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Everyone has that one chore they dread doing. Whether it’s exhausting, disgusting, or just downright tedious, we’ll often procrastinate until the cows come home. Even beautiful items can turn infuriating, nooks and crannies will fill with dust, unreachable without exertion. 

The “'Things designed by people who don't have to clean them” Facebook group gathers designs that perhaps look intricate on the surface until you take a moment to think about living with them. Then the sinking realization sets in, that a thousand twists equals just as many crevices for dust to hide in, 

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#1

I Finally Have One That Fits Here. This Mouse In The Manager's Office. I Want To Vomit

I Finally Have One That Fits Here. This Mouse In The Manager's Office. I Want To Vomit

Casey Case Report

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    This Facebook group isn’t the first (and presumably won’t be the last) collection of people who have started to notice designs that, while visually appealing, are impractical to their main users, that is, us, humans. Cleaning is just one part of use and maintenance, but you may have already noticed that doors, tables, showers, and all sorts of other appliances have more and more obtuse and unintuitive features. 

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    Among sociologists and designers, there is a movement that, in response perhaps to many of the things seen here, champions user-centered design. Its adherents believed that things should be designed with the user put first, and foremost when considering features and functionality. As obvious as that seems, a simple glance down this list will reveal just how often this tenant is broken in the name of novelty. 

    #4

    This Is The Worktop In A Kitchen. Dirt Just Gets Accumulated In All The Dimples

    This Is The Worktop In A Kitchen. Dirt Just Gets Accumulated In All The Dimples

    Lex Sampson Report

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    #5

    "Sofa"

    "Sofa"

    Peter Park Report

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    Mimi La Souris
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    young me : YEEEEEES WEEEEEEE !!!, now old me : where is the crane ?

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    #6

    Break Out The Sand Blaster To Clean The Shower, Easy!

    Break Out The Sand Blaster To Clean The Shower, Easy!

    Sara Mayfield Report

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    The term came about in the late 70s, with a paper by Rob Kling arguing for a user-centered design in software. Software, as in the 70s, as today, is a pretty niche topic, so the term only became truly popular with Donald A. Norman's book “User-Centered System Design: New Perspectives on Human-Computer Interaction” in 1986. Even if you have not read it, it’s very possible that you have at least encountered the term “a Norman Door.” 

    #7

    Found On Marketplace 1965 Chevrolet G10 Van

    Found On Marketplace 1965 Chevrolet G10 Van

    Sara Roca Report

    #8

    Found In Another Group, I Am Wondering How They Are Able To Clean This Set Up? Seems Like A Cool Concept, But How Are You Able To Dust And Vacuum When You Have Huge Rocks Around Your Living Room?

    Found In Another Group, I Am Wondering How They Are Able To Clean This Set Up? Seems Like A Cool Concept, But How Are You Able To Dust And Vacuum When You Have Huge Rocks Around Your Living Room?

    Lisa M Neubauer Report

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    The term “Norman door” is actually somewhat ironic, as it refers to a door that explicitly does not follow Don Norman’s ideals. You have probably encountered a door that needs to be either pushed or pulled, but does not have any contextual indicators to allow you to understand which. So you pull, the door doesn’t budge, then, red-faced, you finally push it. This works in reverse as well. 

    #10

    Kids Bath Toys 🤢 One Looked A Bit Weird So I Cut It Open And It Was Full Of Mould! Thrown Out All Of Her Bath Toys That Can Fill Themselves With Water

    Kids Bath Toys 🤢 One Looked A Bit Weird So I Cut It Open And It Was Full Of Mould! Thrown Out All Of Her Bath Toys That Can Fill Themselves With Water

    Danielle Scattergood Report

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    Betsy Ray
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I noticed that in the 90s. I spent a lot of time cleaning some the favorites out. The big chunks of mold were very satisfying to get out.

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    #12

    No No No No

    No No No No

    Ruth Zschoche Report

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    Twizzle Sticks
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What did you expect when you rented a place advertised as the “Flintstone House?”

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    Don Norman used this sort of item as a clear example of designers not putting human use first. Perhaps the door was an afterthought, or there was a very limited budget, or the builders really, really liked this one, specific door. Ultimately, while it might look nice, in a busy area, a bad door probably causes hundreds of hours of delays every year, as people need to figure out how to get in or out. 

    #13

    This Cup, Which I Photographed Before Finally Getting Over My Guilt And Just Throwing Away. Those Arms Are Hollow. Even If It’s Only Used For Water, It’ll Get Damp In There And Full Of Unreachable Mold. Farewell, Cute But Useless Cactus Cup. I Wanted To Give You A Chance, But You’re Just Too Poorly Designed

    This Cup, Which I Photographed Before Finally Getting Over My Guilt And Just Throwing Away. Those Arms Are Hollow. Even If It’s Only Used For Water, It’ll Get Damp In There And Full Of Unreachable Mold. Farewell, Cute But Useless Cactus Cup. I Wanted To Give You A Chance, But You’re Just Too Poorly Designed

    Michael Strzalka-Steil Report

    #14

    This Was In Another Group I’m In. They Said It’s A Carpet And They Change It Out Once A Year But I Still Think It’s Gross. 😂 Sorry If You’re In Here

    This Was In Another Group I’m In. They Said It’s A Carpet And They Change It Out Once A Year But I Still Think It’s Gross. 😂 Sorry If You’re In Here

    anon Report

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    Weasel Wise
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ancient Egyptians were well known for their love of faux fur carpeting in the bathrooms.

