While “life hacks” seem like a modern phenomenon people have been looking for better, faster, and more efficient ways to carry out daily tasks for more than a century. These 100-year-old life hacks were placed on cigarette packaging and other items to help people live better lives. And some of that advice is still relevant today.
Here Are 40 Century Old Life Hacks That Actually Work:
Submerge your knife in extremely hot water. Quickly wipe it down once your knife gets hot. The knife will easily cut through your bread allowing you to cut thin slices.
You don’t need a compass to draw a circle. Twist one end of a piece wire around your pencil and leave the other end straight. Sharpen the straight end and use it as you would the pointed leg in the compass.
Submerge your glass in a pot of cold water. Bring the pot of water to a boil, then remove from heat. Let the glass cool in the pot and then polish it with a soft rag.
A fall can be less fatal for a vase if you take some precautions. Fill partly with sand so that your vase is weighed down. This will help keep the vase upright and firm on its base.
Afix a piece of velvet or velveteen inside the heel of your shoe. This will prevent your feet from slipping around. Make sure that the velvet is smooth and that there are no wrinkles.
Glass tumblers can break when you’re trying to pull them apart. Place cold water in the top tumbler and place the lower one in warm water. They should separate right away.
Stop all air flow by closing your doors and windows tightly. Hold a wet blanket in front of your fire and cover all the cracks and opening to prevent draughts from going up the chimney. This should stop the fire from burning.
Plunge your stems into hot water and let them sit in the water until the water cools. When your flowers are revived cut the bottoms of the stems off and place in cold water.
Sponge your walls with warm water. This should cause the paper to fall away. Let the plaster dry and fill cracks and holes. Go over the area when dry with glass paper.
Watch a very small cloud in the distance early in the morning. If the cloud grows gradually larger then unsettled there will likely be the rainy weather. If it gets smaller, you should have a nice day.
You can preserve newly laid eggs by placing them in a bin of dry salt. Bury the eggs and keep in a cool dry place so that no air can get to the shells.
Stand on the balls of your feet with your head held back. Inhale deeply until the lungs are fully inflated and gradually exhale allowing your chest to sink first, then the lungs. Do this several times in the morning and at night.
You can tell whether or not a boiled lobster is fresh by pulling back the tail and releasing it. If it snaps back it’s fresh, if it goes back slowly it isn’t.
Rub a halved lemon over your boots to clean them. Let it dry fully before you polish them. The lemon juice will allow the polish to be smoothly applied
Dissolve a pound of salt and half a pound of sal-ammoniac in two quarts of water. Place one quart of the solution in a thin glass bottle. Pour the solution over a fire or throw the bottle at the fire.
Take a wine bottle and fill it with water. Place it over a pet safe or outdoor safe pan with the mouth of the bottle a half an inch above the bottom of the pan. Secure the bottle to a wooden stake or post with wire.
Glue pieces of cork in the cracks between the door and the corner of the doorway. The cork should be slightly thicker than the crack and the door should be shut on them until the glue sets. The cork will stop the loose door from rattling.
Dust your painting then gently rub with a raw potato. Then wipe with a soft rag. Cut off the dirty part of the potato as you clean it. Finish by rubbing pine linseed oil on the painting.
Fill a wide-mouthed bottle with hot water almost to the brim. Tightly press your skin into the bottle so that the splinter is in the center. The suction should draw out your splinter.
Add a pinch of sugar AND salt while boiling your potatoes. Dump out your water and place your potatoes back in the pot over the heat while you shake it to remove moisture and ensure your potatoes are dry and floury.
Place a drop of sweet or castor oil into the corner of your eye. You can use a paint brush for accuracy. This should coat the debris so it won’t damage your eye while you try to remove it. It should help slide the particle out.
Lay your lace on some white or blue tissue paper. Cover it completely with calcined magnesia, then another layer of tissue paper. Place under a weight for a few days and then shake out the powder.
Heat some alum in an old iron spoon until it melts. Apply to the broken pieces and hold them in place with string. Let it set. Once it does you can wash it in cold or hot water without it breaking.
While “life hacks” seem like a modern phenomenon people have been looking for better, faster, and more efficient ways to carry out daily tasks for more than a century. These 100-year-old life hacks were placed on cigarette packaging and other items to help people live better lives. And some of that advice is still relevant today.
Here Are 40 Century Old Life Hacks That Actually Work:
