This item has helped me on many occasions.  It is small.  It is affordable and it is something that is easy to find at the store.  It is...........a crochet hook.  I never knew how handy these little things were until I started crocheting and had one around.  Crochet

hooks can be plastic, wood or metal.  I prefer the metal ones for these tricks because they are the sturdiest.  They are about the same length as a pen.  They have a blunt hook on the end.  Below is a list of things I have used it for.

• When a hooded sweatshirt goes through the wash the pull string for the hood can get stuck inside.  A crochet hook is small enough to fit into the hole and pull it through.
• We have an old home.  It was built in 1870.  Part of the "charm" includes wide board wood flooring in our living room.  The kids are forever dropping crayons, doll shoes, etc in the cracks.  The cracks are too narrow for a finger but the crochet hook fits right in.
• My daughter has a car seat with a cover that is not designed to be removed.  One day she threw up on it.  I had to clean it.  Spot cleaning it would not do.  After easily removing a strap I found that my hand would not reach through to pull the strap back through to put it back together.  I got my handy hood and I had the thing put back together in no time.
• Both my children have the foam fabric covered cartoon character sofas.  When I wash the covers I have to unzip them.  The zipper is designed with a feature that they can not be unzipped unless something is inserted in it.  A great concept to keep the children from pulling it apart but it can be a pain.  I use the back of the hook for this task.  I slip it into the hole and unzip it.  The hook is sturdy and easy to grip.
• *****MY FAVORITE****** One day my son stuck a bead in his nose.  Why he did that, I will never understand.  The poor little guy was terrified.  I could not get it out and he was panicking.  I had him sitting on my bathroom vanity and the tweezers that I was using only pushed the bead further in.  I was on the verge of heading to the emergency room when it dawned on me that I could use the crochet hook.  I very cautiously slipped the hook through the hole in the bead and slipped the bead right out.  This saved my son the terror of having the bead stuffed in his nose an longer and it saved us all a long and expensive trip to the hospital.

There have been many times when something was wedged in a tight place and my crochet hooks have saved me.  The crochet hooks can be found at craft stores and places like Wal-Mart.  They come in many different sizes.  I have used multiple sizes for my little "emergencies" but if you want to purchase just one I would go with a medium size one.  A size H, also known as an 8 or 5.00 MM, would be a good one.  Here in the U.S.  you can get one for $2 of $3.  Just pick one up and keep in the the desk drawers with your pens so it is handy if you need it.