# What "household necessities" do you never actually use? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 8, 2006, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-household-necessities-do-you-never-actually-use/363623 "2006-07-08T13:28:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-household-necessities-do-you-never-actually-use/363623/1 "2006-07-08T13:28:42Z")
I just cut my hand on a foil wrapper and went to get a band-aid because I was making ice cream and didn’t want to bleed into my ice cream. The box was from Canada (I could tell because everything was repeated in French). We left Canada 5 1/2 years ago, and the box of 40 still had 24 left (subtracting the one I used). What’s more, it’s quite possible that box is the box we bought on first moving to Canada, in December 1997 :eek: And yet, it would feel weird living in a house where you knew there were no band-aids, just because, you know, who the hell doesn’t own band-aids?! ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-household-necessities-do-you-never-actually-use/363623/2 "2006-07-08T13:54:25Z")
soap. 😃 I never use tweezers. I know some people who can’t live a weekend without them. I don’t have problem eyebrows or other auxilary hair, so I never really use them. (I go through band-aids like crazy, though. I should probably be more careful.) ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-household-necessities-do-you-never-actually-use/363623/3 "2006-07-08T14:17:19Z")
Bandaids. I’d been away at school for over 2 and a half years without needing a bandaid and then my hamster bit me. It was deep. Nothing like having to walk to 7-11 at midnight to buy bandaids for a cut that still hadn’t stopped bleeding after 30 minutes. The box of bandaids minus the one I used is sitting downstairs. Curtains. My house doesn’t have anything obstructing the view through the windows. I love the natural light and don’t tend to parade around in the buff. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-household-necessities-do-you-never-actually-use/363623/4 "2006-07-08T14:17:36Z")
Garbage bags. The plastic bags I get at the supermarket fit my trash cans perfectly. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-household-necessities-do-you-never-actually-use/363623/5 "2006-07-08T14:36:08Z")
Dràno. Never had a clog here. \ ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-household-necessities-do-you-never-actually-use/363623/6 "2006-07-08T14:42:34Z")
> [@Kid\_A](#): > > Bandaids. I’d been away at school for over 2 and a half years without needing a bandaid and then my hamster bit me. It was deep. Nothing like having to walk to 7-11 at midnight to buy bandaids for a cut that still hadn’t stopped bleeding after 30 minutes. The box of bandaids minus the one I used is sitting downstairs. > > Curtains. My house doesn’t have anything obstructing the view through the windows. I love the natural light and don’t tend to parade around in the buff. Damn it! You could have said that before and saved me all the hours I’ve spent sitting here w/ binoculars. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-household-necessities-do-you-never-actually-use/363623/7 "2006-07-08T15:19:26Z")
String. If it isn’t at least cord, it’s worthless. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-household-necessities-do-you-never-actually-use/363623/8 "2006-07-08T16:22:23Z")
Salt. I never salt my food and don’t cook much so I still have the canister of salt I bought when I first mover out 21 years ago. And it’s half full. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-household-necessities-do-you-never-actually-use/363623/9 "2006-07-08T17:37:17Z")
Blender. We got one as a wedding gift five years ago. I remember using it twice - both times to blend up broccoli-leek soup. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-household-necessities-do-you-never-actually-use/363623/10 "2006-07-08T18:12:47Z")
Wash cloths. I never saw the point of them. I can soap up just fine in the shower with my hands. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-household-necessities-do-you-never-actually-use/363623/11 "2006-07-08T18:14:45Z")
Clothing irons. I’m pretty sure I own one-- IIRC, I got one at my wedding shower, but damned if I know where it is. Somewhere in storage, I imagine. I don’t see the purpose in ironing clothes, even having been raised by a woman who irons her _blue jeans_. I just throw wrinkled things into the dryer with a damp cloth for a few minutes or use Downy Wrinkle Release. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-household-necessities-do-you-never-actually-use/363623/12 "2006-07-08T18:54:35Z")
I never use my dishwasher or my clothes dryer. My hands and a drying rack suffice nicely, and save on electricity. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-household-necessities-do-you-never-actually-use/363623/13 "2006-07-08T20:39:59Z")
Same as **Lissa** , I’ve never used my iron. I suppose I might have to learn if I ever became a professional instead of a blue-collar worker, but that’s not very likely. Well…that’s not quite true, I have used it to get spilled candle wax out of the carpet. That’s not it’s intended usage, though, so I’m sticking with my submission. I went for nearly a decade without buying/using paper towels. Never felt it inconvienent to use a dishcloth to wipe up spills or use a dishtowel to dry my hands, and I got to feel all smug that I wasn’t needlessly wasting trees. Then my sister bought me a cutesy paper-towel holder that matched my kitchen decor, likely because she was tired of not having them available here, and they’re a regular household item now. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-household-necessities-do-you-never-actually-use/363623/14 "2006-07-08T21:15:25Z")
> [@Queen Tonya](#): > > Same as **Lissa** , I’ve never used my iron. I suppose I might have to learn if I ever became a professional instead of a blue-collar worker, but that’s not very likely. My husband’s dress shirts look just fine after a tumble in the dryer or a spritz of Wrinkle Release. My mother is utterly appalled by this. Her husband wears t-shirts and jeans to work, but she carefully irons them. The notion that I would simply shake out my husband’s dress shirts and call it good horrifies her. (Well, hell, they’re under the suit coat where no one sees them anyway!) I do the same with the clothes I wear to work. (Best described as “business casual.”) If they’re so wrinkled that my usualy methods won’t take care of it, I’ll either re-wash it, or hold it over the teakettle for a moment or two. ---
**Author:** ![Malienation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Malienation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malienation)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-household-necessities-do-you-never-actually-use/363623/15 "2006-07-08T22:05:34Z")
Toilet plunger (Please do not smite me, oh Toilet Gods!) ---
**Author:** ![Rachael\_Rage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@Rachael\_Rage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachael_Rage)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2006, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-household-necessities-do-you-never-actually-use/363623/16 "2006-07-09T00:09:42Z")
**Microwave**. I’ve never owned one, pans and stove-tops work fine for me. ---
**Author:** ![Rachael\_Rage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@Rachael\_Rage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachael_Rage)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2006, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-household-necessities-do-you-never-actually-use/363623/17 "2006-07-09T00:18:15Z")
Ah. I realized I missed the point of the OP. Something I have on hand but almost never use: **Land-line Telephone**. The ringer is permanently turned off, and I don’t have voice mail or anything. But I can’t bring myself to rely 100% on my cell phone, so I keep the land line for “emergencies,” whatever those may be. …yes, voting on American Idol counts as an “emergency”… ---
**Author:** ![Fetchund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b2d939/32.png) [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2006, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-household-necessities-do-you-never-actually-use/363623/18 "2006-07-09T00:41:12Z")
Hairdryers. I’ve used them occasionally to dry out a quick spill or some cleaned clock parts, but never really need it for humans (or dogs!) ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2006, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-household-necessities-do-you-never-actually-use/363623/19 "2006-07-09T00:46:20Z")
Cotton balls. There’s a bag of 'em under the bathroom sink. Been there for_ever_. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2006, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-household-necessities-do-you-never-actually-use/363623/20 "2006-07-09T00:52:14Z")
Put me down with the **iron** group. We own one, but I don’t think I’ve ever used it. Ditto the blender, except I threw that thing out years ago. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-household-necessities-do-you-never-actually-use/363623.md?page=2)