8 Household ‘Must-Haves’ That Aren’t as Necessary as You Think

One of my biggest pet peeves is entering a cramped foyer in the winter and stepping on melted snow with my sock feet. A disorganized entrance can be a bit of a nightmare – especially when there are kids in the equation. But a large front hall closet like the above isn’t always essential. Instead, claim vertical wall space! Organized rows of wall hooks, baskets on shelves and shallow shoe storage can do wonders to restore order to your entrance.

Microwaves work by generating radio waves that vibrate the water molecules in our food. These vibrations are what heat up our meals. Since the human body is made up of about 60 per cent water, it makes you think twice about standing in front of a radio-wave metal box. If the concept of microwaving your food gives you the heebie-jeebies, you may want to stick to traditional stove top or oven methods.

I grew up in a family of nine without a dishwasher, and my mom did a lot of dishes by hand. A couple of things come to mind here: Why did my mom do all of the dishes? And maybe the appliance isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I mean, you have to rinse before loading, and then there’s the inevitable “re-load” after everyone has jammed their dishes in the wrong configuration. Are we really saving time, or is the sudsy left sink worth another run? Whatever the case, it’s clear everyone in the house should be pitching in on dishes – not just mom.

As a handy fellow, I make good use out of a laundry sink, but never for laundry. In a recent project we made the decision to lose the laundry sink in order to open up a main-floor layout. Sometimes the aesthetics of a space outweighs the convenience, and the average household can get by without a laundry sink by using the bathtub.

Electric dryers are one of the main energy-consuming appliances in a home. While the convenience of a clothes dryer is undeniable, there are still a few cons that may have you thinking twice about running the next cycle: Dryers can cause house fires. Dryers require energy and money. Dryers shrink clothes. Dryers reduce the life of your clothes. Luckily, most clothes air-dry in 12 hours or less. Then there is the 100 per cent cost savings of using a clothes line or drying rack.

I’m not about to pretend I don’t love the luxury of air conditioning, but it’s not always available for budgetary reasons and space restrictions. Air-cons can completely spoil the curb appeal of your home. And in our extreme Canadian climate, the number of uncomfortably hot days a year could likely be counted on one hand. If you’re living without cool air or simply want to reduce your carbon footprint, here are a few tips: Place a bowl of ice below a fan so the frosty air circulates inside, choose breathable cotton sheets and aim the fan towards the window to blow hot air out of the room.

A main-floor powder room is a must for many homeowners. I’m afraid there’s no quick fix if your space doesn’t have one… but there are workarounds. If square footage is the issue, there are some ingenious toilet-sink combos. The supply line to the sink is fresh, clean water that drains into the back of the toilet for the next flush, which saves water and space. When all else fails, the exercise up the stairs to the loo isn’t so bad.

I’ve got to draw the line at java… Coffee gets me up in the morning, and I would sincerely miss my coffee maker every day if it wasn’t there. I suppose one could use a French press to conserve energy consumption, but I’m picking my battles on this one, and the coffee maker stays.