Household learning!

December 21, 2011 5:19 PM

My cups of tea teach me things. Can the carpets, or the plates, or the cushions?

I recently got a Really Useful Mug and now, thanks to the simple act of drinking coffee, I can remember mother's day, father's day, how to tie a bowline and how to spell 'separate', among other things. It's awesome.

Then, going through my local supermarket a few days ago, I found a tea-towel printed with instructions on how to wash and dry dishes, an ironing board cover that tells you how to iron shirts and a mug that tells you how to make a mug of tea (which we British are born knowing, but still).

So now I'm intrigued about how much other stuff is out there that teaches you random stuff when you're not particularly doing much - useful information being more prized than random trivia, but anything goes. I envision one day a living space where every time you glance somewhere there's another possibly-useful piece of info: for example, you go to the toilet and bam! Periodic Table Shower Curtain.

What can you find, Hive Mind?

posted by Fen to home & garden (20 answers total)

It's on your torso instead of in your house, but Dinosaur Comics's Time Traveller Essentials t-shirt seems like a great example.
posted by duien at 5:22 PM on December 21, 2011 [2 favorites]

Looks like you can get shower curtains that teach you lots of things. A friend had the SAT vocabulary one.
posted by rachums at 5:27 PM on December 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

You should have a look around Girls Can Tell on Etsy.
posted by EvaDestruction at 5:35 PM on December 21, 2011

These napkins show you how to make origami.

And I'm sure there are things to be learned from a Dr. Bronner's soap label, if you're feeling especially ambitious and able-sighted.
posted by argonauta at 5:37 PM on December 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

Was looking for novelty toilet paper but then ran across this book. Every bathroom needs a good book.

Or this, which I can personally recommend.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 5:57 PM on December 21, 2011

Pie plates with recipes on them.
posted by Night_owl at 6:26 PM on December 21, 2011

Oh, and this cutting board includes info on oven cooking times and how to convert wet/dry measurements.
posted by argonauta at 6:33 PM on December 21, 2011

There are pillowcases that do this! I think they're amazing. Disclosure, though, I'm friends with the guy who started this outfit.
posted by Chutzler at 6:58 PM on December 21, 2011

There's a cleaning mat for my handgun that fits this mold. I've got the ironing board one you mentioned, too. Definitely useful products.
posted by Thoughtcrime at 7:48 PM on December 21, 2011

We have a world map shower curtain. Periodic table is nice and all, but I'm actually learning the capitals of african countries. Suck it Copernicium (element 112).
posted by bessel functions seem unnecessarily complicated at 8:41 PM on December 21, 2011 [3 favorites]

Threadless' Meashirt has a bunch of common metric-imperial conversions.
posted by btfreek at 11:16 PM on December 21, 2011

These place mats remind you how to properly set the table.
posted by Skybly at 11:34 PM on December 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

This apron has common baking/cooking conversions printed on it (upside down, for you to flip up and read the right side up).
posted by pimli at 1:41 AM on December 22, 2011

These are all awesome, thanks! Although it seems I'm going to need a house with eleven showers in it so far...
posted by Fen at 4:26 AM on December 22, 2011

D'oh I was just going to suggest the apron pimli linked. I have it, love it, particularly for switching between gas mark, Farenheit and Celsius.

We also have these posters that are artistic but also useful for learning the geography of London and Britain.
posted by like_neon at 4:46 AM on December 22, 2011

Better link.
posted by like_neon at 4:46 AM on December 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

British, eh? You might remember Black Type from Smash Hits. Someone has remade the Black Type teatowel on how to do the washing up.
posted by vickyverky at 7:47 PM on December 22, 2011

Useful towel - There are lots of tea towels with kitchen conversions! A lovely linen towel with some of the more frequent kitchen conversions. I like this poster with visual comparisons. And magnets.

There are also bar trays and cocktail shakers with drink recipes.
posted by barnone at 11:58 PM on December 22, 2011

Do you have a baby? The information blanket is meant swaddling for newborn babies, and has basic newborn information printed on it (breastfeeding frequency, when to vaccinate, illness warning signs).
posted by hooray at 6:44 AM on December 23, 2011

No babies of my own, but that's still quite awesome.

For others following this thread I also found Science Mugs recently.
posted by Fen at 5:30 PM on December 23, 2011