British Couple Reacts to AMERICAN HOUSE FEATURES THAT CONFUSE FOREIGNERS!

[@gacaptain]

When I grew up in the South US it was very common to have a fancy living room that was only used to entertain guests but there would be a separate family room or den that we would hang out in and watch tv.

[@williamjordan5554]

I think the modern standard is no separation between those 2 rooms.

[@QuantumG432]

We have three living rooms. There is one for the grand mothers and ladies. One for the guys and football games which is the biggest room. One for the kids and their friends which is a movie and video game room. It separates everyone perfectly.

[@mortikarobinette5381]

My grandmother has a formal living room that nobody is allowed into. (Tennessee)

[@JustMe-gn6yf]

The formal dining room is either going away or shrinking and home offices are taking their place

[@cinb3448]

Yep, my grandmother had a living room we were never allowed in.

[@mschenandlerbong8539]

9:22 is funny that he says newer homes have wall to wall carpet but older ones have wood floors. We've come full circle and the NEWER newer homes do not have wall to wall carpet. Usually just in the bedrooms. Wood floors, LVP on the main floors.

[@Harrison244]

The abandoned dinning room is such a thing hahaha. We had a big one in one room we never touched except on holidays - otherwise we ate at a smaller table in the kitchen

[@michaelschemlab]

Same here

[@fluffylittlebear]

I haven't sat at my table in 2 years.

[@KevinBenecke]

Same here. We also have a special set of dishes that only come out on holidays or special occasions.

[@bigd7481]

@@KevinBenecke Haha same here. Mom's nice china came out for the holidays.

[@Bobonion]

i’m in the midwest and same. the table a few feet away from the kitchen is the one everyone eats at, the formal dining room no one uses.

[@blackbenetavo7715]

fyi for the toilet graphic they showed... I have not once, in my entire life in the US, seen that open-front seat on anything other than a public toilet. Every single home toilet you see has the full seat.

[@evelynporter6349]

We use the dining room for Sunday dinners, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Also great for a buffet during a party.

[@stephanies1474]

I just use mine every day.

[@TCW838]

Wall to wall carpeting used to be a thing. since the early 2000s more people have gone to tile and wood floors for both new home and remodeling projects. Also, stoves being gas or electric I think is a regional thing. Where I live in the southwest, gas is much more common and most people prefers cooking on gas. It is easier to control the cooking temperature on a gas atove.

[@melissajackson4173]

I agree with all.. nobody here (I live currently in SC/NC) wants carpet in their home. I personally love a gas stove, but most places have electric. You get more flavor….maybe that’s a misconception on my part.

[@Cricket2731]

When my parents bought a new house in 1968, there was a moratorium on installing gas service. So our stove was electric. I hated it!!!

[@suzannekosic4088]

I had the pleasure to have a stove the had 4 electric and two gas burners. We have since moved and I miss the stove greatly.

[@TCW838]

@@Cricket2731 We just replaced the electric stove in our new house with a gas stove. My wife was not about to deal with an electric stove and my skills end at the microwave.

[@TheGreeneBead]

It's super common in the upper midwest, too. Not as much in Delaware.

[@l30penguin]

Honestly in a lot of places in the US the AC is on all the time in the summer because in most places of the touching 48 states, opening a window will just make it 10-20 degrees hotter than just leaving them closed xD

[@gacaptain]

Definitely the case where I live in Georgia right now. I went to sleep last night and it was still hot outside. Woke up this morning and it was still muggy and uncomfortably warm out. Leaving the window open would have only invited mosquitos in and made it too warm for me to sleep well.

[@triciaw8953]

Absolutely! The humidity is horrendous and makes sleeping impossible.

[@rebeckadraws]

THATS WHAT IM SAYING XD Like I live in AL, almost Florida & it’s just a thick soup of humidity, with no air flow if I open a window.

[@l30penguin]

@@rebeckadraws I live in FL xD no way that window is opening any time of the day it's always above room temp

[@G-grandma_Army]

Yes Sunday it will be 105° (40.56 C) here in my part of Texas. AC is a must because we are acclimated to it. Just toooooo hot. AND I live near the Gulf, (but not close enough for the breezes) so add humidity to that!

[@theoriginalbalo]

No tea kettles? Why? We like our beer ice cold. Our coffee hot. And our tea in the harbor! Lol

[@aspidistraeliator]

About the AC, right now it is 104°f with a feel of 109°f, so yes we run the AC. And when winter is below freezing one prefers central heat.

[@Antonio-wh3oq]

This is generally true but I’ve honestly also had several family members (and even roommates while I was dorming in college) crank up the AC **in the middle of the winter** and just kept everything cold all the time; it was like living in a fridge and often completely defeated the point of central heating. Why anyone would want to turn on the AC in NYC in late January is beyond me, but I had many “temperature battles” with each of the people I referenced and we had to have weird compromises for temperature regulation when different people would be occupying the room. New York’s MTA is also like that when they start blasting the AC on trains in the dead of winter - sometimes you’d swear there’s a raging heat wave happening outside. Some people just like it cold.

[@kassieboyd6870]

No ones house i have ever been to has a kettle. It has also been over 100 degrees for like 60 days now, never drink a hot beverage. All drinks kept ice cold. Lol

[@Brandon-sw5ob]

The toilet seat thing that's only in public toilets that you see the the Gap if you will in the toilet seat I do not have a gap in my toilet seat at home it is a solid donut with a lid LOL

[@YeoYeo32]

Nobodies toilet fills all the way up to the rim with water. About halfway up the bowl yes, but if the water line is higher than that, it means it’s time to get out the plunger cuz something is stuck in the pipe

[@manxkin]

My house is a modest 1929 bungalow. Two bedrooms, one bathroom, no pantry, no wall to wall carpet (hardwood floors throughout), unfinished basement (where the washer and drier reside), air conditioning (used sparingly as needed, running now), I always take my shoes off, no electric kettle, I don’t have a garbage disposal, my American flag is flying right now, my yard is small and mostly planted with perennials (very little grass). Anyway, the houses come in all shapes and sizes.

[@thejohnbeck]

Kit house?

[@DavidBrown-yd9le]

Omg get out of my house! Lol

[@kevinwallis2194]

mines like that as well. Mines 5 bedroom 3 bath 1920 craftsman/farmhouse at 2800 sq ft.. The best thing about having an old house is filling it up with old stuff. I even use a 1956 pink stove. Im a clock person so every room has at least 3 clocks.

[@manxkin]

@@DavidBrown-yd9le Hah! My sister’s house was just like mine too (same neighborhood) only reversed. My nephew now owns it. The three main rooms ie. dining room, living room and front room are separated by arches instead of walls. So essentially one big space with only the arches defining the spaces.

