12 Everyday Things We Do Wrong and Don’t Even Realize Why

After we wake up in the morning, the first thing many of us do is down a cup of coffee. But as it turns out, we’ve been doing this wrong the whole time. And believe it or not, there are even more everyday habits that need correcting, according to experts. Let’s have a look at what they are.

We at Bright Side have also gotten used to doing many things a certain way and would like to share with you some daily patterns that we need to break for the better.

1. Drinking coffee before 9:30 a.m.

Each body is different but there is a 24-hour hormonal cycle for everyone. In other words, we’re all programmed. And the hormone known as cortisol that makes us feel awake normally gets released from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. We don’t need to boost our body to feel awake with other things, like coffee, during this period.

The best times for your coffee breaks are between 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The worst times are between 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.; 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.; and 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

2. Putting eggs in cold water before you boil them

If you were placing eggs in cold water before boiling them, these experts may surprise you. The first rule, in this case, is to start hot and finish cold. By doing things like this, the eggs become easier to peel. This also makes it so you can set the timer for hard or soft boiled eggs more accurately.

Next time, try to put the eggs in boiling water and then place them in cold water just after they’re done.

3. Opening canned food incorrectly

It’s not rare to cut your finger on the can’s sharp edge after opening it with a handheld device. This happens because we’ve gotten used to doing it a certain way but there’s actually a simple lifehack that can help you avoid getting injured.

Just place the opener like it’s shown on the top right pic so it crosses the can. It will cut the can, but a bit lower than usual, and you can then grab the rim from the top.

4. Leaving a loofah in the shower

Loofah sponges are breeding grounds for bacterial species that can literally grow overnight, researchers say. And when you leave one in a moist, warm shower, it even makes the situation even worse. Let it sit in a dry place after being used.

You can throw it in the laundry or let it soak in a diluted bleach solution for 5 minutes once a week as well.

5. Shaving your legs against the grain as soon as you step in the shower

Just count how many times you’ve shaved your legs and how many times your skin has become irritated afterward. Perhaps this is because you’ve been doing it wrong. First of all, don’t shave as soon as you get into the shower. Let your skin and hair get wet to prevent continued pulling on the hair that can cause skin irritation.

Second, don’t shave against the direction of hair growth even if it gives you faster results. You’ll simply injure your skin.

6. Using a knife to slice cold butter

If you’ve been struggling with cutting cold butter, there’s a better solution on how to make perfect slices. Use a peeler designed for slicing vegetables and fruits. Now you can easily place butter on bread without smearing it with a knife. The same trick is also convenient for cheese.

7. Using your fingers to turn on the faucet

To avoid getting bacteria on your fingers again after washing your hands, try to change your routine. Open and close the tap with your wrist as it’s shown in the picture. Now, even if you touch your face, extra germs won’t spread.

8. Charging your phone without cleaning the charging port

This can happen often, especially if you find that your phone doesn’t charge or charges slowly. Before taking it to the provider or buying a new cable, clean the port. There’s a good chance that some dirt or dust isn’t allowing things to function correctly. But before doing this, don’t forget to turn off your phone first.

9. Not vacuum cleaning your curtains

Yes, curtains can also be vacuum cleaned without having to wash them every week. Most of the dust is concentrated on the top and at the bottom. So, next time you clean your house, just refresh the look of your curtains with a simple vacuum cleaning. But you need to do it regularly before the dust penetrates the fibers.

10. Opening chips from the top

When you have a fresh bag of chips in your hands, your first instinct is to open it from the top. Instead, try opening it from the bottom next time. Most of the flavor and spices are located there and when you turn the pack upside down, you allow these spices to spread over the chips.

11. Not letting meat or chicken rest after cooking it

We’re often in a rush to taste a good-smelling dish, especially when we’re hungry. But when you let your meat rest after cooking it, things stay way juicier.

Let your steak rest for 5 minutes and set 20 minutes aside after roasting chicken.

12. Using antibacterial soap every time you wash

If you’ve been using antibacterial soap every day, you probably should put a stop to it. First of all, there’s no evidence that antibacterial soaps are more effective at washing than plain soaps. Second, antibacterial products consist of triclosan, which is similar to antibiotics. When we use this type of soap often, we get used to it and bacteria then develop mutations that can affect people’s health.

Experts recommend using plain soap every day.

What habits would you like to change starting today? What soap do you normally use and what time do you drink your first cup of coffee in the morning?