History Main / DomesticApplianceDisaster

More rarely, the trope can be applied voluntary, with revenge in mind. For instance an AlphaBitch or an [[AloofBigBrother aloof big sister]] will get rid of her rival by ruining her (often expensive) [[PimpedOutDress dress]].

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel II'', orbal appliances are still new technology to most people, and certainly to Laura S. Arseid, who grew up training in the way of the sword in the remote village of Legram. During a bonding event, she and Rean Schwarzer explore a store full of these appliances, but she gets a little too hands-on and ends up seemingly breaking an orbal washing machine and causing near-disaster with other appliances. Fortunately, the damage isn't as bad as it seems, and the owner is willing to be forgiving since they're classmates of Alisa Reinford, who is well-regarded in the town.

Often related to MenCantKeepHouse, TooIncompetentToOperateABlanket, DoomedNewClothes, OvenLogic, and tends to happen during ADayInHerApron. See also ElectrifiedBathtub for a lethal version.

[[folder:Videos Games]]

* Ash has this problem in an episode of ''Anime/{{Pokemon}} Sun and Moon'', when he tries to wash a shirt. He overfills the machine by adding all of Professor Kukui's lab coats, then dumps an entire box of detergent in. Naturally, this results in a laundry full of foam and bubbles.

Pretty much an UndeadHorseTrope as it's not happening very commonly nowadays, but these were once frequent accidents until [[TechnologyMarchesOn technology marched on]].
However, to preserve the [[RuleOfFunny comedic effect]], the trope is still in use, including in works set in the [[PresentDay modern day]].

* In ''VideoGame/TheSims'' series, if a sim is not skilled at using certain appliances, then they can end up breaking them, such as the oven catching on fire if the sim doesn't know how to cook.

** Parodied when Homer has to cook. Wisely, he just prepares a bowl of cereal. But as soon as he pours (cold) milk into the bowl, it ''catches fire''.

* Akane Tendō of ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' isn't just a LethalChef, she's a walking disaster in a kitchen, to her older sister Kasumi's dismay. The most stand-out is the manga story (and corresponding OVA) intoducing Nodoka Saotome. Akane is once trying to make diner to impress Ranma's mother, but she forgot to cook the eggs. So, pressed for time, she puts them in the microwave oven. The worst part is that even Ranma, who's been pretty much reared on the road, knows you should never do that, and try to warn Akane, who is clueless. Right on cue, the eggs explode from the microwaves, sending the oven door flying across the kitchen, hitting a hot water pipe -- which result in everybody present getting drenched and the rest of the food being ruined.

!!Examples

* One televised commercial for Robitussin cough syrup has a mother abed with a cough-and-cold, trying to recuperate. Her daughter approaches her at one point, displaying an iron's footplate burn mark on her dress, declaring, "Mom, Dad's ironing!" She takes a spoonful of Robitussin, and recovers enough restore order.

[[folder:Fanfic]]

[[folder:Film]]

* In ''[[Film/HoneyIShrunkTheKids Honey, I Blew Up The Kid]]'', Wayne lets the dinner in the oven catch fire during [[ADayInHerApron his wife's day out]]. Cue Wayne and his sons having a meal of peanut butter sandwiches.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* In ''Film/LaValiseEnCarton'' (The Cardboard Suitcase), the main protagonist, Linda, violently argues with her mother while she is busy with the ironing. She leaves the iron on top of a pile of clothes, and they suddenly stop when they notice that the clothes are smoking.
* In ''Series/LoisAndClark'' a b-plot once involved Ma and Pa Kent [[SwappedRoles swapping roles]]. [[ADayInHerApron Jonathan tried to do the house chores]], but among other disasters such as turning his son's white shirts pink after washing them with his Superman cape, he also tore a hole in the cape with a hot iron. [[note]]Still, it's implied Jonathan [[MenCantKeepHouse cannot keep a house]] because he belongs to an older generation. Clark, on the other hand, was still single at the time and did not have his mother's help on an everyday basis. But it did not prevent him from being very capable with household chores; as a proof he could keep his shirts white and without iron holes.[[/note]]
* ''Series/RedDwarf'': Dave Lister once tried to press his least slovenly clothes into a fit state to impress - or so he thinks - the female crew the Dwarfers are about to rescue. Discovering he has burnt an iron-shaped hole in his garment, Lister shrugs, puts it on anyway, and spray-paints the skin underneath with an almost-matching color of spray-paint, so as to conceal the hole.