[@manxkin]

@@thejohnbeck Not sure but there are a lot of bungalows in my neighborhood with the same basic floor plan. All built in the late 1920s.

[@cmfdrama2]

In regards to the sockets in the U.S., there are socket covers you can put on to keep kids from sticking objects into them.

[@hillofbeans2692]

Growing up, I knew plenty of people in the USA who always asked people to remove their shoes before entering their homes. I currently do not have a garbage disposal. I do have a pantry and my house is mainly tiled because of pets. I like tile better than carpet. It's easier to keep clean. Also, my home toilet's (we have two bathrooms) only fill up to the halfway mark. As for the dinning room table, we use it every day. It's a good place to have dinner with your family and catch up on everyone's daily lives.

[@onederb71nln83]

You sound Asian American I say this as an Asian American.

[@chickie3376]

I think more families should eat at the dining room or kitchen table. We’ve lost our “connection” to each other always eating on the fly or staring at the tv. Even I need to take my own advice, my husband and I probably sit in front of the tv 70% of the time, but every time we sit at the table, we end up saying we should sit at the table more often.

[@saraheart2804]

I have never been asked to take my shoes off in an American home.

[@Justin_W]

Toilets in the U.S., from what I've seen are filled about half-way, but more recently, low-flow toilets have become more popular as well as half-flush types. As a family, we ALWAYS ate in the dining room. But when it's just one or two, pretty often it's in front of the TV. Exceptions might be when we have pizza. We'll have that while watching TV or a movie or some event.

[@jamesmorozov5594]

The look on Millie's face during the toilet water level segment had me laughing! 🤣

[@ronclark9724]

The American higher water level reduces stinky smells, and makes it easier to use a plunger when the porcelain throne does clog... I have never had a problem with the toilet overflowing. Just don't flush again until the clog is removed by the plunger and the water drains.

[@runrafarunthebestintheworld]

@@ronclark9724 Yeah I've never seen that either. I've only seen those wall Toliet's overflowing at School and many other places. Seems like those overflow very easily.

[@Skulllywag]

The high level of water in our toilets is crucial in fighting unsightly skid marks. It also makes it easier for our dogs to drink from them. Fun toilet fact: In America, bowl-winders curl clockwise, and in Australia they curl counterclockwise....all other countries do not eat enough meat to accomplish a true bowl-winder.

[@awelch31]

@@ronclark9724 American plumbing makes clogs far less likely. That’s probably their reason for confusion. You’re right, not much of an issue over here. And it’s funny, she’s like “as long as you do this, and this, it’s fine.” 😂😂

[@mpound97]

@@awelch31 Exactly. With the water level where it is in the states, all that "and this and this and this" is unnecessary. If they lived over here, they'd understand 😂. When i see low water levels in a toilet, I think of stinky rest stops and gas station bathrooms...🤢

[@hannahfindley7739]

A lot of these are really misleading, because in my experience, every city has a really varied mix of old and new homes, it just depends on the neighborhood. Like the house I'm in now was built in the late 50s, it's only one story, no walk in closets, no pantry (only cupboards), no dining room, and it was carpeted throughout, but we changed it to wood floors, and we only have one smoke detector.

[@tracyperez1755]

But every bedroom has a closet of some sort. I think in older homes, like in Europe, they don't have built in closets like we do, they have a piece of furniture called a wardrobe, that they hang clothes in.

[@gacaptain]

In Georgia US. I live in a house built in the 40’s or 50’s . It’s 2 bedroom with built in closets in almost every room in the house and there are wood floors. We had a sink garbage disposal but it broke and we rarely used it so didn’t replace it. We have central AC that we thank god for in this oppressive Georgia July heat. It stays on most the time. A utility room with large separate washer and dryer. Plenty of grass to cut and in my town if you let it get too overgrown they will cut it and send you a very pricey bill.

[@hannahfindley7739]

@@gacaptain we never had a garbage disposal in our sink. I have mixed feelings about those, anyway; on one hand, yeah they are convenient, but they also clog easily, and if any food gets trapped in there, it starts to smell really bad. I feel ya on the ac running all the time though. I'm in west texas, and we see triple digits regularly. And we only really get maybe 3 or 4 weeks of true winter weather before it starts warming up again. Our city is similar with the lawns, but if it gets too overgrown, instead of someone cutting it for you, you just get a fine in the mailbox, and and still have to cut it yourself

[@laurafernandez8281]

Our house was built in the 30s and we have built in closets hardwood flooring and was renovated once in the mid 60s the kitchen appliances plus the fireplace was removed Our house is 937 square feet

[@gahbah274]

@@hannahfindley7739 Wow, I've never heard of people getting fined for their lawn! That's absurd! Is it in an HOA?

[@dominiccangelosi1876]

In some houses in the US, we have a room called mud rooms, which is basically a room to wipe off your shoes and do laundry. I have a walk-closet and pantry, which all houses I assume have in the neighborhoods around me, so there pretty common.

[@williamjordan5554]

I'm American and have never heard of a mud room. Nor seen one.

[@creinicke1000]

My impression of mud rooms were they were the small room when coming in from garage.. where the boots, coats, gloves, hats would be taken off.. aka why called mud room. When I was younger my grandma had a main front door. Then a second frondoor Inside of that. It served to keep the below zero temperature out of the main living room entrance.

[@darkjedi74]

@@williamjordan5554 I grew up in Iowa, and lived in Alaska for four years. Mud rooms are fairly common in both places, and throughout the upper Midwest. Like C Reinicke said, it keeps the sub-zero temps out, while providing a place to keep boots, heavy winter coats, gloves, etc. as well as a pantry of sorts to keep certain foods cool, but not necessarily frozen.

[@creinicke1000]

@@williamjordan5554 where did you live? In WI and other snowy muddy areas it was a must.

[@willcool713]

We called it a utility room, and we had the extra freezer, the water heater, and the washer and dryer in there. It was first off the garage, and that was where we stripped down if we were muddy or greasy or otherwise unfit for the house. Kept boots there, too. The water heater was in a small closet. The room connected the garage to the house, off the kitchen, behind the breakfast nook and kitchen table. Come in, throw your work clothes in the laundry, wrap a towel around yourself, and head for a shower. And that's the Gulf Coast, so they're all over.

[@TE5LA-GAMING]

When it is 104 degrees (40 C) like it is right now, yes, we like our air conditioning. We have central air, ceiling fans in all rooms, and window air conditioners in the bedrooms.

[@aspidistraeliator]

Ok about the carpets. The majority of new builds, and remodels get rid of that carpet. Also the toilets depend, we purposefully bought taller toilets because taller hubby, and I have RA so taller is easier to get off of. And the amount of water in the bowl depends on if you have a water saver toilet or not.

