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Living with other people is a special kind of chaotic alchemy. You might start off dreaming of a Friends-esque sitcom, but more often than not, it devolves into a passive-aggressive war over dishes, a never-ending quest for a clean bathroom, or the mysterious disappearance of your favorite yogurt. And where do people go to vent about this particular brand of domestic hell? Reddit, of course. The dark corners of subs like r/badroommates are a treasure trove of humanity's most baffling and horrifying cohabitation tales, making your own minor annoyances feel like a picnic.

We dove headfirst into the internet's most epic roommate horror stories, bracing ourselves for the sheer audacity of unwashed dishes, forgotten chores, and general disrespect. But we didn't just wallow in the shared trauma; we emerged with solutions. For every baffling habit and infuriating mess, we've found a clever product or organizational hack that could bring a glimmer of peace back to your shared space. And because we know reading about someone else's passive-aggressive fridge notes can be traumatizing, we've even thrown in a few bonus finds to help you cope with the sheer absurdity of it all.

#1

"Family member has cancer and no immune system, and is largely bed-ridden. We sanitized her whole house a few days ago. Came to pick her up and found this. Told her roommate to move the f out, immediately"- Reddit User

Messy kitchen sink filled with dirty dishes and cookware showing typical roommate challenges in shared living spaces.

Maybe a chic dish rack would have motivated them to do the dishes a little more often.

amazon.com , reddit user Report

sbj
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is disgraceful, good for you for throwing them out

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    #2

    "Roommate’s BF is basically living w us. What should I do?"- Spirited_Ad_9125

    Messy couch covered with a large pile of clothes illustrating bad roommate behavior and common roommate problems.

    The simple answer is: invest in some clothes storage bags because this guy isn't going anywhere...

    amazon.com , Spirited_Ad_9125 Report

    Sandra Angulo
    Community Member
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hell no! I ain’t buying this b*m a dang thing! I would have a serious conversation with my roommate though, and if that didn’t go well then his stuff would slowly start disappearing

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    #3

    "My roommate threw a hissy fit this morning because he couldn’t find the cinnamon in the spice cabinet"- Little_Red_Riding_

    Spice jars neatly organized in a kitchen cabinet, illustrating a common roommate storage solution from Reddit tales.

    A magnetic spice rack would solve this issue before you can say "cinnamon."

    amazon.com , Little_Red_Riding_ Report

    #4

    "I hate my roommate" - Pr0v3nD1sc1pl3

    Toilet paper roll incorrectly placed with empty cardboard next to a new roll, illustrating bad roommate habits from Reddit tales.

    Not sure if a toilet paper stand and holder would fix the issue, but at least it looks good while being used wrong.

    amazon.com , Pr0v3nD1sc1pl3 Report

    GalPalAl
    Community Member
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I would hoarde all of the toilet paper to teach them a lesson

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    #5

    "After the raccoons we have this" - TimeGas9727

    Clothes drying messily in an attic, illustrating problematic roommate situations from Reddit tales and solutions.

    Between raccoons and bad roommates, we'd rather take raccoons. Maybe invest in a heavy-duty standing washing line as their new plaything?

    amazon.com , TimeGas9727 Report

    Jill
    Community Member
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And the clothesline isn't outside because......?

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    If you're already clutching your pearls and wondering how people survive, don't worry, we're right there with you. The next set of roommate woes continues to highlight the fascinating ways humans manage to drive each other absolutely bonkers in a shared living situation. But as always, for every eye-roll inducing problem, we've got a surprisingly simple answer to help restore some semblance of order to the chaos.

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    #6

    "My older sister’s boyfriend (who lives with me and doesn’t contribute) threw and broke a box of my late mom’s sewing supplies during one of their arguments. " - SketchKYR

    Worn-out and messy couch in a shared room, illustrating common roommate challenges from Reddit tales and solutions.

    A sewing storage bag that zips up will be your first line of defence.

    amazon.com , SketchKYR Report

    Sandra Angulo
    Community Member
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don’t think he had a problem with that specific box. He’s an azzhole who will continue to throw things, and the answer is NOT “Buy something soft he can throw instead!”