* Explored extensively on ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}'', whenever they looked into a myth of an appliance gone berserk because of mishandling or another cause, such as how possible (and lethal) the ElectrifiedBathtub could be (result: more modern appliances would probably shut down the moment they hit the water and not create a shock, but older appliances were still pretty dangerous because they lacked such failsafes) and whether or not an overloaded washing machine that had its user standing on it (trying to compact the overflowing clothes) when it went off could injure said user (the result: washing machines do not have the kind of horsepower necessary to perform said spinning when overloaded to such a level, let alone cause injuries).
* In the episode "Burnin' Down The House" from ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'', Will tries to make the dinner but accidentally burns the entire kitchen with his failed flambé attempt.

[[/folder]]

* Explored extensively on ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}'', whenever they looked into a myth of an appliance gone berserk because of mishandling or another cause, such as how possible (and lethal) the ElectrifiedBathtub could be (result: more modern appliances would probably shut down the moment they hit the water and not create a shock, but older appliances were still pretty dangerous) and whether or not an overloaded washing machine that had its user standing on it when it went off could injure said user (the result: washing machines do not have the kind of horsepower necessary to perform said spinning, let alone cause injuries).

Alice don't know how to do the house chores; maybe she's TheLadette and as you know, only FeminineWomenCanCook. Bob can't either, he may not be used to it because MenCantKeepHouse.

Or it's because they're kids or [[IdleRich rich persons]] and have to experience it for the first time. Or they're [[TheKlutz clumsy]], or very [[BornUnlucky unlucky]], and everything they do end up in a disaster, usually. A third possibility is they were simply [[AttentionDeficitOohShiny distracted]] (for instance by a phone call).

Whatever the reason, the kitchen is now a mess: dinner is burned to the ashes, the oven caught fire, (often because of OvenLogic) and cutlery put in the microwaves made the latter explode.

Pretty much an UndeadHorseTrope as it's not happening very commonly nowadays, but were once frequents accidents until TechnologyMarchesOn.
However, to preserve the [[RuleOfFunny comedic effect]], the trope is still in use, including in works set in [[PresentDay modern days.]]

Often related to MenCantKeepHouse, TooIncompetentToOperateABlanket, DoomedNewClothes, OvenLogic, and tend to happen during ADayInHerApron. Se also ElectrifiedBathtub for a lethal version.

[[folder: Advertising]]

[[folder: Fanfic]]
* ACertainUnknownLevel0: The advanced Academy City laundry machine repeated has errors despite repeated attempts to fix it, and causes things like all of the water spewing out.

[[folder: Film ]]
* ''Film/{{Pleasantville}}'' : The male bowling club have a member, named Roy, who was asked, as a proof of the new anarchy, to show the back of his shirt hidden under his jacket. It have a iron-shaped burning on it. How did it happen? Apparently, Roy's wife was distracted because she was "thinking".
* [[DefiedTrope Defied]] in ''Film/HomeAlone''. Granted, Kevin is only nine and does not even know how to pack his bags at the very beginning. However he adapt very quickly and avoid all disasters while alone.
* ''Film/Gremlins2TheNewBatch '': Voluntary example with destructive intentions when a gremlin put metallic elements in a microwaves. It explode and that's exactly what he had in mind.
* ''Film/TheSantaClause '': Scott Calvin burn the Christmas turkey to the ashes and have to take his son to a dinner. [[HilarityEnsues Turn out he's not the only dad to have to do that.]]
* Similarly in ''[[HoneyIShrunkTheKids Honey, I Blew Up The Kid]] '', Wayne let the dinner in the oven catch fire during [[ADayInHerApron his wife day out]]. Cue to Wayne and his sons having a meal of peanut butter sandwiches.
* In "Film/JustMyLuck", poor Ashley has just caught extreme bad luck. As a result, Jake pity her and let her go to his flat, in order she can wash her wet clothes. She inevitably turn his laundry room into a pool of bubbles (being distracted by a [[DistractedByTheSexy shirtless Jake]] while putting powder and being unable to find the stop button after) .
* ''Film/TheColorPurple '': Albert have no idea on how to do any house chore, but insist on prepare breakfast for his old flame Shug Avery. Thinking the (fire fueled) oven does not work fast enough, he pours too much petrol in it and the inevitable bonfire ensues.

