Let's be honest: there's nobody wiser or smarter than a grandma. With a wealth of experience and life knowledge under their belts, grandmas know just about everything - and they have some pretty impressive old-school life hacks to show for it. From home and clothing repair to completing house chores in record time, you can bet your bottom dollar that grandmas have mastered it all. Don't believe us? Check out these grandma hacks that will make your life much easier - and cheaper.
Add Celery to Prevent Dry Bread
While dry bread can be repurposed to make croutons or bread pudding, nobody wants a sandwich made from dry bread. But most people assume that you have no control over the dryness of your bread - and that's just not true. Back in the day, our grandmas would use another kitchen ingredient to prevent dryness, and they used to stick a stalk of celery into the bag or bread container.
The moisture within the celery will stop the bread from drying out and keep it fresh and soft for much longer than without it, but just make sure that you change the celery stick every few days.
Preserve Fresh Flowers With Vinegar
There's nothing quite like having freshly cut flowers in your house, but it can be pretty sad when they start to wilt a die just a few days later. But as you can probably guess, this grandma hack can solve that issue. To preserve your flowers for longer, simply add a half-and-half mixture of vinegar and water to a vase of water. The antibacterial properties of vinegar will help them maintain their freshness.
It'll also keep harmful microorganisms at bay, but only if you change the water and refresh this mixture every few days. If not, the antibacterial properties won't be as effective.
Fill Wall Holes With Toothpaste
You could spend your whole life ticking house chores off your home maintenance list. It seems as though taking care of your home is a never-ending job, and this is especially true when you have holes in your walls. But while you could head out to Home Depot and buy some filler, this old-school hack involves toothpaste instead. In fact, you can use this toothpaste as a putty to fill the holes with ease.
When the toothpaste has dried out, you can then sand the area and paint over it. And within just a few hours it'll be like the holes were never there.
Absorb Trash Can Odors With Newspaper
Don't you just hate it when a trash can stinks out your whole house? Although we know that adding leftover food and rotten vegetable peelings into a trash can won't leave it smelling like roses, it's still a shock to the system when it burns your nostrils. This grandma hack can solve that problem, though. Back in the day, our grandmas would line the bottom of their trash cans with newspaper - but for some reason, we've stopped doing that.
However, this old-school hack is extremely effective as it acts as an absorbent layer to soak up spills and odours. It's also a cheap hack, as you probably have some newspaper lying around the house anyway.
Use Lemon and Salt to Clean Brass and Copper
Whether you have some brass hardware around your house or you've inherited some copper pans from your grandma, knowing how to take care of them is key. A big part of that is cleaning, but there's no doubt about the fact that you could spend a fortune on cleaning supplies that all claim to be the best product for the job. But one grandma hack we can't ignore is totally free!
Yes, if you cut a lemon in half and sprinkle some salt on the flesh, you can rub it against your brass or copper and clean it up a treat.
Chill Onions for Tear-Free Cutting
Hands up if you cry when you cut onions? Of course, it's not because we're so emotional over the onions and their layers, but it is instead because of the chemical makeup of the onion itself. But if you want to cut onions without having a meltdown in the process, the old-school hack of chilling your onions before you cut them should work wonders. After all, our grandma's taught us it.
All you need to do is chill your onions in the refrigerator for around 30 minutes before you cut them, and this will stunt the release of the irritating compounds.
Open Stubborn Jars With Dishwashing Gloves
If you struggle to open stubborn jars of cooking sauces, you've probably tried every trick in the book. But have you ever tried this grandma hack? Back in the day, our grandmas would use an old-school hack that would allow them to seamlessly open stubborn jars with dishwashing gloves - and it works every time. That's because the material of the dishwashing gloves offers impressive grip, allowing you to really get a hold of the lid.
There's no more slipping and sliding when you use these gloves, but you don't have to worry if you don't already own a pair. You can pick some up for just a few dollars at the grocery store.
Boil Water in Pans to Remove Stubborn Stains
One of the worst house chores is having to wash the dishes. Although the odd dish or bowl is fine, there's nothing worse than having to clean pots and pans that have stubborn stains and stuck-on bits of food. And while you might buy oodles of cleaning supplies to do this job for you, one grandma hack you might be interested in is simply boiling water in the pots and pans.
Although it may seem strange, boiling water can actually loosen this debris and allow you to scrape off the stains and the food with ease. You shouldn't even need to scrub too hard.
Keep Sugar Fresh With Bread
If you're not someone who regularly uses sugar, you may find that the sugar goes hard when it's left in the pantry. And while you can use it like this, it's fair to say that sugar is also better when it's soft and ready to use. Thankfully, this grandma hack can help you out, and all you need is a piece of bread. And if you don't have bread, a marshmallow will also do the trick.
