8 things you never knew you were doing wrong - from tying your shoelaces to heating leftovers

It’s a life-long skill we learn in childhood and pass down to our own kids.

But researchers have revealed the way we tie our shoelaces could well have been wrong all along.

The most common way we fasten our laces makes them more likely to come undone, a study by mechanical engineers at the University of Berkeley in California found.

The US researchers say it’s a mistake to tie the first knot left over right, and then loop a bow round in the same way.

We should actually cross the left lace over the right and then cross the bow the opposite way – right over left.

This way, you laces are much less likely to come undone while you’re running or walking.

But shoelace tying isn’t the only basic life skill we’ve fallen short on.

Here we look at some of the other everyday things we’ve always been doing wrong – but never knew we were doing wrong...

1. Going to the loo

Potty training is one of the first life lessons we learn.

But the Western habit of sitting on the toilet seat could actually be bad for our health, scientists claim.

Instead of sitting, we should be squatting to allow a clearer and straighter passage for our waste to pass through, according to gastroenterologists from Western Sydney University, in Australia.

2. Brushing your teeth

Rush to the bathroom after a sugary treat to scrub off all the decaying white stuff on your teeth?

You could be doing yourself more harm than good, scientists say.

You should never clean your teeth directly after having a meal, because you’ll push acid deeper into your enamel.

Also – don’t brush too hard or for too long. Rigorous brushing can damage your gums.

3. Untangling your headphones

While you might think the best way to stop your headphones from getting tangled in your bag is to loop them neatly round your hand, this is actually more likely to lead to a frustrating knot.

To make sure your earphones don’t get tangled, try using bread ties in keep them in place.

For something a bit less fiddly, learn this trick: wrap the wires in a figure of eight around your index and little finger. When you have about 15cm left of wire, wrap it around the centre of the figure of eight.

4. Heating up leftovers

Wonder why last night’s curry is always a bit cold in the middle when you heat it up in the office microwave for lunch?

While stirring your dish can help, a better way of ensuring your food is hotter quicker is to space out a circle in the middle.

5. Washing – and drying – your hands

It may seem like the simplest task – but most of us are doing it wrong.

While antibacterial soaps and hand santisers have become increasingly popular, researchers have warn they may cause antibiotic resistance and even hormone alteration.

And despite the predominance of hand dryers in public loos, it’s actually more hygienic to use a disposable towel.

6. Packing your suitcase

While folding all your holiday items properly and stacking them in your suitcase may seem like the most obvious way to neatly pack your stuff, it’s not the most effective.

Rolling rather than folding your clothes could actually reduce wrinkles and free up some extra space for your suncream.

7. Sleeping

We’ve been told eight solid hours’ kip is recommended – but it’s actually unnatural.

Anthropologists at Emory University in Atlanta found that interrupted sleep could actually be good for us – and humans are evolutionally designed to have two periods of deep sleep with some “light wakefulness” in between.

8. Sitting

While we all know prolonged periods of sitting are bad for our health, the way we’re sitting could also be doing damage.

Our bodies aren’t designed to sit in the straight-backed chairs we’re used to because they cause the back muscles to relax, meaning the spine then takes the entire weight of the upper torso. The extra stress can put pressure on your spinal disks and eventually lead to chronic back pain, Scottish and Canadian researchers discovered.

It’s actually healthier to sit on a stool or a recliner – but perhaps not so practical for the office.

Source : http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/8-things-you-never-knew-10213009