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Products are usually well thought-out. After all, companies are investing time, money, and other resources into developing them. But even though they are created to satisfy a specific need, things happen and products can evolve into something else entirely, taking on new forms and applications.

To learn more about these examples, Reddit user u/EpicEllis2004 submitted a question to the platform, asking what are some of the products that have drifted away from their main purpose. Turns out, it's a topic that really interests people. In just a week, the post has received over 34K upvotes and 14K comments, providing quite a few interesting insights into consumerism. Here are some of the answers.

#1

21 Products That Somehow Lost Their Original Purpose, As Shared In This Online Thread History Channel... as far as I am concerned the secret relationships between aliens and the illuminati do not qualify as "history"

Ezequiel-052 , history Report

#2

21 Products That Somehow Lost Their Original Purpose, As Shared In This Online Thread Remember when MTV was a music television?

galactic-frog , Blude Report

#3

21 Products That Somehow Lost Their Original Purpose, As Shared In This Online Thread The toilet lid of a toilet. Seen too many not even know you're supposed to put the lid down before flushing. Microscopic fecal matter flies everywhere otherwise. Apparently this isn't common knowledge.

ShroomyKat , Curology Report

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Kari Panda
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This. So many arguements about putting the toilet seat up/down when honestly, everyone should just close the lid once they’re done. The particles spread up to 6 m (19 ft) otherwise.

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#4

21 Products That Somehow Lost Their Original Purpose, As Shared In This Online Thread Slinky, the toy. It was originally designed during WW2 to help sensitive instruments remain steady on ships... to counter the effects of pitch, roll, and yaw. The engineer working on them knocked one off his desk accidentally, saw the way it moved from the table to the chair, to the floor, and a new purpose was born.

On a side note... during the Vietnam War, when the Slinkys were metal, radio operators would carry them through the deep jungles. If they couldn't get a good signal in the jungle mountains, they'd sling a Slinky high into the tree limbs while holding onto one end. It created an instant antenna extension that they would attach to the radio.

Single_Performance25 , Will Report

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#5

21 Products That Somehow Lost Their Original Purpose, As Shared In This Online Thread Q-tips. The only thing they are used for is the one thing you are explicitly told not to use them for.

bloblehead , Olivier Bergeron Report

#6

21 Products That Somehow Lost Their Original Purpose, As Shared In This Online Thread The warming drawer on the bottom of all our ovens, which is used as pan storage for exactly %100 of oven owners.

Newtracks1 , Grant.C Report

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Chris Jones
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

'All ovens' is rather a claim being made! Mine is a built in oven so has cupboards all around it - the floor standing ovens are so inconvenient! Why bend to put something in the oven when you can have it at waist height?

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Remi Flynne
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Indeed not. They're built in. Perhaps some countries have more of a trend towards one type or another. The wall ones are so much easier to use - no bending to stick a heavy dish in!

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Roxy Eastland
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have *never* owned or used an oven that has these drawers. I don't think they are anywhere near as ubiquitous as some people think they are.

phil-lucas avatar
Lucas
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wondering if it is a country specific preference for free standing ovens for some reason? UK trend is towards built in ovens.

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Johnny
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is not universally true -- the storage drawer under my oven barely gets warm. Snopes says: "A brief overview of the ovens available at HomeDepot.com showed that 87 models were available with a built-in storage drawer, while another 19 featured a warming drawer." https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/what-is-the-bottom-drawer-of-an-oven-really-for/

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Robert T
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have a fitted oven with two drawers underneath it... which are used for for pan storage! LOL

thirdmolar avatar
third molar
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is crazy, the ovens are the pan storage. That bottom drawer is for storing laddles, oven mitts, coffee mugs, lost tv remote, unopened groceries extra pans

breakmyheart avatar
Something
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's not on all ovens. Some ovens just have a plain drawer.

jaylar24 avatar
Jessica B
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some are for warming, some are just storage. I would know since I used to sell ranges, and they were labelled that way.

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Dilly Millandry
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not had a freestanding oven in years. Have a built-in 'wall' double oven and so its hot even a question I had considered. Pans go in the cupboard below it.

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the redqueen
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think...( I could be wrong, that happens a lot, lol) that originally, that was how that drawer came to be-as a warming drawer. And it makes sense-the oven is, right on top of that drawer, everything is already metal-insulated; I would guess it would be perfect place to let bread rise, would it not? But all I have ever seen is it's used for pan storage. Would older ovens really make a difference? Stove is still on top of the oven...where I live, I have a glass top oven.( hate it. Never get one. Trust me). This glass top oven has a "warmer spot" in between the "stovetop eyes", but it also has a drawer. I am gonna go preheat my oven to 350, right now, and see if my drawer gets warm, because this is going to drive me nuts-I gotta do it. If anybody is curious, I will let u know what I find out shortly.

theredqueen_1 avatar
the redqueen
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ok-I am mind blown. The drawer was not warm. Not even a teeny tiny bit. Anywhere. It was cold. Holy s#@&. This one really surprised me. There must be one hell of an insulator in between the oven and drawer. This is an oven, I would guess, from the last 20 years? Or 15? Anybody have an old oven and decided to try this?

