Ah, the ‘60s—when homes were filled with the sound of creaking washing machines, clunky vacuums, and lots of grumbling. Growing up back then meant doing your fair share of household chores, many of which were downright exhausting. There were no handy gadgets or smart devices to save the day, and every task seemed to take forever. But as time marched on, so did technology, making most of those dreaded chores either a breeze or completely obsolete. Let’s look back at 12 household tasks that were the bane of every kid’s (and parent’s) existence back in the ‘60s—and why you no longer have to worry about them.
1. Scrubbing Floors on Your Hands and Knees
Long before Swiffer mops and robotic cleaners, scrubbing floors meant getting down on your hands and knees with a bucket of soapy water and a hard-bristled brush. This backbreaking task left your knees aching and hands pruned, and if you were really unlucky, you had to do it weekly. With today’s steam mops and self-cleaning vacuums, you can wave goodbye to those memories of elbow grease and wet knees.
2. Ironing Clothes for the Entire Family
Ironing wasn’t just for dress shirts and Sunday best back then—it was for everything, from bed linens to your everyday blouses. With no wrinkle-free fabrics, each item had to be meticulously pressed, and woe unto you if you left a burn mark on Dad’s favorite pants. Today, most clothes come out of the dryer looking neat, and wrinkle-resistant materials mean you can almost skip ironing altogether. It’s no wonder the ironing board is collecting dust in most homes now.
3. Rinsing Out the Laundry Before the Washing Machine
Before washing machines became fully automatic, you often had to manually rinse your clothes after they came out of the machine—or worse, run them through a hand-cranked wringer. This process felt endless and messy, especially with large families. Now, with high-efficiency washing machines that do everything but fold the clothes, laundry day has become almost…enjoyable?
4. Beating Rugs and Carpets Outside
Beating rugs was a workout no one wanted. Dragging those heavy things outside, hanging them over a clothesline, and whacking them repeatedly with a rug beater (basically a metal tennis racket) to get the dust out was enough to leave you gasping for air. Vacuum cleaners have thankfully replaced that grueling chore, letting you clean your carpets with the flick of a switch.
5. Defrosting the Freezer
Remember those ice-covered freezers that needed to be defrosted every few months? This job involved emptying the freezer, scraping off layers of ice with a spatula, and mopping up pools of water. Not only was it tedious, but it was also a chilly task no one enjoyed. Today’s frost-free freezers make that chore a thing of the past, keeping everything running smoothly with no scraping required.
6. Cleaning Ashes from the Fireplace or Wood Stove
If you grew up in a home heated by a wood stove or fireplace, you knew the struggle of dealing with ashes and soot. Cleaning out the fireplace meant getting covered in dust and ash, and sometimes getting an accidental black streak on the carpet. Modern heating systems and gas fireplaces now offer the warmth without the mess, sparing you those dirty days of yore.
7. Polishing Silverware Until It Shines
Dinner parties meant getting out the good silverware, and if you were on polishing duty, you were in for a long night. With specialized cleaners and polishing cloths, you had to rub and buff each piece until you could see your reflection. Today, silver-polishing is practically a lost art. With stainless steel flatware and dishwashers that keep everything looking great, you’re no longer spending hours on this particular brand of shiny misery.
8. Vacuuming with Clunky Canister Models
Vacuuming in the ‘60s was an upper-body workout. Those bulky canister vacuums were hard to maneuver, and the long hose always seemed to get tangled or stuck. And if you needed to go up and down stairs? Forget it! Today’s lightweight, cordless vacuums have turned the chore into a quick and easy task, making those cumbersome machines relics of a bygone era.
9. Hanging Laundry Out to Dry
Before dryers became household staples, everyone hung their clothes outside on a clothesline. This meant hauling heavy baskets of wet laundry, hanging each piece carefully with clothespins, and hoping the weather cooperated. While air-dried clothes smell wonderful, the process was time-consuming and weather-dependent. With today’s energy-efficient dryers, clothes dry in no time, no sun or wind required.
10. Cleaning the Oven by Hand
Before the advent of self-cleaning ovens, scrubbing baked-on grime from the oven walls was a dreaded chore that could take hours and a ton of elbow grease. The combination of heat, grease, and stubborn residue meant you were in for a tough time. Modern self-cleaning ovens, with their high-temperature cycles that turn grime to ash, have turned what used to be a whole-day affair into a simple wipe-down.
11. Waxing the Floors
Keeping floors shiny in the ‘60s meant lugging out a tin of paste wax and getting on your hands and knees to apply it evenly. After waxing, you’d buff the floor to a high shine using a bulky floor buffer. It was hard work, and the results only lasted a short while. Nowadays, we’ve got no-wax flooring materials and products that keep everything gleaming with far less effort—thankfully saving everyone’s backs (and patience).
12. Mowing the Lawn Without a Power Mower
Back then, many families used manual reel mowers that required a good deal of muscle to push through the grass. Even with an early power mower, there were no easy-start buttons or automatic bagging features, making lawn care a sweaty and frustrating weekend job. Today’s mowers start with a simple pull or push of a button, and some are even robotic, letting you sit back and relax while the grass practically mows itself!
With all these advances, it’s easy to see why so many of these chores have become a distant memory. The household jobs that once felt never-ending have been simplified, streamlined, or completely eliminated—leaving more time for hobbies, relaxation, and the simple pleasure of not having to scrub, polish, or rinse by hand.
