Did you ever notice that the toilet paper color is usually white? But this color wasn’t always a favorite. In fact, colored toilet paper popped out on the shelves in the 1950s. Homeowners purchased pink, blue, yellow, green, and even black paper because these colors matched the interior.
But eventually, many doctors began to associate the dye in colored toilet papers with increased health risks. Also, the dye didn’t allow the colored paper to decompose as quickly when it was flushed down, which increased the risk of clogging septic tanks. This made manufacturing and retail prices too high compared to the basic white paper. And eventually, the demand began to fall.
And now let’s take a closer look at these fancy patterns. Most people probably don’t care about the decorations when it comes to their toilet paper. However, these patterns still exist. But why? Well, there are several opinions.
Some say it’s just a marketing tool. Manufacturers use pretty decor to make their products look more aesthetically pleasing. And to make customers associate their brand with elegance and a luxurious lifestyle. Another explanation is more practical. These patterns fluff up the paper which makes it more absorbent.
Speaking of fluffiness, have you ever wondered why they have such rough toilet paper in public toilets? The most obvious answer is that high-quality toilet paper is more expensive. Also, companies prefer purchasing giant rolls of low-quality paper because they can change them less frequently. This decision also helps prevent stealing. Yes, people actually steal paper from public toilets.
Have you ever noticed that light switches in public toilets are usually placed outside? Well... It’s not a coincidence. Construction companies do it for safety reasons because, as we all know, electricity plus water is a dangerous combination. And light switches are connected to power, therefore electricity literally flows through them. Of course, professionally installed switches will have a bunch of additional safety precautions. But most builders prefer not to take risks.
The U.K. has far stricter rules for light switch safety compared to the U.S. That’s why if you live in London, you’ll probably find light switches outside the bathroom more commonly. But don’t worry, most bathrooms in the U.S. feature independent electrical circuits. This provides additional safety in case of accidental electric shock. When any change in the electrical current happens they should just shut off automatically.
There are so many awesome lighting opportunities in this world. But why are the traffic lights red, green, and yellow? Turns out, there’s a reasonable explanation for it. Before traffic lights for cars, there were traffic signals for trains. And first railroad operators used white color to mean go, red to mean stop, and green to mean caution.
But later they realized that white wasn’t such a good idea, because bright white light could easily be mistaken for stars during the nighttime. So, railway companies changed the white color for green to mean go, and yellow to mean caution, because these colors are easily distinguishable from the others. And eventually, this tradition spread to traffic lights for cars and became a standard.
As for the red color, it has the longest wavelength, which means that drivers can see it from a greater distance than other colors. And the color yellow was chosen as a caution sign because it has a slightly shorter wavelength than red, but still longer than green.
What’s the dustiest room in your house? Usually, the answer is a bedroom. But why? Bedrooms tend to generate dust from skin cells, dust mites, and fibers from fabrics in your bed sheets, carpets, and curtains. If you have a pet, its fur and skin cells add a significant amount of dirt to this dusty party.
Luckily, there are simple ways to make your bedroom less dusty. This includes making your bed every day and cleaning the area regularly with both a vacuum cleaner and water. You can try to get rid of carpets, and unnecessary furniture and decor items that tend to collect dust. Also, pay attention to the quality when you buy curtains or bedsheets — the looser the fabric, the more it collects dirt. And finally, you can ban your pet from entering the bedroom... but let’s be honest — you would never do that!
Modern air purifiers, air conditioners, and ceiling fans can help make your sleeping area cozier. But make sure to clean them regularly. Otherwise, if your filter is dirty or clogged up with fur, or any other air pollutants, it won’t collect new dust properly. And the dust would end up on your bedroom’s surfaces.
Speaking of dust, did you know that you can clean the edge of a broom with a dustpan? This zigzag over here is not only for aesthetic purposes. You can use it as a comb for the bristles.
Have you ever had these marks behind your ears after wearing your glasses? Sometimes it can even take them weeks to go away. Well, it’s a sign that the side pieces of the glasses — called temples — are not adjusted properly for your head. In other words, they are too tight.
This can cause skin irritation and even headaches. If they are bent toward the area behind your ears, they can press on the fragile part of the skull. So, keep in mind that temples should not only have the correct size, but also the correct adjustment. A professional optician can easily fix this problem. It’s way safer than trying to do it on your own.
Box graters can be used in a horizontal position too. In many cases, it’s much more convenient to grate a carrot or a big block of cheese this way. If you wanna grate a soft product like goat cheese or mozzarella, you can put them in a freezer for about 30 minutes before grating. Also, there’s a way to make the cleanup easier and prevent the cheese from sticking. Spray the grater with a small amount of oil before using it.
And now let’s take a look at the most unpopular sides of the box grater. Have you ever used them? This side is actually designed for slicing. It’s pretty handy if you wanna make thin vegetable slices for your salad or pasta, or slice potato chips. And these tiny punched-out holes are designed for zesting or very finely grating.
Graters are pretty useful for the next non-food tip. If you’re on a budget, you can purchase this super cheap laundry soap, grate a small amount and throw it right into your washing machine instead of using the regular washing gel.
Did you know that you can change which way the refrigerator opens the door? There are hinges over here — if you attach them on the other side, the doors will swing the other way. But before trying to do any repairs by yourself, make sure to disconnect the power source and read the instructions for your particular model of fridge.
Have you ever noticed that there’s a shiny side and a dull side to tin foil? Many people believe that it matters which side is used up or down because the shiny side should trap the heat better. But in fact, it makes no difference at all. The manufacturing process makes the 2 sides look slightly different. But they both serve their purpose equally.
Tin foil can be useful not only in the kitchen — here’s a little-known battery trick. Let’s say you’re out of AA batteries. No worries, use a smaller AAA battery and a small bit of tin foil. Just insert it on one of the ends. This will work because both AA and AAA batteries carry the same amount of voltage.
Did you know that Chinese take-out food containers can unfold and turn into plates? All you have to do is just to disassemble it from the 2 sides, and gravitation will do the rest. By the way, the old-school name for this type of paperboard container is an oyster pail, because it was originally designed to hold oysters.
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