[[folder: Literature]]
* ''Literature/FreakyFriday '': 13 years old Annabel, [[FreakyFridayFlip stuck in her mother's body]], have to do the laundry and have no idea on how to proceed. As a result the over packed machine release a wave of bubbles.

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

** Later, on a rare voluntary example of "giant iron hole" occurs with ''benevolent'' intentions. A maid of Castelbury castle burn the evening dress of the heroin to the fiber with her iron...Actually a pretext to buy her another, more spectacular [[SheCleansUpNicely dress]] for the Christmas ball.
* In ''Film/LaValiseEnCarton'' (The Cardboard Suitcase), the main protagonist, Linda, once violently argue with her mother while she was busy with the ironing. She let the iron on the top of a pile of clothes, and they suddenly stop when they notice that the clothes are smoking.
* In ''Series/LoisAndClark'' a b-plot once involved Ma and Pa Kent [[SwappedRoles swapping roles]]. [[ADayInHerApron Jonathan tried to do the house chores]], but among others disasters such as turning his son's white shirts pink after washing them with his Superman cape, he also teared a hole in the cape with a hot iron. [[note]]Still, it's implied Jonathan [[MenCantKeepHouse cannot keep a house]] because he belongs to an older generation. Clark, on the other hand, was still single at the time and did not have his mother's help on an everyday basis. But it did not prevent him to be very capable with house chores; as a proof he could keep his shirts white and without iron holes.[[/note]]
* ''Series/RedDwarf '': Dave Lister once tried to press his least slovenly clothes into a fit state to impress - or so he thinks - the female crew the Dwarfers are about to rescue. Discovering he has burnt an iron-shaped hole in his garment, Lister shrugs, puts it on anyway, and spray-paints the skin underneath with an almost- matching color of spray-paint, so as to conceal the hole...

* Explored extensively on "Series/{{Mythbusters}}", whenever they looked into a myth of an appliance gone berserk because of mishandling or another (such as how possible (and lethal) the ElectrifiedBathtub could be (result: more modern appliances would probably shut down the moment they hit the water and not create a shock, but older appliances were still pretty dangerous) and whether or not an overloaded washing machine that had its user standing on it when it went off could injure said user (the result: washing machines do not have the kind of horsepower necessary to perform said spinning, let alone cause injuries).
* In the episode "Burnin' Down The House" from ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'', Will tries to make the dinner but accidentally burns the entire kitchen with his failed flambe attempt.

* On "Series/TheBradyBunch": episode "Law and Disorder", Bobby makes a clandestine effort to launder his good suit (after he got it cover in soot from entering a condemned house). But he poured about half a box of detergent into the washing machine, and almost drowned himself when the laundry room filled with suds. To add insult to injury, the ordeal all but ruined his dry-clean-only suit pants, as they were now, in his sister's words, "tighter than his skin".

