Technologically speaking, we’re at a moment in time where so much of what we do is automated to the point where we may not even remember how to perform certain tasks manually. From smart homes that control our lighting and temperature to AI-powered virtual assistants that manage our schedules and answer our questions, automation has become deeply integrated into our daily lives.
However, there was a time when doing household chores was a major time-consuming burden. Fortunately for us, those days are long gone. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, many of the mundane tasks that used to eat up our precious hours have gone the way of the dodo. Here are 20 household chores that tech has rendered extinct.
Hand-washing clothes
The modern-day automatic washing machine invented in 1937 has made the backbreaking chore of hand-washing clothes a thing of the past. Gone are the days of endlessly scrubbing your hands raw and trying to get stubborn stains out. Now, all we’ve got to do is wait for the clothes to wash themselves at the press of a few buttons and read a book in the meantime.
Hanging clothes out to dry
The first electric clothes dryer was conceived in 1938 by frustrated inventor J. Ross Moore, who reportedly had enough of hanging his clothes out to dry. The modern-day fully automatic dryer does much more than Moore’s version, of course. These units have eliminated the need to hang clothes on a line and wait for the sun to do its thing — we simply toss them into the dryer, hit a button, and voilà!
Washing dishes by hand
Josephine Cochrane is credited with designing the first successful, hand-powered dishwasher in 1886, which eventually led to the invention of the electric ones we use today. Thanks to Josephine (and her desire to protect her china), dishwashers have made the dreaded after-dinner chore of washing dishes by hand obsolete. The only chore here is to load up the appliance, turn it on, and let the machine handle the rest.
Sweeping and mopping floors
We’ve come a long way from sweeping floors with brooms to using manual vacuum cleaners, upgrading to powered ones, and eventually switching to the domestic vacuum cleaners of the 20th century.
This evolution continued with the introduction of convenient hand-held vacuum cleaners that replaced the bulkier plug-in models, and now we’ve got Robot vacuums (invented in 1996) like the Roomba, Dyson, and Neato that have made manual floor sweeping and mopping a distant memory. Set it and forget it!
Manual knife sharpening
Making its first appearance in 1950, electric knife sharpeners have revolutionized what used to be a tedious kitchen chore. Gone are the days of laboriously honing blades with whetstones or struggling to maintain the perfect angle with manual sharpeners. Now, you can simply run your dull knife through an electric sharpener’s pre-set slots, and you’re done! Your blade is restored to its former glory in minutes.
Cleaning the pool manually
There was a time when draining the entire pool of water was the best way to clean it. Robotic pool cleaners, however, have made manual pool cleaning a thing of the past. The first automatic pool cleaner was invented in 1955, and the first robotic one was originally conceived in ‘67.
Fast-forward to today, when pool owners cannot do without these tech marvels. You just need to drop the robotic cleaner into the water, and it will navigate around your pool, scrubbing and vacuuming every inch of the surface while you sit back, relax, and enjoy the pristine waters of your backyard oasis.
Stovetop frying
The modern air fryer, inspired by the 1944 invention of the “Sky Plate” that allowed for the cooking of frozen meals, was designed by Fred van der Weij in 2005. However, it was only introduced to the world in 2010 at IFA (Internationale Funkausstellung), a world-renowned tech fair in Berlin. Since then, air fryers have eliminated the need to stand over hot oil to constantly flip and monitor your food while it’s frying.
Manual Vegetable Chopping
Chopping vegetables is arguably one of the most daunting tasks ever, especially for those of us who lack the knife skills or the patience. The mere thought of meticulously dicing onions, mincing garlic, or julienning carrots can send shivers down the spine of even the most enthusiastic home cook.
Electric and hand-operated choppers and food processors have dramatically reduced the need for manual slicing and dicing. With these appliances, your work is done within minutes or even seconds — be it mincing your ingredients, grating your vegetables, slicing them paper thin, or chopping them into little cubes, these kitchen tools do it all.
Reheating food over stovetops
There was a time when we had to actually heat food over our stove stops and in our cooking pots — it took forever, and we always had to watch over it and stir it continuously to ensure that it didn’t end up getting burnt.
Thankfully, the microwave oven came along in 1947, with the countertop oven making it into the market in the ‘70s, and we no longer had to do any of this. We could simply place whatever food needed to be heated into the oven, set the time/temperature, and within a minute or so, voilà!
Manual food processing
Blenders and food processors have revolutionized a whole bunch of kitchen tasks, doing away with the need for traditional knife work, sieving, straining, pressing and mashing, and grinding with a mortal and pestle.
These versatile appliances can handle everything from whipping cream, pureeing, blending, and beating eggs to grinding meat and making dough, saving significant time and effort in food preparation. The evolution of these essential kitchen tools began with the introduction of the first blender in 1922, followed by the food processor in 1946, with both appliances seeing numerous improvements over the decades.
