I recently came across an article on Mother Nature Network that discussed things our grandparents did that we all could take a lesson from, especially the ones that helped conserve personal and natural resources. It got me thinking about things my grandparents (and parents for that matter) did that I really need to rediscover and recommit to.
When you think about it, our parent and grandparents did many “eco-friendly” things long before we knew our ecosystem even needed a friend! Just one more example of “everything old becomes new again.”
17 Eco-Friendly Things Our Grandparents Used to Do
1. Dried Clothes on a Clothesline
Clothes dryers have come a long way in energy efficiency over recent years, but the average dryer is still an energy hog. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, “the biggest way to cut the environmental impact of cleaning clothes is to stop using a clothes dryer.”
Clothes last longer when they are consistently air dried, and on top of that, is there anything better than sheets and pillowcases hung in the sun to dry? I rest my case.
2. Grew Their Own Food
Not only is there an incredible sense of accomplishment in growing your own fruits and vegetables, but you can also avoid pesticides and control the types of seeds and transplants that you sow and grow, like heirloom varieties. My grandparents ALWAYS grew their own food—all you need to do it is soil, water, and sun!
3. Preserved Their Own Food
Canning the food you grow in your garden is a great way to preserve them without having to invest in an enormous freezer. I would love to have a “root cellar” full of home-canned goods like my grandmother did. Very little food was wasted back then, and if people today preserved even a fraction of the food our parents and grandparents did, there would be a lot less food going to waste today.
4. Collected Rainwater
A rain barrel will save most homeowners about 1,300 gallons of water during the peak summer months. And diverting water from storm drains can alleviate stressed water systems and conserve limited resources, especially if you live in an arid climate like I do.
Note: Several states have rainwater collection laws, including Colorado, Illinois, Arizona, Ohio, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Rhode Island, Utah, Washington, and Virginia. Most states’ laws outline allowable methods for collecting and using rainwater, while prohibiting people from “diverting water” in large quantities or selling rainwater without proper treatment.
5. Cooked at Home
Nothing beats a home-cooked meal, and preparing your own food is good for the environment and your wallet alike. Home cooking typically uses fewer packaged ingredients, which conserves resources like paper and plastic.
And if you buy those ingredients from local farmers or grow your own, you’ll make an even bigger impact on the environment by significantly reducing the number of miles your food has to travel to get to your plate.
6. Saved Eating Out for Special Occasions
In the modern era, it’s not uncommon for people to eat out several times each week, but for our grandparents, eating out was saved for special occasions. Even fast food, which wasn’t as common back then, was considered a treat. (I remember my parents used to pack food for our road trips, and we’d stop to eat our meals at roadside picnic tables.)
7. Entertained at Home
Today we spend plenty of time and money on going out. Our grandparents spent more time outdoors during the day, and in the evenings were devoted to board games, reading, and other hobbies. Going to the movies or to a concert was considered a rare luxury.
By finding more free activities to do and family activities you can do at home, you can save a lot of money and get more quality time with the people you love!
8. Drank Water from the Tap
When our grandparents were thirsty, they got their water from the tap instead a plastic bottle shipped from who knows where. Bottled water would have seemed a ridiculous notion 100 years ago, but today it’s everywhere you go.
More Ideas You'll Love
9. “Brown Bagged” It
When grandpa or grandma went to work, they brought a packed lunch from home, and it’s still a great way to reduce food waste and conserve resources! Fast food and fast casual restaurants often serve meals in single-use packaging that ends up in a landfill. With little effort, taking lunch to work can be easy, inexpensive, healthy, and green.
10. Played More Games
Hopscotch, red light/green light, jacks, hide and seek, roller skating, tag—the list of outdoor games goes on and on. Being outdoors helps children connect with nature and the environment around them, and outdoor play develops disposition for the outdoors, for physical activity, and for care of the environment.
11. Bought Less
Our grandparents didn’t buy nearly as many new things as we do today. If something had a hole in it, it wasn’t thrown out–it was patched or mended. Christmas and birthday gifts were often homemade, and things were frequently handed down from child to child. These practices not only saved money, but they were eco-friendly too.
