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Woman's Hands Closing Microwave Oven Door And Preparing Food in microwave.
Jay_Zynism/istockphoto

Life can be a tricky thing to navigate, and it just so turns out that many of us really could do well by having some kind of universal instructional how-to manual to ensure that we don’t end up horrendously misusing everyday products and items completely incorrectly. 

You’ll likely walk away from this helpful article having your own clutch course-corrections for an ultimately more smoothly navigated existence. 

Loading Your Dishwasher Incorrectly

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Vesnaandjic/istockphoto

To make sure that your dishwasher operates with maximum efficiency, don’t overload your dishwasher and stack your plates on top of each other. Your best bet is to organize your dirty plates from carbs in the middle and then protein on the edges. 

When you do this, the carb plates will be located underneath your dishwasher’s most powerful water streams. Then, the edges of the plates will be able to undergo the longest soaking times, which is best for the harder-to-clean protein spots. 

Placing Food in the Microwave Incorrectly

A plate of leftover lasagna is reheated in a microwave.
Spauln/istockphoto

If you’re finding yourself in the recurring and unfortunate predicament of dealing with various foods that you attempt to heat up in the microwave, only to realize they’ve been unevenly heated, you’ll want to put your next plate of food near one of the edges of the inside of the microwave, and not in the microwave’s center. 

Misusing Your Oven Drawer

Shot of a young man baking at home with his two young kids
PeopleImages/istockphoto

Okay, so this one came out of left field. It turns out that many of us in this day and age are in fact using the drawer that’s located underneath the oven incorrectly. It was supposed to be used as the spot where you could store a meal you’d just cooked up, and help keep it warm while you attended to cooking dessert in the oven. (Though keep in mind that some oven drawers are actually broilers, so check yours first.)

Using the Wrong Plunger for the Job

a plunger plunging toilet bowel.
SchulteProductions/istockphoto

You’d think that most of us would have learned early on how to properly use a plunger (whether it be for the sink or the toilet), but it turns out that such is not the case. You’ll need a standard flat plunger for your sink and a plunger with a tapered end for your toilet

Filling Your Blender Incorrectly

Blender filled with a light purple liquid, berries, and spinach, being blended, selective focus, by a smiling woman, blurred plant in the left foreground, dark grey and white wall blurred in the background
Luna Vandoorne/shutterstock

You’ll want to make sure that your blender is operating at maximally efficient capacity by putting the right amount of food in the blender. Plus, you’ll be even better off by putting whatever liquid you’re going to use first and then putting the berries in afterwards. 

Missing A Tape Measure’s Hidden Feature

Closeup cropped view of a carpenter marking a measurement on a wooden plank. Horizontal shot.
stevecoleimages/istockphoto

There are small markings that are plotted out on tape measures to ensure that you’re able to find the correct position for wall studs. The black diamonds on the tape measure are referred to as literal “stud finders”, and they’ll ultimately help you mark off the center point that’s located between two studs. 

Not Securing Your Aluminum Foil

Shiny Aluminum foil on wooded table.
LifestyleVisuals/istockphoto

It can get to be very frustrating when you go to use your handy aluminum foil, only to have the entire roll of aluminum foil come out. There is a quick and easy fix, and it’s stamped right on the box. It literally says, “Press Ends To Lock Roll”. If you look on the sides of the aluminum foil box, you should see small grips, and then you simply push those small grips in to hold the foil in its place. 

Not Using the Loops on Shopping Carts

A man's hand pushing a shopping cart in a household chemicals department close-up
Stockah/istockphoto

Many shopping carts are specially designed with helpful loops that can actually be used to carry your extra grocery bags. They’ll be able to keep your grocery bags remaining upright in case they have any fragile items, or you’ll have that much additional storage space if you ended up having a big groceries haul. 

Not Using the Tic Tac Dispenser

wintergreen tic tacs
Wilder Shaw / Cheapism

So, it turns out that that very convenient design feature located on the inside of the Tic Tac dispenser’s lid is intended to dispense one Tic Tac at a time. Simply flip the Tic Tac box over, turn it on its side, and then open. You should see one tasty Tic Tac sitting, ready for consumption.

Only Using Deodorant on Your Armpits

Millennial female wrapped in towel after shower use antiperspirant or deodorant after bath at home, young woman take care of armpit skin do daily beauty treatment in bathroom, hygiene concept
fizkes/istockphoto

Deodorant isn’t actually only intended for just your armpits. In fact, you can efficiently use deodorant on many other parts of your body, like your legs and your thighs. Good smells all-around. 

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Meet the Writer

Matt has spent the last 8 or so odd years as both a writer and editor in Seattle and Brooklyn, where he is now based. He loves escaping the tirelessly fast pace of the “Mad Apple” that is NYC by taking walks and runs through parks where he’s able to catch up on the latest tea about society from the city’s ever chatty, always hungry, occasionally rabid, pigeons. When he’s not taking his urban nature strolls, or dutifully combing the deepest rabbit holes of the internet to find the content that’s worth sinking your mind’s teeth into, he’s likely holed up at a dark-lit dive bar with a book and/or some friends, or just easily he could be on the hunt for the next addition to his steadily growing plant family.