# stupid household inventions that should have been ditched long ago **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 22, 2019, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212 "2019-01-22T17:31:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/21 "2019-01-23T16:26:21Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > I don’t know if this is exactly what you’re looking for but I’d vote CARPET! > > Carpet grosses me out. One of the best days of my life was the day we ripped out the carpet. It has got to be the dirtiest thing in a house. I keep a pretty clean house but as clean as carpet might seem it never really is. First, there’s the puppy/dog puke, pee, and poop. Of course, all of that is immediately cleaned up but all that stuff soaks in and you never really get it all. Then there’s mud/dirt, sweaty feet, dust, spilled stuff… I remember all of the times I “cleaned” the carpet. I would get endless buckets of dirty black swill water. When we ripped our carpet up you could see the watermarks on the back side where things had been spilled or puked up or maybe from the cleaner used. There were even spots of mildew here and there on the back side probably from all of the times I steam cleaned it and it didn’t dry properly. Carpet is so unsanitary. > > The owners previous to us had covered the original wood floors (in excellent condition from 1936) with crummy beige carpet. So now we have the original hardwood floors, the kitchen has ceramic tile and the addition has laminate wood floors. I would never go back to carpet. Oh, god. I SO agree with you. Removal was the happiest day in my life too. If you have pets or small children carpet just doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/22 "2019-01-23T20:05:33Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > I have baseboard water heating. It’s actually far more comfortable than forced air heating. The heat doesn’t go behind the curtains and out the windows, at least not in my house. Since the cold is coming from the perimeter of the house, having the heat come from the perimeter of the house means you have less of a temperature gradient through the house. As was already mentioned, you don’t have the problem of the air being dried out like you have with forced air. > > We place our furniture pretty much wherever we want. Your comment about placing furniture in half of the room doesn’t match up with our reality. The entire room is comfortable, so no one sits near the heat. In my experience that is only an issue with old fashioned steam radiators. > > It does tick and click. I’ll concede that point. But that ticking and clicking isn’t very loud, and in all honesty, I rarely even notice it. It’s not loud enough to interfere with our entertainment watching. Like I said, I rarely notice it, especially when we are watching TV. It’s not like forced air is 100 percent silent either. > > The heaters aren’t delicate. I have no idea what you are referring to about bumping them. You’d have to attack ours with a hammer to make them stop working, and at that point you’d have a major water leak on your hands. > > The system I have isn’t complicated. The furnace is pretty much the same level of complexity as a forced air furnace. Instead of a blower motor we have a circulating pump. There is an additional mechanism to automatically remove air from the system, for which there is no equivalent on a forced air system, but that’s it. Our system has been extremely reliable. Like anything else, YMMV. Some brands are more reliable than others. We have a good one. > > I have never had a house with under floor heating. It’s not common around here, though I imagine it would be fairly comfortable. I very much prefer baseboard water heat to forced air, though. And heat pumps are garbage, IMHO. The only good thing you can say about them is that they’ll save you money. I’d rather spend the money and be more comfortable. > > One bonus is that our furnace also provides our home’s hot water. We don’t have a water tank. It doesn’t matter how long of a shower anyone takes. We never run out of hot water. We could literally run the shower 24 / 7 / 365 and never run out of hot water (until I went broke from not being able to pay the water bill and they’d shut the water off). > > Baseboard water heat is definitely not something that should be tossed onto the ash heap, IMHO. > > Steam radiators, on the other hand, are something that I am more than willing to toss on the pile. I think you have made an erroneous assumption. The baseboard heaters in my case are electric. There’s no water. Therefore, your experience seems to be unlike mine. The heaters in this place are utterly inadequate to heat the apartment. Once it was back on, the room still never got above 60 degrees. I have always been told by landlords that you can’t put furniture up against baseboard heaters because it will block heat and cause a fire hazard. The maintenance man told me that bumping them cause them to quit. Since this is a very old rental building, owners aren’t paying for the sturdy things you have. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/23 "2019-01-23T20:27:50Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Ceiling fans. What a waste of a good idea. Hard to install, hard to use, hardest to clean. Hate 'em. [Laurie](https://journaltimes.com/tv/trading-spaces-vs-ceiling-fans/article_54e1c0b7-0fb2-5015-aa5d-e9eb8731fdf3.html), is that you? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/24 "2019-01-23T22:52:10Z")
> [@CelticKnot](#): > > I think you have made an erroneous assumption. The baseboard heaters in my case are electric. There’s no water. Therefore, your experience seems to be unlike mine. Ah. Yep, ok then. I agree with you. Baseboard electric heat sucks. Baseboard heat in my area was used a bit when other fuel costs skyrocketed many years ago. Electric heat hasn’t been competitive in my area for a very long time though, and the one house I knew of that had it got rid of it and switched to propane heat instead. Electric heat is rare enough now that when anyone around here says baseboard heat it’s usually assumed that they are talking about baseboard water heat. That may not be true in your area, so sorry for the confusion. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/25 "2019-01-24T00:34:13Z")
Can I step outside? YARDS. Great expanses of monoculture kept so by poisons and unnecessary manual labor. They’re probably a big part of why bees are dying off, along with a lot of other nifty critters, yet suburbanites spend out the wazoo to keep the ecological disasters. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/26 "2019-01-24T01:18:21Z")