[@evelynporter6349]

I love my hardwood floors after decades with wall to wall carpet. The constant vacuuming and shampooing the carpet. I vacuum and Bona damp mop and I’m done. The belief also is that carpet breeds allergens for asthma and other respiratory distress. When we were stationed in Stuttgart, Germany the housing had lovely parquet flooring. The Germans do amazing things with wood.

[@ronclark9724]

Many seniors with mobility issues install a taller toilet as its easier to stand up with a higher toilet or chair....

[@jasonmiller6136]

I'm 6'3 and hate tall toilets even my knee is shot and cracks every time I get up and down. I'm just so used to the short ones

[@mortikarobinette5381]

I miss our hardwood floors at our old home. We moved to an apartment and it's all carpet. It doesn't matter how much you vacuum it's never really clean.

[@FEARNoMore]

Yeah, I haven't seen a permanent carpet in a newer house in a while. Hardwood floors have become more common here in California that I've noticed.

[@GreenBeamzzz]

I never heard that not having a tea kettle is weird lol many people in the US don’t even know what that is

[@moemoe211]

In my experience here in the states, tile everywhere in a house tend to be a southern thing. It gets really hot here in some states.

[@DaleyWhaley91]

Yeah like down here where I live in Alabama lol. Also, better have a screen or the bugs will eat you alive 😂 😩

[@moemoe211]

@@DaleyWhaley91 I live in Missouri and we get pretty muggy here with the humidity.

[@zuzax1656]

The reason that people will put washing machines in the bathroom or kitchen is just for practicality. The plumbing and sewer are usually in what is called a 'wet wall'. So, for ease of access to the water and drains, the washer would be put in an area near a wet wall. Usually only the bathroom and kitchen have or share a wet wall, but some houses may have multiple wet walls, such as for a guest bathroom or a 'mudroom'.

[@jerry-leehanson3380]

As both Canadian and American, this rule is different in different places....our place is a farm, and the dogs don't take off their shoes, so just keep em on

[@gacaptain]

I live in Georgia US and I never even consider taking my shoes off before entering a house. Here in the South a lot of country people will walk around bare footed outside any way so no shoes to take off when that happens. 😂

[@JustMe-gn6yf]

Homes differ by regions, house's in Florida look different than the home's in Maine or Arizona because of climate and available resources

[@tammyparsons5656]

That's exactly what I was gonna say. I have dogs and I don't clean their feet everytime they go outside so just were your shoes in my house, I will just mop the floors later. 😊

[@FEARNoMore]

Yeah, I grew up in California from San Diego to Los Angeles to San Fran & I've only noticed my Asian friends families have guests take their shoes off. Everyone else it was normal to walk in with shoes on unless it had mud, poop or was wet. lol

[@runrafarunthebestintheworld]

@@FEARNoMore yeah Asian families are pretty have guests take off the shoes because part of there culture.

[@mikecoughlin4128]

I’ve heard the “finger in a socket” comment for decades. When the last time anyone actually did that? The slots are too small for a literal finger for starters.

[@MrPenguinLife]

Not the most accurate, very dated in places, current house average is closer 2,300 sq ft, and wall to wall carpet has not been widely used in most houses in 20 years.

[@SarahSquarah]

This 👍🏻

[@TheGreeneBead]

And walk-in closets are definitely not normal. My partner and I live in a 1925 home, and he has to utilize the 2nd bedroom in order for his clothes and dresser to fit. We don't have that much when it comes to our wardrobes either. And the bedrooms are quite small (the master is only 10x10 and the 2nd bed is 7.5x10). We only have a full sized bed, and with the layout of the room, we can't get a bigger bed, and it has to only be in one space- otherwise it blocks the doorway, the closet, and the heater The majority of the space in our home is the dining room and living room. Also our house doesn't have carpet. Only 4 of the 18 places I've ever lived (yes, I've moved a lot 😅) in that had wall to wall carpet, and 3 of those had hardwood under the carpet.

[@sunniertimer598]

I can't say that for my area, though it is a mixture of 2,000 sq. ft and less.

[@lancelavallee8487]

Agree, most home owners are getting rid of carpets. Generally only bedrooms have them and even then it's rare. Exception is rental properties. As the carpet dampens noise between upper and lower units.

[@alexiscausleywaabagiizhigo8606]

Toilets don't overflow when clogged unless you flush it again when the waters at the top..

[@l30penguin]

The toilets aren't really at the top, they are just a lot higher than others. They are higher than just the hole. So when it does rise, sometimes it does reach the top, but it has quite a ways a to go to get there :)

[@andreamaronn4510]

Millie, we have socket covers that we used in the US when there are small children living in the home. Basically just plastic with prongs that you put in the sockets so your kids can't put their fingers - or anything else into those live electrical sockets. Just another one of those "child-proofing" things you do here, like baby gates and cabinet locks. 🙂

[@williamoneal4112]

Personally I prefer wooden floors for their looks. They just make a house feel warm and welcoming. Plus you can polish them and slide around in your socks

[@JustMe-gn6yf]

Only original hardwood floors not the fake stuff, I have over 30 years experience in the installation,sand and finish, repair and restoration and a properly installed and maintained hardwood floor will outlast the homeowner, I've made 100 plus year old floors look brand new with a Sand and finish

[@JustMe-gn6yf]

@@Newramsin they were the normal in most states before the 1960s and fell out of favor because wax finish was harder to maintain and homeowners covered them with carpet and linoleum, I've restored hundreds of wood floors in the last 35 years since different finishes have come along and what's funny is wax finish is making a comeback

[@davedammitt7691]

@@JustMe-gn6yf engineered hardwood floors are far superior to single plank hardwood floors. They don't swell, they don't shrink and they can be refinished up to three times.

[@JustMe-gn6yf]

@@davedammitt7691 whatever you believe but I won't be around in a hundred years to see if that fake stuff will hold up but I've rarely worked with that stuff over the last 35 years and I prefer real hardwood floors and I know all about expansion and contraction and how different climates affect different woods, I've only installed engineered stuff in a couple dozen homes and a dozen bowling alleys but I prefer real hardwood floors I've installed sand and finished over a million square feet in my 35 years in the profession everything from house's, bowling alleys, skating rinks gymnasiums, dance floors warehouses and more

[@JustMe-gn6yf]

@Flower Power it's made from petroleum products and other toxic chemicals and collects dirt dust dead skin and mold to name a few

[@marycarla6245]

One thing they did not mention screens on windows. I have never seen a screen on a window while traveling in Europe. That is the weirdest one to me because they have bugs too And I’m guessing they don’t like them in their house anymore than we do.

[@captainbryce1]

We do have Capri Sun here, but we pronounce it differently. We say "Kah-pree" (as in the short trousers). Also, we only use the dining room when there are guests over for dinner (which is extremely rare).

