40 Times Designers Forgot Things Need To Be Cleaned When Creating Them, As Shared On This Facebook Group (New Pics)
The last time we wrote about the Facebook group 'Things designed by people who don't have to clean them', it had 40,000 members. But since then, this online community has more than doubled and is approaching the 100,000 mark, so it's about time we release an update on them.
"The design and maintenance of our spaces are deeply political," the group writes in its 'About' section. "The entire point of 'Things designed by people who don't have to clean them' is that those who design and those who maintain are not the same. Because we spend most of our time in designed spaces this disconnect has a huge impact, especially on those who traditionally don't have power in society."
So they're here, shaking things up, trying to remind everyone about the hidden tax attached to Swarovski-encrusted toilets and rock-covered sinks, and that is the amount of headache and time people will spend cleaning them.
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Just Stay In The 70s. Thanks
My Goodness
For our earlier article, we got in touch with the founder of the group, Will Feetham. He described the content you see on 'Things designed by people who don't have to clean them' as design-focused critical analysis.
Even though it has grown tremendously, the group remains private and you have to answer a few political questions to get in. Feetham has had pushback from the applicants about this as the group seems anything but political, however, he believes that the design and maintenance of our spaces are deeply political. "The entire point of 'Things designed by people who don't have to clean them' is that those who design and those who maintain are not the same," he told Bored Panda. "Because we spend most of our time in spaces [designed by others], this disconnect has a huge impact, especially on those who traditionally don't have power in society."
This Was Never A Good Idea!
This Belongs Here
I Found A Hair On Your T-Shirt. Who Is She?
"Looking at bad design helps highlight the importance of good design, and thinking about who will clean what we design makes us focus on the importance of inclusion in the design process. As a tag group, we can inject a bit of thought about these issues into a lot of different conversations which makes me so happy."
Feetham got the idea for the group from a picture of a topographical relief sink modeled after a lake, which he has been told is in the California state library. "It's beautiful, and the concept is both insightful and educational. In the execution, though, the designer didn't consider the people who would have to clean the installation. Clearly, a lot of thought went into the concept, but that thoughtfulness doesn't seem to have extended to maintenance. 'Things designed by people who don’t have to clean them' just popped into my head."
This Is My Ceiling Light. It’s New, And I Loved It Til I Joined This Group And Realized I Have No Idea How To Clean It
Now Imagine That It Rains
It looks like it has a velvet (or similar fabric) outside, which I think is what they are referring to.
Load More Replies...
The rain is not really an isssue, I'd be more worried about bird pop. squashed insects etc. But so cute...
I thought so too, but then I remembered how HEAVY are these materials when wet... And then there is mold. Yuck!
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An ex-boyfriend had an old Chevrolet covered in black fur and rain was never a problem - tried well. I only got mad when he used my expensive shampoo to clean the car!
It's Felt. It was a thing you could get done to cars in Germany back in the day. It had a feel like GI Joe hair. Was really easy to maintain. Water was not an issue, just rolled right off, not absorbent at all. It actually never really got wet. You didn't want it to get scratched though because that was tough to fix but it was really durable.
You’d have to spray the whole car with that Scotchguard stuff (water repellent and sun shield), to keep it from fading and getting wet.
The VW Bug isn't painted it's covered in some type of cloth. The sunroof is the least of the owners worries.
If it's electro-statically applied nylon or polyester flocking, it's quite durable.
So pretty though! I loooove the colour. But I think it would work in any jewel tone!
Bug wore Blue Velvet. Bluer than velvet was the night. Softer than satin was the light. From the stars.
See, you're assuming that car goes anywhere other than shows in the nice weather...
OMG, is that car flocked??? I hope they doused it with water repellent, otherwise ewww.
This should be an ad for that fabric spray sealant that makes just about anything water proof. Thompson's? Something like that I think.
"Well, you can do anything, but lay off of my blue suede Bugs."
rain isn't the issue, most people don't realise that flat colours actually need more care than glossy ones as dirt and grime tends to "burn in" into the surface anbd leave nasty stains and scratches
Is that a waterproof flocking? I saw a a small carriage many years ago with it. It was fine when it rained. Sorta like water on a ducks back.
I like it. Saw a VW that was covered in actual green grass. The kind that you can plant in grass well on its way to lawn. Like the divot you golfers pat safely back into the whole you just made. Car was so hot and heavy it wouldn't run. I preferred the one covered in fake fur with a leash from the front hood latch to a parking meter in front of a pet store.
Great idea. A suede exterior for a vehicle, because everyone knows how suede stands up to all precipitation.
If it's outdoor carpeting, you just take it through the carwash -- seriously.
Rock Bottom
Saw This Sink In A Bathroom Showroom And Thought Of You My Friends. It Has Actual Fish In It
As you could guess, Feetham himself doesn't like cleaning. "As a cisgender man in our patriarchal culture, I have been allowed to do less than my share of household chores at many points in my life," he said. "Equality is deeply important to me, and I have come to understand the many ways, large and small, that the caring and cleaning work that forms the foundation of our daily existence is minimized."
