Did you know that Play-Doh was originally created as a putty to help clean up soot-covered walls in 1933? After becoming obsolete with the invention of vinyl wallpaper, it was rebranded as the fun modeling clay we know and love today. And did you know that Viagra was first sold as a blood-pressure lowering drug, used to treat symptoms of heart disease like hypertension and angina? It was only a few years later that their marketing team latched onto one of the side effects that male test subjects were experiencing in their clinical trials… Even Coca Cola was first sold as a way to counter morphine addiction, with its original formula containing coca leaf extract (the same plant used to make cocaine).
Sometimes, what a product is marketed to do does not actually live up to the item’s full potential. In fact, that might be the case with many things you own, according to this thread on Reddit where consumers shared their brilliant and creative ways for using everyday products. Below, we’ve compiled some of the most innovative functions for these items, that are even better than their originally intended purposes, to help you pandas become more purchase-savvy. Be sure to upvote the answers you agree with or that share ideas you plan on trying, and then if you’d like to check out another Bored Panda article spilling genius ways to use items you might already own, you can find that right here!
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Royal Dansk tins as sewing kits. It seems universal, every person I've spoken to, every ethnicity, age, culture--- they all know about it. Amazing.
I was a medic in the Army.
Tampons were part of my regular trauma kit in the field because they were perfect for quickly plugging gunshot wounds.
A tennis ball. Entertains animals for days, works as an amazing massage tool in physical therapy, protect your floors from chairs that scratch and more!
Silly String is used by soldiers to detect tripwires.
Yes. It's been a highly requested item by US military personnel since 2004. Also, the doctors who invented it were trying to create a spray on cast for broken bones.
Bluetooth speakers. I bought one once for it's intended purpose of listening to music, but then when I realized how small they actually are, they've pretty much became one of my favorite tools for office pranking and shenanigans:
* Record a co-worker's desk phone ringing, place the speaker behind their phone, and then start playing the ring tone over it
* Electronic whoopee cushion
* Hide it in an inconspicuous place in an otherwise open area, then play a whispering voice "Hey
* If someone keeps a door closed normally, hide it as close to the door as possible, then play knocking sounds
* Hide it in a cubicle/office and just play random, loud sound effects
Calm down Satan (I say as I immediately open an online shopping store to see where I can buy one)
I always keep fingernail clippers in my purse because I can use them to cut SO. MANY. THINGS. Little plastic tags on new clothes, zip ties, or even yarn when you want to knit on a plane and they don't let you have scissors!
"Water pipes"
All over the smoke shop there are signs saying that all the glass products are "for tobacco use only." However, I find that they work much better for smoking marijuana over tobacco. Who knew?
Hair conditioner works best as shaving foam than some brands of shaving foam.
Listerine was used as a surgical antiseptic when it was first invented and now it's a mouth wash.
Many years ago, my grandmother used Listerine to disinfect scrapes on knees. That junk burns like fire but we never had an infected scrape.
I bet that no-one in the whole world can actually follow the instructions on Listerine mouthwash. Hold that incredibly vile taste in your mouth for 20 full seconds. No way. Use as a surgical anaesthetic, possibly.
We use Listerine to help our horses heal when they have thrush in their hooves tissue. Great disinfectant!
I've also used it to clean buckets and water troughs.
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I use it instead of salt water gargle for sore throat. The taste of the salt water makes me ill.
I'll have to remember that, because same
Load More Replies... My mom dumps Listerine in a spray bottle and sprays the yard around their deck because Listerine makes a GREAT mosquito repellent.
This is the best to get rid of aphids off roses. Spray and they all die and plant isn't affected.
You have just answered my question in a previous post. Thank you!
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I've found that the original Listerine works to stop the itch from bug bites (apply a little to a cotton ball and hold to the bite). I was *also* advised by a dermatologist that it can be effective relieving the itch from rashes - not that I've ever had a rash you understand but still...
The lifeguards down the Jersey shore use it to keep the Green Flies from biting.
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And now it is known that the mouth has a healthy bacteria like the gut so using mouthwash is not healthy as it kills the good bacteria.
I've seen it used by podiatrists for a foot soak/wrap for very neglected caloused thick skin/feet, works wonders.
Listerine is GREAT for many uses - foot fungus, antiseptic, and fungal dandruff.
I heard that during prohibition in the 1920s, it was good to drink.
Yep it has alcohol in it. I used to work in a nursing home and staff would confiscate mouthwash from known alcoholics. Rather sad.
