Less known but required skills

If you’re 30 years old or younger, you’ve probably heard many older people talking about daily tasks that you don’t know how to do around the house anymore. Some blame it on technology and on younger people being too dependent on their phones to wanting to learn how to perform simple day-to-day tasks. Others claim they should have learned basic life skills in school.

Irrespective of who’s right or wrong, there are indeed some simple skills that many people nowadays have no idea about. Read on to find out the ones that we believe should make a comeback!

How to kill a bug with a newspaper

Back in their heyday, apart from being sources of information, newspapers also served other purposes such as instruments to get rid of bugs. Gone are the days when you could just grab a section of the paper, roll it up and swat the bothersome fly or wasp that wouldn’t leave you alone.

Nowadays, killing an insect with a newspaper can be kind of tricky considering people no longer have newspapers in their homes and would rather use sprays or chemical-free solutions to keep insects and pests away.

How to iron clothes

As strange as it might seem, many people don’t really know how to use a clothes iron. There are various reasons they’ve never learned or bought an iron. First of all, you can now buy clothes made from “easy-care”, “wrinkle-free” fabric which can be washed and worn without being ironed. That’s every housewife’s dream come true, I guess!

Secondly, people who need to wear business suits and ties on a daily basis take them to the dry cleaning where they are professionally cleaned and ironed. At the other end of the spectrum, there are the athleisure fans who wear yoga pants and breathable tees practically everywhere they go. Last but not least, an increasing number of people is using handheld steamers and wrinkle-release sprays instead of the old-fashioned iron.

How to prepare coffee without a coffee maker

When was the last time you made a pot of coffee? Or, better yet, have you ever made coffee without a coffee maker? No need to be ashamed, most people younger than 30 don’t even know how many scoops of coffee they need per cup and need to do a quick Google search to find out.

Besides, with such hectic schedules, most people get their morning cup of joe from a coffee shop or fast-food drive-through. The remaining ones, who do prepare their own coffee, usually use coffee pods. But trust me, you don’t know what you’re missing because nothing beats the smell and taste of fresh, ground coffee!

How to sew on a button or mend a tear

Although sewing on a button is rather simple, many people don’t know what to do with a needle and thread. In fact, according to a study conducted by the British Heart Foundation, 23 percent of the interviewed people admitted to not having any idea how to sew on a button, more than half ask their mothers for help while 16 percent ask their grandparents for assistance.

But if you’re a self-sufficient adult, you can’t just visit your parents and say “Happy Easter! Can you fix this shirt?”. Sure, you can go to tailor shops, which will be more than happy to do the sewing for you, but you’ll have to take your clothing item and replacement buttons to the shop and pay.

How to wash a car

If you think washing a car doesn’t require some sort of skills or experience, think again. Covering your car in water and detergent is simple enough but the result might not be what you wanted. For this reason, many people decide to take their cars to a car wash or use a valet service instead of scrubbing and risk damaging their car’s paintwork. It’s less time-consuming and way easier when someone else does it for you.

Not to mention that people living in apartments don’t even have a place to wash their cars on their own.

How to sharpen a knife

You might not need to sharpen a kitchen knife on a daily basis, but people used to do it on their own whenever their knives got dull. Nowadays, most people are afraid of potentially dangerous things, which is not exactly a bad thing, but when it comes to regular knife sharpening, that fear is a bit irrational. That’s because if you have the proper equipment and technique, sharpening a kitchen knife can be risk-free.

If you’d rather let professionals do it, you can always go to dedicated sharpening services or simply replaced them when they become dull.

How to make a bed with a top sheet

Top sheet? Many of you might wonder what’s that. That’s because it became a bit old-fashioned and obsolete, even more so after people started using the duvet, with its removable cover. If you don’t know how to make a bed with a top sheet, you’re not the only one. The “art” of making ‘hospital corners’ on bed sheets is not for everyone, but it’s not necessarily a skill that we can’t live without.

How to fix a clogged sink

What do you usually do when a kitchen or bathroom sink is draining very slowly or not at all? Most people use pour liquid or solid chemicals down the drain and hope it works. Sometimes, this method proves to be efficient but other times, it can cause even more problems if, let’s say you’re not wearing eye protection and the chemicals spray back out the drain. More than that, if the solution you pored inside doesn’t get the job done, you would have to plunge or open a drain full of toxic goo. What happened to the old-fashioned plungers?

How to fix a clogged toilet

Speaking of plungers, they’re no longer used for clogged sinks either.  More than that, many people avoid working on anything plumbing related for fear of making things worse. In all honesty, you couldn’t mess up your toilet with a plunger even you wanted to. So, if your sink overflowing, don’t hesitate to take the plunge!