[[folder: Videos Games]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]
* One ''WesternAnimation/PinkPanther '' cartoon has Pink lie upon an ironing board, and iron his tummy fur. The phone rings, and Pink answers it, leaving the hot iron to burn its way completely through his body and the ironing board to tumble onto the floor. Pink hops to his feet and regards the triangular hole in his midsection. Amazingly, it seems neither to hurt nor to debilitate him, being nothing worse than unsightly.
* In a 1950's WesternAnimation/{{Goofy}} 's cartoon [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQwopSZiK5E Father's day off]], [[TheKlutz Goofy]] [[ADayInHerApron replaces his wife for a day]]. A dress got wet and shrink immediately. Goofy then tries to iron it, but forget the iron on it (granted, he had to answer a phone call). It goes UpToEleven as the iron not only tear a hole in the dress , but also burn the plank, then the floor, [[HilarityEnsues and finally fell on Goofy's head who was in the room downstairs]].

** Parodied when Homer has to cook. Wisely, he just prepares a bowl of cereals. But as soon as he pours (cold) milk into the bowl, it ''catches fire''.
** In the "Stark Raving Dad " episode, Bart puts his red cap into the white laundry and all Homer's shirts turn pink. It leads Homer to be judged as a [[PinkMeansFeminine defiant mind]] at work when he wears one - and when he piles on that the mistake of letting Bart fill his psych profile, to be put in an asylum.
* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug '': Ladybug once used a microwaves as a weapon, when she voluntary put a metallic box in it in order the waves destroy a virtual padlock. It works, but not before the oven explode.
* The ''TomAndJerry'' cartoon "Push Button Kitty" sees Mammy Two-Shoes purchase Mechano, the Cat of Tomorrow to replace the ineffective Tom. Against a single mouse, Mechano jettisons Jerry with maximum efficiency and zero damage. However, when presented with a dozen wind-up mice, Mechano goes haywire, turning a row of commemorative plates into a shooting gallery, and circular sawing a mahogany coffee table in two, among other destructive efforts. Mammy is screaming for Tom to return by the cartoon's end.
* Many episodes of the first series of MezgaCsalad are about [[BumblingDad Geza]] and [[TeenGenius Aladar]] trying to avoid their mundane chores with household appliances from the future that are bound to go wrong.

[[folder: Real Life ]]

* In the [[https://onsizzle.com/i/system-32-tutorial-by-twitch-services-youtube-comicelaeonjapan-1048341 "System 32 twitch services" video]] , a young Twitch user was abused by persons pretending to be Twitch help services, who among other things told him to put the battery of his computer in the microwaves...and it took fire.

* Despite the trope still used for comedic effect, modern appliances are not that prone to derail any more. Notably ovens and irons burn less often since [[TechnologyMarchesOn they work with electricity rather than fire.]] Many, but not all irons and other hot domestic appliances now have auto shut offs to prevent fires. In fiction they lack such a feature even in modern settings to cause "I left the iron on" and "iron burns marks/through toons" situations. Also, putting metal in microwaves only have effect with elements with sharps (as an electric arc can appear between two of them).
* Note that the "room full of bubbles" problem was more common in the early days of automatic washing machines. At that time washing powder came in two types - standard for use in "twin tub" machines or for hand washing and "low suds" versions for use in automatic machines. Using standard powder in the automatic machine would cause the room full of bubbles effect.
* Dishwashers are also capable of the room full of bubbles effect. No other detergent but that specifically formulated for dishwashers can be used in one. Bottled dishwashing liquid, bar soap, shampoo or powder for laundry will all result in the dishwasher overflowing with suds,no matter what Google searches tell you.
* Ironing is not recommended for certain clothes. Nylon stockings, raincoats and anything made of vinyl, latex, or some synthetic fabrics - all melt under a hot iron.

** In the "Stark Raving Dad " episode, Bart puts his red cap into the white laundry and all Homer's shirts turn pink. It leads Homer to be judged as a [[PinkMeansFeminine defiant mind]] at work when he wears one - and to be put in an asylum.

* In TheSootyShow, when Sooty and Sweep both get given jumpers that are too big for them, they try to shrink them in the wash but use too much soap powder and the laundry room fills with bubbles. Later, they didn't shrink, so they put them in the dryer but they shrink to itty-bitty size.