Skeptics Stack Exchange
Skeptics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [household]

for questions about claims related to the household (e.g. household appliances).

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Are there 300,000 items in the average American household, and 10,000 items in the average European household?

There is a trope that can be found in many articles discussing topics such as consumerism or minimalism: the average number of items that can be found in an average household. The number that is usually cited for the average American household is…
Schmuddi
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Does cutting paper dull a knife quickly?

This question is a follow-up to "How to test the sharpness of a knife?", my answer to it, and the comments my answer generated. Charlie Brumbaugh wanted to know how to tell when he is done when honing his knife, I suggested testing by slicing…
cobaltduck
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Does adding a dry towel to a load in the dryer make it dry faster?

Is there any truth to the claim the a dry towel can actually speed up the drying process? There are numerous different sources that I've heard claim this, here is one on voices.yahoo A few months back when I was in a hurry to dry a load of jeans I…
Evan Carroll
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Is it safer to NOT light your house at night?

At some point, I read a news report that investigators found out it is actually safer not to light your house when you are not there or when asleep. It mentioned that thieves found very dark places 'creepy' as well (that was the theory), and they…
please delete me
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In the US, were clover lawns common until a supposed smear campaign by Roundup?

Then in the 1950s a chemical company, to advance a weed killer, used a public relations campaign to declare white clover a weed. http://americangardening.net/public-relations-campaign-attacks-clover ... Did Monsanto use a public relations campaign…
adamaero
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Does filling a clothing washing machine to the top reduce cleaning effectiveness?

Someone recently insisted that filling a washing machine to the top doesn't get clothes as clean. My washing machine has water fill levels from "Small" all the way to "Extra Large," but no corresponding lines inside the machine to indicate how high…
Hendy
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Do home alarm systems reduce burglaries?

Does installing an alarm system in your home have an effect on the number or results of burglaries? I am about to buy a house with an alarm system installed, with a siren/flash light on the front wall. I hate it when I have to enter a house like…
Jan Fabry
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Does lavender repel moths?

On Wikipedia, it is said that Dried and sealed in pouches, lavender flowers are placed among stored items of clothing to give a fresh fragrance and to deter moths. I know many people do it. Has this been tested to actually deter the moths? How…
Turion
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Are objects such as towels, bank notes, carpets, shopping trolleys and light switches dirtier than a toilet seat?

Are objects such as towels, bank notes, carpet, shopping trolleys and light switches listed in blogs such as these and these really dirtier than an average toilet seat since Dr Chuck Gerba, professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona has…
pericles316
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Can burning potato peels clean a chimney?

Some state, that burning dry potato skin would remove or reduce carbon black in a chimney. One can find many examples for this online: The potato peels burn at high energy and will help push the soot and creosote out of the chimney. I could not…
Jonas Stein
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Is it more secure to close the door turning the key twice?

Some door locks you can turn twice (or even three times!). Is there added security in doing so? Or would it basically take the same amount of time to break / open a lock? NOTE: I'm not sure if I use the proper words, but I'm referring to putting in…
please delete me
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Is it dangerous to run with scissors?

It was common when I was growing up to be told not to run with scissors. It seems the adults were particularly concerned about the risk of severe injury should I fall. Is there evidence that running with scissors is dangerous? Is walking with…
Logic Knight
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Do "liquid solar blankets" work to stop heat from escaping a swimming pool?

There are products on ther market that claim to spread a thin layer of proprietary transparent liquid over the surface of your pool to reduce evaporation and thus retain heat. One product is Solarpills (a.k.a. Solarballs, but not to be confused…
rjt
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Was the living room called the "death room" around World War I? If so, by whom?

On a Reddit post I recently stumbled across the surprising assertion that the living room was once called the death room, with the explanation being given variously that it's where you would mourn the dead, or it's where you would leave their bodies…
Muzer
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Does residential radon cause lung cancer?

Radon causes lung cancer; a typical statement is this: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified radon as the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Many homes contain radon concentrations that are high enough…
Joshua Frank
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