[@BigOleMatty]

dining room in my house has become the dog room its used so little haha

[@ronclark9724]

@@BigOleMatty My dining room has turned into an office for my computer...

[@rukus9585]

*cuh-pree

[@randomrebekah8526]

Some of these details are a bit glamorized. From my experience, finished basements, and homes that are 2700 sqft are not the usual. That to me always seemed to be a symbol of wealth growing up. We always had basements, but they were not finished with nice walls, capets, and TVs. They were concrete floors, kinda dark, musty, and the laundry was down there. But yes, we do watch TV while we eat.

[@davideasterling2729]

I've had an electric kettle in my kitchen ever since I learned of their existence here in the US. I use it almost every day for a variety of applications,

[@Quarton]

@David Easterling - Yep! Me, too! I love my electric kettle - I drink a lot of hot tea. But, it comes in handy for a load of uses around the house.

[@thistlesandpoppies]

I love my electric kettle. So much more relaxing to use. If you use a whistling kettle on the stove, you have to run every time it whistles. Yesterday, here in California, it was in the 90’s, definitely had my A/C on…..well, at least until we lost power. Loosing power on a regular basis has become a thing. Like we are now a third world. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@chadro_g1145]

It's pronounced (Kah -pree) sun. or at least that's how I always heard it in the commercials.

[@dominiccangelosi1876]

The dining room does come in handy on holidays here.

[@dorisbell7944]

LOL the dining room is the the place now for kitty's cat food bowl and the bird cage. She likes her birds Poco and Blue.

[@michelleparsons6931]

When we were stationed in NC we had a house w/the W/D in the upstairs hallway behind folding doors, that was the best, most convenient location we have ever had it because it was right outside all of the bedrooms where all the laundry comes from. Now our W/D is in the basement and it is a pain to carry the laundry up and down two flights of stairs.

[@ronclark9724]

But washers and dryers are noisy. I do NOT want them anywhere near a bedroom... Keep in mind I worked the third shift printing newspapers...

[@oscarlinebaugh8930]

If you can afford it, get a dumb waiter installed.

[@Pinkfong2]

Some of us do have a tea kettle cause ocassiionally we want tea or a visitor may want tea and we drink tea when we are sick. We hardly have electric kettles because they cost more and we really don’t use tea enough to justify buying. Besides, some of us older generation feel we have to do tea the way we saw the British do it when we were growing up in movies or TV and it’s fun and classier. Younger people heat the water in the mic and if we have a Keurig for coffee, then we have tea and coffee K-cups for the machine. Lots of variations. Hate garbage disposals.

[@behall464]

I went to Ireland and fell in love with their electric kettles. Came home and immediately bought one. . . . not the same! Most homes in the US operate on 100-127 volts, whereas the UK and many other countries use between 220 and 240 volts. The lower voltage in the US means that electric kettles would not heat water as quickly as they do in the UK. Since heating water on the stove with a pan or kettle is as fast as an electric kettle, it saves countertop space to not get the electric kettle.

[@johnbennett1465]

I recently saw a video on the "Technology Connections" channel. He tested it out. Yes it is slower in the US, but a good electric kettle is still much faster than a stove. As a bonus it uses less power. Check the video out if you want the details.

[@socket_error1000]

I think it really depends on the quality of kettle you get. I have an electric kettle (in the US) and it heats a liter of water to a boil in 2 minutes. Many appliances overseas have voltage regulators in them because they don't need the same voltage we use to run our oven and dryer. I first got an electric kettle as an Xmas present for my mom back in 1980 and was amazed how fast it boiled water. That was before we had a microwave so it was really a time saver, lol. Even though I am a coffee drinker I still have one on my counter and any time need boiled water for something that is where I start. It is faster than my stove or microwave. I'll boil it in my kettle and then pour it in the pan on my pasta or in my soup and it's done in a flash.

[@gr8t1bobo]

It also depends on the stove. Alot of the modern stoves have a 90 second water boil time. So it really don't take long to boil water.

[@fluffylittlebear]

My water kettle boils water much faster than my 30 year old stove. 1-2 minutes tops. I like classic "cowboy" style coffee. I put the grinds in a mug, and pour boiling water over the top. Nice, strong, and frothy.

[@alexlail7481]

Standard current coming from the utility into a house in the US is actually 240 volts and is split into 2 legs of 120 volts for typical lighting and outlet use with major appliances using both at 240 volts .... it comes from various historical reasons... Technology connections and Katy loves physics each have video's that cover the different aspects of why and how both are excellent.

[@jasonmistretta4295]

7:30. I agree with James about using the Dining Room. My family uses the Dining Room (with all the nice Decorative Plates & the Crystal Glasses) for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, Thanksgiving, & Easter. Also (probably just my family), we clear the table and use it to have "Game Nights" to play board games about once a month. How about a thumbs up for Catan & Ticket to Ride game nights!

[@sherisimms9213]

We host game nights for friends every week, and everything else you mentioned, plus family gatherings anytime family is visiting from out of town, but we also sit down and eat there almost daily. It’s just a lot of extra table most of the time, because it seats eight, and there are only two of us, but we never watch tv in our living room, and our kitchen is tiny, with no space for a table.

[@debbiephillips601]

Oh yeah! The board game night! I don't know how I forgot about that

[@debcatman9464]

Love Catan & Ticket To Ride

[@RayWhiting]

Kettles! I have a gas stove, and I keep a whistling tea kettle on the stove so I can brew one cup of coffee at a time (drip-through filter cone). The tea kettle lives on the stove, and gets moved around to the back if I need to cook something else.

[@ronclark9724]

The British have electric kettles like electric coffee makers, toasters, or mixers... Me I prefer a electric coffee maker to brew my coffee at 180 degrees Fahrenheit, no where near boiling...

[@mermaid1717]

A lot of American homes are not putting the laundry room on 2nd floor of 2 story houses. This makes SO much sense.. closer to the bulk of all the laundry in a house.. clothes, bedding, bath towels.

[@christianoliver3572]

Capri Sun is from America and I remember when it came out in the early 1980s maybe 83 or 84. It was a big deal and honestly I never really liked them that much. Back then they were allowed to advertise them as healthy 'fruit juice ' but they were as bad for you as a soda. Also guys I'm pretty open minded and a to each his own kinda guy but if there's one area of the house where clothes should be mandatory it's the kitchen!!

[@RayWhiting]

And it is "ka-PREE sun", not "KAP-ree sun". Like Capri pants (no longer in fashion, of course).

[@lilyz2156]

Not American, German. In US since 81.

