Tic Tacs out of the container? Most of us shake them with wreckless abandon until a few too many fall out into our hand... but not anymore!

Take a look at the lid and you will see a little compartment, perfectly shaped for holding a tictac. Shake the packet upside down with the lid closed, angle it back so that they don't all come flying out, and you'll have a perfectly dispensed Tic Tac. You're welcome.

3. Paper ketchup cups are expandable

This is our favourite! When you go to a fast-food restaurant, like McDonald's, you might find that they have sauce dispensers with little paper cups. If you're a fan of dipping nuggets into ketchup, you'll probably be all too familiar with the struggle of trying to ram them into the paper cup - it's just not big enough. 

Did you know that the cups are actually expandable? Gently pull the top rim apart and you'll have a bigger cup to meet all of your dipping needs. 

4. Chopsticks come with their own rest for good hygiene

Now, this isn't the case with all chopsticks, so check if yours have this nifty feature. If there is a guideline near the base of your disposable chopsticks, do as the Japanese do, and snap the end off.

Rest the chopsticks on the block when you're not holding them. This will prevent you from picking up any germs or bacteria from the table.

5. Works with Japanese toothpicks too!

Just like with chopsticks, Japanse toothpicks have a similar design. Snap the end off to create a little block to rest them on. This is a great idea for when you're snacking on olives and other nibbles.

6. American-style takeaway boxes transform into plates

We don't see them in the UK too often, but if your local takeaway serves Chinese food in American-style takeout boxes, then you'll be pleased to know they've been designed to fold out into a plate. Think of how much time you'll save on the washing up!

7. The lid of a takeaway drinks cup doubles as a coaster

Isn't it annoying when your ice-cold drink starts to drip with water? Take the lid off and use it as a coaster to prevent annoying wet drips on the table. Genius!

8. Hair grips have ridges to keep your hair in place

Now here's a great hair hack! Most women have at least a few hair grips lying around. According to beauty bloggers, one of the most used hair accessories is being used incorrectly...

Most of us use them with the wavy side up, but we're actually supposed to use them with the wavy side down. This means the end of the grip can scoop the hair into the grip and the waves keep hair in place. The straight side then helps compress the hair into the waves!

9. Flip the lid of a pill bottle to make it easy to open

Child-proof lids are brilliant when you have kiddies in the house, but if you have no need to keep pills under tight lock then simply flip them over on a traditional pill bottle.

They are designed to be able to to be used either side, and they'll be far easier to open without the child-proof locking.

10. Double yoghurt pots are designed to fold 

We hope most of you will know this one but, just in case...

Do you dip into double pots of yoghurt one at a time? Give it a fold and tip the smaller section into the large one - it was designed for easy pouring!

11. Crisp bags can be made into a bowl

Save time on washing up! Did you know you can turn your tortilla or crisp bag into a disposable bowl? Crafty Lumberjacks will show you how.

Did we miss any? Let us know your favourite hidden design feature in the comments below!