Things they should stop selling right now.

As I sat on the toilet seat (with the lid down) to blow-dry my hair this evening, a thought occurred to me: they should stop manufacturing toilet-seat lids that give the impression of being solid, but then -- usually about 30 seconds after you've relaxed -- cave in.

It is so annoying. Even though I know full well that our toilet-seat lids are the cheap kind that tease you with the semblance of solidity, it freaks me out every time it happens. I think I'm about to fall into the toilet. It's even worse if I stand on the lid. I'll let your imagination develop that picture.

It got me to thinking about other things that fall into that category: either so shoddy or so horrible that they should not be sold.

Hang on a sec. Make that, "they should not be made."

I'm not talking about things that are controversial, like genetically modified foods, or things that are a question of personal taste, like Britney Spears albums.

Well, okay, maybe some of these come down to taste . . . Here's my list.

Leggings above size 14.

Seriously. You aren't doing women like this any favours. I would make an exception for these if they were sold only as a set with a permanently attached loose-fitting tunic-length top.

These are actually "silk" flowers.
Source

Plastic flowers

We have a neighbour (who doesn't?) who actually puts plastic flowers in the front garden. They are atrocious. And, after several years, they have faded.

Source

Gigantic, ugly houses

There is a house in Ottawa that Steve and I laugh at as the ugliest house in the city. It is squeezed onto a double city lot, on a busy street. It has a formal brick fence and gate, with a courtyard and huge fountain.

It was featured in our local paper (when it was listed for sale and sat on the market for ages), and the article listed a catalog of high-end features: marble, skylights, fireplaces.

And every stone of it was gaudy and ugly.




Kitchen utensils that are not dishwasher safe

I can understand having a special pot or pan that does not go in the dishwasher. But a garlic press? Seriously? I bought one at IKEA many, many years ago, and it turned black the first time I put it through the dishwasher. Thereafter, it turned my garlic black as well. NOT appetizing. I don't know if they still make them, but they shouldn't.

Table linens that cannot go in the washer and dryer

Wha'? I can't imagine a place in the house that is more likely to get dirty. Except, perhaps, the kitchen or bathroom counter. But we don't generally put linens across those!

I bought a set of pretty placemats at Pier I last summer, only to have them crinkle into ripply ugliness after washing. Reading the label, it appeared that they were not supposed to go in the dryer. Fine. I washed the remaining ones and laid them out flat to dry. They crinkled just as badly as the others.

Fortunately, I got my money back. But the question was why would they even make them anything BUT washer-and-dryer friendly in the first place? Didn't they even test this product?

The Simple Styles Modern Updo Pin

In my quest to find simple, elegant solutions for workday hairstyles. I actually bought one of these. The package promised all sorts of easy possibilities that would have me looking like Grace Kelly. Well, at least, my HAIR would look like Grace Kelly's.

Wrong. It was incomprehensible to use, even after watching videos on YouTube. And, when it did manage to grab my hair, it HURT! A lot.






I can't think of anything else, but I'm sure you can. Tell me what you think they should stop making.