30 Genius Life Hacks From 100 Years Ago That Actually Still Work

Candles come in all shapes and sizes, but there's actually a really cool hack to make any candle fit into whatever holder you want. Simply soak the candle in hot water to soften the wax, then use your hands to squish the putty into whatever mold you want.

No one wants to excitedly buy a pair of new shoes only to discover they're slightly too big for their feet. But don't get rid of them! Instead, insert a soft piece of plush fabric at the heel to make for some proper-fitting kicks. That'll give you the snug fit you're looking for.

The tops of fan blades often collect more dust than any other surface in your home. It's tricky to thoroughly clean them with a duster, though running a pillow case over the blades is a great way to ensure every particle is removed.

Sometimes it seems like no matter how much you sweep up broken glass, tiny shards still lay strewn on the floor — and bare feet do not take kindly to them. Instead of using a broom to gather the shards, a damp cloth will pick up the finer pieces brooms tend to miss.

Before buying eggs, most of us have a habit of opening the carton to make sure none are cracked. But, if you get home and realize some actually were slightly broken, adding a little bit of vinegar to boiling water will let you hard boil them without the yolk escaping the shell.

It's nearly impossible to keep shoes looking brand new for too long; all those surfaces you walk over take a toll on the material! But don't fret if you've accumulated a lot of scuff marks: the citrus of a lemon can help remove dirt and grime the same way a shoe cleaner does.

Sometimes that bouquet of flowers you send a loved one just doesn't survive the journey in the back of a rickety delivery truck. But, if you take some raw potatoes and insert the flower stems directly into their skins prior to sending them off, the petals will stay fresh and vibrant long enough to reach their destination.

When wine comes calling, you never want to have to wait to pour that glass. But if you find your vino is at an undrinkable room temperature, try wrapping the bottle in a cloth and submerging it in ice water. The temperature will decrease much faster than if it was inside a refrigerator.

Sporting a wedding ring is a must for married couples, but when it comes time to clean the toilet, you don't want to soil that ice with the mess. If your ring won't budge off your finger, however, try greasing up that appendage with some soap. The ring should then just slide right off.

Winter brings with it a lot of headaches, one of them being those unsightly salt lines on shoes. But, before you jump on Amazon and shell out money on a new pair, grab some baking soda, mix it with two tablespoons of hot milk, and hit those leather blemishes. That crusty nuisance should lift off in no time.

Wind is the bane of any smoker's existence. When that craving for nicotine hits, the only thing worse than not having a cigarette is the wind constantly extinguishing a match's flame. But, shaving small strips of the match wood down to the head creates a larger flame that's tougher to blow out.

There are few things worse in life than having an eyelash suddenly cling to your cornea. Not only does it blind you, but the pain can feel unbearable. If you're on the receiving end of a corneal ambush, place a drop of weak oil into your eye. The oil will adhere to the lash and provide a means of quick removal and relief.

While fire extinguishers are one of the most important items you can have at home, not everyone invests in them. In case a small fire does occur, dousing it in a mixture consisting of one pound of salt and half a pound of Home Depot-bought salammoniac will immediately extinguish the blaze.

Lots of people eat bread with their meals (gotta get that carb count in!). However, sometimes a loaf is too soft, and the knife practically flattens it out when you try to slice it. To prevent this, run your knife under hot water before cutting through the dough. Perfect slices every time!

Ink is one of those substances you don't want anywhere except the inside of a pen. But those dreaded in-pocket ruptures do happen, and luckily, there's a solution. Placing a damaged piece of clothing in milk will lift off the embedded ink. Just wash the clothing afterwards in a normal cycle.

A sprained ankle can ruin a week of your life, if not longer. If you can't make it to the doctor easily, wrapping a roll of gauze around the injured ligament offers enough support to help it heal quickly. Just make sure to stay off of it as much as possible until it gathers strength again.

As aesthetically pleasing as wood surfaces can be, they tend to gather dust quickly, and that's never a good look when you have guests coming over. If you don't have actual wood polish on hand, combining paraffin wax and vinegar in equal parts works just as well.

When it comes to boiling potatoes, you have to shoot for that soft, even texture throughout. So, to ensure the tater is absent of those firm, uncooked bits, sprinkle a dash of sugar into the boiling water. Once the potatoes start to soften, drain the water and put the pot back onto the stovetop for a few minutes.

It's a pain in the neck to remove stubborn nails that were driven a bit too deep into your wall. In order to maximize the efficiency of pliers, place a small block of wood underneath them as you use the now-steady head to work out the nail.

The modern world has become way too reliant on technology for information; when it comes to weather, most of us use a smartphone app to plan our day. But, sometimes a look out the window works even better. Check out the clouds on the horizon: if they grow in size as they move toward you, it's probably best to pack an umbrella.

To be fair, the housewives of the ‘40s didn’t have tumble dryers. But they might not have used them anyway, since they had gentler methods for drying their laundry. And, for people who wanted their clothes to last for as long as possible, gentle cleaning was the name of the game. We all could benefit from taking care of our clothes with the same degree of care. All you need to do is hang your garments out to dry, rather than relying on the tumble dryer. Your wardrobe will last longer, which saves you money. And naturally you’ll save on your utility bill, too.

