Poorly designed things that make using them difficult?

[Whatisthisfuckery]

Spice jars, who in hell has designed the dimensions of spice jars? What measurement of spices does one usually find in a recipe? Teaspoons. What can you not quite fit in a spice jar? A fucking teaspoon. Whose bloody bright idea was it to design a jar that makes it hard to dispense the most common measurement of the ingredient contained within?

Ahh, that’s better, I needed that rant.

Go on, rant away. What poorly designed thing makes you angry inside?

@CherryDocsInYrBalls

Another ham one. Every single slice in the packet folded together so you have to touch them all to peel away 2 slices and then they're so slimy you end up with ham debris under your nails. Rage inducing and gross

To be fair, you could just not buy packaged ham. I mean, you have options

@Mylifesadrama

COVID tests where you have to snap the plastic off of the cotton bud to make it fit into the bottle, and once you’ve done that try and work out how to make up the postage box!

I've just had to do that, and I totally agree!

@Ifeelsuchafool. I wash and re-fill my old Schwartz jars-I've still got the wall-mounted hanging racks,and the new jars don't fit.

And while I'm at it, cardboard boxes that come sealed with tape, and a notice that says "do not open with sharp implements". Are you supposed to chew them open?

Quorn bacon which comes frozen as a block rather than separated into individual slices. Most people I know who’ve used this have managed to hack off part of themselves while trying to get a rasher or two for breakfast. I’ve now developed a fairly dangerous technique where I put the whole block in the hot frying pan until the bottom slice is limp enough to peel off, and repeat. But this just means I burn myself instead of cutting myself Would it kill them to put some paper in between the slices? Or do whatever the oven chip people do to stop everything forming a lump.

Those twin packs of part bake baguettes when each baguette comes individually wrapped. Why can’t they print the useful info like cooking instructions and use by date on both sides of the pack? I inevitably forget this until after separating them and opening one so then have a 50/50 chance of needing to find a sharpie to write the use by date onto the one going back into the cupboard.

@sueelleker

And while I'm at it, cardboard boxes that come sealed with tape, and a notice that says "do not open with sharp implements". Are you supposed to chew them open?

I asked myself this question last week! In the end I cut the tape open with a house key - which is sharp obvs or it wouldn’t cut the fecking tape, but I hoped wouldn’t slice through the thing inside (it didn’t).

Re the Dyson cordless, totally agree but a silicone hairband just under the trigger holds it down, then roll it back to turn off. Had saved my hands a lot of pain when hoovering!!!!

@NeverRTFT

Computer keyboards have a numberpad to the right of the letters, which takes up the area of the desk where the mouse needs to go.

Tried to get a keyboard without a numberpad. They don't exist - unless you want a diddy one designed to fit in your back pocket (ie silly flat keys, not a proper keyboard for someone who types all day in the job).

Found exactly what I needed on Amazon from a very random Chinese retailer, ordered it but all the keys were hooked up wrong so it types gobbledigook. Returned and bought another, same thing.

Can I just take an axe to my standard keyboard to remove the offending numberpad?

I too searched high and low for a number pad free keyboard. Nothing. sales staff look at me like I've asked for the moon on a stick. They've stopped making them for some unknown reason. But why would we want a keyboard with 2 sets is the same numbers? (Proper typist here too).

Of the same numbers.
I hate typing on a fecking phone too!

Slightly deviating from the theme but does anyone else find yakult/actimel type drinks really annoying and wasteful. It would be way more eco (and I dont think particularly difficult) to sell it in say a 1 litre bottle with either markers on the side for 1 "serving" or a measuring cup (like the dosing cup you get with washing liquid) and it would fit in the door of the fridge (no cardboard sleeve required)

Not sure if it's been mentioned already, but measuring jugs! I've got Pyrex ones and cheaper one and the red measures have all washed off!! Luckily I have one that has embossed measurements but not as easy to read!

How about this keyboard?

www.amazon.co.uk/Microsoft-Media-Keyboard-Integrated-Track/dp/B00K2SY902/ref=sr_1_14?dchild=1&crid=1E73VAKAHI712&keywords=keyboard+no+number+pad&sprefix=keyboard+no+numb%2Caps%2C176&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1615541115&sr=8-14

Shampoo and conditioner bottles always drove me mad. Trying to get the end of the bottle out. I also had problems knocking them out of the shower rack, lids smashing on the floor and wasting shampoo/conditioner as it washed down the drain. I now use Shampoo and Conditioner bars and also helps reduce plastic waste.

@Mosaic123 that sounds really dangerous. Definitely try the shampoo and conditioner bars if you haven't already.

@sueelleker you're not my sister are you?

