# Most useless item found in the vast majority of homes? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 29, 2016, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-item-found-in-the-vast-majority-of-homes/758687 "2016-06-29T08:23:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-item-found-in-the-vast-majority-of-homes/758687/21 "2016-06-29T13:39:16Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > A husband. Being one myself, I know. Nah, you guys are good for helping redecorate, or replace the freshly-washed curtains. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-item-found-in-the-vast-majority-of-homes/758687/22 "2016-06-29T13:40:45Z")
I infer this based on the apparent intelligence of the average American … History books. ---
**Author:** ![ASGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@ASGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-item-found-in-the-vast-majority-of-homes/758687/23 "2016-06-29T13:41:00Z")
Throughout most of the U.S. every house constructed since 1990, if not earlier, has two smoke detectors. Nowadays detectors are wired into the house grid, but back then battery detectors were permitted. I’ll vote for _battery_ powered smoke detectors as the most useless thing homebuyers pay for that eventually die on their own or whose owners deliberately disable them. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-item-found-in-the-vast-majority-of-homes/758687/24 "2016-06-29T14:03:17Z")
“In most homes”… a stand mixer. Bought and given as a fashion accessory since you absolutely never see a kitchen glam or remodel show without one. Used once a year or less, usually ineptly because. Yes, a few actually get used. But if they weren’t a fashion accessory, they wouldn’t come in nearly ten times as many colors (25-30) as any other kitchen item short of tableware. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-item-found-in-the-vast-majority-of-homes/758687/25 "2016-06-29T14:04:47Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Someone gave us a potato masher. Useless and nigh impossible to clean. Do you mean a ricer? Sort of like a giant garlic press? Essential to get truly creamy, light mashed potatoes. But yes, a PITA to use and clean. ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-item-found-in-the-vast-majority-of-homes/758687/26 "2016-06-29T14:06:31Z")
For a lot of houses, it is a formal living room. My sister has a nice formal living room that has fancy furniture, and I have never seen it used. Everyone sits in the den where the TV is. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-item-found-in-the-vast-majority-of-homes/758687/27 "2016-06-29T14:10:21Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Steak knives. But they usually only pass through temporarily on heir way to being re-gifted. > > Exercise machines. we use both of these regularly. I know what you mean about exercise machines. We had one which was mainly a clothes rack for years. However, we built a home gym that’s set up like a small hotel fitness room, right off our bedroom. I’d say we use it 4 or 5 times per week. My vote is for the Bible. Even our home has one, and neither my wife nor I are religious one bit. I doubt that even religious people crack it open very often, yet there must be one in 90% of American homes. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-item-found-in-the-vast-majority-of-homes/758687/28 "2016-06-29T14:11:16Z")
> [@mcgato](#): > > For a lot of houses, it is a formal living room. My sister has a nice formal living room that has fancy furniture, and I have never seen it used. Everyone sits in the den where the TV is. Does she have an older house? That was the norm for middle class houses when I was growing up, but they’ve largely been eliminated now. I do like a formal dining room. (I don’t have one, but I like the “fancy eatin’ room” concept.) ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-item-found-in-the-vast-majority-of-homes/758687/29 "2016-06-29T14:16:10Z")
> [@mcgato](#): > > For a lot of houses, it is a formal living room. My sister has a nice formal living room that has fancy furniture, and I have never seen it used. Everyone sits in the den where the TV is. A FORMAL “living room” is called a parlor, and there probably hasn’t been a house built in the last 70 years that included one. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-item-found-in-the-vast-majority-of-homes/758687/30 "2016-06-29T14:37:24Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > A husband. Being one myself, I know. > > Actually, I’ll go with **jtur88** on the exercise equipment. No, my husband is great, fixes everything and is methodical and careful and patient. Also I use my exercise bike. Not as much as I should, but I do. > [@Amateur Barbarian](#): > > Do you mean a ricer? Sort of like a giant garlic press? Essential to get truly creamy, light mashed potatoes. But yes, a PITA to use and clean. I mean this: [potato masher](https://www.google.com/search?q=potato+masher&safe=off&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&tbm=isch&imgil=tqK00CVGs1CVZM%253A%253BVplkkaQy4Jd3rM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fcookingwithlittlebuddy.com%25252Fpotato-masher%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=tqK00CVGs1CVZM%253A%252CVplkkaQy4Jd3rM%252C_&usg=__cEBeDRyyCKXQv09cIhgZd99-n34%3D&biw=1600&bih=755&ved=0ahUKEwiCxda0us3NAhUnJJoKHdkmDuUQyjcIUQ&ei=c9xzV8K_L6fI6ATZzbioDg) And we don’t use it. We start with a fork and then go to a mixer, adding cream and butter. We use red potatoes with the skin still on. I don’t eat plain mashed potatoes, they are boring and not very good. Red potatoes with the skin or NOTHING! ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-item-found-in-the-vast-majority-of-homes/758687/31 "2016-06-29T14:39:30Z")
What about the now ragingly popular, seating area, complete with sofa and chair, in the master bedroom? I often wonder how much use those see, beyond clothing being draped on them! ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-item-found-in-the-vast-majority-of-homes/758687/32 "2016-06-29T14:46:05Z")
