16 Genius New Ways to Use Ordinary Things

We’re surrounded by things we can utilize in many more ways than we’re used to.

FunnyModo found some very unexpected uses for everyday things — just look how they simplify life!

A shower cap will protect a bicycle seat from rain

A common situation: you left your bike outside and went on your business, then all of a sudden the rain started, and the seat got all wet. To avoid this, take a shower cap with you on a bike ride, and cover the seat with it. And here are a couple of other tricks.

Preserve a watermelon

We rarely eat a whole watermelon at once, so it goes into the fridge. And there seems to be nothing more convenient than a shower cap to cover and preserve it. Find other uses for it here.

Keep the hallway clean

Put shower caps on the wheels of a kid’s bike or stroller before entering the house, and there’ll be much less mess inside.

Pack your shoes

Your shoes won’t dirty other items in your bag or wardrobe if you put them into a shower cap, which is more convenient than ordinary bags. Find even more useful advice here.

Micellar water can rejuvenate old canvas shoes

The dark and grimy soles of your canvas shoes, as well as the shoes themselves, are easily cleaned with micellar water. And here are other shoe care tips.

Help remove cosmetic stains

Before washing things stained with lipstick, mascara, or concealer, dab the stain with a cotton pad dipped in micellar water — the stain will more likely go away after washing.

A dish sponge can become an ice pack

This is a great way to go on a picnic. Put several wet sponges into separate bags, and seal them the night before the trip. Place the bags into the freezer overnight. In the morning, put the sponges in the cooler bag with the food you’d like to stay cool. We found this trick here.

Make pedicures easier

Your toes may touch each other and smudge the polish as it dries, and that’s irritating. To avoid this, cut a sponge into pieces, and place them between your toes. See other sponge tricks here.

Keep your veggies fresh for longer

The fruit and vegetable container in your fridge constantly accumulates excess moisture, making its contents spoil faster. Avoid this by putting a new dish sponge inside — it’ll absorb the moisture. Just don’t forget to squeeze and change it.

Make a super thrifty soap dish

Make a soap dish out of a sponge by carving a hollow in it, or just put the soap on a sponge. This way, it’ll be used up much slower. For details, see here.

Elastic bands will help open a tight cap

Wrap an elastic band around the cap and easily open a nail polish bottle or any other vessel.

Keep a book safe in your bag

Paperback books tend to get shabby at the corners when we carry them around in our bag. To save them from such a fate, use an elastic band as shown above. We found the idea here.

Make a sat nav out of a phone

If there’s no GPS in your car but there’s one in your smartphone, you know what to do. Here are the details.

Fit into your jeans

This trick will come in handy both for pregnant women and those who grew out of their jeans. Hook an elastic band around the button, and feed the other end through the buttonhole. Here are the detailed instructions.

Fabric softener will help unstick old wallpaper

To tear off old wallpaper more easily, dilute a cap of softener in 1 L of water and apply the mix to the walls with a sponge or mop. Let it sit for 20 minutes, and then just unstick the paper.