12. Spent More Time Outdoors
In our grandparents’ day, being indoors meant you were grounded or sick. The outdoors was everyone’s playground from dawn ‘til dusk! Especially in the age of smartphones and tablets, spending time in nature is a great way for everyone in your family to take a break from screens.
13. Cultivated Community
Before Facebook, texting, and email, Grandma and Grandpa just talked to people face to face. Research shows that connecting with people around you makes you healthier and boosts your lifespan and gathering on front porches creates a feeling of community and family.
14. Used Home Remedies
Many of us have been taught home remedies that have been passed down from generation to generation. Learn how to combat a cold with garlic, ginger, and onions, or soothe a bug bite with lavender essential oil or a plantain poultice.
15. Made Their Own Cleaning Products
Our grandparents used basic cleaning agents to keep their homes clean, and they still work just as well today. In fact, baking soda, vinegar, lemon, castile soap, and essential oils can cover most of your cleaning needs.
16. Used Public Transportation, Rode Bikes, and Walked
It was common for many of our grandparents to walk or bike to and from work, and more people used public transportation because they didn’t have a car to drive. People took the bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked, and if we drove less today, we could save money and help the environment.
17. Recycled
Our grandparents may not have had a recycling center in town, but they knew how to make something into something else. Dresses became quilts, and milk bottles and soft drink bottles were returned to the store to be washed, sterilized, and reused. Everything had a secondary use and nothing was thrown away until it simply couldn’t be reused again.
Did you pick up any environmentally friendly habits from your parents or grandparents?
More Ideas You'll Love
My grandparents washed up in a tin dish…..then watered the tomatoes with the water. Nan used a soap holder on a handle and used sunlight soap to wash the dishes. She also buried all scraps in a hole. Covered it in at the end of the week…..Even as an adult I delighted in the potatoes that grew fromm peels!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Loved this article and do try to do most of these. I have to say though, I’m glad we don’t have to wear a dress and heals to hang out our laundry! :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Looks like she was wearing sweatpants under her dress…check her ankles…
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I believe that is her hose. During that time, the hosery was a lot thicker than they are now.
They actually may be ankle socks (aka Bobby sox).
Loved this post! I try to do most of these!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is a great article. I’m sharing it on my Hobby Farm Girl Facebook page.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks Monique!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m in a rural area with no public transportation, but aside from that one, I’ve ALWAYS done EVERY SINGLE one of these my ENTIRE life…even when working full time and raising a family!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Water used to bathe and wash dishes was used to water plants and later on in time to flush toilets.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Super great article today!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Of course, ALL your articles ar FULL on learning nuggets!
I was born in ‘58 by parents who grew up learning from their parents who lived thru the depression era.
My grandfather said he felt so blessed because he saw the first automobile and the first man on the moon, he never spoke of how hard things were during the depression but he taught me to never waste anything that can be repurposed, to be frugal with money, and grow your own food because you never know what can happen.
Now, by choice, at age 60, my husband and I are setting everything up in our life so that we are not reliant on electricity and can sustain ourselves comfortably being off grid ~ this is by choice that we do this.
We have seen many amazing changes in our lifetime so far, but mostly what we have seen is a disregard for the purity and simplicity has to life offer
Clean eating, and clean living aka Green Living is NOT something that should be done to be popular with ones FB friends, it should be done because it is the RIGHT thing to do.
At age 60 my husband and I are healthier, stronger and much much happier than we were in our 30’s – and we work very hard each day keeping it that way.
We can say that we saw the first color TV and the first home computer, drone, and hopefully a huge turn around in society to a more simpler time BY CHOICE!
Thank you so much Alba! There are so many benefits to living a more simple life. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m 33 years old and I’ve always wanted to live during that era!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hello there ~ if you are attracted to that era’s lifestyle have you considered this…. try using less electricity, find ways to live more simply and closer to being off grid. Check out the YT channels like Off Grid with Doug &Stacy who will teach you skills. It is a better place to be, living more simply, being more responsible for your existence, and not because it is “Green” but because it is the right thing to do.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That was a “nugget” ~ enjoy.
ooooo, Rose, you are an old soul :) Lucky you!! Go ahead and be that girl – she’s much closer to your authentic self. Start small and bring a few of these fun things into your life – you don’t have to go whole hog. Enjoy your life, dear Rose. It’s why we’re here!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Today we had caught a mouse in a snap-type mouse trap in the garage. After removing the dead mouse from the trap, I laid it on the ground. Immediately flies were covering it. Then I remembered my Mom telling me that back in her day, they would not throw the trap away but slightly burn or scorch it so it could be reused.