[@christianoliver3572]

@@lilyz2156 Yeah you right!! I didn't know that. It's good to learn something new every day. I do remember back in the 80s it was distributed or maybe also manufactured by Coke here in the US not Kraft as it is now. Also the one that I liked was some kind of orange drink and one time I screwed up the straw so mom cut it and poured it into a glass and it was perfectly clear. Orange drink should be orange color. It's just wrong if it's not!!

[@lilyz2156]

@@christianoliver3572 LOL, orange and fruit punch were my favorites in elementary school. My straw used to bend at the tip, than goodness for sporks!

[@thesmokypurr]

yupp i grew up with capri suns in the 90s

[@kevinsnell1622]

I grew up with a kettle on the stove. But, now I have an inexpensive plastic kettle on the counter! Love it.

[@johncagnettajr344]

It’s really difficult to get shocked. And it’s 120volts . I have been shocked with 120 , it hurts but not gonna kill you. The plugs in the kitchen and bathrooms have a extra safety breaker as well.

[@FEARNoMore]

Yes, at some point in an American kids life they have put something or something metal in the socket. lol I put a fork in when I was 6 cuz I was told not to. I learned my lesson. haha Yeah & it's virtually impossible to get electrocuted/killed by way of socket. You're correct, a breaker either in the socket or main breaker will go off.

[@johnhaller5851]

Newer sockets also have a tamper resistant shutter which won't open unless both prongs are inserted at the same time. Those outlets are marked TR. But it still won't stop a child from taking their school safety scissors and cutting the cord. That definitely tripped the breaker. It's hard to totally idiotproof electricity, as there is always a bigger (or in this case, shorter) idiot.

[@kclark7067]

@@FEARNoMore Yes, for me it was a bobby pin when I was probably about three years old. lol I don't remember the incident personally, but there were no more stories of me inserting anything into a socket, so I must have learned my lesson. I think the greater lesson should have been aimed at my parents--keep your eyes on toddlers at all times!

[@jonmiguel]

My uncle's house was typical for the 1920's. The connections for the washing machine were in the kitchen because there was already plumbing into that part of the house for the sink. There was only room for the washing machine because clothesline's would have been prevalent in the day. Now there is a mud-room added on which also doubles as the laundry room and where the washing machine used to be in the kitchen is additional full-height cabinetry for use as a pantry.

[@kevinfleming9919]

14 flavors of Capri Sun here in the States, 1:Grape 🍇 2: Strawberry Kiwi🍓🥝 3:Orange 🍊 4: Strawberry 🍓 5: Lemonade🍋 6: Splash Cooler (Grape, Apple, Strawberry, Raspberry) 7: Red Berry (Strawberry and Raspberry) 8: Mountain Cooler (Apple, Raspberry) 9: Surfer Cooler (Pear🍐, Orange 🍊 Pineapple🍍) 10: Wild Cherry 🍒 (a cherry that's rebellious I guess? lol!) 11: Coastal Cooler (Strawberry, Banana🍌) 12: Fruit Punch (Apple, Orange, Cherry, Grape) 13: Tropical Punch (Strawberry, Lime 🫒 , Pineapple, Orange) 14: Pacific Cooler (Grape, Apple, Cherry, Pineapple)

[@howlandent]

Freeze capri sun in the freezer until it is slushy, cut open the top and enjoy!!

[@papamaniac2410]

Thanks for the explanation. Never knew what the different flavors were. Too lazy to read in store. lol

[@AuntNutmeg]

Everyone I know here in the States pronounces it "kuh-PREE sun" instead of "KAP-ree sun" as the Beesleys. 😁 And yes, we've had it for decades. Pretty sure it's been around since the 80s or so?

[@kevinfleming9919]

@@AuntNutmeg Yep me too, sounds just like the Capri pants! 81 in the US and late 60's in Germany as "Capri - Sonne"! They had them banned in our schools because everyone kept poking each other with the sharp straws! lol!

[@jorgejimenez-velez648]

Capri sun is quite common here in many different flavors. Here for me is Central Florida and all houses or apartments I've lived in have walk in pantries and closets.

[@overlordnews4075]

In Australia, we always grew up with a "formal" dining room, and an informal one. We probably used the formal one 3 or four times a year, if that. Plus the alfresco outdoors table. Most Australian households have multiple "dining" areas.

[@jmelande4937]

Here in the US we have multiple dining areas as well. In my house we don’t even use the dining room as a dining room. We made it into a music room with a baby grand. We usually eat in the kitchen at the bar for dinner. We also have a room directly adjacent to the kitchen that we call the breakfast nook with a table with a soft bench in a corner that we eat at in the morning. We also have a nice table that seats ten people at the other end of the kitchen that we use with visitors or for holidays. And we also have full seating options outside to eat at when the weather is nice, especially if we cooked it on the grill or in the outdoor pizza oven. But we also bring meals to the den to watch TV while we eat, so we have trays we can put the food on while we’re in that room.

[@princesslilianza1]

I like how she said safety for the sockets, but wants a garbage disposal... the irony. I'm dying laughing.

[@michaelschemlab]

I don’t have a walk-in pantry. I know only a select few people who have them

[@3DJapan]

My old apartment when I was a kid had separate taps for the bathroom sink. The claw tub had them too but I think I remember an adapter or something that merged them into one for some reason

[@adisario]

The faucet thing was because older English houses did not have sterile hot water storage. Hot water was never to be used for drinking or cooking and so it was kept separate.

[@koreykilburn5303]

The US had separate hot and cold water faucets too. Old school technology before the mixer valve was invented. You can still find older homes in the US with them.

[@crystallynnesmilezz7682]

Washer and dryers I couldn’t live without. In the winters we use them both regularly but in the summers, I hang out laundry. We also use it dining table daily lol

[@MarkCucchiara]

Here in Southern California single handle are considered "builders standard" . Our house has double handles on all sinks and showers as do all higher end new homes.

[@runrafarunthebestintheworld]

Yep same. I've seen the single handle before though. I think that is better to use for a bathroom only.

[@leannsmarie]

I believe the video they watched referred to separate faucets for hot & cold water. Not just the faucet handles. I used to live in Great Britain and the bathroom had a sink with two separate faucets each with their own handle. One at each corner of the bowl nearest the wall. One was hot and one was cold. As the video described, the water didn't mix so you had to move your hands between each of them. Do a search for "British bathroom sink" and view the images to see examples.

[@nohandle8008]

Wall to wall carpet is usually done in lower end houses. Higher end houses have mostly hard surface floors like tile, engineered hardwood, etc.

[@pacmanc8103]

I live in a home built in 1903 in a neighborhood with metal rings on the parking strip curbs to tie up horses - in the center of the city 23 blocks from downtown. It has walk-in closets in all the bedrooms - 2 of the 4 have small windows that can be opened. Separate dining and living rooms, but with a family room for lounging. The entire house has hardwood floors except the bathrooms. The HVAC system has 3 zones that can be set to different temps, which is very useful because the house is around 3900 sq ft. Gas furnace, gas water heaters, 2 gas fireplaces (new inserts), and a gas range in the kitchen. I have an electric kettle that I use daily - I don’t find that it heats water any more slowly than the ones I use overseas, to be honest. None of the sinks in the house have 2 taps, although I suspect they were probably replaced decades ago.