According to him, our society tends to devalue the invisible service class, who are often women and people of color. So they are left to pick up the pieces, literally, and tend to the performative aesthetics of our consumer culture.
Bride Decided This Was The Best Way To Display Her Dress After The Wedding
I Finally Have A Contribution!! Reminds Me Of The Fuzzy Skeleton Someone Shared The Other Day…maybe This One Could Be Thrown In The Washer?
Omfg, This Is Giving Me The Shivers
This Entire Room
I Present To You My Desk Chair
I hate it. It was here when I got here. The bumps are hard plastic and extremely uncomfortable also the back has no give whatsoever. I work in the office part of a warehouse and everything gets super dirty here. Not looking forward to cleaning it which I can imagine will be done with a toothbrush.
This Was A Sink In A Public Bathroom That I Used Yesterday
(it does have a drain, it’s just hard to see under the bubbles) it’s flat, theres ridges in it that go about an inch deep into the sink to resemble rock or something. It’s obviously covered in grime and soap residue. Might have been cool in someone’s house, but not in a public bathroom like this
My Toes And Shins Hurt Just Looking At This. Hope You Like Cobwebs
Indoor Beach. Oof
Seletti: Monkey Chandelier By Marcantonio
I wish I had it but DAMN.
(also, it cost too much for me.)
(BUT ANYWAY DAMN!!!)
Found In The Wild. My Mom, Who Has No Knowledge Of Facebook Or This Group, Her First Words Were "Try Cleaning That."
Ummm
Just.... Why?! Even If The Bowl Is Smooth, The Outside Is Just...
Yeah, It's An Art Installation. Very Ugly Art
I'd Like To Personally Say F**k You To Whoever Invented This Damn Kitchen Gadget. You Don't Know How Many Nights It Would Be My Turn To Do The Dishes And This F**ker Always, Always, Ended Up Being Used. I Hate It So Much
It's Cute Tho
Is this a mug for cat haters? Every time you have tea of coffee, you get to drown the kitty.
Behold
Peak Impracticality
20 Stories Of Metal Loovers
The Pieces That Are Overlapped Would Be A Nuisance To Polish! And As Someone Easily Distracted I Wouldn't Know What Piece Of Mirror To Look In When Using It But That's Just Me
Just... Why
The idea is fun, but cleaning not so much. Also these thing break so easily I would constantly think I'm drinking glass shards.
This Chest...the Cuts Are Like 5cm Deep In Some Spots...
Feast Your Eyes On This Monstrosity
This Mirror I Saw At A Bar In Charleston
“Giant Corn Stool” - There’s A Joke In There Somewhere
These Ceiling Mics In The Choir Room At My School
You can’t reach them without a ladder and I don’t think they have ever been cleaned.
(I’m not good at descriptions but I tried)
Description: A small black ceiling microphone with a large cobweb wrapped around it.
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Things Designed By People Who Don't Have To Clean Them And Bought By The People Who Don't Care About Cleaning Them
I Want This. But I Don't Want The Drama Associated With Cleaning It
I Thought This Would Fit Here
Copper ball bearings to clean the insides of glassware and decanters without scratching.
I Found One In The Wild!! About Eight Feet Long, Hanging From A Door Frame. Various Beautiful Sea Shells Tied To A Central Cord. The Angles, Textures, And How Tight They're Strung Together Would Never Allow A Duster Through Properly. The Central Cord Is Hemp So Can't Get It Wet! And The Small Crevasses Are Impossible To Reach, Especially In The Spiral And Hollow Shells. Beautiful Idea, But The Dust Magnet This Is Makes Me Want To Burn It With Fire
Artificial Grass In The Bathroom. I Wonder How Long Before It Ends Up In Yup, That's A Piss Corner Mushroom
Found In The Wild. Not Meant For Anyone With Kids, Dogs Or Has People Come Over
This Made Me Uncomfortable
Saw In A Buy Sell Group. I'd Power Wash This Chair All The Way To The Dump Lmao
Creative…
Finally Found Something To Share: This Kettle. It Is Without Any Openings Besides The Spout, And Was Found At A Cabin We Were Renting For The Week.
How the heck can one throughly clean out the inside?? Maybe if only water was ever used in it it'd be alright, but this is at a rental where previous people put who knows what in there!
Saw This At A Hallmark. The Bottom Is Textured And It’s Terrible
Beautiful, But It Would Look Like Absolute Crap In No Time
Imagine All The Delicious Flavors It Gets From All The Visitors
From the bottom of the cone (attached to the whisk) there’s actual chocolate coming down this!! Y’all are the first people I thought of when I saw this!
(Lindt Chocolate Factory and Museum in Zürich, Switzerland, we just visited today)
Thankfully This Knitted Room Divider Is Already Grey To Hide The Dust It Collects Since The Knitted Parts Can't Be Removed. I Guess If You Really Liked It You Could Cut Them Off Then Stitch The Knitted Portion Back
Poorly-Designed-Things-Hard-To-Clean
Mini Wall Of Never Ending Snot Anyone?
Poorly-Designed-Things-Hard-To-Clean
These Covers
Just Saw This "Sensory Carpet" That's Supposed To Help Develop The Foot Muscles Of The Baby. I Like The Idea But How The Hell Would You Clean That???
