What is the most useful thing you own? or useless

[debm55]

Last edited Sun Jan 14, 2024, 03:42 PM - Edit history (2)

[CrispyQ]

1. Most useful: back scratcher.

Least useful: cobweb grabber on an extension wand for my cathedral ceiling. As it grabs stuff it also leaves stuff behind & I end up getting the vacuum out anyway.

I'm thinking about getting a backpack vac, if anyone has a rec, I'd love to hear it!

[debm55]

9. Back scratcher good.

[SarahD]

14. Don't remind me!

I misplaced mine three days ago. Aaaaaagh!

[DURHAM D]

22. You can get one for $1.25 at Dollar Tree.

I have been giving them as birthday presents (instead of a card) for the past several years.

I always say - It is one of those things you didn't know you wanted until you have one.

[SarahD]

23. I know. Thanks.

That's where I got my last one. This time I'm buying three and stashing two where I can find them.

[Walleye]

51. No kidding. I got dry skin itches. I end up scratching my back with a fork. I don't recommend it

[debm55]

54. That's funny, Sorry, Walleye, Sometimes you do what you have to do,

[Jeebo]

84. What I use for a back scratcher ...

I used to do paste-up for a newspaper. One essential implement for that work was a pica pole. That's a metal ruler that has inches on one side and picas and points (printer's units of measure) on the other side. The pica pole is now a relic of a bygone era in the printing industry, but I still have mine, and I use it fairly often as a back scratcher.

-- Ron

[Walleye]

127. I know what a pica pole is, believe it or not, I worked for a newspaper in the late 60s

My friend who I worked there with was a copy editor, she’s over 80 now, I’m sure she would appreciate the pica pole reference. Those are the days right

[debm55]

131. How inventive of you Jeebo,

[Conjuay]

149. I suggest

A spaghetti strainer- you know, the kind that looks like an oversized back scratcher. Sort of a slotted spoon with fingers.

[pansypoo53219]

99. i use knitting needles, letter openers or rulers if i need a scratch.

[debm55]

132. Great ideas. Thank you pansypoo53219

[Demovictory9]

102. I use one to reach up and turn on my ceiling fan..grab the cord

[debm55]

133. Great idea.

[Lonestarblue]

27. Oreck. It has a shoulder belt and is fairly lightweight. It does require a filter, but the filter is easy to change.

Mine came with a crevice tool and a brush. I’ve had mine for years, and it is especially good for vacuuming the dust off hard to reach places, like the tops of tall furniture or kitchen cabinets. I also use it for upholstery.

[debm55]

34. Very good. I have an Oreck too. But they stopped making the bags for them.Mine is an upright,

[Lonestarblue]

44. Have you looked on Amazon? I've been able to find bags made to fit Orecks and other vacuums.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=oreck+vacuum+cleaner+bags&crid=2964VRMIQ628N&sprefix=Oreck+%2Caps%2C97&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_7_6

[debm55]

56. No I didn't darn it. But I did buy one for pet hair by Bissell Thank you as I still my upright.

[CrispyQ]

47. This?

It looks like a video camera!

I could definitely carry that up a ladder. Thanks!

[Lonestarblue]

52. Yep, that's it. Mine is an older model but looks like the same size.

[captain queeg]

2. I'm going to answer that from a different perspective. The most useful class I ever took.

One thing that I’ve put to use was a half semester of typing in HS. Back then it felt kind of useless and it was almost 10 yrs till personal computers took off but I was surprised how my muscle memory came back so quick.

[debm55]

35. Same here. Half a semester. Required subject in my school for everyone along with Swimming.

[Polybius]

3. Do you have a link for "the most useless thing you own"?

I missed it.

[debm55]

11. Sorry I don't know how to do it, It was a why the hell did I buy this, type of thread I hope someone can help. It was

funny.

[debm55]

12. I kicked it up for you.

[Lunabell]

4. My car.

It gets me to work, play, groceries, vacation and pretty much any place I want or need to go. And when we lost power for a few days, it re-charged the battery on my wife's jazzy chair.

[bottomofthehill]

8. Winner, I agree

Can’t live without it.

[debm55]

36. Agree.TY

[ProfessorGAC]

145. First Thing I Thought Of

I didn't bother with useless. I got plenty of those without having to remind myself!