Another one that prefers the very even heating of hot water baseboard heating to forced hot air. I have never had any issue with it being blocked by furniture, room is at the proper temperature, nor windows in the way, actually that helps balance out the temperature of the room. It just works great. Forced hot air has always been a balancing act trying to get the temperatures right. And block a floor vent, that room goes ice pretty quickly. Floor radiant heat is great, baseboard seems to be it’s cheaper cousin, forced hot air is just ghetto compared to those ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/27 "2019-01-24T02:10:34Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > Ah. Yep, ok then. I agree with you. Baseboard electric heat sucks. > > Baseboard heat in my area was used a bit when other fuel costs skyrocketed many years ago. Electric heat hasn’t been competitive in my area for a very long time though, and the one house I knew of that had it got rid of it and switched to propane heat instead. > > Electric heat is rare enough now that when anyone around here says baseboard heat it’s usually assumed that they are talking about baseboard water heat. That may not be true in your area, so sorry for the confusion. Apology unnecessary, but accepted. For some reason, gas heat has not caught on in this locality. Out in the country, most people seem to have propane, but in the city rentals AFAIK use electric. ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/28 "2019-01-24T11:58:07Z")
Why swamp coolers?? I ADORE my swamp cooler, cool air AND all the windows and doors open. And a lower elec. bill. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/29 "2019-01-24T12:40:18Z")
Hell even in El Paso we replaced our swamp cooler because it does diddly during monsoon season. Which is when it’s hot. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/30 "2019-01-24T12:41:52Z")
> [@DummyGladHands](#): > > Why swamp coolers?? I ADORE my swamp cooler, cool air AND all the windows and doors open. And a lower elec. bill. From my experience, constant breakdowns, pads getting choked by cottonwood fluff every summer, spiders collapsing, water dripping and even spraying from the unit into the house, one spot getting cold while the rest of the house stays hot, and it is useless when the monsoon (rainy, humid season) starts. And since I have asthma and allergies, the lack of filtration of outside air is another drawback. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/31 "2019-01-24T13:39:06Z")
Yep - electric baseboard heat serves no purpose other than to maximize expenditure in exchange for minimal comfort. My condolences, ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/32 "2019-01-24T14:56:13Z")
Garbage disposals, which are the primary cause of plugged drains and stench. Made for people too damned lazy to scrape their plates. Why yes, of course I have one. ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/33 "2019-01-24T15:07:42Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > Hell even in El Paso we replaced our swamp cooler because it does diddly during monsoon season. Which is when it’s hot. Well, yeah, the dew point rules the good operation of the swamper, but man, we used ours last year well into July. ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/34 "2019-01-24T15:11:34Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Garbage disposals, which are the primary cause of plugged drains and stench. Made for people too damned lazy to scrape their plates. Why yes, of course I have one. Yes to this, pulled the damn things out of all my rentals ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/35 "2019-01-24T15:35:02Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > Can I step outside? YARDS. Great expanses of monoculture kept so by poisons and unnecessary manual labor. They’re probably a big part of why bees are dying off, along with a lot of other nifty critters, yet suburbanites spend out the wazoo to keep the ecological disasters. I agree with this. It’s really a big waste of time and money. We have 5 acres - approximately 4 wooded and 1 yard. We do absolutely nothing with that great expanse of grass except mow it! Once in a while we’ll play a game of bocce or badminton but that’s about it. Someday I’d like to plant a bunch of trees and/or wildflowers in the back yard and just let it go. I’d only keep the front yard mowed. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/36 "2019-01-24T15:57:33Z")
> [@DummyGladHands](#): > > Yes to this, pulled the damn things out of all my rentals Interesting. I would have thought it would be the other way. In general, people will put things down a kitchens’ drain. Especially if they are not financially responsible for a clog. The disposal just makes the bigger things into smaller things and reduces clog likelihood. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/37 "2019-01-24T16:04:37Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > > [@california\_jobcase](#): > > > > Can I step outside? YARDS. Great expanses of monoculture kept so by poisons and unnecessary manual labor. They’re probably a big part of why bees are dying off, along with a lot of other nifty critters, yet suburbanites spend out the wazoo to keep the ecological disasters. > > I agree with this. It’s really a big waste of time and money. We have 5 acres - approximately 4 wooded and 1 yard. We do absolutely nothing with that great expanse of grass except mow it! Once in a while we’ll play a game of bocce or badminton but that’s about it. Someday I’d like to plant a bunch of trees and/or wildflowers in the back yard and just let it go. I’d only keep the front yard mowed. Where I grew up, one reason for the big yards is that there’s no city water or sewage service, so everyone has well water and a septic tank. And they need to be a certain distance apart. That leads to each house being on an acre or more of land. (And I _think_ the septic tank can’t be in a wooded area either, so some lawn is needed.) Plus the low-density zoning keeps up house prices, which people want. There’s almost certainly an element of racism in there somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/38 "2019-01-24T16:05:51Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Garbage disposals, which are the primary cause of plugged drains and stench. Made for people too damned lazy to scrape their plates. Why yes, of course I have one. By “scraping plates” do you mean into the kitchen waste can? Wouldn’t that cause a stench, especially in places were garbage pickup is once a week? ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/39 "2019-01-24T18:11:25Z")
> [@Hermitian](#): > > Interesting. I would have thought it would be the other way. > > In general, people will put things down a kitchens’ drain. Especially if they are not financially responsible for a clog. > > The disposal just makes the bigger things into smaller things and reduces clog likelihood. One might think, but I had too many calls for the stoopid. Corn husks, like from a dozen ears. Most of a fish after they fileted it. And I can clear a clog fairly inexpensively (we have tools) but people think the disposal handles stuff it won’t. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/40 "2019-01-24T18:23:29Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > By “scraping plates” do you mean into the kitchen waste can? Wouldn’t that cause a stench, especially in places were garbage pickup is once a week? If only houses had some other facility for disposing of stinky waste… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212.md?page=3)