Even though circumstances required ‘40s housewives to ration their resources, they still indulged in desserts. And they found ways to whip up their favorite confections without using all of the sugar that a recipe would normally require. The overseas troops had dibs on the sweet stuff, so families on the homefront got very little of it. For example, an apple pie recipe from this era called for only one teaspoon of sugar and the same amount of honey. So, take this tip for your next baking batch. Rather than dumping a ton of sugar into the mixture, try swapping it out for whichever alternative you have on hand. Or, cut down on the sweet stuff and keep your pantry fuller for longer.

Women in this era had learned the decade before — during the Great Depression — that they had to use less and save more. One great way of doing so was to borrow from others wherever possible. You might be wondering, “Why would I bother borrowing anything when I can get anything I need from the internet?” However, buying books and movies, for example, can be seen as a waste of money if you can check out the same titles from your local library. Or, you might need a tool or supply for a one-off project. Again, picking up an item to use it once would be an unnecessary expense when you could just borrow it from someone you know.

Here’s a challenge — log onto your Instagram and start scrolling. How many photos do you get through before you see a Mason jar? These containers are particularly en vogue, especially the vintage colorful variety. You can actually get a similar look by simply hanging on to your empty glass food containers. Even if they don’t look too similar to Mason jars, there are so many ways to repurpose empty containers. You can use them to organize a toolbox, craft-supply closet, or bathroom drawers. Pop leftovers into glass containers, and you don’t have to buy Tupperware ever again. And, of course, with a bit of creativity, you can repaint and redecorate your saved-up jars to use as candle holders, cups… or however else you’d use a pricy Mason-variety cylinder.

Civilians on the home front during World War II didn’t fight battles, but they did contribute to the country’s efforts. They gathered aluminum foil — right down to the shiny stuff wrapped around chewing gum — so that it could be repurposed. They also came up with ways to use and reuse the foil sheets outside of wartime. Rather than buying roll after roll of the silver stuff, try these hacks to save a few bucks. Inspect your aluminum sheets after using them — still-clean pieces can easily be stored and reused. You can also ball up a bit of used foil and use it to scrub pans, rather than purchasing boxes of steel wool.

Getting your hands on a newspaper in the 1940s meant you knew what was happening around the world. But it also opened up a slew of possibilities — there was much to be done with the pages after reading them. You might not want to try all of the era’s go-to methods for repurposing the dailies. For example, they might have used it to insulate their walls, but we have better, safer materials for that today. What you can do is deploy your newspaper sheets to clean glass to a streak-free shine or protect your fragile belongings before a move. Add it to your compost bin to bulk up your fertilizer. Or leaf through and find the comics, then wrap your loved one’s gifts with colorful artwork.

You reach for the bread bin and one touch tells you all you need to know — your loaf has gone stale. Rather than tossing that hardened hunk of carbohydrates, though, you could pull out this ‘40s housewife hack and ensure the last of your loaf doesn’t go to waste. Housewives, of course, found ways to reuse stale bread. They had two main methods: breaking it down into breadcrumbs or cubing it and cooking up some croutons. No matter how you repurpose your rolls, keep in mind that you’ll still get all of the nutritional value that fresh bread has to offer.

You may put bars of soap next to your sink to wash your hands. If you do, though, you know how annoying it is when it whittles away into a small sliver of suds. You might be tempted to toss that sanitizing shard into the trash can, but a ‘40s housewife hack can help you get the most from your soap. You’ll need an old pair of pantyhose or stockings and all of your little soap scraps. Stuff the shards into the foot of the garment, tie off the section, and cut it off. Then, pop the soap-filled tights next to any sink, rub them between your hands under the tap, and voila – clean hands from soap you would have thrown away.

Your pots and pans were shiny when new but now, they’ve taken on a much duller appearance. Don’t go running to the recycling just yet. Some pioneering housewives have a hack that can help you restore that sparkle, and it’ll cost you way less than replacing your kitchen’s cookware. All you have to do is pick up some rhubarb and chop it into small pieces. Place it in the offending pot or pan and boil it for 10 minutes or until it morphs into a glue-like liquid. After that, just rinse out the remains, and the bottom of your cookware should be restored to its formerly shiny self — all for just the price of some rhubarb.

Nowadays, you might donate a garment you don’t wear anymore or toss a ripped piece of fabric into the trash. This wouldn’t fly in the 1940s, when housewives used and reused every last scrap of fabric. Let’s say a men’s suit jacket got a tear in it. It might not be usable as a blazer anymore, but a crafty homemaker could use that fabric and remake it into a women’s skirt. Any leftover scraps from a sewing project would get set aside and saved up until a housewife had enough material to make a quilt. She’d twist rags into rugs — and use larger chunks of discarded fabric to make rags. You can do the same with your old towels and t-shirts today. In fact, many green-minded homemakers have transformed their old linens into rags and used them instead of paper towels.