[grumpyduck]

5. Most useful?

Right off the bat, my P38 can opener from Army basic training. It works as a can opener, screwdriver, scraper, package opener, and lots of other stuff. Been carrying it on my key ring since 1972.

No batteries, no operating system, no WiFi, no crashes.

[GP6971]

20. Been carrying mine since 1969. n/t

[debm55]

57. Thank you GP6971. Is it like a Swiss Army knife. Because I have one of those.

[GP6971]

60. No...I've attached a picture. Hope it displays.

[Jeebo]

79. I have one of those on my key ring, too.

I use it for all the purposes mentioned in this thread. It takes a little patience to open a can with it, though.

-- Ron

[GP6971]

80. One of the rumors over the name designation of P-38.

Supposedly it took 38 punctures to open a C-Rat can.

[yellowdogintexas]

104. An essential item for long caving trips!!

we wore them on a chain around our neck with a carbide lamp tip cleaner. We had sterno tablets and could heat up chicken, stew, fruit, pudding (all carried in in small cans) using that P38.

[debm55]

37. Thank you grumpyduck.

[eppur_se_muova]

59. Thanks for reminding me -- put one on my new keychain.

I was thinking just the other day about how it would be nice to have some useful pocket tools handy -- not Swiss Army, something simpler. And I have a couple of these sitting on a TV tray just waiting to be used!

[debm55]

93. I like my Swiss Army knife ---has all kinds of do-dads including scissor. I always wanted one and my husband got me one

at Christmas years ago

[Lanius]

6. Honestly? My smartphone.

I know smartphones get a bad wrap nowadays, especially if they’re used to access social media 24/7 or for our employers to contact us on our days off, but you can’t deny that they’re extremely useful in many ways.

[debm55]

38. I would agree with you.TY

[Shermann]

76. You can get some really nice "wraps" for your smartphone

[DFW]

7. Not all that complicated

Useless: my Blue Cross medical insurance card (they deny everything).

Useful: my passport (I travel a LOT).

[debm55]

39. Yes, BCBS and I have Medicare fight over the procedures. and who is going to pay.

[malthaussen]

10. My laptop, unquestionably.

Without it, I have virtually no life.

-- Mal

[True Blue American]

13. Count me in on that.

My IPad is my link to the world, especiallly in this cold weather.

[debm55]

40. True. and I would add my tablet.

[debm55]

100. I don't have a laptop. I do like my tablet. Very convenient. TY

[homegirl]

15. Currently

in my single person household --the in constant use FOODSAVER. Soups, stews, casseroles, frozen, Don't even have to dirty a pot to reheat, microwave or in a pot of boiling water! And great for freezing bread and pastries,

[debm55]

41. Will have to look into that. People in this house will not will not eat the same thing two days in a row.

[spooky3]

55. I always wondered about whether those would go unused. Now

I’m going to look into getting one.

[cayugafalls]

16. That would be situational, but the simple means to start a fire comes to mind as most useful.

For instance, on a camp trip in the woods, certain accoutrements, would be most useful. A means to light fire. A lighter, then becomes my most useful tool.

However, turn it around and I am home in the comfort of my house and a lighter seems like a silly tool, unless the power goes out and we need to light the stove. Oh wait, we are having a hard freeze here over the next 3 days and since this is Texas, let me just put that LIGHTER some place safe so we can light the fireplace when the power goes out. Again, the Lighter wins.

I am but a simple man, give me a knife, some cord and a lighter (or magnesium fire striker) and I can start a fire, make camp and search for something to eat...

[debm55]

42. Cayugafalls, you are a very talented person. TY

[Nikossitti]

67. Fooled me

Could have sworn by your name you were my neighbor here in suburban Akron. We’re having frigid temps here, too. Stay warm.

[debm55]

69. I live in western PA ,thought the same

[Diamond_Dog]

81. Are you thinking of Cuyahoga Falls?

My son lives there.

[Nikossitti]

85. Yes!

I’m minutes from the Falls.

[debm55]

101. Same here

[cayugafalls]

130. Born and partly raised just outside of Cleveland. Our house was on the river.

Howdy ex-neighbor!

'

My bad, must explain further.

So grew up around Cuyahoga river...Now, many years later, I find myself in Texas. I joined DU shortly after getting some new baby ducklings...

