7 Household Items You Could Be Using Wrong
We all have our own way of doing things, be
it cutting vegetables, doing laundry, or (pardon my French) scrubbing
the toilet. We could elaborate on the best and worst techniques of doing
all of the above-listed tasks, but the bottom line is that most of them
are a matter of personal preference.
But there are also those common household
items that need to be used in a specific way. Otherwise, they simply
won’t work well, or worse, end up broken. The 7 everyday items on this
list are all notoriously misused. Learn how to use them correctly below.
1. Plunger
Item 
Are you using a sink plunger in your toilet? Many people aren’t even
aware of the fact that there are various kinds… Long story short, if
you’re using a flat bowl-shaped rubber plunger to unclog a toilet, it’s
not the right one for the job. This is the type of plunger (pictured
above) designed for flat surfaces, such as a sink or a bathtub.
A true toilet plunger is narrower, and it
has a flange sticking out at the bottom to fit the toilet bowl. You can
also use a bellows plunger that looks like an accordion to effectively
unclog a toilet. Both of these plungers have a better fit and stronger
suction power than a standard bowl plunger.
2. Built-in board in the kitchen
Are you familiar with those built-in
pull-out cutting boards installed in some countertops? If so, we’re here
to tell you that they are not cutting boards at all! So, if you’ve been
using them to chop up veggies and fruit, you should most definitely
stop doing so. The real purpose of these pull-out boards is kneading
dough.
In the past, these slabs of wood were known as “breadboards.” If you
intend to use this board to chop and dice food ingredients, it’s a good
idea to replace the wood with an actual cutting board because
breadboards weren’t designed to stand up to humidity and knife scarring,
so they will start growing mold and warp very quickly.
3. Toilet paper rolls 
There are two kinds of people - those who place the toilet paper so that
the end falls over the roll, and those who let it hang under the roll.
Surprisingly, the subject caused a great deal of debate over the years
and even spurred a few scientific studies. And while you may not think
that there is a right or wrong way to place a toilet paper roll, Seth
Wheeler, the New York businessman who invented perforated toilet paper,
begs to differ.
According to the illustrations that are part of his 1891 patent, the
flap is intended to fall over the roll. Not only is it much easier to
find the end of the roll this way, but it’s also the more sanitary way
to use toilet paper because the end isn’t close to the bathroom wall.
4. Stainless steel pans
If you’ve ever seen a professional chef pan-searing a steak or cooking
anything else in a pan, really, you may have noticed one curious detail.
You rarely see a chef using a nonstick pan in cooking. In the vast
majority of cases, chefs use a stainless steel pan, even though they are
notoriously difficult to clean.
Well, it turns out that they’re not, you just need to know how to use
them correctly. The trick is to season the stainless steel pan before
use, just like you would a cast-iron one. Seasoning will make cooking
and cleaning a stainless steel pan much easier, and you won’t have to
deal with the potentially toxic chemicals of non-stick pans ever again.
To season a stainless steel pan, coat the pan using an oil with a high
smoke point (e.g. canola oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil,
or grapeseed oil). Heat the oil over medium heat for a few minutes, then
let it cool completely. Lastly, clean up any excess oil with a paper
towel, and voila, your pan is seasoned and ready. Keep in mind that
cooking acidic foods, cleaning with soap, and scrubbing the pan will
wear away the protective coating from the pan over time, and you’ll need
to re-season it.
5. Phone charger
Most people charge their smartphones
overnight. The logic behind it is simple - you don’t need to worry about
your phone battery dying at an inconvenient moment if you’ve fully
charged your phone while you’re asleep. Unfortunately, there is a
serious drawback to this method - letting your phone charge all night
could affect the battery’s capacity over time.
If you keep your phone connected to the electricity for hours after the
battery has reached 100%, it causes your phone to “trickle charge.” This
is a phenomenon when your phone is in the constant cycle of losing a
little charge and topping it off, which causes your phone to overheat
and gradually turns the battery less effective.
6. Ceiling fan
Have you ever wondered why you can switch
the spin direction of a ceiling fan? If you don’t know, the answer will
surprise you. The reason this occurs is that ceiling fans are supposed
to be used all year. The circulation of air ceiling fans maintain can
actually save you some power both in the winter and summer.
All you have to do is to manipulate the spin direction the right way.
When it’s cold outside, the fan should spin clockwise, which will pull
air up and move the warmer air from the ceiling back down. When the
weather is warm, switch the fan to spin counterclockwise - this will
make cool air circulate across the room and improves air-flow.
7. Disinfectant wipes
Disinfectant wipes are a real staple these
days, and for good reason, as you can easily use them to wipe down and
disinfect anything from your kitchen counter to doorknobs and even keys.
But there is one type of surface that could be damaged by antibacterial
wipes - electronic screens. These include your phone or tablet screen,
computer screen, and even the TV.
Using disinfectant wipes on screens exposes them to corrosive chemicals
and increases the risk of liquids getting inside the device. Instead,
use a paper towel or a microfiber cloth to clean the device. Some
screens can also tolerate rubbing alcohol, but you have to check in the
instruction manual of the device to know if it’s safe for your specific
type of screen.