10 Chores Our Great Grandmothers Did That We Should Probably Start Doing Again

You probably don’t even realize it, but everything around you is automated, from the way you make your coffee every morning to the last dish you put in your dishwasher in the evening. Interestingly, many of the manual versions of the chores old time señoras – your abuelita or bisabuela did – are great if you want to create less waste, use less plastic, waste less water, and live a life that’s more sustainable overall.

Here are 10 chores from the past that we should consider bringing back into our daily lives:

1. Line Drying Laundry

Clotheslines were essential for drying laundry, letting the sun naturally sanitize and refresh fabrics. Not only does this reduce energy use, but it also helps clothes last longer. Doing this for large, bulky items, helps you avoid long energy usage. Bonus points if you hang them outside and let them soak up that sunshine smell.

2. Cooking from Scratch

Our great-grandmothers rarely relied on packaged food that had been laying on a shelf for 6 months, or ultra processed foods. By cooking from scratch more often, you can avoid excess packaging, use fresher ingredients, and even experiment with recipes from your homeland to honor your family’s roots. No, I know we don’t have time to do this every day, but start once a week and work your way up. I started by baking my favorite pan, and kept going until I was meal prepping on Sundays using ingredients like lentils, beans, chicken stock, and the like.

3. Saving Food Scraps for Broth

Throwing away vegetable peels and bones? Nope! Señoras knew how to stretch every ingredient, using scraps to make rich broths or compost for their gardens. Try freezing your scraps until you have enough to make a batch of caldo. Mmm caldo.

4. Mending Clothes

Before the era of fast fashion, where all of your old garbage clothes are basically thrown back to your homelands, ready to create environmental chaos (google it!). torn clothes were repaired, not replaced. Sewing on buttons or patching holes is a small effort that saves money and keeps garments out of landfills. You can even make it fun by personalizing patches with fabric that reflects your style. Honestly, just start little by little – like avoiding fast fashion retailers that end up ripping in 3 months. Stick more to materials like cotton and avoid polyester.

5. Reusing Containers

Canning jars, tins, and other containers were washed and reused repeatedly. This zero-waste habit is easy to replicate by saving jars for food storage or even DIY beauty products. I don’t expect you to save every pickle jar (because ew), but many of the items you buy may be in bell jars that you can easily wash and reuse for your own creations.

6. Growing Your Own Herbs and Veggies

Many señoras had kitchen gardens filled with cilantro, mint, and tomatoes. Even if you live in an apartment, small potted herbs can reduce your reliance on store-bought options wrapped in plastic, that has been shown now to leach into your food.

7. Making Casera Cleaning Products

Forget the harsh chemicals on you and your baby’s skin and wasteful packaging of commercial cleaners that never disintegrates. Señoras often relied on simple, homemade solutions like vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice. They’re effective, inexpensive, and safe for the planet. I don’t expect you to ONLY use casera cleaning products, but once in a while they’re handy in a pinch. For example, I have an amber glass jar I fill half with vinegar and half with water as multipurpose cleaner. It’s free, and it does the job.

8. Sweeping Floors by Hand

A simple broom and dustpan are often more efficient than dragging out a vacuum, especially for small spaces. It saves electricity and gives you a moment of peace while tidying up.

9. Wash and Shine Your Shoes

Our abuelos used to shine their shoes once a week. This was especially true for the shoes they used at work. Why throw away your kid’s old sneakers when you can just clean and brighten them with a simple washcloth? There is no need to throw away shoes every year, just keep them clean and save that money for something else. It keeps them out of the garbage heap, and saves you money.

10. Canning and preserving

Newsflash, homesteaders and tradwives didn’t invent canning and making jams and jellies. Your abuelas and bisabuelas created the blueprint for many of the delicious jellies in the market today. They canned anything that grew in their ranchito garden that they couldn’t use immediately. Women in Latin America 50-100 years ago preserved a variety of fruits and vegetables, depending on the region and the local crops available. Canning, pickling, and drying were common methods to extend the shelf life of seasonal produce. Here’s a list of some typical fruits and vegetables they might have canned or preserved:

Vegetables

1. Tomatoes: Often canned as purees, sauces, or whole for cooking.
2. Chiles: Pickled or preserved in vinegar, such as jalapeños, chipotles, or ají.
3. Corn: Dried and turned into masa later or canned as whole kernels.
4. Green Beans: Often pickled or canned as a side for meals.
5. Squash and Zucchini: Preserved as slices or mashed.
6. Nopales (Cactus Pads): Pickled or preserved in brine.
7. Carrots: Pickled with spices like oregano and garlic.
8. Onions: Pickled or used in combination with other vegetables in escabeche.
9. Peppers and Bell Peppers: Roasted and canned or pickled.
10. Okra: In regions where it was popular, pickled or canned.

Fruits

1. Guava (Guayaba): Made into jams, jellies, or canned in syrup.
2. Mangoes: Preserved in syrup, pickled (common in some regions), or turned into chutneys.
3. Papaya: Often candied, canned, or made into marmalade.
4. Pineapple: Preserved in syrup or used for marmalade.
5. Figs: Cooked into preserves or candied.
6. Tamarind: Made into pastes or syrups.
7. Peaches: Canned in syrup or made into preserves.
8. Plums: Turned into jellies, jams, or canned.
9. Bananas and Plantains: Dried or preserved in syrup.
10. Citrus Fruits (Oranges, Lemons, and Limes): Made into marmalade or dried peels for seasoning.

These preserved foods were often staples in pantries, used to create flavorful dishes throughout the year, especially during times when fresh produce was less available. Each preparation also carried its own cultural touch, such as spices, herbs, or unique cooking techniques passed down through generations.

By integrating these timeless practices into your routine, you’re not just honoring your abuelita—you’re taking meaningful steps to live a more sustainable, grounded life. Let’s embrace these señora-inspired habits to create homes filled with care, intention, and less waste.