They are Cayuga Ducks. So I built them a pond and named the water fall, Cayuga Falls. An homage to my home.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

17. Useful - my iPhone. Useless - the cloth masks I bought at the beginning of COVID.

[debm55]

45. Have boxes of those blue masks. But don't want to throw out. I agree withe the usefulness with the iphone.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

92. I still have loads of those blue masks, too! I still wear masks sometimes, depending on where I am, but

I use better ones now!

[Chipper Chat]

18. Useful - my Energel pens.

Useless:
Giant oversized Insulated gloves
Expensive cat climbing gym
Wall projection clock
Navage

[debm55]

46. I like your choices. Great.

[sinkingfeeling]

19. My washer. I can't imagine having to wash clothing by hand.

Love having my passport as well.

[debm55]

48. OMG yes. We had a scare when the washer cover popped open last week. But I think I put much clothes in.

[1WorldHope]

21. Scissors, most useful.

Least useful are the plastic packages I can't open anymore without scissors.

[debm55]

49. I agree. Husband went on his hunt for them a couple of days ago. As no one puts anything back where they found it, it

was sitting on the kitchen cabinet.

[1WorldHope]

122. I keep saying that I need a holster to carry them at all times.

[Aristus]

24. My vise clamps.

I've used them to open a bottle of wine when the corkscrew broke the cork in half. I've used them to help repair the binding of a book I was not ready to give up. My clamps, with a little help from what we tankers call a cheater pipe, can untwist any screw or bolt, no matter how tightly frozen in place it is.

[debm55]

58. Sounds like a very useful device. Thank you for bringing it up and all the useful ways we can use it.

[LakeArenal]

25. Most useful thing on earth... indoor plumbing.

We have divested of all useless “stuff”.

I have a couple useless collections but I love them.

[world wide wally]

29. I absolutely agree!

[debm55]

61. Yes, for the indoor plumbing in this weather.

[MOMFUDSKI]

26. The

vehicles.

[debm55]

62. Agree.

[Upthevibe]

28. debm55.......

Good post!

Without question, my laptop.

And in a couple of days a car that friends are giving me because my car was totaled in October. The wreck wasn't my fault and I got a payout from the insurance Company. I haven't needed a car for these past few months because I'm working for a friend here in Dallas who has a car.

I'm being given a 2009 Hyundai Sonata with only 51,000 miles on it. It belongs to my friend's mother who is too elderly and sick to ever drive again. I plan on paying them the money that I received from the insurance Co.

I'll be back home in California on Tuesday... It's currently 15 degrees now in Dallas..

[debm55]

63. Good deal with the car. Laptops are great. too. Wish you luck , Upthevibe.

[surrealAmerican]

30. Eyeglasses ...

... because with them, I can see.

I use them almost every waking moment!

[eppur_se_muova]

64. Great (or at least myopic) minds think alike! nt

[debm55]

66. Good for you surrealAmerican. Seeing all the beautiful sites.

[Prairie_Seagull]

31. Right now, well insulated home and naural gas.

Least useful, about 1/4 of the shit I have bought on Ama... Stoned shopping is a bad idea.

[debm55]

68. Yes those two are important.

[claudette]

32. This may seem

Last edited Sun Jan 14, 2024, 04:24 PM - Edit history (1)

hard to believe but i bought a mini 7inch silicone spatula with a wooden handle and i use it every day!! No waste. I love it and didn’t realize they were available until I saw it at Target

[debm55]

70. I think we have one too. I use it for casseroles and brownies to get around the edges. Ty

Last edited Sun Jan 14, 2024, 09:41 PM - Edit history (1)

[Archae]

33. My microwave oven.

I can't cook worth a shit.

[debm55]

71. My first was from Montgomery Wards and cost 300 dollars. For a while it was a pricey coffee and tea maker. The price

has come way down and I use for alot of things. TY

[chillfactor]

43. air fryer

[debm55]

72. I still want to get one. TY

[CTyankee]

50. I''ll paraphrase here, also. The most useful subject in school I took was Latin.

It has been and still is enormously helpful in figuring out the meaning of English words with a Latin base. Reading comprehension was enhanced greatly.