Manual whisking
In the past, we had to vigorously whisk eggs and cream by hand to achieve the desired consistency for recipes like meringues, soufflés, and whipped cream. This process was not only time-consuming but also physically demanding, often leading to sore arms and wrists.
Electric mixers (invented in 1885 but only became common in American homes in the 1920s) and immersion blenders (invented in 1950) featuring motorized beaters have replaced this manual whisking chore. With these appliances, you can quickly and efficiently mix ingredients, reducing the time and effort required for many recipes.
Kneading dough
Much like manual whisking, kneading dough by hand was a painstaking chore that required a great deal of time and effort. Bread machines and stand mixers with dough hooks have eliminated the need to knead dough manually, effectively altering the home baking scene.
These modern appliances, such as the bread machine, which became a household staple in 1986, and stand mixers, which make mixing dough and whipping cream a breeze, not only save time but also ensure consistent results.
Winding clocks
Gone are the days of climbing on chairs to reach that grandfather clock or fiddling with tiny winding keys for your bedside alarm. The Self Winding Clock Company, founded in 1886, revolutionized timekeeping with their electromechanical clocks that automatically rewound themselves hourly.
Today, we have a wide array of mechanical timepieces that keep perfect time without any human intervention, from atomic clocks synced to global time standards to smart home devices that automatically adjust for daylight savings.
Stoking fires
Unless, for aesthetic reasons, you still have a traditional fireplace in your home, stoking a fire is probably something you’ve come across only in books or a TV show. Back in the day, waking up to a cold house meant hauling firewood and constantly tending to the fireplace.
That all changed in 1919 when inventor Alice H. Parker received a patent for a “new and improved” furnace that paved the way for the HVAC systems we use today. These modern central heating systems, powered by gas, oil, or electricity, provide consistent warmth throughout our homes with just the touch of a button or the adjustment of a thermostat.
Manual bookkeeping
There was a time when balancing checkbooks or tallying receipts by hand was the norm. Thanks to spreadsheet software and budgeting apps, manual ledger keeping is a thing of the past. These digital tools are automatically able to track expenses, categorize spending, and generate reports for us. With features like automatic bill pay and real-time account syncing, managing household finances has transformed from a time-consuming chore into a largely automated process.
Shoveling snow
Shoveling snow around the house is such a hated, back-breaking task that we basically pay people to do it for us. Technology, however, once again continues to save the day, with tools like electric and gas-powered snowblowers making their way into our households.
These appliances can clear driveways and walkways in a fraction of the time it takes to shovel. For those willing to invest, heated driveway systems can melt snow automatically, doing away with the need for any manual clearing.
Defrosting the freezer
The days of manually chipping away at ice buildup in your freezer, emptying your freezing, turning it off, and then waiting for hours for the ice to melt are long gone. We no longer have to worry about mopping up puddles of water or the fact that our frozen food is thawing.
Modern frost-free freezers have dispensed with this tedious chore entirely. These appliances use automatic defrosting systems that prevent frost from accumulating in the first place. A small heater periodically melts any frost forming on the evaporator coils while a fan circulates the air to keep the freezer compartment dry.
Manual car washing
Although some of us find the action of scrubbing away at our cars in our driveways therapeutic, many of us definitely consider it more of a drawn-out chore. It’s a good thing the Anderson brothers invented a fully hands-free automatic car wash in 1951 so that folks like us have the luxury of choosing to wash our cars manually.
Drive-through systems use high-pressure jets, spinning brushes, and even touchless technology to clean vehicles in minutes. For those who prefer at-home solutions, pressure washers make quick work of grime without the elbow grease.
Manual Coffee Making
Coffee connoisseurs may disagree, but at the risk of sounding rude, we must attest to the fact that the time-consuming process of manually grinding beans, boiling water, and carefully pouring it over the grounds is not fun. We just want that cuppa!
From simple drip coffee makers to sophisticated espresso machines and pod-based systems like Keurig, technology can give us that cuppa in a quick, consistent, and effortless manner. These devices grind beans, heat water to the perfect temperature, and brew your coffee at the touch of a button, giving us enough time to get ready for the day and enjoy the much-needed morning caffeine without a hitch.
Beating Rugs
Before there were vacuum-cleaned rugs, there were rug-beaten ones. Hauling heavy rugs outside and vigorously beating them with a uniquely designed carpet beater was the done thing in the days of yore. Vacuum cleaners have since rendered this labor-intensive chore obsolete.
Modern vacuums, especially those with HEPA filters, can effectively remove dust, dirt, and allergens from rugs without the need for manual beating. For deeper cleaning, professional carpet cleaning services use advanced equipment like steam cleaners and extraction machines. Some homes even have central vacuum systems built-in, making rug maintenance even more effortless.