c/zero-pressure-zone

Warning: store brand trash bags vs name brand, don't make my mistake

I bought a 50 pack of store brand kitchen bags at Save Mart for $6 and they ripped on the second day with just coffee grounds and an empty milk jug inside. Switched to Glad ForceFlex at Costco for $12 for 80 bags and not a single tear in 3 weeks. Has anyone else had store brand bags fail on light loads like that?

2 comments

parkerk56•9d ago

Appreciation post: the motel owner who didn't charge me extra after my kid threw up in the lobby last Wednesday

We were driving through Flagstaff on a road trip and my 4 year old got carsick right as we checked in. He projectile vomited all over the front desk area, like a scene from a horror movie. The owner, this older guy named Jerry, just handed me a mop and said 'kids happen, don't worry about it.' He even gave us a free bag of ice for the cooler the next morning. I offered to pay for cleaning but he waved me off and said he's seen worse from drunk spring breakers. Has anyone else had a stranger show way more grace than you expected in a messy situation?

3 comments

rosel83•10d ago

Just realized my $15 thrift store rice cooker beats my $80 Amazon one hands down

Picked up a vintage Zojirushi from a Goodwill in Portland last weekend for $15, figured it'd be a fun experiment. Tbh, the rice comes out fluffier and never burns on the bottom like my newer model did. The old one even has a timer that clicks off way more reliably. Anyone else find that older kitchen gadgets just work better?

2 comments

taylorm89•11d ago

Rant: My garage door spring snapped at 7am on a Saturday

I was heading out to grab coffee and the door went up about two feet then just stopped. Made this horrible twang sound. I looked up and saw the spring was snapped clean in two pieces. Had to call a repair guy who charged me $280 to replace both springs since he said you always do them in pairs. Anyone else deal with a random spring failure at the worst possible time?

2 comments

adam_butler38•11d ago

The before and after on my compost bin surprised me after 4 months

I started a compost pile in the corner of my backyard back in July, just tossed in veggie scraps and grass clippings. After 4 months, I dug down to see what was happening and the bottom layer looked like actual dark, crumbly soil. Nothing like the smelly, slimy mess I was expecting based on some horror stories I heard. I think the key was keeping it moist but not wet, and turning it every two weeks with a pitchfork. The top layer still looks like garbage but that bottom stuff is pretty impressive. Has anyone else seen a faster breakdown with certain materials, like eggshells taking forever?

2 comments

ross.sean•12d ago

My trip to the library genealogy room changed how I look at old photos

Last Thursday I spent 3 hours in the downtown library's genealogy room looking up an old family album. I was trying to ID some relatives from 1920s photos my aunt gave me. But I started noticing that every single person in those photos had this dead serious look, no smiles. Then I found a 1930s newspaper article about how photographers used to say "prunes" instead of "cheese" because it gave a tighter mouth shape. But now I'm seeing a debate online: was it really about the mouth shape, or were people just not used to smiling for cameras back then because life was harder? I've got older folks on one side saying it's all about long exposure times, and younger people saying our ancestors were just miserable. Has anyone else dealt with this whole smiling in old photos argument? Is there a real answer or is it just guesswork?

2 comments

ross.sean•12d ago

The moment a grocery clerk called me 'sir' for the first time

I was buying a 6 pack of soda at the 7-Eleven on 5th street and this teenage clerk just casually said 'have a good night, sir'. I'm only 24 and I still feel like a kid so that hit different. Anyone else get thrown off when random strangers age you up?

3 comments

clark.faith•12d ago

Tried scrubbing my stainless sink with olive oil instead of cleaner

My sink had these weird water spots that wouldn't budge with spray stuff. I read somewhere to just rub a tiny bit of olive oil on a cloth and go with the grain. The spots vanished and it looked like new for a full three days. Anyone else have a random kitchen hack that just worked way better than expected?

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jamiegreen•13d ago

Found out my basement drain backs up when I ran the washing machine too fast

I was just doing laundry last Tuesday like normal and suddenly water started bubbling up from the floor drain in my basement. At first I thought it was a leak but then I saw it coming BACK UP from the drain. Turns out my washing machine dumps too fast for the old cast iron pipe to handle. I had to stop the cycle, pull the machine out, and shop vac about 15 gallons of dirty water. Fixed it by running the machine on the delicate cycle which uses less water per spin. Has anyone else dealt with slow drains causing backups in an older house?

2 comments

leep33•13d ago

Question about the farmers market downtown on Saturday morning

I stopped by the new farmers market on Main Street and noticed half the stalls were selling crafts and jewelry instead of actual produce. Which side are you on - should markets stick to food only or is the mix part of the charm?

2 comments

brian_coleman•14d ago

That $30 magnetic phone mount almost killed my dash... literally melted.

I grabbed one of those cheap magnetic phone mounts off Amazon for my truck. Stuck it right on the dash vent, seemed fine for about a week. Then the glue gave out on I-75 in Atlanta at 70 mph and the whole thing slid down onto the defroster vent, phone and all. The heat from the vent actually warped the plastic on the mount and left a sticky mess I can't get off. Anyone else have a cheap accessory backfire like that?

3 comments

leo_harris•14d ago

My first compost pile turned into something way better than I expected

I threw kitchen scraps in a bin last fall thinking it would just rot down into dirt. Six months later I pulled out this rich black soil that smelled like fresh rain, not garbage at all. Did anyone else's first attempt at composting surprise them?

2 comments

mila_sullivan•15d ago

Tried two dish soaps side by side: Dawn vs. store brand

I ran a little test last week with a greasy baking sheet that had baked-on cheese. The store brand took three scrubs and still left a film, but Dawn cut through it on the first pass with half the effort. Anyone else notice a big gap between name brands and generics on tough messes?

2 comments

ninah10•16d ago

Kinda weird but I actually had a really good Tuesday last week

I usually dread Tuesdays because of back to back meetings, but last week every single call ended early. Then I found $20 in an old jacket pocket on my way out the door. Has anyone else had a random day that just worked out for no reason?

2 comments

stellas56•18d ago

Had to choose between a quiet dinner out or a big party for my 30th

I was torn between a fancy dinner at that Italian place downtown with just my husband or inviting 20 people to a rented hall. I went with the dinner and honestly it was perfect - we spent $180 on a meal that lasted 3 hours with no noise or drama. Has anyone else picked the smaller option for a birthday and felt good about it?

2 comments

oscarmurphy•19d ago

Discovered a better way to fold fitted sheets from watching a hotel housekeeper

I was at a hotel in Nashville last weekend and saw this housekeeper fold like 20 fitted sheets in under 10 minutes. She just laid it flat on the bed, tucked the corners into each other, then folded into a rectangle. I tried it at home on my own queen size sheet and it actually worked on the first try. No more balled up mess in the linen closet taking up all the space. The trick is to line up the elastic edges before you start folding. Has anyone else picked up random life skills by just watching someone do their job?

2 comments

kelly.emma•20d ago

A random chat with my mechanic changed how I think about fixing things

He said every repair is just a puzzle you haven't solved yet, and that stuck with me while I was wrestling with a stuck brake caliper for 2 hours. Has anyone else had a casual convo flip a switch in your brain like that?

3 comments