[@debra1363]

You live in my dream house!

[@livinglife8333]

Basements are a MUST in the summertime, we had a family room and a bedroom down there because in the heat if summer the basement is refreshingly cool.

[@ScottieRC]

17:56 Even as an American, I do have a kettle. They can be bought at Walmart as easily as a coffee maker. However, few Americans have need for them. It’s misleading to say Americans don’t have kettles; it’s just not common. Iced Tea is more common. We do drink the occasional hot tea, but it’s not part of our cultural to the extent that everyone needs a kettle.

[@stephaniebingman8990]

I’m an American and I have an electric kettle. I had one when I lived in France, so I bought one when I moved back to the US. Literally all of my friends/family who comes to my house are so confused by the kettle and have no clue how to use it. Lol They’re easy to find in stores- but a lot of Americans just don’t use them (or don’t even know they exist).

[@lisajones1774]

Same use my kettle every other day to make ice tea lol.

[@TheGreeneBead]

Its more the TYPE of kettle. Most US citizens have a kettle (myself included); you just have to heat it on the stove rather than plug it in.

[@MadAudi]

I have an electric kettle and a coffee maker. I use both.

[@steventhompson9086]

We do have more flavors than that for Capri Suns there are about 12 or more that I know of

[@circedelune]

At a previous house, I had a mud room, a laundry room, a pantry, and a walk- in closet. Can’t say I ever got naked in any of them.

[@ronclark9724]

Washers and dryers are noisy. I do NOT want them anywhere near a bedroom. PERIOD.

[@terrycarter1137]

we have a hamper in the kitchen for dirty clothes, with a small room for laundry. we do have outlets that have safety switch on the outlets .

[@ChadCourtneyTAZ427]

For 'pot of noodles' (what we generally call Ramen Noodles in the US) we typically put the Ramen in a bowl with water and Microwave it (3 mins typically.) For the variety that's already in it's own bowl it's add water and Microwave. Though you can boil water and put the boiled water on the Ramen. We typically don't use electric kettles here because the 120V appliances are typically kept to 10A or less (15A outlets, but shared across devices and you should only run 80% of capacity anyway) so it would take much longer to boil the water. FWIW, my wife uses a traditional kettle on the stove, those of us who use a kettle tend to use this style.

[@pitchblack2304]

You guys are Legend!

[@pitchblack2304]

we have capri suns, my son drinks strawberry kiwi.

[@pitchblack2304]

i wear shoes inside always, fully dressed to, a fire hits, earthquake or another disaster, grabbing my kids and we are bouncing out of here.

[@cmf6081]

Building Codes require fire alarms in nearly every room in the house in the US. If you sell a house in the US, many States require the fire alarms to meet current building code requirements. We had to install carbon monoxide alarms when we sold our condo in CA. Toilet bowl water level being higher reduces odors, reduces "skid marks", and the need to flush twice to clear the bowl of debris. Lol

[@davidheiser2225]

I live in New York. My house has 1 smoke detector and 1 CO detector. That's all. Not every room.

[@45vixxen]

I don't have any lol

[@cmf6081]

@@davidheiser2225 Building codes vary in different state in the USA. I've owned houses in CA, NM, and TN and they required smoke alarms/ fire alarms in all sleeping areas, outside bedrooms, each level of a home and several other areas. The statistics are profound in a study between 2014 and 2018 which showed 3 of every 5 house fire related deaths were in homes with "no smoke alarms" (41%) and "no working smoke alarms" (16%). Smoke alarms are cheap and could potentially give house residents the seconds to a few minutes to be alerted in the event of a fire. Possibly enough time to prevent a fire related death. Every State has different residential Code requirements but most are similar. New York did pass new requirements in 2015 and gave several years for residents to become in compliance with new laws. It could be you are renting a 100 sq ft apartment in NYC which only requires 1 fire alarm.

[@MrRaymage]

I grew up in the NYC suburbs on Long Island and had never seen a garbage disposal until I moved to Connecticut where they are very common. Like someone else mentioned, we always had a kettle to boil water on the stove, but I remember my friends who immigrated here from Ireland had an electric kettle. For coffee I discovered Senseo and prefer it over Keurig since the pods can be composted. For a few years, Senseo machines were unavailable here, so I bought one from Europe and bought a 110 to 220 volt transformer to operate it. Now that's dedication. Love you guys!

[@EarlLeeByrd]

This was fun! If it makes you less worried for American children, it is very common for households with children to get these little plastic covers that you insert into unused plugs (and are a pain to remove) to prevent children from sticking conductive things into them. As for boiling water without a kettle, fun fact for the day is that since microwaves work by exciting the water molecules in food to heat them they are pretty efficient about boiling it quickly as well. Caveat to that being that it is slightly more complicated first thought because it is possible to "superheat" your water (basically heat it past 100° C without it starting to boil) so you have to pay be wary if you've heated it for a while but it isn't boiling (this is fairly rare, generally any impurities in the water, i.e. anything that isn't H20, or microvibrations will prevent this from happening). The other key thing to know is that because microwaves are heating the water from all directions it can cause the outside/top of the water to boil before the inside reaches boiling. This means you'll probably want to boil it for longer/mix it if you are making something that is very sensitive to temperature (I hear some people feel this way about tea, generally irrelevant when making instant ramen/mashed potatoes/whatever though)

[@GreatestFriends18]

I loved your guys’ reaction to each other when you were talking about toilets. It made me laugh. Thank you.

[@summergivens242]

Definitely a video for the picky people. I live in an old farm house in America. My bathrooms have the two separate faucet thing....hot and cold. Also my washer and dryer are in the kitchen. ( which I never liked ) But no pantry ! And I usually walk around the house barefooted just in the summer. Always wear shoes around the house in the winter.

[@jwb52z9]

Your house would have to be pretty close to a century old, if not more, to have separate faucets.

[@summergivens242]

@@jwb52z9 Ahh, not that old. When I said separate faucets I just meant hot and cold water handles. A lot of even newer homes still have them.

[@krayzy932]

@@summergivens242 That's just a design choice. Separate faucets, like talked about in the video, is actually two completely different pipes and spouts.

[@summergivens242]

@@krayzy932 Got ya. No, mine aren't that old.

[@sherisimms9213]

I have seen those double taps in old houses, too. Farm houses are less likely to be updated, so they preserve the reality of the past more reliably than urban dwellings.

