1. Mowing the Lawn with a Push Mower
Before riding mowers made cutting big lawns as easy as driving a car, most households relied on push mowers—first the manual reel type, and later, gas-powered models. The manual versions depended entirely on human strength, their blades whirring with a crisp snip as you pushed. Every step was a workout, especially on uneven or sprawling yards, where thick patches of grass demanded several passes. You couldn’t just breeze through it; stopping meant losing your rhythm. Still, the quiet clatter of metal against grass had its own charm, and finishing the lawn left you with a sense of accomplishment that powered equipment can’t quite match.
2. Raking Leaves by Hand
Fall meant hours spent raking every single leaf into neat piles, only to have the wind scatter them before you could gather them up. Paper leaf bags were the standard, and filling them was a careful process to avoid tears. Kids often dove into the leaf piles before they were bagged, which added to the fun, but also doubled the work. It was a slow-moving ritual that left you with sore shoulders and the scent of autumn in your clothes.
3. Polishing the Car Until It Gleamed
A proper car wash didn’t end with just soap and water, it was followed by painstaking polishing. Wax had to be applied in even circles, allowed to dry to a haze, and then buffed away with a soft chamois until the paint shone like glass. Doing it by hand meant your arms got a serious workout, especially on larger cars of the era. The payoff was seeing your own reflection in the finish and knowing every inch had been cared for.
4. Hanging Clothes on the Line
Dryers weren’t in every home, so laundry day often meant carrying heavy baskets outside to pin wet clothes to the line. You had to space them just right for airflow, and when the wind blew items off, it was back to the drawing board. The sun left fabrics smelling fresh, and crisp pillowcases fluttering in the breeze were a reward in themselves. Still, when storm clouds rolled in, the scramble to rescue the wash could be frantic.
5. Beating Rugs Over the Clothesline
Rugs collected dust like magnets, and the best way to clean them was to haul them outside, drape them over a clothesline, and whack away with a rug beater. Clouds of dust would rise into the air, coating your hair and clothes, but there was something satisfying about watching each strike loosen years of embedded grit. It was noisy, messy, and left your arms tired, but stepping onto a freshly beaten rug indoors felt like walking on air.
6. Ironing Everything
Ironing wasn’t just for dress shirts, it extended to pillowcases, tablecloths, and even bedsheets. A wrinkle-free home was a point of pride, and steam irons required careful handling to avoid scorch marks or shiny spots. The hiss of steam and rhythmic glide of the iron became part of the household soundtrack. Some folks even sprinkled water on clothes before ironing to get that crisp finish. Stacking a freshly pressed pile felt like preparing for guests, even if no one was coming.
7. Weeding the Garden
Garden maintenance meant getting down on your knees with a trowel or hand fork and pulling weeds one by one. There were no shortcuts, just patience, sweat, and a good eye for spotting invaders among the vegetables or flowers. It was slow work, especially in the heat, but also oddly meditative. You could admire each row as you went, and the final result, a tidy, thriving garden, made the sore back worth it.
8. Washing Windows
Window cleaning was a full-on chore, not a quick spray-and-wipe job. Inside and out, each pane was scrubbed with vinegar water and polished with crumpled newspaper for a streak-free shine. Ladders were often involved, especially for multi-story homes, and shifting them around added to the effort. But when done right, the glass practically disappeared, letting in more light and making the whole house feel refreshed.
9. Waxing Hardwood Floors
Keeping wooden floors gleaming meant clearing the room, applying paste wax by hand, and buffing until your arms ached. A handheld buffer helped, but it still took time and muscle. The scent of wax lingered for days, and the glossy finish made the space feel polished and cared-for. Of course, the first muddy footprints were inevitable, but for a moment, the floors looked showroom perfect.
10. Cleaning Out the Garage
The garage was a magnet for clutter, so cleaning it out was a full-day event. You’d haul out boxes, sort through forgotten tools and toys, and sweep away layers of dust. It felt like an archaeological dig, every item had a story, even if it hadn’t been touched in years. Some things got repurposed, others finally tossed, and by the end, the echo of your footsteps in the cleared space was its own reward.
11. Helping Dad Clean the Gutters
This job often meant balancing at the top of a ladder with a bucket in one hand and an old soup can in the other. The can was perfect for scooping out leaves, dirt, and mysterious gunk that collected over the year. Otherwise, a glove in hands also works well scooping. It was slow, messy work, but there was a certain pride in seeing the rain run freely afterward. For kids helping out, it was also a rare chance to “work like the grown-ups” and maybe earn a cold soda as thanks.
12. Dusting Every Knickknack
Homes were filled with figurines, framed photos, and souvenirs that each needed careful dusting. A feather duster wasn’t enough, many items were wiped gently by hand to avoid scratches or breakage. Shelves had to be cleared, cleaned, and reset exactly as before. It was fussy and time-consuming, but it kept treasured pieces gleaming and was a quiet reminder of the memories tied to each one.
13. Washing the Family Car
Weekend car washes often turned into family affairs. A bucket of soapy water, a sponge, and a garden hose were all you needed. Kids might be assigned to the wheels or windows, and the job ended with a satisfying rinse that often led to playful water fights. The result was a sparkling car and a driveway full of puddles, with everyone a little wetter than when they started.
14. Recoiling the Garden Hose
This was a small task that carried big expectations, especially if you didn’t do it right. The hose had to be wound neatly without kinks or tangles, and the nozzle set just so. Leaving it sprawled across the lawn was a sure way to get a lecture. There were parts like sprayers, sprinklers, buckets, soaps and more (if using the hose involved washing the car). Done properly, this task took a while (at least for me), but it kept the yard tidy and made the next watering day run smoothly.
15. Scrubbing Bathroom Tiles
Before the days of quick-spray cleaners, bathrooms got a deep scrub the old-fashioned way, on hands and knees, with a brush and some serious elbow grease. A toothbrush was perfect for getting grime out of grout lines and corners. It was meticulous work, often reserved for just before guests came over, and left the room gleaming and fresh-smelling from top to bottom.
16. Organizing the Basement or Attic
These spaces seemed to have a knack for attracting clutter faster than anywhere else. A “quick tidy” often turned into a full day of sorting boxes, dusting forgotten furniture, and navigating narrow paths between stacked bins. You might stumble upon holiday decorations from years past, childhood toys, or mystery boxes labeled in faded handwriting. While it was dusty, dim, and sometimes sweltering, there was a quiet satisfaction in restoring order, at least until the next month, when it all seemed to fill up again.
17. Repainting the Fence or Porch Railings
This was a job of patience, especially when dealing with flaking paint that had to be scraped off first. Each board or spindle was carefully brushed by hand, often in the heat of summer. Paint drips on shoes or hands were practically inevitable, and the smell of fresh paint lingered for days. By the time the last stroke was finished, the transformation was worth every sunburn and smear, breathing fresh life into the home’s first impression.
This story 17 Simple Chores from the ’60s and ’70s That Took Forever, And No One Complained was first published on Daily FETCH
