For me it's neatly folding clothes. Doesn't matter how much I try I'm always terrible at it.
Trousers and boxers I can do, but anything else looks like the effort of a 5 year old.
I can fold work trousers, but the rest no. Rarely iron anything as I hang clothing to dry.
Rarely iron anything as I hang clothing to dry.
This - a family of four (two 16 year old girls), and we only ever iron the odd formal top when going out.
I'm much better at ironing that I am folding, but it's very rare we actually use the iron (also family of 2 adults/2 kids). The eldest's school shirts occasionally get a quick once over, but the tumble dryer leave clothes pretty much crease free.
The Army forced me to learn how to iron. Being in IT made me actively ignore it in civilian life. The same with polishing shoes, although I do make sure that my smart shoes are actually clean and look decent.
I'm really bad at plastering though. Really bad. The most polite thing that anyone has said about it is that it looked like I had decided to go with a Maroccan "rough plaster" theme when I helped my mate decorate his flat. I think he had it re-done after a couple of years.
I have a problem with plastering too, the best that can be said of it is that is that it makes an excellent surface for keying tile adhesive in bathrooms.
My missis, loading the dishwasher. Looks like she's used a Trebuchet from about 1/4 of a mile away to arrange the trays.
Gardening. Other people seem to be able to grow things, do weeding, cut grass, some even apparently seem to get pleasure from it, I like the result of gardening, who doesn't, but I just seem to kill things, and I resent the time spent on it. Luckily my wife feels the same way, there's a reason we bought a house with a mostly paved yard.
Folding a fitted sheet. I understand the theory, and I do follow the instructions, getting the corners rather than the edges, but it just never works
Used to work in a hospital laundry so folding is one of my strong points 🎺
Duvet covers. I ****ing hate them
Used to work in a hospital laundry so folding is one of my strong points 🎺
I worked in a commercial laundry, so I too can fold like a retired boxer fighting a youtuber 😉
I have a problem with plastering too, the best that can be said of it is that is that it makes an excellent surface for keying tile adhesive in bathrooms.
My missis, loading the dishwasher. Looks like she's used a Trebuchet from about 1/4 of a mile away to arrange the trays.
My plastering is pretty good. But then i pickup a paintbrush and it all goes to shit.
Cutting in can suck a fat one.
My job.
Ironing and folding are an unnecessary waste of time. Being good at them is not a requirement for being a well functioning human. Life's too short to waste on that crap
Any task, according to my other half.
Since when has plastering been an every day mundane task?
Small Talk
Once I've passed the basic pleasantries I rapidly run out of things to say. I just don't get how some people can talk for hours without taking breath.
Enthusiasm
Probably related to small-talk above - I struggle to get excited by things. I'm very much this!...
Plumbing
Rolling about on the floor trying to get that one just out of reach thingy and put the right amount of pressure, but no too much ...
Maybe If I did it every day I'd be better. I'd also hate my life
My missis, loading the dishwasher.
This is a whole other thread.
Small Talk
... I just don't get how some people can talk for hours without taking breath.
This is one of life's mysteries to me, especially with a Glaswegian in-law contingent. I'm generally two sentences and done.
What are these "folding clothes" and "ironing" things everyone keeps talking about?
I find Ironing's quite meditative. Stick on a podcast; headphones on, get set up and just "do" until it's all finished. Although that's just work shirts/trousers skirts and the like for me and the missus, I don't do anything else, so it's only about an hour's worth.
Folding boxers?
Why
You are a Calvin Klein model aicmfp.
Do you iron them first to add to the pointlessness points tally then quickly move on to ironing your socks for bonus points.
plastering?? thats a skilled trade, not an every day job, you shouldnt be any good at it unless youve been trained! same with plumbing i guess although not to the same degree, you could have a bash at it but i wouldnt expect to be any good without training.
ironing for me. wifes good at it tho so we just settle into our strengths. i'll always do anything DIY, she'll do ironing and most of the cooking which sounds a bit sexist, but its not really. we're both happy working to our strengths, shes an excellent cook and can iron a mean shirt, although to be honest i never really wear anything that needs ironing so shes really just ironing her own stuff.
oh and those elasticated bedsheets. ive had a go at folding them but they still end up a screwed up mess, whereas she can turn them inside out, pull the corners about with her fists and fold them up a treat. voodoo i tell yer.
oh and yes, small talk. not very good at that with people i dont know particularly well so there can be a few awkward silences. im far better with total strangers than 'acquaintances'.