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    #7

    "The way my roommates make beef jerky/dehydrated beef" - Ronin__Ronan

    Raw meat hanging on hangers on a door in a kitchen, illustrating bad roommate behavior from Reddit tales.

    They should really try a magic pants hanger. Way more space for meat!

    amazon.com , Ronin__Ronan Report

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    #8

    "This girl has had guests over at the apartment for days now and I already told her I wasn’t comfortable with guests staying over for this long. The space is small AND we share a shower." - Main_Statistician681

    Messy room with unmade bedding, cluttered floor, and couch reflecting bad roommate stories and solutions from Reddit.

    At least give them a few cute storage baskets to keep their stuff in if they are staying THAT long.

    amazon.com , Main_Statistician681 Report

    sbj
    Community Member
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They're not guests, they are behaving more like sqatters

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    #9

    "She has way too much food stuffed in there, with containers stacked unsafely—like two full plates of food sitting on top of a flimsy aluminum lid. Things have leaked, spilled, and just made the whole fridge unusable for anyone else." - Zealousideal_Job_835

    Cluttered and messy fridge interior, illustrating common roommate problems from Reddit tales and their solutions.

    Get some fridge organisation bins and clearly mark them "your mess goes here."

    amazon.com , Zealousideal_Job_835 Report

    James Peek
    Community Member
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How about clean your $Hitt up or get the F out!

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    #10

    "I'm the only one who cooks in this house and I have no room for groceries!!" - NoConversation615

    Open fridge filled mostly with hard seltzer cans and packs, illustrating a common roommate fridge scenario for Reddit tales.

    Some beverage dispensing bins will keep this party going with plenty of room for snacks.

    amazon.com , NoConversation615 Report

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    Okay, take a deep breath. We know that journey through the unholy realm of roommate drama can be a lot. You've witnessed the unwashed dishes, the questionable bathroom habits, and the sheer audacity of some people's living styles. It's enough to make you want to move into a tiny cabin in the woods. But before you start looking up off-grid properties, we've got a few extra finds to help you decompress and recover from the emotional damage you just endured.

    #11

    "I’ve communicated how much it bothers me, and asked politely several times that she stop draping her fallen hairs on my products and other housemate’s loofah. Her shelf is always hair-free and pristine." - Minoumilk

    Shampoo and conditioner bottles in a shower with strands of hair on them, showing common roommate hygiene issues.

    A hair catcher will help you collect all those fallen hairs in one place for easy access for sabotage at a later stage.

    amazon.com , Minoumilk Report

    Bogdan C
    Community Member
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah... I'd get all that hair and put it in her bed! That's disgusting!!!

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    #12

    "My roommate made eggs in all these pans instead of just washing one pan everytime they make eggs. Someone save me from this nightmare"- Reddit User

    Stack of dirty pots and pans piled on a kitchen counter, illustrating common roommate problems from Reddit tales.

    Easy. Get an expandable pan organiser so you can buy more pans.

    amazon.com , reddit user Report

    #13

    "I would really love to use our shared freezer at some point :,)"- Standard_Yak2958

    Frozen food packed tightly in a freezer, illustrating a common roommate challenge in shared living spaces.

    Freezer organiser bins won't give you more space, but at least your roomie can get to their food more easily.

    amazon.com , Standard_Yak2958 Report

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    #14

    "My roommate doesn’t close things"- Callmestinkingwind

    Bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce inside a fridge with condiments, illustrating messy roommate fridge habits.

    They might just be "saving it for later." Some bottle emptying caps might do the trick!

    amazon.com , Callmestinkingwind Report

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    #15

    "Insane roommate stacked up all my stuff on the kitchen table...I’ve been in the process of moving and the day after i started, I came home to this. I’ve been staying at friends and boyfriends apartments for over 3 months until I was able to leave because she’s so unhinged"- _mello_yello_

    Cluttered room with stacked belongings and furniture showing common roommate problems in shared living spaces.

    Maybe zip your things up in some heavy-duty moving bags next time so she can stack it more easily.

    amazon.com , _mello_yello_ Report

    Bogdan C
    Community Member
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Call the police if they did not have permission to enter your private space!!!!

    #16

    "My brother in law is living with us, this is his room"- 6Emo6Witch6

    Cluttered room with empty soda cans, cardboard boxes, and scattered clothes illustrating bad roommate habits.

    It's obviously your fault for not adding a hanging trash can to every surface.

    amazon.com , 6Emo6Witch6 Report

    Jill
    Community Member
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ugh. Even the carpet's nasty. This whole room needs to be gutted and redone. Get a shovel and start at one end of the room and chuck it all. Even better if BIL is there when it happens. He can clean it up or he can hit the trash with the rest of the garbage.

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    Are these roommates giving you second-hand trauma? Try these other cleaning and organisation hacks and tools to help you heal!

    #17

    Your Underwear Drawer, A Chaotic Landscape Of Mismatched Socks And Forgotten Intimates, Can Finally Be Brought To Order With This Honeycomb Underwear Drawer Organiser

    Organized drawer with various colored clothing items highlighting solutions to roommate organization issues.

    Review: "Okay, admittedly, I am a bit of an organization freak. I purchased two of these organizers (yes, you do need two PER drawer) to organize my underwear drawer. I agree that $20 seems like a lot to pay for a few pieces of plastic to organize a drawer no one else really sees, but... It's totally worth it. The gratification I got from being able to see exactly what I had, neatly organized, easy to find... Wow. I definitely recommend this product. And the actual dividers are well made and super easy to assemble. As a previous reviewer said, the number of times you will look at your drawer and be totally satisfied makes the price well worth it." - Brigette

    amazon.com , Brigette Report

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    #18

    That Terrifying, Dusty Horizontal Blind Situation Can Finally Be Handled Without Summoning A Spirit Of Cleanliness From The Netherworld Thanks To This Window Blind Cleaner

    Hand using a blue cleaning tool to dust window blinds, illustrating solutions for annoying roommate problems.

    Review: "These work great on my two inch blinds for dusting. Then I pop them in the washer and the come out clean and ready to use again." - LeAnn Unger

    amazon.com Report

    #19

    The Crippling Guilt Of Throwing Away Single-Use Cleaning Pads Every Week Can Finally Be Alleviated By Switching To Reusable Swiffer Pads

    Green microfiber mop head covered in dirt being held in a room, illustrating messy roommate cleanup issues and solutions.

    Review: "These are great. Machine washable. They fit the Swiffer Wet Jet and the dry Swiffer Sweeper. I've used mine over & over." - Suzie LaPlant

    amazon.com , Kathryn Willer Report

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    #20

    The Endless Ballet Of Spraying, Then Wiping, Then Spraying Again To Clean Your Floors Has Been Choreographed Into One Smooth Move With Method Squirt + Mop Hardwood Floor Cleaner

    Side-by-side comparison of wooden floor before and after cleaning, illustrating common roommate mess solutions.

    Review: "The main reason I wanted to try this product out was because I heard that it smelled amazing. The smell smells like a really clean soap that you use at certain gas stations/restaurants, very pleasant. As far as cleaning goes I have attached a before and after picture on how it left my laminate wood floors. It cleans the floor and doesn’t give it much of a shine which I personally enjoy my products. I am giving it four stars versus fives strictly due to the fact that it does not leave my floor shining." - Kimberly Herrera

    amazon.com , Kimberly Herrera Report

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    #21

    Your Wooden Furniture's Mid-Life Crisis, Expressed Through Dullness And Scratches, Can Be Dramatically Reversed With These Rejuvenate Pre-Saturated Restorer Wipes

    Before and after photo of a red wooden door cleaned, related to roommate issues and Reddit tales solutions.

    Review: "This works amazimg! My door was discolored and looked worn and after it looked brand new. I would reccomend yhis to anyone. Love it!" - patti mcdonald

    amazon.com , patti mcdonald Report

    Nina
    Community Member
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Jeez this is bad. It's just reddit-stories with ads to 'fix' the issue in the story 🙄

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