@NeverRTFT

Computer keyboards have a numberpad to the right of the letters, which takes up the area of the desk where the mouse needs to go.

Tried to get a keyboard without a numberpad. They don't exist - unless you want a diddy one designed to fit in your back pocket (ie silly flat keys, not a proper keyboard for someone who types all day in the job).

Found exactly what I needed on Amazon from a very random Chinese retailer, ordered it but all the keys were hooked up wrong so it types gobbledigook. Returned and bought another, same thing.

Can I just take an axe to my standard keyboard to remove the offending numberpad?

I once worked at a magazine publisher and developed RSI. They tried out many keyboard/mouse combinations to find the right one for me, and I ended up with a two-part keyboard - main block was standard alphanumeric, with a separate number block. Of course these were all wired keyboards and mouses in those days, so I had to be careful not to play the lot together, but oh the joy! It was so much more comfortable to type with my arms right in front of me and the mouse within comfortable reach, and then when I meeded to use the number keyboard and the mouse they were also in exactly the right position for me.

So such things were possible 20y ago.

So why aren't they available as standard now?!?!!!!!!

[quote Ifeelsuchafool]@sueelleker you're not my sister are you? [/quote]
Nope-you'd recognise my name if you were.

@SimonJT

As a Pakistani man the seasoning pots sold in British supermarkets are an abomination, I’m not paying £1 for one serving. My boyfriend did the shopping recently and I asked for turmeric, rather than ordering a bag of turmeric he ordered a teeny tiny pot that is essentially a single serving and costs almost as much as a whole bag. I have just about recovered from the 500g bag of rice rather than a 20kg bag.

The shape of a marmite jar, why make me fight for my marmite?????

My small saucepan, the handle is heavier than the pan so it tips over all the time.

Shampoo/conditioner/lotion bottles that have thick plastic, you can’t get everything out without cutting the bottle in half.

The slighted rounded shopping baskets in the co-op, nothing square/rectangle fits in them.

As a British woman I completely agree with you about spices. I recall the day I discovered big bags of spices in an Asian supermarket. Complete revelation, I've never looked back

I have a fairly expensive ergonomic keyboard with totally seperate number pad so I can have my mouse in-between; the switch to ergonomic was a game changer for me.
Just had a look; its a Microsoft sculpt; £80 .

Agree about spices. I don't mind small pots of turmeric - the waitrose own brand is pricey but amazing quality and a little goes a long way - but coriander and cumin run down so quickly since they're at the centre of pretty much everything and in no small amount.

@kitkat463

Re the Dyson cordless, totally agree but a silicone hairband just under the trigger holds it down, then roll it back to turn off. Had saved my hands a lot of pain when hoovering!!!!

So the Dyson thing is not just a few people, loads of us have a problem with it, so why did they design it so shittily? And why do they keep selling the same design? Because we have come up with our hacks to make it work for us. Why do we buy a £300 vacuum then find ways to fix it? We should just send them back as soon as we realise it's not useful. And tell them why and then maybe they will design better.

@Dailyhandtowelwash I think that keyboard is still the same width as a standard keyboard - the pp wants a narrower one to allow more desk space.

I have a similar issue - I bought a stand to elevate my monitor and it’s great at that, but the stand is about an inch too narrow to slide the keyboard under so it gets in my way when I want desk space for something else. Hopefully photo will attach so you can see what I mean. Why not make the stand slightly wider to accommodate a standard keyboard?!

Tiny writing on shampoo and conditioner bottles, when I'm in the shower, without reading glasses, I can never tell which is which. Often I have tried lathering my hair with conditioner.
For emptying toothpaste tubes I have a wonderful gadget from Lakeland, with a key that turns two rollers, bit like an old fashioned laundry mangle that my mum used before the invention of twin tubs and spin driers.
Wrapping on cd's and dvd's, needs a knife to get it off!
Laundry capsule tubs, there is a knack,but I always forget what it is.

@WitchWife

Quorn bacon which comes frozen as a block rather than separated into individual slices. Most people I know who’ve used this have managed to hack off part of themselves while trying to get a rasher or two for breakfast. I’ve now developed a fairly dangerous technique where I put the whole block in the hot frying pan until the bottom slice is limp enough to peel off, and repeat. But this just means I burn myself instead of cutting myself Would it kill them to put some paper in between the slices? Or do whatever the oven chip people do to stop everything forming a lump.

I agree! In the olden days I'm sure the instructions used to say that you could microwave the whole pack to soften the rashers slightly so you could separate them, and then put the rest back in the freezer.

All Tesco own brand kitchen or bathroom cleaners in spray bottles never work!!! You have to push the trigger back out to squeeze again gives me the utter rage!!