Folding boxers?
Why
You are a Calvin Klein model aicmfp.
Do you iron them first to add to the pointlessness points tally then quickly move on to ironing your socks for bonus points.
They sit neatly in the pants and socks drawer if they're folded, otherwise it's just carnage.
No ironing though. Tumble dryer sorts out the creases.
Duvet covers. I ****ing hate them
I helps if you've got a large wingspan.
I've got a technique for getting a duvet into the cover and get the duvet laid out neatly on the bed one, sort, exciting, quite energetic manoeuvre - at the end of which the bed is made and I'm in it (which is just as well as I'm suddenly quite tired). Also sometimes the light shade has been knocked off.
Needs to be quite a large bedroom to do it though so I've had to retire it as a life skill since moving to a smaller house.
Having a dump. No matter how many times I practice, I really can't get it to all happen the way I want it. ☹
Cooking that involves more than five ingredients to make a meal.
Another duvet struggler here, can eventually get it in then eight buttons in they all have to come out again due to button and hole misalignment
Even 3 button pillow cases can be included, the whole bed change 15 mins minimum for four pillows and a duvet
Duvet covers. I ****ing hate them
I helps if you've got a large wingspan.
I've got a technique for getting a duvet into the cover and get the duvet laid out neatly on the bed one, sort, exciting, quite energetic manoeuvre - at the end of which the bed is made and I'm in it (which is just as well as I'm suddenly quite tired). Also sometimes the light shade has been knocked off.
Needs to be quite a large bedroom to do it though so I've had to retire it as a life skill since moving to a smaller house.
Is it the one where you hold both top corners of the duvet, climb inside the cover, stand up, jiggle a bit with your arms outstretched, walk around for a bit going 'wooooOOOOI', jump onto the bed, then slowly retreat backwards, grab the corners, and shake?
I don't want to brag, but I'm pretty good at that one.
I learned how to do duvets from Super Hints on The Big Breakfast..
Turn duvet cover inside out
Put you hands inside and grab the two far corners
Now grab the two corners of the duvet
Shake it rapidly until it all gets tangled up with half in and half out then throw it onto the floor in a huff
Turn duvet cover inside out
Put you hands inside and grab the two far corners
Now grab the two corners of the duvet
This – I hate doing the bedding, but I can do the duvet bit thanks to this tip.
Sawing a vertical line.
U used to be able to do it with reasonable success, but ever since a cycling accident about 12 years ago I can't get it right. Blad always turns to the right the deeper I cut and I can't do anything to stop it.
I'm beginning to think my saws are made by Farage.
Duvet covers are easy. folding fitted sheets drives me to despair. As a retired nurse I am a bit particular about neatly folded linen but the fitted sheets I have just cannot be folded properly. I hate them!
Duvet covers. I ****ing hate them
I helps if you've got a large wingspan.
I've got a technique for getting a duvet into the cover and get the duvet laid out neatly on the bed one, sort, exciting, quite energetic manoeuvre - at the end of which the bed is made and I'm in it (which is just as well as I'm suddenly quite tired). Also sometimes the light shade has been knocked off.
Needs to be quite a large bedroom to do it though so I've had to retire it as a life skill since moving to a smaller house.
Is it the one where you hold both top corners of the duvet, climb inside the cover, stand up, jiggle a bit with your arms outstretched, walk around for a bit going 'wooooOOOOI', jump onto the bed, then slowly retreat backwards, grab the corners, and shake?
I don't want to brag, but I'm pretty good at that one.
1. Put the duvet in a heap on the floor but with the two top corner viable and grab-able. Turn duvet cover inside out - put arms inside and find the two top corners, you should be able to make little grabby sock-puppets with them - so that you can then grab the two top corners of the duvet through the top corners of the duvet.
