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Evaporation and bread on a radiator: what Soviet life looked like
This is how you will remember those times and involuntarily think: how good it is that we no longer have to go to such tricks.
Housewives of the Soviet Union knew a lot … sorry, they almost wrote in perversions, but there is some truth in this. They knew a lot about tricks. They did not always have cold handles on the lids of pots, twenty different cleaning products, melamine sponges and a bleaching mode on washing machines (and not everyone had these machines themselves). What today we would call a life hack, half a century ago was a trick from the heading “to the mistress of the note.” And the woman who did not know how to clean a clogged sink with soda and vinegar or “refresh” stale bread was bad.
“This never happens again …”
These life hacks are unlikely to be useful to you in modern life. Not because they are bad: they just don’t make sense anymore. Just read it and fill yourself with pride for the older generation – their ingenuity worked great for them! And there was an amazing ability – to come up with a second life for things or a new meaning.
– We put health disc under the TV and you have a great 360-degree rotating stand!
— Plastic bag no need to throw it away. It can also be washed! And use it a few more times. Many, by the way, still do this. Did you also have bags drying outside your window?
– Disinfect or bleach laundry? We take a huge saucepan and boil things in it. It was called “Boil linen”… The boil, respectively, is the container itself in which all this is done. And they pulled him out of there with huge wooden tongs. By the way, some housewives still do this, especially if these are things of newborns. They believe that this effect cannot be achieved in a washing machine.
— Wine cork do not need to be thrown away. It fits into the handle of the lid and provides excellent burn protection. Even at the highest temperatures, the cork did not heat up and it was possible to quickly open the pan without fear of scalding. And if there was no traffic jam at hand, a rolled newspaper was used.
– The dishes were washed often mustard powder… He removed dirt and grease. Today, of course, no one uses it like that.
– The blunt grater was sharpened emery paper… During this process, it was better to plug your ears. But the result was pleasing.
— Stale bread put in a plastic bag (in vain, or something, washed) and put on the battery. So it was possible to “cheer him up” a little. Now, instead of batteries, we have microwave ovens in our kitchen.
– Remember your mums lipsticks? It certainly stuck out in the tube match – this is in order to use it all, to the last drop. And the tube was not thrown away: a piece of foam rubber was put into it, and it turned into a convenient needle bed. And needles, by the way, were needed not only for sewing. They were used to unstick eyelashes painted with Soviet mascara. Extreme? Yeah.
– We went for milk and sour cream with our can… Milk happiness was poured out of 50-liter jars. And go check what’s inside. Calorie content, information on the composition of the product? Woman, get out of here, don’t wait in line!
We take tights …
Thin, nylon. Yes, in the Soviet era it was a deficit. To prolong the life of the stockings, women put them in the freezer right after the purchase, still brand new. It was believed that this way they would be better worn.
They were torn, however, in the same way. But the women were in no hurry to throw them away. After all, it could be neatly sewn up and worn under the pants. Sewing up, by the way, could also be done in different ways. For example, pull out a nylon thread from the old matching color. Some craftsmen even sewed them up with hair, it was believed that the seams were not visible this way. It was a special art – tights had to be pulled over a light bulb and carefully darned.
Well, when the kapronki came into complete disrepair, they migrated from the closet with clothes to the kitchen or bathroom. Capron was considered an indispensable thing in the household – what they just did not do with it. Onions were kept in stockings – they didn’t even spoil thanks to the perfect ventilation system. By the way, this method is now on the wave: foreigners appreciated it. And even the color of the tights matters!
Washing boards – remember such a nightmare?
The upper part – “shorts” – was used for washing dishes, furniture and even windows were also wiped with it. Tights could also replace gauze – they filtered juice, wine, wiped jam, squeezed cottage cheese through them. Stretched over the tube of the vacuum cleaner, they functioned as a filtration system. And those women who often fiddled with the dough knew: you pull a stocking on a rolling pin, and nothing sticks to it. Wonders!
Now we take salt and soda …
And there is no better cleaner. My mom still despises all Domestos and Mister Muscles combined. Clean the bathtub? Soda! Clean darkened cups with baking soda! Wash the floor? Soda! (unless it is dyed, then ammonia is needed. – Approx. of the author’s mother). Unplug a blockage in your pipe or toilet? Soda! Together with vinegar.
And what about salt? We know for sure that it removes red wine stains – you just need to immediately sprinkle the stained place thickly and wait. Then shake off and repeat the action. But this is not its only plus. Salt was placed in small trays between the window frames, absorbing moisture, it did not allow the glass to freeze. And if they did freeze, it was necessary to rinse the windows with saline solution and wipe the glass dry. By the way, do you know what? Ordinary newspapers.
By the way, two more main cleaning agents are vodka and vinegar: they perfectly polished surfaces and washed mirrors.