23 Things In American Households That Non-Americans Find Strange

Recently, Reddit user u/royhy asked, "Non-Americans, what’s something most Americans have in their house that you don’t?" Here are some of the top-voted responses:

1."An ice cube maker in the fridge door. You can get those in Europe, but they are probably more common in the US."

2."A microwave with a special popcorn setting."

3."A plastic bag filled with plastic bags."

4."A TV in the bedroom."

5."Live, Laugh, Love signs."

6."A kettle that goes on the stove top/burner. I just have an electric kettle."

7."Mayonnaise."

8."As an American who now lives abroad, air conditioning."

9."A switch that, when you flick it, turns your sink into a blender."

10."Peanut butter. It’s available where I live, but it's not something everyone would have in the cupboard. I associate a PB&J sammie with US culture (as well as a grilled cheese)."

11."Multiple packets of sliced fake cheese in the fridge."

12."Eggs inside the fridge."

13."Bottled water or a filter system. Tap water here is great."

14."Indoor shoes. Canadians typically wears socks or slippers in the house, but wearing shoes in the house is extremely uncommon."

15."I’m convinced almost every American has a mountain of pillows on their bed."

16."The type of washing machines where you put everything in the top! This fascinated me when we visited the States. They’re huge!"

17."Drywall....lots of drywall."

18."A second garage fridge filled with beer and frozen food."

19."One of those giant containers of orange ball snack food."

20."Large quantities of over-the-counter drugs in huge bottles."

21."Excellent water pressure in showers. When abroad, showers are like a flower watering pot. I like to feel my shower. Make the pressure strong enough to tear my skin off, then back it off like 10%."

22."Windows with screens. When I lived in Geneva, I was in a sixth-floor walk-up flat with no A/C. I was in for a very unfortunate surprise when the weather got warm and I opened the windows only for bugs to swarm in. No screens! How was I supposed to sleep in a hot bedroom and I couldn’t even open my tiny window for some air flow?!"

23.And finally, "A mounted bass that sings songs."

Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.