Magnets usually conjure up the image of complex applications in different industries and in the home, they are used to hold items on the fridge door, top on the list being next week’s shopping list, your toddler’s drawing from school and a duty roster for your older kids.

More uses have been devised for the simplest of activities in the home without having to break the bank. Rare earth magnets can now become part of your daily or weekly routine if you use them in any of the following ways.

1. The remote control remains faithful until the batteries die and need changing. Removing the batteries is always a task and a half for most people as the batteries sit tightly inside the remote. You can use a magnet to pull the batteries out instead of struggling with them for hours on end.

2. Pens have the uncanny habit of disappearing whenever they are required and keeping them in place is not always possible. Making use of the magnet to keep a pen glued to a surface means you will always know where to find a pen when you need it. A magnetic pen can have a magnet between the body and the handle so that it can be stuck to any surface where it will stay put. 

3. Items drop-down drains and reaching down for them is not always a pleasant experience. A magnet tied to a piece of string can be lowered into the drain to attract the item to it and then pulled out. It takes much less time and is a lot cleaner.

4. When a wall is painted, screw and nail heads may get covered. Looking for these may be a difficult task which can sometimes lead to chipping the freshly-done paint. Running a magnet over the wall may be an easier way of identifying the nails and screws and once you find them you can leave the magnets in place as markers.

5. Snacks like chips get soggy if not finished when they are opened. Magnets can keep them fresher for longer in a simple way. Once the bag of chips is opened but the contents not cleared, the bag can be folded over as usual and two magnets placed on either side of the bag. This keeps them fresh and crispy for the next time you will open the bag.

N52 Magnets don’t have to be serious gadgets only but can be used to solve simple problems in the home as well.