Surprising Vintage Life Hacks That Still Work to This Day

Right now you're thinking: 100 years ago...life hacks? I know it sounds crazy, but trust me, there are some really interesting and quality steps that can be taken to ensure your difficulties in life are easily hacked away. Thanks to the Lost Generation and their adoration for cigarettes, a wide range of collectable cards were issued in every pack, showcasing photos of advertisements, celebrities, or other cultural references. More than not, these cigarette cards showed the people of long ago how truly dumb they were in certain moments, which is why UK-founded Gallaher, at the time one of the largest tobacco distributers in the world, became a staple in these collectable cards.

Ranging anywhere from the banal (like how to test butter), to even the implausible (like how to draw a duck without pencil leaving the paper), these so-called how-to's didn't just point you in the right direction or give you the right steps to finish a task perfectly. Some were complete with nifty tricks and others had simple shortcuts, but all of these collectable cards went from tacky to crafty in no less then a century. They made your life a whole hell of a lot easier in those days, and still can, better than any of the 5 apps needed for college ever could, which is why we now call them life hacks, I guess. To these men and women of yesteryear, I salute you, and for those in the future still not yet with us, I pray that, similar to how these very hacks plopped into my own lap, the answers to life's most difficult queries can be unearthed in all but a few vintage life hacks that still work for you.

How to Increase Lung Power

One of the more surprising vintage life hacks that still works can actually be used in any time, any era, anywhere, and all you have to do is breathe. Astonishing, am I right? Just repeat the following process as much as possible each morning and evening.

Look up into the sky and keep your head far back. While standing on the balls of your feet, inhale deeply until your entire lungs are full of air, or when they're fully inflated. Then, slowly exhale. Remember, return your chest to its natural level before sinking the lungs.

How to Revive Cut Flowers

If you want to bring something back from the dead, Gallaher cigarette cards have something for you and no, it's not the Lazarus Pit. When transporting a bouquet of flowers, you don't want your valuable plants to die en route. But, as is so often the case, your beloved blossoms do end up dead and you're left throwing away your perfect gift.

Thanks to vintage life hacks that still work today, your flowers can be revived simply by plunging them into hot water and letting them sit until the liquid has cooled. It's like waking up a stubborn sleeper, hot water always does the trick. After removal, cut the stems and place the newly revived flowers into cold water. Presto, you've curtailed plant death.

How to Light a Match in the Wind

This is exactly something cards found in cigarette boxes should advertise: lighting a freaking match in the wind. Nope, it's not black magic, just a 100 year old life hack; who would have thought?

To compensate for those harsh gusts and to chill your simmering nerves, cut fine shavings from the striking end of the match and curl them up, so they're surrounding the red tip. It should look almost like a tiny Christmas tree, as shown in the picture. This gives you better chance for that perfect flame and adds strength to outlast the thickest gusts.

How to Make a Good Polish

Keeping your metals clean and shiny nowadays can be a hassle, if not practically impossible. Yeah, so there's the store-bought stuff you can get at any hardware or hobby shop, but why waste the money? There's a simpler solution, one of many vintage life hacks that still work.

This stuff's good for almost anything from your daily needs, whether it be mirrors, pictures, floors, or even pianos. All you need is, as the cigarette card allows, "equal parts vinegar and paraffin." Crazy, I know, but it truly does work. Mix in a little oil of lavender to give your home-made polish a natural insect deterrent and sweet-smelling aroma, then cork it for future use. You'll never have to worry about polish ever again.

How to Clean Bottles

Oh yes, if you didn't already know how to do it before, now you truly will. I'm sure you've run into that all-too familiar issue when cleaning bottles: the insides are always the trickiest spaces. Either you don't clean every surface within the bottle, or it ends up drying disastrously. Don't worry, there's help among vintage life hacks that still work just for that!

As the card demands, fill the interior of a dirty bottle with just a little sand and some water, then vigorously shake it, like it's hot. Okay, you don't have to shake it like it's hot, but you still have to wash and drain the bottle after it's completely clean. The water-sand combination reaches into tough spots and picks away at unseen particles, effectively cleaning the interior of a bottle like never before—well, as if it were the 20th century, I suppose.

How to Kill a Tree Stump

I added this for good taste — I mean, who wouldn't want to kill a tree stump? Honestly, I didn't even know you could kill a tree stump, but according to these vintage life hacks that still work, it's a thing so commonly unknown they had to create a freaking shortcut for it.

To amend pesky tree stumps from sprouting strong undergrowth, bred after a long period of remaining unmoved in the ground, you're gonna need to bore a multitude of holes into both the top and side of the stump. Cut a patch of bark from inside and drill holes into this, as well, after which filling them with a mixture of solignum and salt. This should soak through and kill tree stumps where they sit. But then, where are you gonna sit?

How to Extract a Splinter

It's among both awesome life hacks that use everyday objects, plus vintage life hacks that still work; a true testament of superior knowledge. Or, just an accidental discovery made by an unsuspecting splinter victim, the world will never know. What we do now know, though, is that you can remove a splinter simply by using the power of suction. Fuckin' science, am I right?

Fill a wide mouthed bottle nearly to the top with hot water, then place the injured area over the brim and steam will soon draw out the splinter. Voila, now you're set for any woodworking, lumber yard, timber carving, or running over docks catastrophe. I've had one too many splinters in my lifetime, what can I say?

How to Clean New Boots

Yup, pesky roads and sidewalks don't make it easy for us to polish new shoes, especially if you live in the city. Crisp white Oxfords? You can kiss those goodbye after a single wear.

Fortunately, thanks to the ancient minds from 100 years ago, I bring to you one of a many vintage life hacks that still work. By using literally nothing but a slice of lemon, you can ready your new boots for polish in a cinch. Rub lemon juice over footwear, then let dry. If they're not ready for polish, apply more lemon juice and let dry. It's literally that simple!

How to Make a Fire Extinguisher

It's like creating the opposite of a molotov cocktail. The only real question you might be asking yourself is: how the hell am I gonna make this damn thing while a fire's ripping around me? It's one of those vintage life hacks that still work, you just gotta make it ahead of time. Even in life hacks they prepared for the worst back in the 1900s.

In case you drop your cigarette and start a house fire, whip up this concoction: one half pound of sal-ammoniac and one pound of salt dissolved in two quarts of water. Disperse resulting compound into thin glass bottles of quarts, so as to toss small portions of the dissolved solution into the fire. Fingers crossed, 'cus according to the cigarette card:

"...any serious outbreaks will probably be averted."

How to Treat Sprains

They can make your life an unmovable hell of torture and pain, but sprains do happen and you are gonna have to treat it one way or another. So, the question then remains, are you gonna to do it your way, or the right way? In our very last entry of vintage life hacks that still work, I present to you a valuable lesson in treating sprains.

After dampening the cloth and bandages in cold water, wrap your sprain ensuring that the linen won't have to be changed. Lead one end of the bandage to a jug of water, which must be kept at a higher angle from your foot. The scene should almost look as if your bandaged sprain is literally drinking water from the jug; in actuality, it is! Water from the container will pass through this strip of bandage to keep your sprained joint damp and cold. As it gets better, rub oil or liniment over the injury for faster healing.