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    In many of the images here, it’s pretty obvious that someone, a designer, home or business owner had a vision for something unique. Many of these designs are interesting at first glance. But they generally have made two mistakes. First, they have not actually sat down and worked out who is going to be interacting with the item on a daily basis. Second, they have not considered maintenance as part of the design's normal use case. That's all fine and dandy if you are just an innovative architect, but if you are a homeowner, it’s going to quickly become a problem. 

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    #18

    Not Cleanable Things

    Not Cleanable Things

    Joo Leah Report

    User-centered designers not only recommend but downright insist that before anything is made, the team sits down and works out a hypothetical persona. This represents the average user interacting with something as intended. In extreme cases, this might involve a literal focus group, but for the amateur home decorator, it can be a good little mental exercise. 

    #19

    Beautiful Spoon, But Come On

    Beautiful Spoon, But Come On

    Cesar D'Armas Report

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    SewingStaffy
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I had cutlery like this. Really loved them. Having OCD mine were spotless. Washed by hand. Looking back I'd never get anything like that again

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    #20

    This Fabric Chandelier/Lightshade Is Hanging In A F*cking Toilet. Can See The Spiderwebs & Dust From My Seat

    This Fabric Chandelier/Lightshade Is Hanging In A F*cking Toilet. Can See The Spiderwebs & Dust From My Seat

    Connor Rose Report

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    #21

    Yes, These Are Earphones

    Yes, These Are Earphones

    Dwight Russell Cosca Report

    If you really want to get into the weeds, you can also consider an anti-persona, the user that this item or design is explicitly not intended for. Perhaps useful for tools and software, but not as applicable when considering a bathroom door. All in all, it is important to push back against designs that ultimately make our lives harder and more complicated, particularly in the 21st century when we really have better options. If you want to see more designs like this, check out our other articles here, here, here, and here

    #22

    Save $8k On This Couch Obviously Designed By Someone Who Doesn’t Have To Clean It, Now Yours For The Bargain Price Of $6000! All I Can Imagine Is The Crumbs That Would Get Caught In The Deep Pile

    Save $8k On This Couch Obviously Designed By Someone Who Doesn’t Have To Clean It, Now Yours For The Bargain Price Of $6000! All I Can Imagine Is The Crumbs That Would Get Caught In The Deep Pile

    Amanda Beard Report

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    #23

    The Wall In This Testaurant Is Beautiful But ---

    The Wall In This Testaurant Is Beautiful But ---

    Poppy Sealy Report

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    #24

    Not Cleanable Things

    Not Cleanable Things

    Brian Scharp Report

    #25

    I Needed To Use The Ladies' Room At The Restaurant Before Having Lunch. This Is What I Found. Yes, We Still Ate There. No Idea If The Men's Room Was Similar

    I Needed To Use The Ladies' Room At The Restaurant Before Having Lunch. This Is What I Found. Yes, We Still Ate There. No Idea If The Men's Room Was Similar

    Elizabeth Lear Report

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    #26

    Found In The Wild (I Think It's Beautiful, But Still)

    Found In The Wild (I Think It's Beautiful, But Still)

    Lisha Perez Report

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    #28

    Spotted You Walmart… And For Kids' Messy Little Hands Too

    Spotted You Walmart… And For Kids' Messy Little Hands Too

    anon Report

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    #29

    This Chair Is For Sale In A Shop Across From My Office. I Looked At It Out My Window Thinking It Looked Like A Huge Nest Then Pulled It Up On Their Website. For That Price You Know They Have No Kids Or Pets And Do Have Someone Else To Clean It. Now To Go Over And Touch It

    This Chair Is For Sale In A Shop Across From My Office. I Looked At It Out My Window Thinking It Looked Like A Huge Nest Then Pulled It Up On Their Website. For That Price You Know They Have No Kids Or Pets And Do Have Someone Else To Clean It. Now To Go Over And Touch It

    Cendra Lemon Report

    #30

    This Feature Wall In A Pub In Ireland.. I Didn't Get Too Close, It Looked Pretty Good Considering, But I Hate To Imagine The Upkeep

    This Feature Wall In A Pub In Ireland.. I Didn't Get Too Close, It Looked Pretty Good Considering, But I Hate To Imagine The Upkeep

    Mel Issa Report

    #31

    Found One In The Wild Of One Of My Local Yard Sale Groups. If Ur Not Familiar With The Central Valley It’s Dusty Af. I Can Only Imagine This Thing In A Years Time

    Found One In The Wild Of One Of My Local Yard Sale Groups. If Ur Not Familiar With The Central Valley It’s Dusty Af. I Can Only Imagine This Thing In A Years Time

    Justin Falcon Report

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    Nina
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It looks really cool, but keeping it clean will be impossible

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    #33

    This Sherpa Recliner I Found On Marketplace.… I’m Not Sure You Can Clean This Lol

    This Sherpa Recliner I Found On Marketplace.… I’m Not Sure You Can Clean This Lol

    Anthony Crawford Report

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    Cat Chat
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You'd have to use a carpet shampoo cleaner with the stairs attachment on a daily basis.

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    #34

    This Looks Like Gravel Stuck In Old Gum, With Lime Scale And Soap Scum Accents

    This Looks Like Gravel Stuck In Old Gum, With Lime Scale And Soap Scum Accents

    Suzanne Carlson Report

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    M O'Connell
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A good thump with a rubber mallet will remove that nonsense pretty easily. If I had to guess, it's covering up a nasty etched stripe in the enamel from where a sliding shower door used to be.

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    #35

    Just Installed The Mirror Wall Tiles 🫠 Good Luck Cleaners

    Just Installed The Mirror Wall Tiles 🫠 Good Luck Cleaners

    Donovan Struwig Report

    Note: this post originally had 115 images. It’s been shortened to the top 35 images based on user votes.

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