By putting one of these food items in the bag or container of sugar, it'll slowly release moisture and keep the sugar soft. Just make sure you replace it every couple of weeks to stop it going mouldy.
Use Frozen Grapes as Ice Cubes
An ice-cool drink can be extremely refreshing on a hot summer's day, and there's a high chance that you have fond memories of your grandma's sweet tea or ice-cool fruit lemonades. But have you ever wondered how she managed to keep her drinks cold without watering them down in the process? Well, one of the best grandma hacks we've ever come across is using frozen grapes as ice cubes rather than ice cubes themselves.
This way, you can keep a drink cold without dealing with melting ice and also add a fruity twist to your drinks. It's easy to do, too, as long as you have space in your freezer.
Trap Fruit Flies With Apple Cider Vinegar
During the summer months, there's a high chance that your home is full of fruit flies. These things fly around your head, make a home on the food on your kitchen countertops, and breed like crazy. Before you know it, your whole house is infested, and there's nothing you can do about it... or so you thought. One grandma hack involves trapping fruit flies with a simple bowl of apple cider vinegar.
Ideally, you should mix two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar with three drops of dish soap and one tablespoon of water for it to be as effective as possible. Then, wait for the flies to fly into it.
Use Boiling Water and Ice Water to Peel Potatoes Quicker Than Ever
Let's be honest; grandmas are the best at peeling potatoes. It seems as though they can do this house chore in record time, and they don't seem to fiddle around with potato peelers or other kinds of kitchen contraptions. So, how do they do it? Well, they follow the grandma hack of using boiling water and ice water, of course. To do this, you should first boil your potatoes with the skins on.
When they're ready, take them out of the boiling water and let them sit for 15 seconds in a bowl of ice water. When you pick them up again, the skins should just fall off.
Remove Candle Wax With a Butter Knife
We love lighting candles as much as the next guy (who really loves candles), but we've been burned too many times by rogue candle wax. After all, anyone who has tried to remove dried candle wax from a piece of furniture or a couch will know just how difficult it is. This household chore doesn't have to be that difficult, though. If you grab a butter knife from the kitchen, you can scrape it off in no time.
The key to this old-school hack is heating up the butter knife in some hot water before scraping the surface and the wax. If you do this, it should come off with ease.
Use Cornstarch to Clean Carpet Stains
Carpets are notoriously very difficult to clean, making them one of the worst house chores you could be stuck with. This becomes even more difficult when you're dealing with a greasy stain that gets caught in between all of the fibers. But if you want to get rid of this stain and pick up the excess grease, all you need is some cornstarch. In fact, we learned this old-school hack from the best: our grandma.
When you sprinkle cornstarch on top of the stain and leave it to work its magic for around half an hour, the cornstarch will absorb the grease, remove the stain, and leave a fresh smell behind.
Soften Butter Quickly in a Jar
If a recipe ever calls for softened butter, it can go one of two ways. Either it can go down without a hitch because you keep your butter on the counter anyway, or it'll be a disaster because you keep your butter in the refrigerator. But if your experiences are more like the latter, you'll be happy to know that this grandma hack can help you soften butter very quickly.
All you need to do is fill a glass with boiling water and keep it there for a few minutes. Then, pour out the water and place the glass upside down on top of the stick of butter. Within a minute or so, it'll be soft.
Use Old Milk Jugs as Watering Cans
Home maintenance doesn't just apply to cleaning and washing. You also need to take care of the plants in and around your house, just like your grandma used to. But have you ever wondered how she managed to stay on top of her watering schedule? Well, there's a high chance that she repurposed her old milk jugs and turned them into watering cans so she could keep her indoor and outdoor plants hydrated.
If you're going to replicate this grandma hack, just make sure that you thoroughly clean the watering can before poking holes in the cap. Then, you won't have to buy another watering can again.
Check the Freshness of Eggs in Water
Ever had a bad egg? Most of the time, the color is off, the taste is weird, and the texture just feels a little strange. But while most people assume that the only way to tell if an egg is bad or good is to cook it, our grandmas had a different technique. The old-school hack of checking the freshness of eggs in water can work wonders, as fresh eggs will sink, but spoiled eggs will not.
This grandma hack is super easy to do at home, and you don't need any specific materials to make it happen. After all, everyone has a tall glass and some water.
Cover a Mixing Bowl With a Paper Plate to Reduce Mess
Back in the day, your grandma would probably greet you at her house with a freshly baked cake. But her house was also immaculate, so how did she keep it clean? Well, she probably knew this old-school hack of covering a stand mixer bowl with a paper plate to catch any splatters or mess that came its way. And while this hack may be very simple, it's also very effective.
It's super easy to cover the bowl with the paper plate, as you can just cut a hole in the middle for the whisks to go through. Then, you can mix as you normally would.
