Things with additional, unintended uses.

I use a (new) toothbrush to get the grated lemon rind out of my grater. Works a treat.
Hubby used a pipe cleaner to clean the hair/yuck out of the bathroom sink plughole. Again, worked brilliantly.

Bazza

I use my ostrich feather duster that has a long handle to rescue beees and butterflies caught in my skylight. It seems to do them no harm at all. Not so kind to wasps or flies!

I do the same, Bazza! I also use a crabbing net, especially for those spiders with the long spindly legs that just drop down from the ceiling or top of the wall! I’ve got it down to a fine art now!

MiniMoon

I can't reach the kitchen window over the sink. DH opens it for me, but to close it I have found a solution. A spaghetti spoon.

I can't reach the lock on my kitchen window, which has to be pushed in while lifting the handle, so I use my knife-sharpening steel.

My most useful kitchen tool is the smallest knife in my block. It is fine enough to tighten tiny screws and remove the back of my watch when replacing the battery. It also holds open the split ring of the cat's ID tag when adding to a new collar, and prises open the battery compartment of his tracker.
I dread losing it, having rescued it from the veg peelings in the compost bin several times!

MiniMoon

I can't reach the kitchen window over the sink. DH opens it for me, but to close it I have found a solution. A spaghetti spoon.

Me too!! I have no idea how I even come of have a spaghetti spoon, but I’m glad that I do! I always think that if anybody saw me doing it, they would think I had lost the plot, but it’s just perfect.

I collect extra shower caps in packets from hotels. Perfect for putting over food in the fridge.

I use the garden rake to pull down my roller blinds when they suddenly shoot up to the top of my very tall sash windows -
I catch the little acorn pull thing between the rakes tangs and pull the blind back down.

I also use the back of the rake, non tine side, to push up on the window frame to shut the top sash.

I use my longhandled jam spoon to test the fire alarm on the hall ceiling.
It's also good for guiding insects out the window that's been opened for them.
It's also a good backscratcher.
In fact it's so useful that I still have it despite not making jam for years!

Lahlah65

MiniMoon

I can't reach the kitchen window over the sink. DH opens it for me, but to close it I have found a solution. A spaghetti spoon.

Me too!! I have no idea how I even come of have a spaghetti spoon, but I’m glad that I do! I always think that if anybody saw me doing it, they would think I had lost the plot, but it’s just perfect.

Heavy duty kitchen scissors works for me.

Kitchen tongs to grab hold of an out of reach cereal box and other packets.

I use a nut cracker to open bottles

I used the extending grabbers i was given after hip replacement to rescue my car keys when I dropped them down a drain just outside the garden gate. It's just where I get out of the car, so I'm a lot more careful to ensure I am hanging on tightly to the keys now! Luckily when I dropped them I had separate house keys, or I wouldn't have been able to get in to grab the grabbers!

MiniMoon

I can't reach the kitchen window over the sink. DH opens it for me, but to close it I have found a solution. A spaghetti spoon.

I use the spaghetti spoon too.
Known as a Spaghetti rake in my house.

…off to buy a spaghetti rake tomorrow!

Oreo

Also coffee jars when empty and washed make brill containers for all sorts of stuff, nails, screws, rubber bands, you name it.

I use Ovaltine jars , lighter in weight

I never bother with rubber gloves for washing up, but if a jar is hard to open pop on a rubber gloves and off it comes.

I also use a spaghetti spoon to close the kitchen window! Also for lifting boiled eggs out of a saucepan.

I've got a plastic spoon designed specially for lifting boiled eggs from hot water.
It might have been a Tupperware freebie.
We're very posh here 😁

Apparently, it's vintage

Betony

I collect extra shower caps in packets from hotels. Perfect for putting over food in the fridge.

Me too.
They are great for going over a mixing bowl when proving bread dough as well.

Brilliant idea Bettony. I must dig out all the shower caps I've collected over the years.

Am I the only person who uses shower caps for their original purpose, i.e. keeping my hair dry when I shower, but don’t want to wash my hair?

Maybe, Calendargirl

I use vinegar to clean my kettle .
I boil it up and let it dissolve the limescale .
I've also wrapped rags soaked in vinegar around taps .
And finally, I add it to my wash to soften the fabric .

Wonderful exchange of ideas. What an inventive and innovative lot we are!!

Interesting than many ideas are about extending ones reach.