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Also treatment for STD's, and floor cleaner. Mouthwash is what they settled on after trying to market it for four, or five uses previous to this.
only the yellowish horrible tasting original also had a lot of ethanol in it but the lister ingredient would make you heave if you drank more than a little btw his fellow dr thought he was nuts. as they did when dr that told them to wash there hands he saw that midwifes had less mothers dying since they were much more clean at that time a dr would do autopsy, fix a knife wound wipe hand on coat then go deliver baby then go do another operation never touching water and soap and took years after he proved when dr wash before delivering babies mom and baby mortality dropped
I bought a mouthwash containing chlorhexidine, because, I don't know, I wanted to clean my teeth better than brushing/flossing alone. The antiseptic horribly stained my teeth. My dentist took 50€ to remove the stains and explained me that mouthwash was useless when you don't have a special condition and did more harm than good. Brush and floss. Period.
It was originally developed as a surgical antiseptic, but that’s a pretty small market. To increase sales, they began marketing it as a floor cleaner and a cure for gonorrhea.
It's also used by dog groomers to clean ears. Soak a cotton swab and swish it around in there. The alcohol based formula dries quickly instead of getting water in the ears.
It's also really good if you have smelly feet put it in a bowl and soke feet for 30mins
Joseph Lister. The doc who thought it up. Germs. That’s why people were getting infections from surgery.
It was also marketed as a...cleaning agent for lady bits. Way back in the day.
The original formula had 27% alcohol content. The current formula has about 19%. To compare, beer has about 5%. That's why Listerine was used as an antiseptic. I used to know an alcoholic who would run out of booze at home, or when the liquor store closed and default to a bottle of Listerine.
This was common knowledge among rural people when I grew up. It was used to cleanse wounds, sterilize earrings, as well as a mouth rinse.
Listerine used to have a tiny amount of Carbolic Acid (Lister's antiseptic). Now it just uses alcohol...
Just rub a little Listerine on the recently deceased. You’ll become a believer.
The entire operating room was misted with diluted carbolic acid, while the doctors and nurses wore rain slickers
Aluminum foil. People use it to wrap food while they can use it to make rockets, electromagnets and hats that prevent the government from mind-controlling you.
Pipe cleaners, meant for cleaning tobacco pipes. More often used in a million craft projects.
I have noticed the upvote / downvote buttons have far more utility as “I like this” / “F**k you” buttons than as a rating of how relevant the content is which it was made for
Melamine foam, AKA magic eraser sponges and Mr. Clean Magic Sponges.
Melamine foam was originally used as pipe insulation and soundproofing but was later discovered to clean surfaces like magic!
Two things. Duct tape and baling twine.
Add wd40 in the mix and you can fix almost everything.
I use the metal dental tool for pill openers. I have a hard time opening up tiny pill packets so I used my metal plaque thingy to open them. I have four or five hidden in random places. I mean what cruel AF person would design migraine meds in that freaking things. I also have one for cleaning out my tobacco water pipes but I just saw a post here that tells me I have been using my water pipes wrong. Who knew? :-/
Dawn dish soap. That s**t gets anything off anything. Also, if you wash your car with it in the water when bugs hit your windshield the first week or so, they just bounce off like rain x
Toothbrushes for cleaning bikes and cars (not the whole car, just little corners).
Toothpaste. It can be used to fix issues with plastics. Most notably it can be used on your headlight lenses as an abrasive to remove the yellowing effect that happens to car headlights over time. It can also be used to buff scratches out of CDs/DVDs/Blu-Rays. If you have a Formica countertop with a stain, a whitening toothpaste can be used to buff the stain out.
Barbie doll's legs. They served as a great scratcher for my itchy leg when I had a cast on it. The arch of her foot was perfect.
Viagra WAS intended to help treat high blood pressure
It is also used for pulmonary arterial hypertension. I take six 20mg a day, and the main thing that has kept me alive the past three years. FYI- I'm female
Vinegar: not just used to put on your hot chips
Bicarbonate of soda: not just used for cooking
Have a blocked sink? If you can, remove the drain cover, pour in some bicarb and then follow with white vinegar. It fizzzes and causes a reaction that helps loosen the blockage. Throw some hot water down the drain. Repeat if necessary. Soooooo much cheaper than a plumber.
Create a paste of bicarb and water. Use it to scrub stubborn stains off your stove top.
Grab an empty spray bottle. Put I cup of white vinegar and one cup of liquid dish washing detergent. Wet the shower screen, spray the mix on and leet it sit for about 10 mins. Grab a light scouring pad and starting at the top, scrub (lightly) the glass. You might need to be a bit heavier on the bottom of the glass. Rinse off and voila! Clean clean glass! Also good on the oven doors too! Actually...any glass.
