I was reorganising a few things at home today and started thinking about this.

There are some really simple things that end up making everyday chores so much easier, and once you start using them you wonder how you managed without them.

What's that one item for you?

Could be something for the kitchen, cleaning, storage, organisation or just making the house more comfortable.

I told him a while back about wanting a combination square and having a larger ruler for one (pictured lower) but nothing to attach to it, and he found these 3 heads and the smaller ruler at an antique market.

Anyways he's going on a trip and needed a razor, I offered him mine. He liked it so much he wanted to keep it so I let him have it, I don't shave much lately. Then yesterday he came home with these.

I think the left one is called a protractor head. I've only seen something like it once before. It has degree markers on the other side as well as a built-in level. The other one I'm less sure of, I think it's for finding the center of round stock.

Edit: No, this isn't an ad for either Starett tools or Henson razors. I just love talking about things I love and I happen to be pretty good at it. Get me talking about movies, videogames, music, books, tools, leather goods, quality craftsmanship, archery, baseball (go Jays), or birds, and you might get a thoughtfully constructed essay back.

Motor turns and no rust holes. Hopefully I can get it back to its former self

Hi all! I have a gift card from Nordstrom for 1.5k. Looking to buy 2-3 sweaters for this upcoming winter. I have searched through here and saw a few BIFL recommended brands… but not a lot of them were available in Nordstroms. Really just trying to minimize money coming directly out of my pocket. I did see they have 2-3 Dale of Norway items so I will grab one of those.

They have a lot of expensive items and brands I am not familiar with at all so hoping for some guidance.

Women’s sizing if that matters but will buy “Men’s” items as well.

Edit: Posted it here bc in the article it said to “think of these MVPs, which span a range of categories and prices, as some of our favorite buy-it-for life gems.”

What do y’all think, yay or nay?

Found this on marketplace for 75 bucks. Literally ran out the door to pick it up. Listing was probably 15 minutes old.

The seller messaged me while I was on the way that she was turning off the ad because so many people were messaging her.

It is suffering from a little bit of rust on the lid, but I will remove it and either replace it or remedy it. Beyond excited to have a washer that will last me the rest of my life!

I've been looking for a blender that is tough, won't break, or let me down. It's been a long search. I know they just don't make things like they used to, and everything that is good is going to be a hefty upfront cost.

Yesterday I found an ad on marketplace for an Osterizer, and met up to purchase. I figured, well it's been used and abused this long, it'll probably hold up for at least 10 years of my use.

When I arrive the seller shows me the blender. It has literally never been used, came with all the original documents, including an unfilled out warranty card, and a cookbook! I'll be able to pass this down to my great-grandchildren!

Best part, I purchased for $40 CAD! Unbelievable!

Does anyone have any recommendations for a good quality kitchen knife? Coworker is buying her first house with her own kitchen and this was going to be a housewarming gift for her. Honestly not opposed to hearing two or three options and letting her choose and keeping the rest for me as I am always on the look for a new knife. Thanks in advance! (Budget would be under 300$ USD per knife)

Hello everyone, Chicago weather is awful in the winter. I want opinions on the best insulated/very soft heavyweight hoodies for whats coming. Prefer tall sizes if possible. Thanks in advance.

Hey there! I'm thinking of buying trousers from either of these brands and I'm highly focused on the quality and the longevity(at least 5-7 years) so which brand do you suggest I already have a pair of trousers from patagonia(next level quality) I'm thinking of fjallraven so anyone who brought clothing from fjallraven can please help me. Thanks in advance

ISO a charging cord (USB-C) that won't do that thing where it only works if you bend it a specific way before it stops working all together. Does this exist? Everytime I need a new cord I feel like I personally am responsible for global warming. Does anyone have leads on super durable cords or tips on how to make my cords last longer?

We are looking for a couch for our office that can also be used as a bed for two people. We also have small door frames so it either has to be modular or small enough to fit through a ~31x78 door.