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Max
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sometimes it's a pan storage. Sometimes it's a broiler. Most people only find out when they melt a pan.

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Not A Panda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not all have a warming drawer. Mine has a storage space underneath and not a drawer.

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Jan-Fred Lu
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, just wrong. However this "fact" keeps being posted in every other "What peaople don't know..."

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Kalis VarKrom
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When was young, the bottom drawer on my moms stove was a Broiler. And she used as such for many years.

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AzKhaleesi
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

99% I removed my pans yesterday because the drawer kept coming off the track lol.

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Barbara Kayton
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My warming drawer was so shallow it was useless for keeping food warm.

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J Smythe
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not all ovens have warming drawers, it depends on the model.

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A Jones
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It’s a broiler for my model. Came with its own tray. It’s also gas.

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Katinka Min
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That' because they are always incredibl dirty. I don't know why, i cleaned it often enough, but I sure as hell don't put food in there!

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Seabeast
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Mine seems to attract every bit of fluff and dust in the house. I can clean it one day and two days later it's dusty again.

shelbyaj319 avatar
Shelby Jackson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have an old home so no built in and mine is free standing but the drawer on the bottom is just that. A drawer.

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Argie Smith
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The issue is that it's not intuitive. Heat rises. Why put a warming drawer on the bottom? Also, I tested how warm it gets down there and it's not enough to keep the food warm.

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An Co
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That is not a warming drawer, it is a broiler. If you want to cook a steak properly, that is where you put it. 1) It heats up quicker, 2) it heats the top of your steak first, making for a nice sear, 3) It is hotter for faster cooking. Because it is hotter, you need to reduce the cooking time, otherwise it burns.

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Nathan Dennis
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My dad told me about how it USED to be a warming drawer, but removed that feature recently. I've reached in there to grab a pan while the oven was on, and it wasn't even warm.

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Lillukka79
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are ovens with a warming drawer, but at least mine isn't even warm so it is for storage.

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Big J
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I use it for both. It heats up slower than the main oven. So I only use it when the primary oven is full. I store extra cookie sheets in both the main oven and the bottom oven.

loverleezack_1 avatar
Stephanie Hewitt
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

most ovens it's not a warming drawer, it's a dust and dirt filled space under the oven. I would not put food in it.

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Kat Hague
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We store our flattened cardboard boxes in there to recycle

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Eucritta
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's because it's on the floor, right where it collects cat fluff.

itsjustme223 avatar
Shane S
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don’t have one. That’s where my broiler is on my gas oven.

davismann28 avatar
Chrissy
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My old stove/oven had the stove top, the oven and the bottom drawer was a broiler. My new one has a keep warm setting for the oven as well as a broiler setting and the bottom drawer is for storage.

tsguy23 avatar
Terry Smith
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Added bonus - Ignored purpose of the "%" symbol. Originally intended to follow the number rather than leading it. It's used improperly for "%100" of this post.

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Cee Mor
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

TIL....duh I never knew this was not just a lid drawer...lol. When I grew up we had a broiler down there

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JennyLaRue
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My kitchen has a separate unit drawer under the oven, but it's not connected to the oven at all, and doesn't get warm at all. I wish I had a plate warmer!

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Leo Domitrix
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The warming drawer never worked. It scorched or did nothing. In my experience.

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Glirpy
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They don’t keep anything warm any better than just wrapping it in aluminum foil and setting it on the counter.

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Jjiinnee
Community Member
2 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

dmarsh avatar
Daniel Marsh
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Warming drawer or broiling drawer... depending if its gas or electric.

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Sivi
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wait... what? Now I have to check if mine is that :o

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Fus
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And absolutely no where in any oven user manual does any manufacturer say this is a warming drawer. It is used for exactly what we use it for. Large oven sheet cookware storage.

master_minds9 avatar
denzoren
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It took me years to figure out what this was for...I was always asking "but why is there a draw there?"

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troufaki13
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not all drawers are meant for warming. My oven doesn't even have one

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James016
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't have one of those :( We store the oven trays in the oven and take them out before turning it on.

