9 Life hacks from 100 Years Ago
In our fast-paced modern world, it’s easy to think that life hacks are a recent phenomenon. But long before smartphones, the internet, or modern technology, people were coming up with ingenious ways to solve everyday problems. In fact, many of the life hacks from 100 years ago are just as useful today—proving that necessity truly is the mother of invention. Here are 9 life hacks from a century ago that stand the test of time!
1. Keep Bread Fresh Longer with a Celery Stick
Before refrigerators and airtight plastic bags, people found simple solutions to keep food fresh. To prevent bread from going stale too quickly, a popular trick was to place a stick of celery inside the breadbox. The moisture from the celery helped to keep the bread soft and fresh for longer. It’s a hack that still works today if you want to preserve bread naturally!
2. Use Vinegar and Newspaper for Shiny Windows
Window cleaning products weren’t always readily available, so people relied on what they had at home. One of the most effective methods involved a simple mixture of vinegar and water. To get an extra sparkle, people used crumpled newspaper instead of a cloth. The ink on the paper helped create a streak-free shine, a hack that’s still incredibly effective today.
3. Polish Wooden Furniture with Olive Oil
Long before modern furniture polishes, people used natural oils to keep their wooden furniture shiny and well-maintained. A century ago, olive oil was the go-to solution for polishing tables, chairs, and other wooden surfaces. By applying a small amount of oil and buffing with a soft cloth, people could restore their furniture’s shine and protect it from damage.
4. Fix a Squeaky Door with Soap
WD-40 didn’t exist in the early 1900s, so people turned to household items to fix squeaky door hinges. Rubbing a bar of soap along the hinges provided just enough lubrication to stop the annoying sound. This simple hack still works like a charm today if you don’t have oil or grease on hand.
5. Turn an Old Sock into a Dusting Mitt
In a time when nothing went to waste, people repurposed old clothing items for household tasks. One clever hack was turning an old sock into a dusting mitt. Simply slip the sock over your hand, and use it to wipe dust from surfaces. The texture of the fabric naturally picks up dust, making it an effective and eco-friendly cleaning tool.
6. Cool a Room with Wet Sheets
Before air conditioning, keeping cool in the summer was a challenge. One inventive way to cool down a room was to hang wet sheets in front of open windows. As the breeze passed through the damp fabric, it helped cool the air. It’s a basic form of evaporative cooling and can still be useful on particularly hot days when you need a quick solution.
7. Prevent Mirror Fog with Shaving Cream
Foggy mirrors in the bathroom were just as annoying 100 years ago as they are today. A simple hack from that time involved applying a small amount of shaving cream to the mirror and wiping it off with a clean cloth. This created a protective layer that prevented the glass from fogging up during a hot shower, a trick that’s still widely used.
8. Use Salt to Put Out a Grease Fire
Long before modern fire extinguishers were commonplace, people knew how to handle kitchen emergencies with basic pantry items. If a grease fire started, throwing water on it would make it worse. Instead, people would reach for salt, which quickly smothers the flames by cutting off the oxygen supply. It’s a timeless hack for kitchen safety.
9. Make Shoes Waterproof with Beeswax
Before waterproof sprays, making shoes weather-resistant required a bit more creativity. Rubbing beeswax on shoes and then heating them slightly helped create a protective barrier against water. This old-school trick worked wonders for leather shoes, keeping them dry in rainy weather and extending their lifespan.
Conclusion:
Life hacks from 100 years ago may seem simple, but they were born out of necessity and ingenuity. As we look back at these clever solutions, it’s clear that some ideas are timeless and still relevant in our modern lives. Next time you need a quick fix, consider trying one of these old-school life hacks—you might be surprised at how effective they are!
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