Sometimes, people take “thinking outside the box” to a whole new—and sometimes completely ridiculous—level. Whether it’s wildly creative solutions or downrighthilarious fails, these moments prove that ingenuity can sometimes go a bit too far. You can’t help but laugh while wondering, “What were they even thinking?”From using objects in the most unexpected ways to creating situations that defy logic, these “not the right way” moments are equal parts funny andbaffling. Keep scrolling for a collection of the most bizarre and entertaining examples sharedonline—you might even find a favorite!This post may includeaffiliate links.
Sometimes, people take “thinking outside the box” to a whole new—and sometimes completely ridiculous—level. Whether it’s wildly creative solutions or downrighthilarious fails, these moments prove that ingenuity can sometimes go a bit too far. You can’t help but laugh while wondering, “What were they even thinking?”
From using objects in the most unexpected ways to creating situations that defy logic, these “not the right way” moments are equal parts funny andbaffling. Keep scrolling for a collection of the most bizarre and entertaining examples sharedonline—you might even find a favorite!
This post may includeaffiliate links.
I had a coat that I absolutely loved for over a decade. I would always say I loved everything about this coat except it didn’t have a hood. Its an army inspired style coat, so when I met this cute new guy he said he used to have one just liked it and loved it too. I asked him if it not having a hood was his only complaint about it too. He looked at me funny, took my coat, flipped the colar down to reveal a zipper. He unzipped it and pulled out a perfectly pristine hood that now sat attached this decade old worn down jacket. My jaw dropped. And I married that guy.
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I went to a garage sale and saw a pretty current model of Hoover upright vacuum for $5. I asked if I could plug it in. Sure, but it doesn’t pick up dirt was the seller’s answer.Motor was great so I got it. And took it home to change the bag (stuffed as full as a sausage), replace the belt (broken, natch) and slice the hair packed on the brush. Really disgusting but $5!! For a virtually new vacuum!They did zero maintenance and just bought a new vacuum instead.
We’ve all been there—making mistakes because we were trying something for the first time, didn’t have all the information, or maybe just had an off day. But let’s be honest, sometimes errors happen simply because we’re being a little… let’s call it “creative.”Luckily, many complicated things in life—likeappliancesorgadgets—come with manuals or instructions to guide us. And if you’re still stumped, there’s almost always a video tutorial on YouTube to help. But when people skip the instructions entirely and decide to wing it, the results can range from mildly frustrating to downright hilarious.
We’ve all been there—making mistakes because we were trying something for the first time, didn’t have all the information, or maybe just had an off day. But let’s be honest, sometimes errors happen simply because we’re being a little… let’s call it “creative.”
Luckily, many complicated things in life—likeappliancesorgadgets—come with manuals or instructions to guide us. And if you’re still stumped, there’s almost always a video tutorial on YouTube to help. But when people skip the instructions entirely and decide to wing it, the results can range from mildly frustrating to downright hilarious.
I overheard a conversation at work, someone was talking about how their sister found a strange plastic thing inside their dishwasher and just threw it away. For years afterward she didn’t understand why her dishwasher was working so poorly. The thing she threw away was the spinny arm thing that sprays the water.So remember: no matter how dumb you feel, there is always someone dumber.
It gets worse. When I was 22, I was sharing with a girl who used to do the smallest wash loads. We’re speaking 2 socks and a blouse kinda thing.Where I live, you don’t pay for water (at least not directly). When I confronted her she claimed that it doesn’t matter cause Water is free. I said well okay, but no, but also what about the electricity?With a serious expression she said: “electricity? Wtf are you talking about? Washing machines run on water.”I moved out a few weeks after.
To get a better understanding of theimportanceof instruction manuals, we spoke with Piyush Jain, a professional manual writer who has created guides for a variety of products.“We try to make instructions as easy to follow as possible,” he explains. “It’s all about simplifying complex tasks for users.”
To get a better understanding of theimportanceof instruction manuals, we spoke with Piyush Jain, a professional manual writer who has created guides for a variety of products.
“We try to make instructions as easy to follow as possible,” he explains. “It’s all about simplifying complex tasks for users.”
Not me, but my brother once complained to me that all toasters are c**p because after a few months they always smell like burning toast even though the toast wasn’t burnt.He looked at me with the blankest expression I’ve ever seen when asked how often he empties the crumb tray at the bottom.
I had a cousin in her thirties who didn’t know how to boil eggs. She complained that no matter how long she boiled them (up to an hour), they never got “soft.” Turns out, she didn’t know you had to peel them after you boil them. She threw away two whole cartons of eggs because the shells weren’t boiling off of them.
I have a confession. I was at my sister’s house a while back and while we’re talking she’s getting ready to put some biscuits in the oven so she grabs a brand new box of aluminum foil out of the pantry and pushes her thumb into both sides of the aluminum foil box. I ask her why she poked holes in the box and she looks at me weird then tells me it’s so the aluminum roll stays in place when you’re grabbing a sheet. I have been fighting with my aluminum foil for all of my adult life and never knew that there were tabs on the side that you punch in to lock the roll in place.