[@buckeyethor]

My favorite washing machine location I’ve seen is INSIDE the master bedroom closet. Genius!

[@halicarnassus834]

2:10, Capri Sun drink pouches have been in the United States since 1981 Millie. Flavors in the US include Strawberry Kiwi, Lemonade, Wild Cherry, Pacific Cooler, Tropical Punch, Mountain Cooler, Splash Cooler, Strawberry, Grape, Coastal Cooler, Red Berry, Orange, Surfer Cooler and Fruit Punch.

[@wesleyehowell]

What? No watermelon? I drank Capri Suns when I was in school in the '80s, but not since. We had watermelon then. Did they discontinue it?

[@Dark_Harmony]

They've been here since the 70's. I used to drink them in elementary school. By the 80's I was in jr. high.

[@dewrus2153]

We use our formal dining room 5-6 times a year on special occasions when we have company over for a meal. We normally eat in the kitchen on a small kitchen table.

[@debrapyeatt7128]

Being disabled, I need to keep my shoes on in the house. But when I was younger, I went barefoot all the time. However we never left our shoes by the front door, which was considered messy. We always wore them into our bedroom and left them in the closet. One thing that we usually do is thump them against the floor to knock out any bugs looking for a place to sleep. Over the years I have found scorpions, spiders, roaches and all kinds of creepy crawlies in my shoes, especially when I lived out in the American Southwest. Also, in the apartment that we rent now, we have linoleum throughout the entire apartment except that we have tile in the bathrooms. And our washer and dryer is in a closet in the bathroom, which is very convenient just like Millie said. When I was younger we had at one time a house and the unused room was the living room. We only used it when we had guest. In the back of the house was the family room and we used that all the time.

[@ronclark9724]

Being a diabetic, I wear special shoes to protect my feet. I will walk on Millie's carpet in my shoes before I LOSE a foot to her stupid, uncaring nonsense...

[@FEARNoMore]

Growing up I only noticed my Asian friend's families have guests take their shoes off.

[@jeffcamp481]

Kitchens and bathrooms have plumbing so those area’s are very easy to add a wash machine! Makes sense!

[@ramonashearer7241]

The water in a toilet isn't all the way to the top. It is only about 3 to 4 inches bigger than a European toilet. Gotta have ac here. It was 102°f today heart index of 107 that's about 38°c give it take. I have a kettle. We always had a kettle when I was growing up and I am 58. My house was built in the 1950s my basement was built as a bomb shelter. It is also great for tornado season. 🌪 We don't pay taxes by room like some places so we have closets. Something they didn't mention is we have screens on our windows.

[@ronclark9724]

'Where there electric kettles in America during the 1950s? They are NOT talking about stove top/range tea kettles that whistled when the water started boiling. I can't even find a electric kettle at my local dollar store...

[@pacmanc8103]

@@ronclark9724 I think you’d be better off going to any large store like a Target or Walmart. They’re everywhere.

[@cindiherriott3259]

I just can’t imagine having a washer in the kitchen! How weird.

[@Newramsin]

The toilet thing is definitely not right. By the thumbnail, anyway. Everything else, sure. The design of the toilet on the left in the picture are seen in hospitals, restaurants, gas stations and other establishments outside the home.

[@johnmills2678]

Yes you never see a U shaped toilet seat in a private home.

[@robinmills8675]

After my mother had a stroke and also needed her toilet replaced, I had a handicapped toilet installed. To my dismay it had a U shaped seat. I was told all handicapped toilets had them, but I still don't understand why.

[@McGriddle69]

The dining room isn't always used for sure but on holidays like Thanksgiving and other Holidays or big family gatherings we will use it. My grandma every year at Christmas puts sweets out on the dining room table. We affectionately call the crap table lol.

[@darkjedi74]

We have a Keurig in our home. That’s good for coffee, tea, apple cider, hot chocolate, etc. It’s really ideal for us, when we don’t all drink the same kind of coffee, or tea for that matter. They’re very quick too.

[@protonneutron9046]

Everyone where I live has a lawn service that comes once a week during the warm seasons and twice a month otherwise. Plus all in my neighborhood have boat docks in the back yard that have to be kept up along with the boat lift.

[@clinthowe7629]

when i was a kid my parents were instant coffee drinkers and my mother removed the guts out of an electric corning-ware coffee percolator to turn it into an electric kettle so to speak, this was before such kettles were well known. nevertheless electric kettles are becoming more common now.

[@johnmarks227]

We had those hot and cold faucets here in the US too. You fill the bowl and wash your hands in it. I used to wash my hair in there too.

[@MrPenguinLife]

Oh also that flag thing is a very regional thing, where I live in Louisiana I would guess that less than 1 in 20 houses has a flag or flagpole. The street our house is on has only 2 that I can think of, one of which is a college team flag, and this strikes me as higher than average.

[@hammerpocket]

Yes, the "most houses have a flag" and "new houses have wall-to-wall carpeting except the bathrooms and kitchen" were two of the sillier things said in this video. Also, whether you are expected to take off shoes in the house is very much a regional thing.

[@Ceboeck]

I live in the south. Every house has central air conditioning. It’ can hover around 40 C most of the Summer, so it’s necessary. I’ve lived in houses with out garbage disposals and choose to always have one now. Wall to wall carpet is rare except in bedrooms. It’s too hard to keep clean.

[@lindacarroll6896]

In times of drought, which is now in a lot of states, they ask us to set the toilets, so they do not fill so full. Newer toilets actually let you set it; older times they asked us to put a brick (or similar object) in to displace the water.

[@JustMe-dc6ks]

In the tank, just so nobody’s confused. 🤣

[@acemarcola]

In the Midwest we have snow and ice on our shoes so most people take their them off at the door or at least when you go on the carpet in the summer. It’s always polite to ask, unless their floor is nasty😆

[@stephaniebingman8990]

The coffee v tea thing is dependent on where you are. In the South, iced sweet tea is a staple. Everyone I knew made a gallon of tea at a time and it was kept in a pitcher in the fridge. Just like she said, we would just boil a pot of water to make the tea. I never really knew anyone who used a kettle. Also, in the South, opening a window is not going to cool your house down in the summer. It’s often more than 90°F/32°C outside- so AC is a comfort thing but also a safety thing as it can help prevent heat strokes and dehydration.

[@juliaducker5107]

optical illusion, the water is not all the way to the top :) The animation does not represent most toilets.

[@JonpaulGee]

The carpet one is reversed....older homes have carpet newer ones dont because of the health risks

[@markhamstra1083]

@David Malinovsky Correct. Wall-to-wall carpet was only common during a limited period of years in the second half of the twentieth century. We could quibble over your exact dates, but it is true that both older and newer homes will typically not have wall-to-wall carpeting.