2. Hold on firmly - and shake like absolute fury so that the cover is flung back the right side out - big moves, you can't be shy about it - physics will mean the other two corners of the duvet and cover find each other - two or three really good, loud, thwacky shakes. If theres any dust on top of the wardrobe then at this point you'll now know about it.
3. Finish the manoeuvre still gripping those two corners with your arms outstretch like a champion so you are holding the duvet flat and vertical
4. Leap backwards - landing starfished - the duvet drifts down nice and flat on top of you- you are now ready for a well earned nap
5. At stage 1 you should have insured the bed was behind you when you started the manoeuvre.
Writing. I used to have beautiful handwriting when I was a teacher. Since retiring I've become illegible
Untangling things
but the fitted sheets I have just cannot be folded properly.
tuck the elastic corners into each other, and you end up with a sort sausage/banana shape, but it has a straight edge...Once you got a straight edge, you can fold it.
Most saws and or users thereof pull one way or the other so saw a bit from one side then the other and so on. Having a work bench that allows sawing from both sides helps - second year woodwork tip from teacher. Others included " long strokes", " let the tool do the work", "don't force it"... .
Last night I drilled a 5mm hole in the wall for a clothes line. It has taken 6 rawl plugs to fill the hole sufficiently for me to get the screw tight.
Writing. I used to have beautiful handwriting when I was a teacher. Since retiring I've become illegible
I noticed this in myself about 3 or 4 years ago. I got an old, half decent fountain pen from my schooldays going again with some warm water to flush out the years of congealed ink, and started to take pride in writing once more. That was beginning to work. Then I too retired, and don't need to write so much now, hence it’s back to the occasional shopping list scribbled with a biro
Heyho.
Others included " long strokes", " let the tool do the work", "don't force it"... .
Just point on the doll where the woodworking teacher touched you. I guess woodworking could be an almost too accurate euphemism for sex ed.
Stacking the cupboard of variously shaped and proportioned plastic food tub things.
Untangling things
I have a hate/love relationship with tangled cables. In that order. Hateful during the process, but satisfying when done.
Lately,tying my laces and them staying tied seems to be a bit of a problem.I may have reached the velcro stage!
plastering?? thats a skilled trade, not an every day job, you shouldnt be any good at it unless youve been trained!
+1 to this.
I was taught by a time-served plasterer who could get a finish like glass. If I had to do much more than 1m square I'd pay someone to do it.
I learned how to do duvets from Super Hints on The Big Breakfast..
They stole it from That's Life. They ran a feature for a few weeks after someone wrote in going "I don't understand these new-fangled 'duvet' things."
70s humour, MSP, and no more than that. People always seem to assume the worst these days. He was one of the good guys who didn't need to assault us to earn our repect. It was those that failed to earn our respect that tried fear which just earned contempt.
However, the headmaster in primary who spent his days preaching God and bouncing little girls on his knee still gets comments on the school Facebook page 55 years on. The holier, Godlier, primmer,and simperingly nice they were the less we trusted them. The wood and metal work techers whose hobby was fixing up their Cortina were regular 70s guys with some amusing inuendi we didn't understand for a few years. Did no-one ever tell you not to put your fingers where you wouldn't put your dick when using sharp tools - by the 90s it good advice I wouldn't have dared give my students - the humour and banter was no longer acceptable but the predators were still out there in some places.
Are you watching Ku'damm 77 ? The critics praised the period sets but I haven't seen a Pirelli caledar yet.
Did no-one ever tell you not to put your fingers where you wouldn't put your dick when using sharp tools - by the 90s it good advice I wouldn't have dared give my students - the humour and banter was no longer acceptable but the predators were still out there in some places.
Also the small fact that not all the students have dicks to stick into places. There were two girls who took metalwork at GCSE in my year.
Cleaning the bathroom, it's either boring and I'll avoid it, or try and reset it to looking like it was just re-decorated and obsess over every detail spending way too long on it.