Clear nail polish works so well to fix small holes or seal things.
Edit: like the small hole in my giant popsicle floatie
Neoprene. Apparently it was originally used as a lining for industrial waste but obviously now makes a good wetsuit (and has many other industrial uses).
Tube guitar amps. They were never intended to produce distortion, but a whole genre of music was born by "misusing" them!
A whole slew of medications.
My daily medication is an anti-seizure medication. Works like s**t as an anti-seizure medication, but works **fantastically** as an anti-psychotic.
Paint can opener. I'm a cable technician, and I find myself outdoors in all manor of conditions. I keep a paint can opener in my vehicle to get mud, dog c**p, and rocks out of the treads of my boots. Way better than the stick that breaks. Now, I keep one in my personal vehicle for when we take the dogs out to the park.
Edit: I'm aware there are dozens of flat objects to open paint cans, but the thread was about better alternative uses for objects, and a paint can opener fits the bill. Also, props to those who added that the tool makes a great free bottle opener.
Avon Skin so Soft works as an amazing bug repellant. We go camping fairly regularly and always take a bottle!
I never once used baby oil on my baby... but I use it to remove eye makeup whenever I wear eye makeup.
And to remove tar from your skin if you inadvertently step on some on a beach.
Silly Putty is great to clean your car. All the little crumbs and dust that sink into the console creases and door lock controls. Just press and pick it up, fold putty, repeat.
Silly putty can be used to pick up Glitter spills. It's the fastest way to remove glitter.
My grandma keeps a special pair of scissors for when we're eating pizza.
I have admired that stroke of brilliance my entire life.
Apparently, coca cola has some amazing cleaning purposes. Lime stains, water rings, oil stains in the driveway, just google or youtube it.
Also quite good to settle your stomach if you have a stomach flu!!
Slotted spoon (spaghetti scoops)
I bought a really good quality one to use as a back scratcher
Condoms are awesome.
They are used to cover gun barrels, cook meatloaf, waterproof phone covers, ice packs, and everything in between.
If you ever need a cheap, waterproof container that can be used for many different things, use a condom.
Safety pins, originally designed to fasten cloth baby diapers now used in a million other ways.
Edit: I'm a little surprised no one mentioned separating eyelashes after applying mascara, popping blisters, removing splinters, and protesting the President.
Also I once knew a goth girl who lined her backpack with them so ppl would respect her personal space in the hallway. Worked for her apparently and as far as I know she didn't get in trouble.
Not sure I'd want a sharp metal object that close to my eyes... hopefully there's some other way of doing it
Sealable sandwich bags (Ziploc design, not the foldover ones) are great waterproof bags for phones. Reddit in the shower. Sure, that's it. "Reddit."
On an unrelated note, buy shares in sandwich bag companies.
Originally, gasoline was a by product of making kerosene. Dunno if it counts but by products don't usually have an intended use.
I heard that about petroleium jelly too (vaseline). Oil field workers found that it made their hands soft and protected cuts and scrapes.
Mayonaise. Its amazing for removing stubborn stcky residues. Use it a lot in my job.
Note: this post originally had 62 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.
One I always recommend (but get horrified looks when I do) is to use superglue to mend cuts on your body. Obviously use a non-toxic variety but I heard about it as a kid by an ex-soldier and have sworn by it ever since. I once badly sliced my thumb open on the way to work. I grabbed some superglue, sealed it closed and put a plaster (band-aid) on it. The wound healed perfectly and to this day you can only see the faintest hint of a scar considering how deep the wound was initially.
I heard it was initially invented/ intended as field wound dressing. Used it 3 times so far to glue myself shut if I don't have steri-strips.
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Here's an obscure one: hemostats! Surgeons use them to hold a surgical cut in place while they work, but their vice-like grip makes them perfect for holding anything gently-but-firmly. I've used one as a makeshift bottle cleaner many times by having it grip a paper towel square.
Manuka honey, great for wound care especially infections and burns. It cleared up recurring MSRA and is magic at pulling pus out of abscesses.
All honey is good for wound care. It's especially great for cracked or chapped lips
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If your dog/pet gets "skunked", use Massengill Powdered Douch- Mix a couple of tablespoons in some tepid water in a gallon jug and pour onto DRY fur
For migraine sufferers in Austria: go get a bottle of Veen Veen from the pharmacy. It's a kind of wine with herbal extracts, and it's supposed to help with blood circulation and "strengthening the veins", whatever that means. But it's insanely effective in stopping migraine attacks. Works way better than normal pain killers. It's a small Austrian brand, so I don't think you can buy it outside of Austria. Sorry, rest of the world 🙁
You know all that antibacterial handwash you have stocked up because of Covid? Well, it makes an awesome multi-cleaner! Use it to clean work tops, cookers floors cupboard doors and even the dishes! It's antibacterial, has a powerful degreasing agent and lasts for ages before it breaks down in water. I even use it in my jet wash to clean the car!