Piyush shares that companies often have veryspecific requirementsfor what they want included in a manual. “They might want us to cover a lot of ground—from basic setup to advanced troubleshooting—while still keeping the guide user-friendly,” he says.
My lawnmower just died once and I couldn’t pull the cord out to start up the motor. It was jammed. I thought it was an oil or motor issue and I’d have to get a new one or a service.I was talking to my friend and she casually mentioned that she swept hers down and cleaned the grass out every time it went back in the garage.I got on my hands and knees and reached underneath to feel around the blades and there was thick layers of grass that were hardened like concrete caked around the blades.I ripped them all off and lo and behold I could pull the cord out and the mower started again.I was so happy.
I got a free office size printer because it was broken. I asked to take it and see if I could get it to work. They said sure because they had ordered a new one already. I asked what the problem was and the said it wouldn’t pull the paper in. I get it home and it was tray 2 that wouldn’t be work. I asked if they had tried tray 1. They looked at me funny. Still use it 5 years later.
Not my personal “living a lie” moment but, like others have shared here, that of an acquaintance which I got to witness…many years ago a coworker and I drove to an afternoon event about 90 minutes away. We met at her place, and she drove us down in her car–some kind of newer model Toyota or Nissan or something.On the way back–in the evening–she asked me to drive us back because she was tired. About 20 minutes in, during a lull in conversation, I noticed the windshield had gotten pretty dirty so I used the wiper lever to spray down the windshield and wipe it clean.It took several tries and, after she had watched it spray and wipe for a moment, my coworker screamed “WHAT’S THAT?!” in a very confused voice.Me, confused: “What’s what?“Coworker: “That water! Where’s it coming from?!“Me: “You mean this?” [Pulls wiper lever again]Coworker: “YES! WHAT IS THAT? HOW DID YOU DO THAT?“Me: “That’s…wiper fluid. You pull the lever here to clean the windshield”.Coworker: “Oh my god! I had no idea!“Me: “…“I guess it’s conceivable that she had somehow never ever used her windshield wiper fluid before–let alone refilled it, because why would you think about refilling something that doesn’t exist in your reality?But still…
Despite these challenges, Piyush and his team strive to create manuals that are clear andhelpful. “It’s not just about instructions—it’s about making sure people feel confident and supported when using a product,” he adds.
My wife thought dishwashers filled ALL the way up with water. I blew her mind when I opened it while it was running & put in a fork. Lol.
I dated a guy (a science teacher!) who thought all you needed to wash clothes was the fabric softener. I like to think I helped him suddenly seem much cleaner.
I have a mate that spent 5+ years holding the trigger on the gas pump the entire time he was pumping. When I showed him the lock and explained that it will shut off when the car is full, his facial expression was priceless. Like a man who just found an entire world inside his own house.
Safetyis another crucial aspect of writing manuals, according to Piyush. “We have to think about all the ways someone could potentially misuse a product and ensure those scenarios are addressed in the guide. It’s not just about convenience; it’s about keeping people safe.”
My friends girlfriend used to pre-heat the microwave like you would an oven.
58M.In 2018 I bought a 2yo Mazda 6 with remote keyless entry. Before that, all of my cars had keyless entry but a keyhole to open the door manually from outside the car. The 6 had no keyholes in the door but a button on the outside of the handle. I had no idea that you could remote lock/unlock one/all door(s) with a push of the button on the handle. So I constantly used the remote. Worse, the 6 would lock all the doors the moment you shut one. So I was dating this woman at the time and I’d hold the door open for her, she’d get in, I’d shut the door and they would all lock. I’d go around to my (driver’s) door and fish out my keys, look for the unlock button and unlock my doors to get in. Every time. When I ended things after about 6 months, one of the last things she told me was something like, “By the way, there’s a button on your car door handle to unlock the doors.” She knew.
I waited in a drive thru for ten minutes before I realized I was actually just behind a parked car.
I just figured out you can keep your phone on silent mode and your alarm still works. This way every random notification from texts or otherwise won’t wake you up in the middle of the night.For years I’d be sleeping and get a text or whatever and wake up for no urgent reason.
Even with detailed manuals, though, people sometimes choose to skip reading them altogether. Whether it’s out of impatience or overconfidence, this often leads to mistakes that are both entertaining and baffling.Fromassembling furniturewith pieces upside down to loading a dishwasher in the most creative (but ineffective) ways possible, it’s amazing how many things can go wrong when instructions are ignored. And let’s be honest, these moments often end up being the funniest stories to share.
Even with detailed manuals, though, people sometimes choose to skip reading them altogether. Whether it’s out of impatience or overconfidence, this often leads to mistakes that are both entertaining and baffling.
