The most unexpected uses of everyday household items in history

Chamber pots were portable toilets for nighttime use, often emptied into streets, per History Collection.

Egyptians applied a fatty solution as hair gel for styling, found on mummies, per Listverse.

High heels were overshoes to elevate feet above street sewage, removed indoors, per Lexington County Library.

Mustache cups had a ceramic guard to keep waxed mustaches from getting wet while drinking tea, per History Collection.

Stale bread was used as an eraser to remove ink marks in medieval Europe, per historical accounts on X.

Fermented urine, rich in ammonia, was used as a laundry detergent in Roman times, per archaeological records.

Lysol disinfectant was used as a contraceptive, though ineffective, with a 1933 study showing high failure rates, per Andrea Tone’s book.

Play-Doh was a wallpaper cleaner for coal soot in the 1930s, rebranded as a toy after gas heating reduced demand, per Smithsonian Magazine.

Rod wax, a petroleum byproduct, was used by workers to heal cuts, inspiring Robert Chesebrough to create Vaseline, per Mental Floss.

Kleenex was first sold as a cold cream and makeup remover, tied to Kotex’s sanitary products, before becoming a tissue, per Mental Floss.