10 things you'll find in (almost) every German household

A proper German breakfast includes a perfectly soft-boiled egg. And to hold those eggs, most German households have a variety of egg cups, some even coming with their own spoon and miniature salt shaker. There's even a specially designed egg-cracking device, known as an "Eierschalensollbruchstellenverursacher," or "eggshell breaking point causer," something that could only be invented in Germany.

Germans take recycling seriously, especially when it comes to "Pfandflaschen," or deposit bottles. These glass and plastic bottles are collected at home and then lugged in heavy bags back to the supermarket where they can be returned for cash. They're not worth much - usually only 8 or 25 cents - but everyone does it anyways. After all, they take up a lot of space at home.

Admittedly, Germany isn't the only country with kitchen towels. But you'll find an amazing collection of them in most households. A typical German kitchen is filled with towels - hanging over a chair or drying on the radiator. Although newer models can feature unusual designs, checked patterns have ruled for decades. And they are more economical and ecological than paper towels.

If you spill something inside a German household, you're in luck. Many Germans are equipped with a cabinet full of cleaning supplies for literally every surface in their homes. There are cleaning products for glass, tile, ceramic, wood, faux wood, metal and even a cleaner specifically designed for electric stove tops. Happy scrubbing!

Although this object, the "Klobürste," is also typically available in most countries, somehow it seems far more prominent in Germany. Germans often have to "educate" foreigners on the fact that it's not just reserved for weekly cleaning chores. Because of the particular shape of many German toilet bowls, those brown stains won't just "flush away" on their own, so everyone has to do their part.

Germans aren't very big on showing off, except when it comes to their books. Inside nearly every German home you'll find a shelf - often reaching from floor to ceiling - filled with books, whether classics written by German philosophers or coffee table books on the latest architectural trends. A visitor will never know how many of them their owner has actually read - but at least they can be seen.

Even with so many books, Germans still find extra shelf space for their most prized possessions: documents. Germans love their documents - certificates, tax returns (10 years' worth, no joke), contracts, bank statements, insurance papers. They all need to be properly sorted, filed and stored. So you'll often find an army of specially designed binders lining the walls of German homes.

Germans' penchant for privacy is well known and you can see it best by looking at (but not through) their front windows. Many households have metal window coverings called "Rollladen" (no, the three L's are not a typo) that roll down to completely cover the window and block out the outside world. They do a great job of shielding your home from the pesky early morning sun - and that nosy neighbor.

In many countries, people take off their shoes when they enter a house. Still, many foreigners are impressed by how systematically Germans slip into more comfortable footwear as soon as they arrive home or get out of bed. And in most cases, they're so much more than just slippers - they're proper "Hausschuhe," or house shoes.

German beds prioritize practicality over romance, especially when it comes to blankets: Couples sleep with two blankets on a double bed. Why share one when each person sleeping in the bed can have their own? Of course, you won't find this setup in a single person's home - but bachelors shouldn't laugh, as they might get there one day.