Fromassembling furniturewith pieces upside down to loading a dishwasher in the most creative (but ineffective) ways possible, it’s amazing how many things can go wrong when instructions are ignored. And let’s be honest, these moments often end up being the funniest stories to share.
Hey, I met a woman recently who thought double-tying one’s shoes to stop the laces from untying meant making 2 single-tie sets of bows. She’d tie the first time normally, then use the loose ends to do the same again. I showed her how to tie the first set of bows together for the second tie. She’s in her 60s and was stunned.She’s not stupid (nor are you). Sometimes we just miss the common knowledge, for whatever reason, and we don’t even know we missed it.
It’s like learning your stove has a slot in the door to clean the inside of the window….Reyalta:… awhat now
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I lost a necklace that I absolutely loved.Found it two years later in the washing machine water trap. I watched an insta reel on how often you’re supposed to open that thing and empty the debris. I was shook.Miracle.Life lesson learned.
At the end of the day, manuals exist for a reason—to save time, avoid headaches, and prevent costly mistakes. But let’s face it, when people choose to ignore them, the results can be downright entertaining.Whether it’s a backwards piece of furniture or an overly inventive use of a household appliance, these moments remind us of the value of a good set of instructions—and the hilarity of doing it wrong.
At the end of the day, manuals exist for a reason—to save time, avoid headaches, and prevent costly mistakes. But let’s face it, when people choose to ignore them, the results can be downright entertaining.
Whether it’s a backwards piece of furniture or an overly inventive use of a household appliance, these moments remind us of the value of a good set of instructions—and the hilarity of doing it wrong.
I just learned that Epsom Salts is not salt. It did not taste good. I’m 32.
I used to think a lint roller was a one time use thing. I had no idea you could pull off the tape for a fresh roll underneath.
A roommate once commented, “man, my car seems sluggish.” Me: when the last time you changed the oil?” Roommate: “you have to change the oil?” Four year old car that they put a ton of miles on. Apparently the oil kind of oozed out and (according to them) mechanic may have needed some compressed air. Car did run better 😂.
So, the next time you’re tempted to skip the manual, maybe think twice—or don’t, and give us all a laugh instead! Have you ever had a moment where ignoring the instructions led to a hilarious disaster? Let us know your stories!
My best friend was complaining about how inconvenient it is to store tongs in the drawer. Until I showed her that you can pull the tab at the end and they stay closed. She is a very smart person, but this was just one of those things I guess nobody showed her because it’s assumed everyone knows 🤣 I blew her mind that day and she went to her husband saying “DID YOU KNOW…?!?” and he looked at her like she was nuts lol.
Roughly 4 years ago, my wife was living with her brother to help cover rent after his ex-gf moved out. One day, she asked if she should get more of the same brand of dish packs. He says, “Not sure. They clean well, but THEY’RE SO HARD TO PEEL OPEN.“He was peeling open the pack and sprinkling the contents into the dishwasher for months!
I used to work in a boarding school, one of the common rooms had a dishwasher that staff were allowed to run. Once I went to run it and found multiple tablets still in the silver wrapping at the bottom of the dishwasher.
FYI, you should scrape the pasta off the plate before putting it in the dishwasher. Solid chunks of food aren’t magically evaporating in there.
I had a friend who thought her Dyson vacuum was terrible cuz it kept cutting out. Told her to wash the filter… vacuum works like a charm now 😂.
When I was 30, I learned that I had been tying my shoelaces the wrong way my whole life. I thought that retying your laces a couple times a day was normal (it’s not like I was retying them 10 times a day).Then I stumbled upon this website and realized I was tying my laces wrong. The author estimates half of people do as well, and are completely unaware.https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/grannyknot.htmEdit: After tying shoelaces the proper way, with laces that hold well, I can go weeks without retying them (I often tie them loose and slip my shoes on).Edit: If the flowchart confuses you, here’s a simpler one:1. Do your laces come undone at least once a day?2. Does your knot look “ugly” with loops oriented vertically (up/down)?If you answered Yes to either of them, you are probably tying the incorrect Granny Knot.
Refillable lighters often need to be decompressed before you can refill them. I’d thrown away so many “broken” lighters before I saw a lady at a cigar shop refill one.
The recent discovery of the citrus zesting tool has rocked my world. I’m nearly 60.
If it makes you feel better I knew a woman who thought lasagna noodles didn’t need to be boiled. So she couldn’t figure out why her lasagna never turned out right lol.
I just found out yesterday I’ve spent the last 2 years dumping liquid fabric softener into the bleach compartment and not realizing it. There hasn’t been issues with the washer yet, but I never run the bleach cycle because we don’t bleach anything, so I wonder if there is 2 years worth of liquid softener just sitting in my washer somewhere.
I lost reverse in my car for about six months because I forgot it was top left and thought it was broken.
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