> [@ASGuy](#): > > Throughout most of the U.S. every house constructed since 1990, if not earlier, has two smoke detectors. Nowadays detectors are wired into the house grid, but back then battery detectors were permitted. I’ll vote for _battery_ powered smoke detectors as the most useless thing homebuyers pay for that eventually die on their own or whose owners deliberately disable them. Huh? I change my batteries every year on the weekend nearest Halloween. And smoke detectors are supposed to be replaced every 10 years, regardless of the power source. I consider my smoke detectors immensely useful. Of all the things that aren’t so useless that I’ve long since forgotten that we have them, I’ll say the formal serving dishes / party serving trays. In the 8 or so years since we got married, I think we’ve used them maybe 3 times, ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-item-found-in-the-vast-majority-of-homes/758687/33 "2016-06-29T14:50:38Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I mean this: > > [potato masher](https://www.google.com/search?q=potato+masher&safe=off&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&tbm=isch&imgil=tqK00CVGs1CVZM%253A%253BVplkkaQy4Jd3rM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fcookingwithlittlebuddy.com%25252Fpotato-masher%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=tqK00CVGs1CVZM%253A%252CVplkkaQy4Jd3rM%252C_&usg=__cEBeDRyyCKXQv09cIhgZd99-n34%3D&biw=1600&bih=755&ved=0ahUKEwiCxda0us3NAhUnJJoKHdkmDuUQyjcIUQ&ei=c9xzV8K_L6fI6ATZzbioDg) > > And we don’t use it. We start with a fork and then go to a mixer, adding cream and butter. We use red potatoes with the skin still on. I don’t eat plain mashed potatoes, they are boring and not very good. Red potatoes with the skin or NOTHING! Oh. I have two, one a round/crosshatch kind that’s best for mashing potatoes and a wire-loop one that has many uses, including blending ground meat mixtures like meatloaf. Mashed potatoes are one more thing I don’t need a mixer for. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-item-found-in-the-vast-majority-of-homes/758687/34 "2016-06-29T14:52:26Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > What about the now ragingly popular, seating area, complete with sofa and chair, in the master bedroom? > > I often wonder how much use those see, beyond clothing being draped on them! We use the seating area in our master. Kids come in and watch TV with us, or when we don’t want to be in bed, but want to sit by the fire and read a book. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-item-found-in-the-vast-majority-of-homes/758687/35 "2016-06-29T14:52:51Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I infer this based on the apparent intelligence of the average American … > > History books. Americans sure are retarded. I’ma gonna have to say the people. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-item-found-in-the-vast-majority-of-homes/758687/36 "2016-06-29T15:02:10Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > We use the seating area in our master. Kids come in and watch TV with us, or when we don’t want to be in bed, but want to sit by the fire and read a book. Wait, you let the kids into your room?:eek: My parents would have had a fit. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-item-found-in-the-vast-majority-of-homes/758687/37 "2016-06-29T15:03:30Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > What about the now ragingly popular, seating area, complete with sofa and chair, in the master bedroom? > > I often wonder how much use those see, beyond clothing being draped on them! Yeah. We just moved and our master bedroom is on a sort of third floor, it is the only thing on the third floor except for a 3/4 bathroom and a walkin closet. But I like it almost empty. we have the bed, and the nightstands, and the main dresser. The small dresser is in the walkin closet. And that’s it! We have so much room in the bedroom. I love it. I would never add more furniture. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_Hey_Paula)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-item-found-in-the-vast-majority-of-homes/758687/38 "2016-06-29T15:03:41Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > No, my husband is great, fixes everything and is methodical and careful and patient. Also I use my exercise bike. Not as much as I should, but I do. > > I mean this: > > [potato masher](https://www.google.com/search?q=potato+masher&safe=off&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&tbm=isch&imgil=tqK00CVGs1CVZM%253A%253BVplkkaQy4Jd3rM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fcookingwithlittlebuddy.com%25252Fpotato-masher%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=tqK00CVGs1CVZM%253A%252CVplkkaQy4Jd3rM%252C_&usg=__cEBeDRyyCKXQv09cIhgZd99-n34%3D&biw=1600&bih=755&ved=0ahUKEwiCxda0us3NAhUnJJoKHdkmDuUQyjcIUQ&ei=c9xzV8K_L6fI6ATZzbioDg) > And we don’t use it. We start with a fork and then go to a mixer, adding cream and butter. We use red potatoes with the skin still on. I don’t eat plain mashed potatoes, they are boring and not very good. Red potatoes with the skin or NOTHING! I find my potato masher very useful when making strawberry or blueberry jam - it’s just the thing to efficiently crush the berries. I may have, once or twice, used to to make mashed potatoes. If I gave up eating potatoes, I’d still keep it around for making jam. ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-item-found-in-the-vast-majority-of-homes/758687/39 "2016-06-29T15:04:18Z")
Much of my house is filled with useless stuff that I hold on to thinking one day I will actually use it, but the one thing I’ve actually considered tossing is a vacuum meat marinater. It’s supposed to marinate meat in a fraction of the time it normally takes, but is this absurdly complicated plastic container and I’ve lost the instructions. Plus I really don’t eat a lot of meat, and when I do, it’s usually good steak that doesn’t need much more than some fresh ground pepper and salt. I guess the thought behind the gift was nice, but it’s been gathering dust on a kitchen shelf for a couple of years now. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-item-found-in-the-vast-majority-of-homes/758687/40 "2016-06-29T15:05:35Z")
I’m surprised no one has brought this up yet: teenagers. Little kids are at least cuddly and fun. Teenagers? Useless. And we all know from having been one! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-item-found-in-the-vast-majority-of-homes/758687.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-item-found-in-the-vast-majority-of-homes/758687.md?page=3)