[debm55]

73. Yes, it would be very helpful with reading. My school, didn;t offer it. TY

[Gidney N Cloyd]

89. Yep. I couldn't form a Latin sentence to save my life but it immensely improved my vocabulary.

[enid602]

53. Plastic microwave oven dome

The plastic dome that fits over plates in the microwave. Keeps food from exploding all over the oven.

[debm55]

74. I gree with you so much. And thus not having to clean the crap off of the inside of the microwave. TY

[doc03]

65. Well I don't own electricity so I would say my

heat pump.

[debm55]

75. Great doc03 TY

[Old Crank]

77. Worthless. I have a wood spatula with a heart shaped cut out

given to me. Hard to clean, used only once, and then warped.

Most useful would be my chef's knife. Use it daily.

[debm55]

94. Great item to have Ty Old Crank.

Last edited Tue Jan 16, 2024, 05:45 PM - Edit history (1)

[Turbineguy]

78. A corkscrew

obviously.

[debm55]

116. Thanks, Turbineguy. Red or white wine?

[Turbineguy]

124. Country

AND Western

[debm55]

135. Don;t you use a corkscrew with wine?

[Turbineguy]

143. Red or white?

Both kinds.

Plus rose and the occasional sparkler.

Sorry about the arcane reference to the Blues Brothers.

[Jeebo]

82. Pumps up tires, runs off cigarette lighter.

Actually, the literal answers to your question, Deb, would be the obvious ones: My laptop computer and my 50-inch TV. And other things in my house that are in every house that everybody has and everybody uses all the time. The bathtub, the toilet, the refrigerator, the microwave, things like that. But reading between the lines, I sense that you are actually going for items that are somewhat more exotic or unusual. And on that assumption, the one item that I immediately thought of when I read your question was ...

I have this device that I bought somewhere years and years and years ago that plugs on one end into the cigarette lighter in my car and on the other into the air intake nozzle on my car's tires and pumps them up. That thing has been SO useful. I don't use it all that often, but when I need it, I'm always SO glad I have it. And it still works, just fine. I keep it on the floor on the back seat of my car.

Somebody elsewhere in this thread mentioned an army surplus can opener. I have one of those on my keyring, too, and it has been VERY useful.

-- Ron

[debm55]

95. Thanks Jeebo

[Diamond_Dog]

83. Worthless item

A Swiffer dust mop. And it’s environmentally unfriendly as well. I just put old rags on it now and use it to spot clean.

[debm55]

96. Yes, I bought a set of them when they first came out. Sitting in the back closet,

[LoisB]

86. Useful: Duct Tape

Useless: A bag of cement mix I've had for about 15 years - don't even remember what I was going to use it for. Sitting in the back yard, the bag long ago disintegrated, now it's just a cement sculpture. I guess I could use it as a seat.

[debm55]

105. That' s funny. I have two bags of round rocks in my garage. I was going to paint them and put a message on each. Then I

was going to place them anonymously in neighborhood. Never got around to it.

[LoisB]

113. That's a grand idea. You should do it!

[madamesilverspurs]

87. One and the same.

Most useless: Manual recliner that just takes up space since wonky shoulder makes using that lever quite painful.
Most useful: Manual recliner that is a blessing when power goes off and the electric recliner becomes quite useless.


.

[debm55]

106. Great answer. I have a recliner, but have never used because in the reclining position it takes up half the living room

and am afraid Tinker cat might be underneath.

[coprolite]

88. The most useful tool, the gas powered log splitter

[debm55]

107. Perfect tool. Thank you coprolite.

[Chainfire]

90. The most used tool that I own is a simple pocket knife.

I can use it for anyting from cleaning my toenails to shanking someone in a dark alley. My wife and I have sworn that the two devices that we not do without are the electric gate and the heated toilet seat.

[debm55]

98. Wow. You have a heated toilet seat? Sounds great. TY

[bamagal62]

110. I also have one!

Absolutely love it. Also, heated bathroom floors. Learned that from
My years in Chicago!

[Chainfire]

128. Yes, Deb, and it has spoiled me rotten.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

91. My pocket supercomputer

It keeps running when the lights go out, lets me check on the grandkids during the outage, lets me report the outage, has a calculator and units converter, lets me see pictures and take snapshots and much more.

