# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![Stuntman\_Mike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stuntman_mike/32/334_2.png) [@Stuntman\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuntman_Mike)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2019, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/101 "2019-03-13T15:33:46Z")
Those big ugly countertop wood blocks that come with most knife sets. Just shove 'em in a drawer like a normal person. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2019, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/102 "2019-03-13T15:38:21Z")
> [@Stuntman\_Mike](#): > > Those big ugly countertop wood blocks that come with most knife sets. Just shove 'em in a drawer like a normal person. Better yet, get some of [these in-drawer knife organizers](https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/d16929a9-054d-475e-a8ca-24d2786543fa_1.c315ac9c38560b30d02664d3bdb19008.jpeg?odnHeight=450&odnWidth=450&odnBg=FFFFFF). That way, they’re all pointing the right way with the edges down. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2019, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/103 "2019-03-13T15:47:21Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > I’ve been using mine for over 25 years - I make a couple of loaves every couple of months as a treat. Love warm bread! And there’s nothing like homemade bread for toast. I don’t want to go thru the hassle of kneading, etc. myself. I don’t think I’d have very good luck doing it on my own. Fresh homemade sour dough bread for grilled cheese. Divine. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/104 "2019-03-28T03:51:17Z")
> [@DummyGladHands](#): > > Yes to this, pulled the damn things out of all my rentals God, your tenants must love it. Did you actually uninstall them while tenants were living in the houses? ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/105 "2019-03-28T04:00:07Z")
> [@Stuntman\_Mike](#): > > Those big ugly countertop wood blocks that come with most knife sets. Just shove 'em in a drawer like a normal person. Our drawers are already full of other things, including old knives for things like popping out avocado pits, for which we don’t want to use our expensive good knives. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/106 "2019-03-28T04:03:16Z")
Plastic liners for litter boxes. Explain to me how the cat won’t scratch it to shreds, with the most of the litter itself then going under liner _ **every single time** _. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/107 "2019-03-28T04:09:40Z")
> [@CelticKnot](#): > > 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. I don’t know to what extent gas is used where I am, but it’s my understanding that some people would like to phase it out in the interest of reducing our carbon footprint. That actually makes some sense here, where almost all our power is hydro. In other places that are more dependent on fossil fuels for their electricity, it would seem to me counterproductive since natural gas generates about the least pollution of any fossil fuel. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/108 "2019-03-28T04:14:04Z")
> [@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. And thereby reduce the accumulation of food waste in onsite trashrooms/bins, etc., and the problems ensuing therefrom. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2019, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/109 "2019-04-17T06:28:18Z")
I have another one! Electric carving knives! Unpleasant noise and vibration, and no better than any decent quality ordinary carving knife. What’s the point? Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![JcWoman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jcwoman/32/2889_2.png) [@JcWoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JcWoman)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2019, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/110 "2019-04-17T13:44:48Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > We do have what you call a lawn. We have several rock gardens and trees. But it’s still a lot of grass to cut. We don’t bother fertilizing and we rarely water. Like I said I’d like to let part of it go but I think that might end up being just as much work. I imagine an area of native wildflowers and grasses gently waving in the breeze but in reality, it would be a lot of crummy weeds and invasive brush. Somehow there is one house in our neighborhood who convinced the HOA to allow them to have a “wildflower meadow” instead of a front lawn/garden. (I’m not curious enough to inquire what a battle that was.) It’s pretty ugly, appears to be just a mess of weeds and untrimmed trees. It’s not even pretty in the spring when the few flowering plants they actually have are in flower. ---
**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:** [April 17, 2019, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/111 "2019-04-17T14:10:50Z")
> [@JcWoman](#): > > Somehow there is one house in our neighborhood who convinced the HOA to allow them to have a “wildflower meadow” instead of a front lawn/garden. (I’m not curious enough to inquire what a battle that was.) It’s pretty ugly, appears to be just a mess of weeds and untrimmed trees. It’s not even pretty in the spring when the few flowering plants they actually have are in flower. I’d never let the front yard go. If I did, it would be the back half of the back yard which borders 4+ acres of woods. But like you said it would probably just be weedy looking. We’d have to plant a bunch of spruce and pine trees. I guess we’ll just keep mowing! ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/112 "2019-04-18T02:47:55Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > **Mrs. FtG** uses hers on a regular basis. Made a loaf of bread last week. > > I do strongly advise not giving a bread machine as a gift unless it has been asked for. Few people (but not zero) will actually use them. I make all my own bread at home. I don’t want a bread machine. I _am_ the bread machine. ---
