c/first-time-fails

My first time using a pressure washer on my deck in Phoenix ended with a $500 repair bill because my cousin said 'just hold it closer, it'll go faster'.

He was laughing while I blasted a permanent groove into the wood, and now I'm asking if anyone has a good guide for fixing deep pressure washer gouges in treated pine.

Why does nobody talk about the first time you try to change a car tire on the side of a highway?

I got a flat near exit 52 on I-95, watched a YouTube video, and spent 45 minutes trying to loosen the lug nuts before a trucker stopped and showed me you have to push down on the wrench, not just pull up, which is something I guess you just have to learn the hard way.

My first time baking bread hit a weirdly specific temperature and it ruined everything

I tried making sourdough for the first time last week. I followed a video recipe exactly and was so proud when my dough finally went into the oven. The recipe said to bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. My oven is old, so I used a separate thermometer to check. It read exactly 475 degrees, which I thought was close enough. That extra 25 degrees turned my loaf into a black brick in 20 minutes. The inside was still raw dough. I learned that with baking, 'close enough' isn't good enough, especially the first time. Has anyone else had a small number like a wrong temperature wreck a whole project?

My first time making bread looked like a science experiment gone wrong

I followed a simple recipe but my yeast must have been old because the dough never rose. I baked it anyway and got a brick that could have broken a window. Anyone know a good way to test if your yeast is still alive before you start?

My first attempt at making sourdough starter cost me $40 and a whole weekend.

I followed a blog that said to use fancy bottled water and organic rye flour, buying special jars too, but I left the lid on too tight and it just turned into a weird, smelly paste after 3 days. Has anyone else had a starter fail because of something simple like that?

Back in 2012, I dropped $80 on a fancy digital meat thermometer for my first brisket.

The probe wire melted right into the smoker because I didn't realize it wasn't rated for high heat, so I had to guess the temp for the next 8 hours and served what felt like shoe leather. Anyone else have a kitchen gadget story that started with high hopes and ended in flames?

My first time grouting a tile floor was a comedy of errors

I decided to save some cash and redo my bathroom floor myself, figuring how hard could grouting be. I mixed the whole bag at once, not realizing it sets up in about 20 minutes, so by the time I was halfway done the bucket was a solid rock. I spent the next two hours chiseling dried grout out of the lines with a screwdriver, which left a bunch of scratches. Has anyone found a good way to clean up grout haze without making the tiles look cloudy?

First time trying to change my own oil and I stripped the drain plug

Honestly, I was just trying to save some cash last weekend. I used a cheap socket wrench from a discount store and it rounded the bolt head right off. Anyone know a good way to get a stuck drain plug out without taking the whole car in?

My first time using a pressure washer on my deck ended with a new patio door.

Tbh my first time using a pressure washer on my deck ended with a 2-inch deep trench

I used to just point and spray, but after that disaster last summer, I now keep the nozzle at least 18 inches away and move it constantly in wide, overlapping strokes, so has anyone else learned a similar lesson the hard way?

Tried haggling for the first time and now I can't stop thinking about the old lady I might have shortchanged

Shoutout to everyone who stalled their first manual car

Mastering the clutch takes more patience than people think.

My first yoga class left me tangled in my own limbs.

In my experience, starting yoga to reduce stress backfired immediately. I tried a beginner flow but ended up on the floor more than once. Your mileage may vary, but I learned I'm not as flexible as I thought. Take this with a grain of salt, but maybe I'll try swimming instead.

Warning: your first try at macarons will not look like the picture

I learned the hard way that not mixing the batter enough leads to little domed tops, not flat ones. My kitchen looked like it had been hit by a colorful, lumpy hailstorm.