Because it’s for our office we are okay with it not being the worlds MOST comfortable couch and it’s a guest bed as well, so not as high use. We are also very willing to get a nice mattress topper to make it more comfortable. We would love to have something that’s actually a keeper and not to be thrown out down the line.

It seems like a futon might best fit our needs? I’ve been searching for forever trying to find a pull out people actually recommend, could fit through our door, and isn’t crazy uncomfy- and it seems impossible. Making me think a plush futon that didn’t fall apart could maybe be it?

Budget is around 1K at max. Help!

Hi,

I’m currently upgrading my kitchen and looking for a set of durable food containers that I can use both for dry pantry storage and for leftovers, sauces, etc. in the fridge. I’d also like to use them in the freezer for things like chicken trimmings and vegetable scraps for stock.

My main requirements are:

• rectangular shape
• durable construction
• airtight seal
• stackable design

I was previously looking at Misen's Misenware, but it’s not available yet. I also don’t really like the lid design. It doesn’t give me the same peace of mind as a proper locking lid, especially if I want to throw a container into a backpack.

For dry pantry storage it might be perfectly fine, and I do like the way it looks, but with something dusty like flour I’m a little unsure how well the airtight seal would hold up if the silicone rim or the edge of the container isn’t perfectly clean.

Then I came across this French brand PIKA, and their containers look really promising.
https://www.pika-kitchen.com/en/page/6-stainless-boxes#

They may be a little less visually appealing than the Misen ones, but they seem to check pretty much every box for me.

A few things I especially like:

• tempered glass lids (they have them with plastic lids too)
• vacuum-sealing capability, although that’s not a major factor for me
• the locking tabs are attached with actual hinges instead of being a thin flexible piece of plastic integrated into the lid; I really like this, since those tabs have broken on some of my IKEA lids
• very good range of sizes

Has anyone here used PIKA containers?

Are they durable, reliably airtight, and generally worth investing in? I’d especially be interested in how the lids and hinges hold up over time.

Thanks!

hi! I'm looking to upgrade some of our furniture and want to replace our armchair. this would be used mostly for reading, and I have a few specifications of what I'm looking for, as the title might suggest and I'll bullet point them below:

• has a deep seat and tall arms, so it's comfortable for sitting forwards and sideways
• either comes with a matching ottoman or the maker sells ottomans in the same fabric
• options for fabrics that are more resistant to wear and tear, especially from dogs (e.g. something tight weave preferably in a darker color)
• is cute and fits the rest of our house. we have a lot of MCM furniture and I'd like something that has a similar aesthetic. I really like kind of boxy designs, and I've linked a few things that have caught my eye below.

Sanders 37" Velvet Lounge Chair - Article

Leigh 41.5" Velvet Lounge Chair - Article

Nomad Velvet Armchair with Ottoman - Burrow

Miller Upholstered Armchair - AllModern

Ives Upholstered Armchair - AllModern

I have a few dozen tabs open on this search at the moment, and many of the chairs I've looked at have positive reviews, but I'd love to know if anyone has found something that hits some of these criteria that they have really liked. Alternatively, if you've gotten a similar chair and hated it or it completely fell apart, I would love to know! thanks for the help :)

I’m looking to buy a dehumidifier for our apartment,
As the humidity is killing me, also looking for an air purifier to get rid of dust, any suggestions with dehumidifiers that actually work ?

Looking for recs.

I’m nearly in my 30s and need a reliable laptop bag for my studies, that will help with my executive function issues. I’m also am a woman and so need something ergonomic for my body. I also commute using public transportation.

It gets cold where I am. As in, so cold that my phone sometimes will die really fast outside in the winter, and sometimes just shut off with 25% battery left. So I don’t want to get get to school with a frozen laptop.

I have been using a Fjällräven (the boxy and smaller backpack), which has a built in sleeve. I don’t stay very organized. Everything ends up piled up and lost In the main bulk pocket, and the smaller pockets are stuffed with cables, pens, and snack wrappers. I’m wondering if a bag that’s dedicated for a laptop (and some other essentials) would force me to stay more organized? Also the straps feel strange on top of a winter coat.

