Everyone knows times have changed since our grandparents’ time—but have you ever thought about how much? After all, they did plenty of chores that most of us wouldn’t even think about today, thanks to modern technology. Let’s look at 11 household chores that our grandparents remember doing but the rest of us have forgotten.
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Boiling Laundry
Heating a massive pot of water to wash your clothes sounds strange, right? But that was the reality for our grandparents and they would boil laundry to get rid of stains. It was a chore that required muscle & patience. Now, we just toss our clothes in a machine, press a button and voilà—clean clothes without any issues.
Ironing Sheets and Pillowcases
Our grandparents wouldn’t think of going to bed in wrinkled sheets. No, for them, ironing bed linens was a weekly ritual that made sure everything was smooth and fresh. It was almost therapeutic. Today, many of us don’t bother with ironing sheets at all and it’s all thanks to wrinkle-free fabrics and our busier lifestyles!
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Hand-Washing Dishes
There was no escaping washing dishes after every meal. Without the luxury of dishwashers, our grandparents stood at the sink and scrubbed each plate & cup. And yes, it was just as time-consuming as it sounds! Even so, it got everyone involved and gave them time to have a good catch-up—or, if you were lucky, just to relax with the radio.
Sweeping with a Broom
Before vacuum cleaners were just a normal part of the household, you’d use a good old-fashioned broom to do the job. Our grandparents swept their floors every day to keep the house dust-free, which is a far cry from our “once a week” routine now. It gave them a sense of discipline and routine. They needed it to keep their homes in tip-top condition.
Shining Shoes
Taking care of shoes involved preserving them and every week, they’d polish and buff their shoes to extend their life. Best of all, this habit kept their shoes looking new. It was a chore that taught our grandparents responsibility and to take pride in their appearance. After all, they knew all about taking pride in even the smallest aspects of personal grooming.
Mending Clothes
Throwaway culture wasn’t a thing back then. If a shirt tore or a button popped off, out came the sewing kit, with mending clothes being a regular part of household maintenance. Essentially, it meant nothing went to waste. Such a practice was economical and also passed down sewing skills, making each family member capable of fixing themselves and giving them a do-it-yourself attitude that stuck with them.
Churning Butter
In many rural homes, making butter from scratch was a weekly chore. You’d churn cream until it turned into butter. Although this process could take hours, it became a labor of love that’s pretty rare to see today, when butter comes pre-packaged from the store. Churning butter also helped our grandparents bond with their family members while learning the value of hard work.
Polishing Silverware
Before any big family gathering, you just had to polish the silver, no matter how much time it took. You had to be pretty gentle when you scrubbed the silverware or else you’d cause more damage. These days, most people think it’s too meticulous to bother doing. Perhaps that’s why we don’t really take pride in our possessions anymore and we’re so keen to throw things away.
Tending the Vegetable Garden
While gardening may be just a hobby now, it was the best way to get fresh produce in the past. Daily watering, weeding & harvesting were chores that kept our grandparents busy while giving them a steady supply of vegetables. As such, they had a real connection to the food they ate—and the satisfaction of being self-sufficient.
Cleaning the Fireplace and Chimney
If you were lucky enough to have a fireplace back then, maintaining it was a real chore. Of course, we still have fireplaces today but they’re a lot easier to manage than those ones. Our grandparents would have to clear out ashes and make sure the chimney wasn’t clogged every so often, which was pretty dirty work. Thank goodness for electric fireplaces!
Washing Windows with Vinegar and Newspaper
Forget window sprays—vinegar and newspaper were the tools of the trade when you wanted sparkling windows. Honestly, it’s something we should probably bring back, as relying on natural materials is far more eco-friendly and cheaper than chemical cleaners. We still wash our windows now but it’s nowhere near as regular as our grandparents did.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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