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Rannveig Ess
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If oven drawers were meant to keep food warm, God wouldn't have invented microwaves

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#7

21 Products That Somehow Lost Their Original Purpose, As Shared In This Online Thread Super glue was meant to be a temporary method of stitching a wound. It was used that way during the Vietnam War. Tell people today to super clue their cuts shut, however, and most will think you're crazy

BigBobby2016 , endolith Report

#8

21 Products That Somehow Lost Their Original Purpose, As Shared In This Online Thread Apparently paintball guns were invented for foresters/loggers/park rangers to mark trees (for cutting etc.) without having to approach each tree.

galactic-frog , Pengyi zhang Report

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Jyri Hakola
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wonder how many minutes it took after the initial product release that 1st forester thought that it would be funny to shoot Mike on back.. Maybe hours but definetly not days..

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#10

21 Products That Somehow Lost Their Original Purpose, As Shared In This Online Thread Snuggy was originally designed for wheelchair users. Outerwear designed for walkers is cumbersome to take on and off for wheelchair users so snuggies were designed to help with this.

TooMuchHotSauce5 , lynn Dombrowski Report

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#11

21 Products That Somehow Lost Their Original Purpose, As Shared In This Online Thread Ketamine is for horses and not for Saturday night.

jibbletmonger , Steven Cornfield Report

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Otter
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's been approved for use as a human sedative, it's used in operating rooms and ICUs. And remember those Thai kids that were trapped in the flooded cave? Each kid got a shot of Ketamine before the final rescue, it kept them quiet as heroic spent hours dragging them to safety through a dangerous flooded cave.

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#12

21 Products That Somehow Lost Their Original Purpose, As Shared In This Online Thread Bubble wrap was invented as fancy wallpaper.

galactic-frog , David Maier Report

#13

21 Products That Somehow Lost Their Original Purpose, As Shared In This Online Thread WD-40 was developed as a rust preventative (it’s even in the initials: “WD” means “Water Displacement”). Nowadays people use it to lubricate mechanical parts.

bluebirdgm , FHKE Report

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ThatGuv
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Great for removing stubborn, leftover glue after pulling the label off a jar.

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#14

21 Products That Somehow Lost Their Original Purpose, As Shared In This Online Thread Pipe cleaners,

Use them for all sorts of arts and crafts as kids. It wasn't till I owned a tobacco pipe and went to buy them that it actually clicked

TouchedbyJebus , Cannabox Report

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F-Dup
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh my Jesus Christ. I haven’t thought about these since I was in primary school. Back then, I assumed the ‘pipe’ in pipe cleaner referred the things that ran along the walls of my house and I didn’t question it. It’s only now, reading this as a fully grown adult, that I realise it’s not that kind of pipe at all. That update has been pending for decades!

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#15

21 Products That Somehow Lost Their Original Purpose, As Shared In This Online Thread I think people already know this but the neck on the beer bottle is actually supposed to be held so you don’t warm your drink too fast.

bigbenis21 , Story Ninety-Four Report

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Michelle M
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No thank you. I don't trust my clumsy hands to hold it steady at the neck.

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#16

21 Products That Somehow Lost Their Original Purpose, As Shared In This Online Thread Iirc Play-Doh was invented to clean wallpaper

spacelordmthrfkr , Betsy Weber Report

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#17

21 Products That Somehow Lost Their Original Purpose, As Shared In This Online Thread Gloveboxes were originally meant to store gloves because people used to drive with gloves on for some reason.

Yah-ThnPat-Thn , Mark Doliner Report

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Otter
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People used to drive with at the very least - gloves, dust coats, goggles, and hats on, if not full face masks. Because cars didn't have roofs or windows and the roads weren't paved, anyone who drove the first cars was going to get all the dust, mud, or weather in the world in the face.

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#18

21 Products That Somehow Lost Their Original Purpose, As Shared In This Online Thread Minoxidil was originally developed to treat high blood pressure and people reported unusual hair growth all around the body, since it promotes blood flow to the skin pores. They came up with a topical version and voila, millions of people smear that sh*t on their scalps and beards everyday and its the one of the only clinically proven ways to cure baldness.

LeagueOfLucian , amazon Report

#19

21 Products That Somehow Lost Their Original Purpose, As Shared In This Online Thread Viagra. It’s a heart medicine originally.

VegetableWishbone , Syed Ikhwan Report

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Otter
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's still used for some heart problems, and I have no idea if anyone who's sick enough to need it for medical reasons can still enjoy the side effects.

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#20

21 Products That Somehow Lost Their Original Purpose, As Shared In This Online Thread Botox was created to treat migraines

lovejetblack , Sam Moqadam Report

#21

21 Products That Somehow Lost Their Original Purpose, As Shared In This Online Thread Microsoft Excel/Google Sheets used as informal databases instead of as a data analysis tool

rwilldred27 , Joe Anderson Report

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Suraj A R
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think MS Excel was always used as a data analysis tool, where as MS Access was used as an informal database since 1992

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