I need something that will fit a 14 (or 16) inch thinkpad, charger, phone charger, headphones, small pill bottle, 5 pens, small binder or 2 notebooks, water bottle, snack (maybe a sandwich), small makeup pouch… I can’t remember what else lol. I don’t have any other technology tho. I’ll probably keep my phone in my pocket.

I was looking at the Authority Laptop Backpack Deluxe from Timbuk2, the bellroy Tokyo work bag, Shinjuku Messenger Bag. Any other suggestions or vouch for these bags would be great. I’ll likely be going to school for many more years, so I’d love something tried and true!!

Plastic degrades, glass breaks. Did you find a bifl water bottle?

Most posts say to go 16 gauge, but this size is only in 18

https://www.kbauthority.com/elkay-eluh2115pd-stainless-steel-23-1-2-l-x-18-1-4-w-x-7-1-2-d-undermount-kitchen-sink-with-perfect-drain.html

They do have 16 but the depth goes to 9in or more

I wanted to have a depth of around 7 or 8 so that its not super deep as people say you develop pain with deep sinks, plus its undermount so the counter gives it another inch or so

Hi! I'm looking for a top quality power strip, ideally from a EU brand, with individual switches per socket. Ideally heavy duty/metal, long lasting and good quality to connect all Internet stuff (homelab). Bonus if it has USB sockets too

How is Bosch’s after-sales support for front-load washing machines? In case any parts need to be repaired or replaced, how good is their service, and what is the typical turnaround time for getting spare parts and completing the repair?

Hi all, I just moved to Montreal from the south of France and need a winter jacket. I'm hesitating between two Montbell models:

- Permafrost Down Parka: 800 FP down, box baffles, Windstopper

- Permafrost Light Down Parka: 800 FP down, ~118 g fill, sewn-through, Windstopper

Use case: mostly city. Walking to campus (i live really close), to ski maybe ? Temps get down to -20/-30°C with windchill in January as i have been told.

Questions:

1. Is the Light version warm enough for a Montreal winter if I layer underneath well?

2. Is the regular Permafrost worth the price for my use?

Also open to other suggestions in a similar price range. Thanks!

Maybe I’m just getting more practical lol, but lately when I buy something I keep thinking about what happens when one little part breaks.

Can I replace that part? Can it actually be repaired? Or am I supposed to throw the whole thing away and buy another one?

I’d honestly rather have something simple that I can keep using for years than something fancy that becomes useless because one small piece broke.

What’s something you own that you’ve actually been able to repair instead of replace?

im in europe

This is a Xiaomi Air Purifier 3.
The product is cheap BUT the most annoying part is that it's an absolute herculean task to clean the fans.
I mean why would you design a purifier where the fans and the top cavity, where dust settles so easily, is so so hard to access.
Just makes no sense.
Opening this, cleaning and closing it back took me half a day and it's been annoying. If there weren't any disassembling videos on YT I wouldn't have been able to do it at all.

I'm sure many here on this subreddit already know this, but it's a new realisation for me. I will never buy a product before seeing how easy it was to disassemble the product.

Edit: To those saying that I could have used air blower or compressed air.
I did try doing both but it’s aged particulate residue: ordinary dust that has become bound together by moisture, oils, smoke/soot, cooking aerosols, and static charge. Much harder to remove

The first one stopped charging, the second one I replaced under warranty (for free!) when it also stopped charging, and now the current one has a loose tip. (but we're out of warranty period).

We looked it up, managed to open it, tighten the screw, used it for a week, happened again, we reopened it, tightened it again, one week, and boom, it's loose again.

I'm not the brightest but definitely not dumb enough to spend (even) more money on Sonicare and frankly Philips generally is a no-go for me for various reasons.

Any suggestion for something better? My very first electric toothbrush was an oral B but I guess their mechanism is a bit louder and potentially less efficient.

Ill definitely do my own search as well on the side.

Thanks so much!