[@ville666sora]

Yeah, sometimes older toilets do overflow when they get clogged. It's the worst when you do this at someone else's house lol.

[@alexlail7481]

The whole switches on outlets I find rather amusing because most outlets in rooms that have a 'permanent appliance ' alarm clock, microwave, lamp etc. Aren't typically placed to be easily accessible and you wouldn't want to turn them off any way. But temporarily used items hair dryers, vacuum cleaners, etc. Are generally unplugged and put away once used ... as for child safety their are plastic covers that press in to prevent un intended shocks for children but typically these are not common in households once children are 7-8 years old due to the hassle.... I think it would 'shocking' to know how many people truly die each year due to accidentally touching 120 volts during normal use or even curious children. I suspect it is extremely low compared to those doing ill advised things that no safety feature could ever account for... 120v can definitely kill you! But you become less electrical comductive as the voltage drops which is one reason why (but not the main one ) why north america has 120v in standard outlets.

[@veteranhoffman6776]

Actually it’s not the Voltage that kills you, it’s the Amperage, and just 1 Amp can kill you. Tazers or “stun guns” hit you with as much as 10,000 Volts, but the Amperage is extremely low

[@alexlail7481]

@@veteranhoffman6776 while you are correct that the amperage does the damage, the higher the voltage the easier it will get through the skin, that's why you'll probably never hear of someone electrocuted by a 12 volt car battery.... the dielectric strength of dry skin is high enough that 12v won't cross it. But on the other hand a 12,000 volt transmission line would electrocute you from 5 foot away without having touched it. It may not seem like much but cutting the voltage by ½ does mske it safer.... not to be confused with 100% SAFE..... that doesn't exist

[@gahbah274]

The main issue with 120V in the USA is that it is 60hz AC. 60hz is known to disrupt cardiac activity.

[@romaldemgle5867]

Some yards look like carpets . We love our A/C too

[@delbertdavis9809]

This is probably how it is now but when I was growing up no way my parents would let us watch tv while having dinner. It was always at the dinning table with the whole family. TV had to be off for family time. This was a different time though as I grew up in the 80's and some of the 90's. Family values has gone down a whole lot since then.

[@lorayapp375]

@Delbert It seems like nowadays there are NO family values or traditions. When my kids were growing up, we all ate at the table as a family. Same way I grew up too.

[@hayneshvac2]

Lipton also makes tea pouches for use with coffee pots.

[@GoofysHatBand]

Homes, in the US, are different based on their location. I've been to the UK once but am going again next month. It is helpful to frame these differences as being different, not necessarily as better or worse. Except those Euro-toilets, they are worse. 😉 Here are my comments based on my experience of growing up and living in San Diego, CA. 0. Yes, we have Capri-sun in a plethora of flavors. 1. My house is a 4 bedroom 2.5 bath, 2,100 square foot home with no basement. 2. Our living room is useless. We mostly hang out in the family room. 3. We have a washer and a gas fired dryer in our laundry room. 4. No basement here. My house is built on a slab foundation. 5. We eat most of our meals at the kitchen table (located in the breakfast nook, near the pantry) but we do use our dinning room when guests come over. 6. Yes, we have 6 networked smoke detectors and 2 fire extinguishers. My stove is gas but electric is common, especially in apartments. 7. Over the years, we've removed most of the carpeting in our house and replaced it with faux wood. 8. Squatting is a more natural position for evacuating and this position can be achieved by sitting on a low toilet and leaning forward. 9. Euro-toilets are gross. A large water spot (it is not full, to the top) cuts down the smell and keeps the bowl cleaner. We have jets that wash the side of the bowl during flushing as well. Splashing is extremely rare and if there were a blockage, you'd see it before it became a problem because you are standing at that point. 10. I did notice the two tap thing at sinks in the UK. This has something to do with how older homes, in England, used to have water cisterns and there was a potential for contamination or something. 11. A lot of the US gets uncomfortably hot and humid so AC is a must. The weather here (in San Diego) is generally mild but if it is above 78F (25.6 C), I am turning on my air conditioner. 12. Unless you live out in the country, most people are walking on sidewalks (pavement) so they are not tracking in mud, etc. That is probably the reason most people don't think to take their shoes off. 13. Our voltage is lower so that is a big reason that we don't have switches on our sockets. Before the UK started requiring insulation half way down the plug prongs, it was probably fairly dicey to plug something in with the switch turned on. Also, those giant UK plugs contain fuses because older UK homes have a single 30 amp ring circuit with no protection for individual rooms. Think about that for a moment. A UK plug has 230v at 30 amps (6,900 watts) available at the outlet. The typical American outlet would have 120v at 15amps (1,800 watts). The risk is much lower, the US. 14. We have a stove top kettle for tea, etc. We also have a coffee maker. 15. Yup, I have 2 garbage disposals (one at the kitchen sink and one at the prep sink). But most of our food waste is composted. 16. I only fly my flag on patriotic holidays and only while the sun is up. I think it is disrespectful to fly the flag at night, unless it is lit. 17. Most of my landscaping is drought tolerant but I do have a small lawn in my backyard.

[@Facetiously.Esoteric]

You missed the reasons for things like the toilet and not having disposals is to do with the width of the pipes in Europe because of the age of homes. Small pipes can't handle the flow nor the pressure. That's why showers suck in Europe as well.

[@GoofysHatBand]

@@Facetiously.Esoteric You suck in Europe. #roasted

[@tammyjasonglass-de-poole9928]

a couple of these don't ring true to me. While not a taboo, my experience is that most people remove their shoes at the door. And outside of maybe a few young bachelors, I can't think of anyone who doesn't have a kettle. Electric kettles are very rare though.

[@Dregg13]

Never had an electric kettle until I moved back after 5 years in NZ. Due to the lower voltage in the US our kettles heat up much slower, or you need a model that requires a higher rated breaker in the beaker box.

[@ronclark9724]

Americans drink coffee which is best at 180 degrees Fahrenheit, boiling is 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Boiling water for coffee burns the instant coffee into a very bitter drink, so we don't boil coffee... Most Americans brew their coffee in a coffee maker of one sort or another... Brew, not boil... Duh! We do drink ice tea, which is best brewed in a large jar in the sun or on the stove top/range without boiling water... Very few Americans drink hot tea...

[@Dregg13]

@@ronclark9724 you realize the electric kettle gets used for a lot more than just heating water for tea. I guess some have used it for coffee. Most Europeans use it for various things you need to boil water for.

[@runrafarunthebestintheworld]

You went to New Zealand where Courtney Coulston is at. 😅😅

[@Dregg13]

@@runrafarunthebestintheworld never heard of her

[@skyjust828]

Our pantries are for food we have "entry halls" or foyer & at most entries we do have a place to take off coats, hats, & yes shoes.