**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:** [April 18, 2019, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/113 "2019-04-18T03:57:50Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > I make all my own bread at home. I don’t want a bread machine. > > I _am_ the bread machine. Do you grow your own wheat, too? ---
**Author:** ![SOJA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@SOJA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SOJA)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/114 "2019-04-18T09:16:32Z")
Mechanism ice cream scoops. They freaking suck! ---
**Author:** ![Hapax\_Legomenon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8c91f0/32.png) [@Hapax\_Legomenon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hapax_Legomenon)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/115 "2019-04-18T21:16:16Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Electric carving knives! Unpleasant noise and vibration, and no better than any decent quality ordinary carving knife. What’s the point? The place I work stocks a bunch of those for cutting up soundproofing foam. Ordinary knives tend to just crush the foam, but electric carving knives go through it like, well, a hot knife through butter. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/116 "2019-04-20T05:20:45Z")
I didn’t see anybody mention wall heaters. You know, those small heaters mounted into the wall, with their own fans. I’ve rarely encountered one that didn’t look so cheaply-constructed that I was afraid to use it for fear of starting a fire. The ones I did try to use ended up getting the on/off knob so hot that the plastic would soften to the point that trying to turn the damn thing back off just twisted the plastic instead of turning the metal shaft. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/117 "2019-04-20T05:50:38Z")
Like, a space heater that’s plastered into the wall? ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/118 "2019-04-20T12:43:18Z")
> [@Stuntman\_Mike](#): > > Those big ugly countertop wood blocks that come with most knife sets. Just shove 'em in a drawer like a normal person. We have magnetic knife racks on the wall. Our drawers and counter tops are needed for other stuff. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/119 "2019-04-20T13:19:42Z")
> [@TSBG](#): > > I’ll go a totally different direction and say garlic press. Wastes at least half the clove, clogs up after one clove, leaves you with a tiny puddle of garlic water, and are impossible to clean, even the “easy cleaning” ones. It’s far easier, faster, and tastier to mince garlic. I like my garlic press. I minced garlic for some recipes and press it for others. The flavor is different. Pressing it makes for a milder, richer flavor, like roast garlic. Mincing it gives you a sharper, fresher flavor. > [@RTFirefly](#): > > … > Have you considered simply keeping the large can outside? That’s what people without garages usually do, but there’s nothing stopping you from doing that just because you have a garage. We have wind, raccoons, and coyotes. No, we don’t leave the garbage outside. And yes, it bothers me when it stinks. I’ll sometimes refrigerate garbage until trash day to avoid odors. > [@Stuntman\_Mike](#): > > Those big ugly countertop wood blocks that come with most knife sets. Just shove 'em in a drawer like a normal person. I love my knife blocks. I grew up with magnetic racks, which are also good, but we don’t have a good place to put one. > [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Plastic liners for litter boxes. Explain to me how the cat won’t scratch it to shreds, with the most of the litter itself then going under liner _ **every single time** _. I can’t explain, but my cats don’t shred them, and they make it a lot easier to clean the litter box. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs\_Ducky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrs_ducky/32/6227_2.png) [@Mrs\_Ducky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs_Ducky)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212/120 "2019-04-20T20:04:29Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > I think these are starting to disappear, but let me add Kitchen Trash Compactors to the list. Having fought one of these for a few years, and eventually just using it as a glorified trash can, I don’t think they’re worth it. Just to have your kitchen trash in a spiffy little properly squared bag isn’t worth the cost and occasional mess. > > I had ours removed and replaced with a pull-out drawer containing the regular trash bin. I’ve had one ever since I moved into this house in 1978. Just replaced it in 2015 when I got all new appliances. I love mine! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-household-inventions-that-should-have-been-ditched-long-ago/828212.md?page=7)