17 Hundred Year Old Life Hacks That Still Work Today

Cigarette packets, in the 1800s and 1900s, along with the harmful cigarettes, used to come with pictures and directions for valuable life hacks, before they started pinning up pictures of animals and pretty models.

Here are a few of them anecdotes which are totally applicable in this moment and day as they were 100 years ago.

1. How To Make A Fire Extinguisher:

Dissolve one pound of salt and half a pound of sal-ammoniac in two quarts of water and put the liquor in glass bottles. Should a fire break out, dash one or more of the bottles into the flames, and any serious outbreak will probably be averted.

 

2. How To Preserve Eggs:

Simply putting them into a box or tin of dry salt-burying the eggs right in the salt and keeping it in a cool dry place. This way it is possible to preserve them for a very long period.

 

3. How To Extract A Splinter:

Fill a bottle with hot water to the brim and press the affected area to the mouth of the bottle. The suction will pull down the flesh and the steam will pull out the splinter!

 

4. How To Keep Plants Watered While Away On Holiday:

Fill up a large pail of water on a level above the plants. Immerse some wool in the water and allow individual strands run into individual plants.

 

5. How To Light A Match In The Wind:

Lighting the match with the curled strips catch fire at once and the flame is stronger with a better chance of lasting.

 

6. How To Tell The Points Of  The Compass With A Watch:

Point the hour hand towards the sun and place a wire or a blade of grass between the hour hand and 12. The tip of the blade indicates the direction south.

 

7. How To Treat Sprains:

Elevate the affected area wrapped in a bandage. Run a piece of cloth through a jug to the affected area so that it is constantly wet. Apply oil or ointment time to time for better results.

 

8. How To Pull Out Long Nails:

A small block of wood under the pincers can make all the difference.

 

9. How To Detect Escaping Gas:

Paint soap solution over the suspected pipeline. If there is a gas leak, you’ll see bubbles coming right out!

 

10. How To Cool Wine Without Ice:

Fold it into cotton/linen cloth and immerse it in a bucket full of cold water. It’d be even better if you put it under a running tap.

 

11. When Boiling Cracked Eggs:

The vinegar added to the water keeps the egg from leaking its contents out in  case it’s cracked.

 

12. How To Test Butter:

Rub a little butter onto a paper and set it alight. If it’s pure, the smell will be nice but it contains something else the smell will be quite foul.

 

13. How To Treat Squeaky Boots:

Immerse the whole of the sole (except the heels) in oil as long as the sole is completely soaked in the oil.

 

14. How To Clean Bottles:

The sand acts as the rough component for cleaning and this way the bottles get much cleaner than regular cleaning.

 

15. How To Separate Glasses:

Put the top glass under cold and the one under in hot water and see them come apart immediately!

 

16. How To Mend A Broken Plate:

Melt a bit of alum until it’s sticky and use it to put your broken china back together.

 

17. How To Prevent Glasses From Steaming Up:

Clean your glasses regularly with soap and polish them nicely. This way, a thin protective layer of soap develops on the glass which repels the moisture in the steam.

I’m gonna try all of them today, are you? 😀

Let us know in the comment section.

Cover Image Source 1 & 2