Everyone has that one chore they refuse to do again. It might be because it’s messy. Or it could be because of the time, but either way, it’s too much. We spoke to a few people about the household chores they admitted they’d never do again. Here are fourteen of them. Which chore have you personally banned from your to-do list?
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Hand-washing baseboards on your knees
Some people try hand-washing their baseboards. They’ll get a bucket & rag, maybe even a scrub brush. But it’s a different story ten minutes later because their knees start aching & their back has issues. And they also realize there are miles of trim in the house. It’s even worse when you remember that the dust sticks right back on anyway.
Chipping ice from a chest freezer
This chore sounds simple enough. All you have to do is grab a tool and knock off the ice…right? But this soon turns into something that involves puddles everywhere & the looming fear of stabbing something important. Your hands also freeze. It’s enough drama to make people swear they’ll just unplug the thing and let it melt naturally. Or they’ll get someone else to do it.
Washing blinds slat by slat
Anyone who’s ever taken a sponge to blinds knows the pain of doing so. Each slat bends when you press too hard & the dust smears into little lines. And then there are the cords. They twist like spaghetti, so by the time you’re done with one set, it’s been an hour. No wonder people who try this once usually vow never to mess with it again.
Scraping a popcorn ceiling
The first scrape on the popcorn ceiling feels satisfying, especially since the flakes fall everywhere. Then the reality sets in. You have dust all over the floor & your arms burn, while every pass leaves gouges in the drywall. One messy experiment usually makes people decide popcorn ceilings can stay right where they are.
Pulling out the fridge to clean behind
People like to imagine that cleaning behind the fridge involves a quick slide & a broom sweep. It should be done in five minutes. But instead, it’s a whole-body workout that leaves scratches in the floor. All that work doesn’t seem worth it. And most people choose to leave the crumbs back there.
Toothbrush-scrubbing bathroom grout with bleach
Cleaning your bathroom grout sounds hopeful. You get a toothbrush & some bleach, with the strong belief that those tiny lines will sparkle. They don’t. Instead, your nose is burning, and your hands sting, yet you’ve barely finished one square foot. The grout looks almost the same as before.
Rubbing tarnish off a full silver set
There’s a point when shining silverware feels endless. One fork down & fifty more to go, but your rag is already black. It also doesn’t matter how much rinsing you do because the smudges always come back. People who’ve polished a whole dinner set once usually stash it away afterward. They’d rather let it stay dull.
Scooping out the gutter
Climbing up to clean out the gutter with gloves is always much worse than you expect. As soon as you reach in, you pull out handfuls of slimy leaves mixed with twigs. There might also be an old toy or a bird’s nest. Once you’ve done one round, you’ll probably decide that it’s better to call in help. It’s much easier that way.
Ironing bed sheets
Sure, ironing bed sheets is satisfying. But it feels different once you have half the sheet sliding off the board & the other half wrinkling up. Really, it doesn’t matter how many times you keep shifting it around. It still doesn’t look hotel-smooth. After one night’s sleep, the wrinkles are right back, and that’s why most people don’t try it twice.
Cleaning the fireplace by hand
You think that getting the ashes out would be simple. That is, until you realize how fine that dust is, and how it floats around & lands on furniture. The smell also sticks. Trying to vacuum all that usually clogs the filter, while scrubbing the brick doesn’t really help either. People usually find another way to deal with it.
Cleaning the dishwasher filter by hand
The first time you pull the dishwasher filter out, it’s quite shocking. It’s just so slimy. Then there’s also the fact that it smells awful & the gunk doesn’t rinse off all that quickly, either. Your hands smell as bad as that sink. After that experience, throwing in a cleaning tablet feels like the only option worth bothering with.
Waxing floors by hand
Waxing floors may seem productive, but quickly becomes a huge chore that’s not worth it. There’s the bending & crouching, as well as the waiting & buffing. Don’t forget the smell that lingers…everywhere. You could spend hours doing work, but the finish usually looks streaky anyway. It takes one try to decide you’ll never do it again.
Shampooing carpet by hand
Scrubbing carpet on your knees with soap and water appears doable. At first, of course. But it doesn’t dry right & the damp smell hangs around for days. The stains also creep back up. Why bother? You can just rent a proper machine or pay someone else instead of trying it yourself again.
Cleaning chandelier crystals by hand
Many people tell themselves that they’ll wipe the chandelier crystals and they’ll shine. But twisting each piece around is slow & tiring. It’s also stressful. Eventually, the spray drips everywhere, and the fingerprints reappear instantly, which makes doing it one time one time too many. Can you blame people for giving up?
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