Use Utensils to Decorate a Cake
Hands up if your grandma used to make the most beautifully decorated cakes? Well, there's a high chance that she didn't spend a fortune on piping bags, nozzles, and decorating tools. That's because one of the best old-school hacks is actually decorating cakes with what you already have in your kitchen: your forks and spoons. By using these utensils, you can smooth frosting out and even add texture to the top of your cakes.
The best thing about this grandma hack is the fact that it won't cost you any money. And we love a hack that's completely free and won't drain our bank accounts.
Add Pasta or Potato Water to Your Sauces
There's a high chance that you cook pasta and potatoes on a regular basis, and we're also going to go ahead and assume that you simply pour the cooking water down the drain when you're done. But what if we told you that you could use this water for something else? This grandma hack has been around for a while and involves pouring your pasta or potato water into your cooking sauces.
The starch in the water will bring out the richness of the ingredients in the sauce and give it that extra depth of flavor. Plus, it means the water isn't going to waste.
Hide Wood Scratches With Almond Oil
When you get a scratch on your expensive wooden furniture, you might shake your fist at the sky and try and sell it for a reduced price. But your grandma wouldn't be so quick to get rid of it, as there's an old-school hack to hide these wood scratches - and it won't cost you a fortune. In fact, you can pick up some almond oil for just a few dollars at the health store.
If you rub the oil into the scratch, it should disappear within seconds. But if you can't find any almond oil, don't worry. You could also rub an actual almond on it!
Repurpose Old Socks as Dusters
There comes a time in every sock's life when it's no longer viable as a sock. It might be full of holes, and it might be so worn down there's barely any material left. But while your socks might not be the right fit for your feet, they could be the right fit for your household chores. Yes, a grandma hack our ancestors absolutely loved was repurposing old socks as dusters.
By slipping the sock over your hand, you can wipe down high surfaces, clean glass, and even shine up your shoes. You won't need to buy any more dusters, either.
Get Rid of Sand Using Baking Powder
There's nothing more irritating than getting sand in your house after a long day at the beach. The sand gets into every nook and cranny of your body, and before you know it, the sand is in your bed sheets and deep in your couch. But this grandma hack suggests that getting rid of the sand just before you leave the beach is the best option. To do this, you'll need baking powder.
If you sprinkle this powder onto your body as you're leaving the beach, the powder should dry out the wet sand and make it easy to brush off before you jump in the car to go home.
Collect Rainwater to Water Your Greenery
Most people assume that collecting rainwater is old-fashioned and out-of-style, but does saving money ever go out of style? We think not! An old-school hack our grandmas have always loved is collecting rainwater in large containers to water the greenery in and around their homes. This is a free way to keep your plants alive, and a super easy way to keep your grass green during the hot and sunny summer months.
Not only that, but you can also make sure that you're providing your plants with the most natural water possible. After all, you sometimes can't trust the water that comes out of your faucet.
Don't Buy a New Air Freshener - Use Essential Oils to Give It Another Life
Does your grandma's house always smell fresh and delicious? Of course, that's probably because they always have freshly-baked cookies on the counter, but it might also have something to do with the fact that they make their own homemade air fresheners. You can do this yourself, too. In order to make a homemade air freshener, you just need to mix baking soda with a few drops of the essential oil of your choice.
The best way to make the most of this old-school hack is to mix the concoction in a bowl and then leave it in different areas of your home. You can also make as much or as little of this as you want.
Trim Candle Wicks to Prevent Smoke
Candles are a great addition to any home, but there's no denying that the smoke they can sometimes produce is irritating. They can set off smoke alarms and they can irritate those with breathing difficulties. To prevent this smoke, you might want to try out this old-school hack, which involves trimming the candle wicks before you light them. Ideally, you should cut the wick so it's 1/4 inch in size.
By doing this, the flame will be better contained and will reduce the amount of soot that builds up while it's burning. As if that wasn't enough, it should also make your candles last longer.
Make a Homemade Heating Pad With Rice
Constantly dealing with aches and pains? Always feel like you're in agony? While you can stock up on expensive heating pads you can buy online, what you might be interested to know is that you can use this grandma hack to your advantage - and save some money in the process. That's because you can actually make your own heating pad by filling an old sock with rice and placing it in the microwave.
After around two minutes, you can take it out and use it as a heating pad. The rice will retain the heat for a long time, too. But when it gets cold again, you can just pop it in the microwave again.
Swap Fabric Softener for White Vinegar
On average, how much do you think you spend on cleaning supplies? We're going to hazard a guess and say that you spend a lot, as all of these cleaning products with fancy labels cost a fortune. But one grandma hack you should definitely know is that white vinegar is a great substitute for most cleaning products - including fabric softener. And if you buy it in bulk, you'll be able to save loads of money.