A restaurant I worked for had us use it to clean certain surfaces when the pandemic hit
Load More Replies... I don't know if this counts, but medics in the Vietnam war used shirt sleeves in arterial surgery, to repair and reinforce damaged arterial walls.
No More Tears Baby Shampoo is a better anti-fog on goggles when Scuba Diving, than all the anti-fog solutions.
I want to add one, lock picks. They are meant to unlock locks without keys, but they are so useful! Opening laptop? Use one to unhook all those little clips. Cleaning that laptop? You can use one to clean the grill over fan or to clean sides of keys on keyboard. Removing things from tight spaces? Small steel hook will help. Heck, I used one when I was cracking walnuts. You know how sometimes the shell stays around the nut? Lockpick is your friend.
In the days of the blue laws here in MA - no alcohol sold on Sunday - they had to hide the sterno - yeah, drinking sterno - that might be a sign of trouble with liquor.
I bought a radiator roller, for painting behind radiators. It was 20 years before I used it for it's intended purpose. I got it to reach the windows when they were open, so I could close them. Also for pulling stuff down from on top the the kitchen cabinets, helping me get dressed when one grabber isn't enough, back scratcher, hook it through loops on shoes to pull them on.
One I always recommend (but get horrified looks when I do) is to use superglue to mend cuts on your body. Obviously use a non-toxic variety but I heard about it as a kid by an ex-soldier and have sworn by it ever since. I once badly sliced my thumb open on the way to work. I grabbed some superglue, sealed it closed and put a plaster (band-aid) on it. The wound healed perfectly and to this day you can only see the faintest hint of a scar considering how deep the wound was initially.
I heard it was initially invented/ intended as field wound dressing. Used it 3 times so far to glue myself shut if I don't have steri-strips.
Load More Replies... Here's an obscure one: hemostats! Surgeons use them to hold a surgical cut in place while they work, but their vice-like grip makes them perfect for holding anything gently-but-firmly. I've used one as a makeshift bottle cleaner many times by having it grip a paper towel square.
Manuka honey, great for wound care especially infections and burns. It cleared up recurring MSRA and is magic at pulling pus out of abscesses.
All honey is good for wound care. It's especially great for cracked or chapped lips
Load More Replies... If your dog/pet gets "skunked", use Massengill Powdered Douch- Mix a couple of tablespoons in some tepid water in a gallon jug and pour onto DRY fur
For migraine sufferers in Austria: go get a bottle of Veen Veen from the pharmacy. It's a kind of wine with herbal extracts, and it's supposed to help with blood circulation and "strengthening the veins", whatever that means. But it's insanely effective in stopping migraine attacks. Works way better than normal pain killers. It's a small Austrian brand, so I don't think you can buy it outside of Austria. Sorry, rest of the world 🙁
You know all that antibacterial handwash you have stocked up because of Covid? Well, it makes an awesome multi-cleaner! Use it to clean work tops, cookers floors cupboard doors and even the dishes! It's antibacterial, has a powerful degreasing agent and lasts for ages before it breaks down in water. I even use it in my jet wash to clean the car!
A restaurant I worked for had us use it to clean certain surfaces when the pandemic hit
Load More Replies... I don't know if this counts, but medics in the Vietnam war used shirt sleeves in arterial surgery, to repair and reinforce damaged arterial walls.
No More Tears Baby Shampoo is a better anti-fog on goggles when Scuba Diving, than all the anti-fog solutions.
I want to add one, lock picks. They are meant to unlock locks without keys, but they are so useful! Opening laptop? Use one to unhook all those little clips. Cleaning that laptop? You can use one to clean the grill over fan or to clean sides of keys on keyboard. Removing things from tight spaces? Small steel hook will help. Heck, I used one when I was cracking walnuts. You know how sometimes the shell stays around the nut? Lockpick is your friend.
In the days of the blue laws here in MA - no alcohol sold on Sunday - they had to hide the sterno - yeah, drinking sterno - that might be a sign of trouble with liquor.
I bought a radiator roller, for painting behind radiators. It was 20 years before I used it for it's intended purpose. I got it to reach the windows when they were open, so I could close them. Also for pulling stuff down from on top the the kitchen cabinets, helping me get dressed when one grabber isn't enough, back scratcher, hook it through loops on shoes to pull them on.
