"She Just Wanted To Hang A Picture...": 30 Photos Of People Trying To "Help Out Around The House" That Backfired Spectacularly

Few things are as satisfying as checking a chore off your to-do list. But for some, their attempts at "adulting" made them wish they hadn't bothered with chores to begin with. Here's a roundup of the most epic home maintenance fiascos from across Reddit:

1.So glad you're finally getting around to cleaning the attic.

A person has accidentally fallen halfway through a ceiling, with one leg and foot in a flip-flop dangling through a hole in the ceiling
u/wtfitzjdoggwha / Via reddit.com

2.Perfect! The gutters are finally clean, time to climb back down the — uh oh...

View from a roof showing a ladder laying on the ground, cables, tools, and a bush in the corner below
u/meatcork1 / Via reddit.com

3.Bob Dylan's answer is blowing in the wind, and so is your favorite shirt, unfortunately.

A black shirt hangs from a wire high above a backyard with a wooden fence and a small shed and text reads, "Oooh, so this is why clothespins were invented..."
u/chispy / Via reddit.com

4.On the plus side, you wanted clean clothes, and now you have squeaky clean floors, too.

Washing machine overflowing with soap suds, spilling onto the floor
u/lyricmeowmeow / Via reddit.com

5.Wet grass is not to be mowed. Lesson learned.

A person stands with legs and slippers covered in grass clippings

6.I think you maybe didn't need to throw that leather glove in the dryer.

A hand holding a shrunken, black, fingerless leather glove with a plush beige lining

7.That's one way to make sure the shower door is crystal clear.

A bathtub with scattered broken glass and a green cleaning product
A bathtub with scattered broken glass and a green cleaning product
A bathroom with shattered glass scattered on the floor, debris in the tub, and cleaning tools amidst the mess
A bathroom with shattered glass scattered on the floor, debris in the tub, and cleaning tools amidst the mess

u/GlitterAllie / Via reddit.com

8.Whoever said shaving gel was good for cleaning car interiors needs to apologize to you.

Car seats covered in a shaving gel that can't be cleaned

9.Yaaah, a kitty inside the dishwasher might slow down the kitchen clean-up.

Cat sitting inside an open dishwasher
u/minecal / Via reddit.com

10.There is such a thing as being too comfortable admitting you don't know how to fold a fitted sheet.

Linen closet filled with piles of disorganized towels, blankets, and sheets, and a fitted sheet falling off a shelf

11.u/after_ad6819's description of this situation takes the cake: "I just moved into my first home with my wife. She just wanted to hang a picture... by drilling into a sprinkler pipe and trying to put in a wall anchor. It took 40 minutes to shut off; I do not recommend it."

Water sprays from a broken kitchen sink pipe in a home, causing flooding near an open cabinet and countertop appliances

12.POV: You got into a fight with a trash can and lost somehow.

Three-panel image of an unidentified person struggling with a trash bin, eventually falling and tipping over
u/karmagheden / Via reddit.com

13.This non-stick pan had ONE JOB.

Image of a stove with a frying pan that has a non-stick label stuck to its middle
u/cxzqwe / Via reddit.com

14.It's like when you start cleaning your closet, and suddenly your floor is covered in clothes, except this one involves a spice that dyes everything it touches.

Open kitchen drawer with silverware and various utensils covered in spilled turmeric powder
u/worn_out_axle / Via reddit.com

15.So, I'm guessing this cast iron pan wasn't seasoned correctly?

A dirty cast-iron skillet with food residue stuck to its surface is shown in the image

16.POV: You JUST cleaned the microwave.

A microwave with food splattered all over the interior and a glass container of food on the rotating plate

17.Now you understand why most people just don't even clean their oven...

A kitchen oven with a broken glass door, shattered glass on the floor, and nearby kitchen cabinets partially visible

18.You know, in retrospect, maybe that globe didn't have to be cleaned with soooo much vigor.

A globe on a wooden table that is missing part of the world map because it was rubbed off

19.Why have windows you can see through when you can have windows that make the outside world look like an impressionist painting?

A window with streaks and water droplets on the glass overlooks an outdoor scene with trees and a cloudy sky

20.Good. Now that the litter box is clean, all you have to do is... clean the rest of the bathroom.

Dirty bathtub with cat litter and stains on the surface
u/toazterwafflez / Via reddit.com

21.You finally got around to washing your duvet and pillows, and when you opened the washing machine, you saw a pulverized mess.

Top-down view of the inside of a washing machine filled with pieces of blue material from a disintegrated pillow

22.Cleaning your refrigerator is pretty much always going to be annoying... but one of the glass shelves breaking all over your kitchen? Infuriating.

Glass shards and broken glass containers on a kitchen counter with towels underneath
u/pol_slattery / Via reddit.com

23.Are chimney sweeps still a thing? I think you might want to call one. Or, maybe it's too late for that...

Living room with noticeable smoke damage, soot-covered floor, and a vacuum cleaner attempting cleanup
u/kk653 / Via reddit.com

24.If your dishwasher runneths over, does that mean your cup runneths over, too?

Dishwasher in a kitchen overflowing with soap suds, covering the floor
u/Medved_77 / Via reddit.com

25.Sometimes, we all give up on doing dishes for the night, but has your sink ever given up also?

A kitchen sink thats fallen into it's basin with unwashed dishes, including a pot, plates, and bowls
u/leave_it_to_beavers / Via reddit.com

26.Immediate regret when you go to fetch the mop and find it has become a home for the friendly neighborhood robin.

A bird nest with eggs is built within the strands of a mop that is hanging on a metal structure
u/stanlejm / Via reddit.com

27.Evil forces are conspiring against you if you go to start a load of laundry and THIS happens.

A washing machine labeled Hoover is leaking water from its door, with a towel on the floor soaking up the spill
u/product-of-my-time / Via reddit.com

28.Sometimes, it's less painful to just wait for spring and the snow to melt.

Three-panel image of a person shoveling snow in the first two panels and then covered in snow from a roof in the third

29.It was a good idea to mow the lawn before the in-laws arrived, especially since your mother-in-law immediately ran over it.

A car is parked on a grassy lawn next to a house, seen from an elevated view
u/ajax_ix / Via reddit.com

30.Apparently, some people can do yardwork and not end with a full-body rash; not you, though.

A person's arm with visible redness and bumps, possibly indicating a skin condition
u/mumblesjackson / Via reddit.com

Have you ever had a house chore go awry? Tell us about it in the comments!