As well as being free from chemicals, white vinegar is also a great fabric softener alternative, as it can leave your clothes softer than ever and even free of static.
Grow Your Own Garden From Kitchen Scraps
When you were younger, your grandma was probably the only person who could convince you to eat your greens - and that's because grandma's greens tasted so much better than store-bought vegetables. And if you want to recreate that years later, you should replicate the grandma hack of growing your own vegetable garden from kitchen scraps. Yes, all you need to do is save the scrabs of your store-bought herbs and vegetables.
You can then repot them and grow them from scratch, allowing for an endless supply of produce. You can even do this with the likes of onions, celery, basil, green onions, and more.
Store Ice Cream in Plastic Bags to Prevent Freezer Burn
If you had the choice between an icy ice cream or a soft-serve ice cream, we're going to go ahead and assume that you'd go for the latter option. Our grandmas didn't like freezer burn ice cream, either, which is why they would always put their ice cream tubs in a plastic bag before popping them in the freezer. This insulates the tub, preventing the formation of ice crystals in and around the ice cream.
Not only will this make the ice cream easier to scoop and eat, but it should also keep the ice cream fresh in terms of taste. So, why wouldn't you give this old-school hack a try?
Clean Windows With Water and White Vinegar
One house chore most people hate is cleaning windows. While it's an essential part of home maintenance, it seems as though you need to buy countless cleaning supplies to tick this task off your to-do list. But the reality is a little different. One grandma hack you should have on your radar is cleaning windows with white vinegar and water, which will offer a crystal-clear finish and a dazzling shine.
All you need to do is mix equal parts water and white vinegar and spray it onto the windows with a spray bottle. Then, wipe down with some newspaper to get the best results.
Make Your Own Linen Spray
If you think hard enough, there's a high chance that you can remember exactly what your grandma's house smelled like. We bet it always smelled fresh and clean, but that's not just because she was on top of her home maintenance. Grandmas' houses always smell fresh because they use the old-school hack of making their own linen spray rather than buying it from the store. And this allowed them to personalize it to their own scent requests.
You can do the same if you simply mix rubbing alcohol with water and the essential oil of your choice. If you then pop it in a spray bottle, you can spray it on your linens for extra freshness.
Open a Stubborn Jar With a Rubber Band
It turns out that our grandmas have a number of different hacks to open stuck jars, which explains why you never saw her asking your grandfather to open one for her. In fact, she used rubber to her benefit when she found herself face-to-face with a stubborn jar, and one of her favorite old-school hacks was to use a rubber band. She then placed the rubber band around the lid of the jar.
By holding onto this rubber band rather than the slippery jar lid itself, you can actually get some grip and open it once and for all. And it's a foolproof method.
Use a Magic Eraser to Clean Your Shoes
If you love your shoes as much as the next guy (who really loves shoes), you'll know just how annoying it is when you get scrapes and marks on them. And while there are so many shoe-cleaning supplies out there, they're pretty expensive. But an old-school cleaning hack of using a Magic Eraser is a much cheaper alternative, as you might already have a pack at home in your cupboards.
If you wipe this Magic Eraser over the scrapes on your shoes, you should see them magically disappear within just a few seconds. The best bit? This grandma hack will work on any shoes.
Use Old Egg Cartons to Organize Anything - From Tools to Kitchen Condiments
While egg cartons can be recycled, you can also repurpose them if you really want. This is something our grandmas have been doing for decades, and you might even have fond memories of opening up your grandma's refrigerator to see an egg carton sitting in the door. That's because these egg cartons make excellent containers for everything from your condiments to your sewing kit. After all, you can give small items their own home.
The smaller sections are perfect for smaller items that you want to keep safe, but you can also use the lid for much larger items that take up more space. Pretty neat, huh?
Eat Marshmallows to Soothe a Sore Throat
A lot of the grandma hacks on this list are supported by evidence, but there's no doubt about the fact that this next hack is more of an old wives' tale than anything else. And while there's no scientific evidence to prove that marshmallows can help to soothe a sore throat, there's no harm in trying, right? Our grandma's used to swear by this remedy, and we definitely didn't complain.
Apparently, the gelatin in the marshmallows can coat the inside of the throat, relieving pain when swallowing. It's even better if you put them in the refrigerator for a few minutes first.
Soak Chicken in Milk to Keep It Tender
Is there anything worse than dry, tough chicken? But anyone who has ever tried to cook chicken before will know that it's not as easy as it seems. It's hard to get it just right, and nobody ever makes it as good as grandma. If you want to know her grandma hack, however, we're here to tell you that it's milk! By soaking your chicken in milk for 48 hours prior to cooking, you can keep it both moist and tender.
If you want to take this old-school hack even further, you could swap the normal milk for raw buttermilk. This will add a delicious taste that even your grandma will be proud of.