These 16 Life Hacks May Be From 100 Years Ago, But They Are Shockingly Useful Today

Life hacks are the latest craze. We all want a better way to carry out our daily activities, and sometimes the answer comes in mysterious forms. Some of the best solutions are not some new-age innovation made possible by technology. Sometimes they have been around for years. These life hacks, taken from “how to do it” cards found in old cigarette boxes, are from 100 years ago, but they are still completely relevant and useful today. Who knew the past could have so much to offer?

1. How To Treat Sprains

If you sprained yourself, get some cloth you could use for wrapping and a cold water in a jar. Elevate the sprained joint then wrap it with the cloth. Put the cold water in a jar higher than the sprained joint and get a strip of cloth. Place one end of the cloth in the jug while the other should rest upon the wrapping of your sprained joint. If you have oil or liniment with you, rub it on the injured joint as the sprain gets better.

2. How To Pick Up Broken Glass

Accidents happen and sometimes, you can’t avoid breaking a glass. To clean up the broken pieces, use a soft damp cloth to ensure the small splinters are picked up as well. Ideally, you should use an old rag so you can throw it away with the broken glass once you’re done.

3. How To Measure With Coins

So you’re out in the wilderness need to measure something but have no measuring tools with you. Check your pockets for some spare change. A penny, for example, weighs around 2.5 grams and has a 19.05mm diameter. For the complete list of measurement of coins, check this out.

4. How To Detect Escaping Gas

A gas leak is a dangerous situation which can blow up your house if not attended to immediately. To detect a gas leak, all you need to do is paint a strong soap solution on the suspected pipe to produce bubbles from the escaping point. Once you detected where the escaping point is, you can fix the problem straight away.

5. How To Purify Water In Cistern

Ran out of fresh water to drink? Don’t worry, because you can purify a water in a cistern with a very simple trick. All you need to do is add a tablespoonful of powdered alum to 16 to 20 gallons of water. Wait for several hours, then you’ve got yourself fresh and pure water!

6. How To Make A Spirit Level

Make your own spirit level with a wooden box and a glass tube. However, you must do this carefully and accurately — especially in the construction of the box. Cork both ends of the glass tube filled with just enough water or spirit (leaving a bubble of air). Seal the tube by using a sealing wax to prevent the spirit inside from evaporating.