It’s easy to think that life-hacks are a relatively recent phenomenon thanks to the presence of social media and the internet. However, they’ve been around much longer than we thought. After all, it’s human nature to use our ingenuity to make our daily tasks a little bit easier and a bit more fun.
A video by Household Hacker on YouTube demonstrated a bunch of life hacks found in an old how-to book from 1957.
Flipping through yellowing papers, the host made the decision to try out 16 of the “how-to ideas” and see if they still work today. Think of it as a life-hack history Mythbusters episode.
The first how-to idea tested was using a magnet to hold paintbrushes in a glass.
Okay, so some elaboration is needed. The idea is that you can use a magnet to hold a paintbrush in place while it’s dipped in a glass of water, thereby providing a simpler, less dirty way to clean your paintbrush after working on your latest masterpiece.
And as it turns out in the video, it works! Pretty neat, huh?
The Hacker continued testing out more cleverly thought-out ideas.
The next idea was a mounted flashlight. Like many of the ideas present in the book, they require simple items found in your home or in a nearby store.
For this one, all that’s needed is a flashlight, an elastic band, and a funnel. Use the elastic band to tie the flashlight around the funnel, and use it as a mini homemade searchlight.
One of the stranger life-hacks requires only one item: a potato!
Spuds aren’t usually the first things that come to mind when we think of tools. Yes, they can be cooked and prepared in many ways, but for this life-hack, instead of eating it, use it to hold your nails and thumbtacks while you work!
A potato can help securely hold nails and tacks so you don’t accidentally spill them. If you use half a raw potato, you can place it flat-side down on a ladder step, which will work better than just a dish.
You can save yourself a trip to the emergency room by gathering up all those loose nails and piercing them into the potato. You’ll never again worry about stabbing your foot.
One viewer commented:
“This. THIS is what life hacks are supposed to be. Simple, easy to do, and practical.”
Are you tired of accidentally hitting your fingers while using a hammer? Use a matchbox instead of your fingers.
Take an empty matchbox and cut halfway through. The tiny slit can be used to hold a nail while you hammer it down. And what do you know? It works like an absolute charm!
The internet might be a treasure trove of life hacks, but the truth is people have always been creative with their solutions to everyday problems. Ingenuity is a timeless human quality.
Press play on the video below to see even more brilliant life hacks that still work today!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