I Work At A Thrift Store And This Brownie(?) Tin Came Through. We Still Put It Out
Willy Wonka Keychain Designed For Eating Pixi Stix I Think. My Older Cousin Gave This To Me When I Was A Kid. Yes You Can Still See Tiny Specks Of Some Kind Of Candy Residue Inside
I never ate from it as far as I can remember, but for some reason I carried it around with me as a lucky charm and I’m still convinced it contains some magic power of good luck.
Just Saw This Nightmare Go By For Sale; There Are No Drawer Pulls And I Can’t Even Begin To Imagine How You’d Keep Fingerprints Off This For More Than 30 Seconds!?!
Found This One In Another Group
This Is At A Wedding Venue. If You Look Closely You Can See The Bubbles From The Soap In The Standing Water
These Table Cloths
Yes, they are ugly and impractical. But they fit in a washing machine.
This Shot Cup In A Vegas Gift Shop With This Non Removable Lady Sitting On I
Looks highly collectible, I’d put it in my bathroom with cotton buds in it or something
So This Is A New Installation In My City Where You, I Guess, Pretend To Have Like, A Tea On The Porch. Unfortunately I Don't Think They Accounted For Stray Cats. We Set Our Things Down Before Discovering A Lone Turd
I doubt that is cat turd because cats like to bury their turds and I bet strays can find nice sandy spot to do their business. I'm not saying it' impossible, I've seen a cat poop on a yard and just leave it there but that kitty was oddball in other ways and didn't behave like a normal cat at all.
Apparently These Toilet Cushions Are A Thing Now.... Why?
What is that string for? There is an inage indicating like you'll get struck by lightning or maybe electrocuted if you pull it.
This Would Be Hella Dusty All The Time, And Also I Would 💯stab Myself In The Kneecap On That Lower Branch While Trying To Get Something From The Upper Ones. And Yet...
Just Stop
The Bidet Attachment On My Toilet. I Need A Rag, A Toothbrush, And A Q-Tip To Get All The Nooks And Crannies Clean
The Earrrrrrrrsssss
I Love This Light Fixture But I Don't Love Cleaning It
Looks Like Spider City To Me
I used to have one of these. it's not that hard to clean as the rocks come out of the basket thing. not really a problem for me
I… Have A Hard Time With A Lot Of What’s Going On Here
Saw This Pot In A Museum From 1500bc. Imagine All The Wine Gunk At The Sides And Bottom
They Look Cute But... I'm Not Sure How You Would Clean Them?
Poorly-Designed-Things-Hard-To-Clean
Just Why
I imagine this is what the lovechild of bigfoot and Kim K would look like.
So I'm At Disney World And I Saw This Hat- A White, Furry Yeti Hat... On The Day We Practically Got Rained Out Of Animal Kingdom
So, you bought it, it got soaked by the rain, and was never the same again? Am I on the right track there?
Poorly-Designed-Things-Hard-To-Clean
This doesn't look hard to clean. I'll bet all the seat cushions are removable.......and the covers can be thrown in an industrial washer. Then all you have to do is wipe down the hard structures with cleaning fluid.
This Freaking Quesadilla Maker
Immediately Thought Of This Group When I Saw This On Twitter
This could be good for someone doing physical therapy--it's essentially an adjustable hand weight.
Some Ad That Just Showed Up On My Feed
I'm surprised that the most irritating thing to clean isn't on here. The ceiling fan.
Those are irritating. I have two in my classroom. I have to stand on a desk and use a yardstick with a wipe rubber banded to the tip. I think I should invest in one of those long-handled feather duster thingies
Load More Replies... Some of those things were actual poorly designed and hard to clean, but for the rest, you are just lazy.
See, a lot of these things really don’t need to be cleaned. I mean, sure, if you’re going to eat out of it or it might spread bacteria or fungi or something, yes, but otherwise not everything has to be clean all the time. So what if you can’t dust your chandelier? The only places people would see dust is on larger surfaces of it, which you can clean.
Wow! There's some hideous and scary designs in this. I wouldn't have to worry about cleaning it cause I'd never put it in my home but it wouldn't be impossible to clean most of these. Maybe time consuming but it is doable.
I'm surprised that the most irritating thing to clean isn't on here. The ceiling fan.
Those are irritating. I have two in my classroom. I have to stand on a desk and use a yardstick with a wipe rubber banded to the tip. I think I should invest in one of those long-handled feather duster thingies
Load More Replies... Some of those things were actual poorly designed and hard to clean, but for the rest, you are just lazy.
See, a lot of these things really don’t need to be cleaned. I mean, sure, if you’re going to eat out of it or it might spread bacteria or fungi or something, yes, but otherwise not everything has to be clean all the time. So what if you can’t dust your chandelier? The only places people would see dust is on larger surfaces of it, which you can clean.
Wow! There's some hideous and scary designs in this. I wouldn't have to worry about cleaning it cause I'd never put it in my home but it wouldn't be impossible to clean most of these. Maybe time consuming but it is doable.