After that comes my pocket knife, then my mechanic's tools.

[debm55]

97. Very good Hermit. You are prepare for everything

[PJMcK]

103. Piano

Computer is a close second.

[debm55]

108. Sounds wonderful. Thank You PJMcK

[yellowdogintexas]

109. today my most useful item is the furnace

However, I would go with all the computers at all levels, down to the phone.

least useful: Mr YD has a pair of scuba tanks that look like they came from Sea Hunt. They weigh a ton and we have moved them 4 times. At least they are stored where we can't trip over them

[debm55]

115. The useful item of the furnace is so true. I like you reference to scuba gear from Sea Hunt. I believe Llyod Bridges

was in it. We watched after dinner.

[bamagal62]

111. Unfortunately,

The most useless thing I own is exercise equipment!🤣🤣🤣🤣

[debm55]

118. I use to hang clothing to dry on hangers on mine

[bamagal62]

112. The most useful thing

I own, and can’t do without, are my heavy duty spring clamps that I use to attach flat painting panels to my easel.

[debm55]

117. I have my BS in Art Ed, I agree with you.

[Ohio Joe]

114. Well, let's see...

Useful… The cat&dog food. It keeps them from eating me.

Useless… The cat&dog. What in the world made me bring beings into the house to rule over me

[debm55]

119. Ohio Joe--they love you and I will bet you love them.

[Tikki]

120. My silicone splatter shields...

I cook every day. The splatter shields keep so much under control and prevent excess messes.
I like the silicone shields best.


Tikki

[debm55]

121. Now that looks interesting and useful. I'm going to look into one. TY Tikki

[CottonBear]

129. I need these to replace my metal ones, which are hard to clean.

Off to search on Amazon…

[WestMichRad]

123. Woodworking tools

I can make much of what we’ve needed thru the years, and unlike the cheap junk one can buy, our homemade stuff is built to last.

[debm55]

136. Yes, new furniture is crap, You must be very talented.

[Brother Buzz]

125. The Mother of all dumpster dives, a stuffed armadillo

I discovered it on a bicycle ride. I strapped it to the back of my bicycle and rode home. I gingerly carried it inside to show She Who Must be Obeyed, expecting her to banish it. To my delight, she grinned and started laughing. We named it Owen Meany.

[debm55]

138. That is so funny, Where is it displayed?

[Brother Buzz]

139. Prominently displayed on the dining room sideboard

[elleng]

126. Spoons

[debm55]

140. Thank you very useful

[justaprogressive]

137. So in 1981

I drove home and parked my car. Literally as I stopped, the passenger-side
lower balljoint broke. In order to change the balljoint (I did most of my own repairs)
I needed one of these it's about 2ft long meant to be driven by a sledghammer. Better
than any crowbar!


I used it once to change the balljoint and 60,000 times for everything else you can think of.. .

[debm55]

141. Very creative, justaprogressive

[OldBaldy1701E]

142. My husband. For both answers.

(Gods, please don't tell him I said that!!)

[AllaN01Bear]

144. useful:1 mminiature plumbing snakes . 2: back scratcher . useless! a device to make free phone calls ( maick jack)

Last edited Wed Jan 17, 2024, 10:24 AM - Edit history (1)

windows vista.

[debm55]

148. Thank you AllaN01Bear

[Niagara]

146. I have a love/hate relationship with wool dryer balls.

It took me awhile to respond to this question since I really had to think about it.



Most useful: Wool dryer balls. They do seem to reduce drying time also have even drying with bed sheets and bath towels. They're eco friendly and reusable. They're void of toxic chemicals. Not that I iron, but there seems to less wrinkling on clothing with using a wool dryer balls. I generally keep 2 in my dryer.



Most useless: Wool dryer balls. OMG! These balls get caught up in long sleeve shirts, in pant legs and corner bed sheets. They go missing at a drop of a hat! It's exactly like the case of the missing sock, but it's the missing wool dryer ball! When I remove items from the dryer, they also go rolling on the floor and I have to chase it down. I also still get static electricity in my clothing and bedding. I haven't noticed any static in my bath towels however.

[debm55]

147. I might get some. My sheets are a mess when they come out of the dryer. Thanks Niagara for the suggestion.

[Emile]

150. Useful is my John Deere 1025R tractor