This was supposed to kill any odor or bacteria left behind from the mouse. I did that and put it outside and not one fly touched it. I commented to my husband, that something as simple as a mouse trap wasn’t thrown away, but reused. It was not only thrifty to reuse just about everything possible but most people were taught it was a sin to waste anything. Even a simple mouse trap.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.More busy hands, interaction with friends and family, less sitting in front of the TV. Organized sports activities were chosen with care and not essential every day, chores and family were. Families would get more out of participating in ALL activities together rather than expecting someone else to do it. We learned to take care of ourselves and value relationships, the things we accomplished and had. We weren’t a disposable people. Glad to hear DIY life is on the rise again!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for all the good work, Jillie.
Thanks Roz!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great post Jillee
I have to say that apart from drinking tap water (ours is disgusting and needs boiling first) and using public transport I do all of the above.
I live in a rural area with no public transport whatsoever so rely on my car to travel, especially since I work in town 45 minutes drive away.
I also make my own moisturizers (oh how I love your whipped body butter recipe), toner, toothpaste and soap, keep my own shopping bags, small produce bags, reusable mason jar and Tupperware container for my grocery shopping and once a week latte and brownie treat to enjoy at work, and grow and dry my own herbs to add flavour to our food all year round.
There is so much we can all do to save money and resources.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great suggestions Anna – the whipped body butter is the best!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It takes time to do most of these things. I am semi retired so I do most of them. I encourage others to go backwards also. It’s a healthier more satisfying lifestyle. Thanks jillee
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I wish that milk and sodas still came in glass that could washed, sterilized and refilled. When our children were small in the 80’s we did find a Borden’s milk man who still delivered and that was wonderful but it was in cartons. To have things in reusable containers just make sense.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I hate that my grandchildren can’t seem to get by without their handheld devices. They have good role models for that though as mom and dad hardly ever put down their phones and will answer them to talk with friends even during meals.
We have the grandchildren once a year for a week in the summer and no computers or electronic games of any kind are allowed to come to the house. Two years ago we invested in really nice tree swings enough for everyone. They were getting up early in the morning to go outside to swing they wanted to be on them so much. The younger ones are pleading still every time they come over, “Grandpa, push me! “
That sounds so fun!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.There is a brand of milk that’s sold in returnable glass bottles. I’ve seen it at Kroger grocery stores, and it may be available at other large stores. The milk is expensive but when the empty, rinsed bottle is returned to the store a refund is given on the next purchase.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Same here where live in the KC area. It’s wildly popular. You get the deposit money back when you return the bottles.
Actually where I live in Kansas City area we have a company Shatto milk where you can buy the milk in jars. It comes in fun flavors. When we first started selling it, we ( the store I work for), thought it wouldn’t catch on because you have to rinse and bring the bottles back to get your deposit back. But, it’s wildly popular here.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My memories described exactly in this article as i grew up in a middle class home in the fifties . Life seemed so much simpler then. There seemed to be so much more time to spend with family as they were not spread across the country as now a days- and you knew all your neighbors. I wish we could go back to those days. I try to explain to my kids what they have missed but of course they don’t get it. We walked to school with no fear and certainly no concerns for safety once we got there. We played outside all the time and play in those days was often active and required imagination- a great thing! Yeah, we didn’t have much money, but we had the things that are most important.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I miss that. You can’t really let your kids walk to school like we did because of safety. Some areas where we live kids can’t even play outside safely without worrying about unsavory characters in neighborhoods . It’s so sad.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Very good article; thank you for this (and with accompanying vintage pictures!)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I grew up in then 50’s and all I remember is, we did what we had to do to survive. Wages were low ,kids were seen and not heard, going to bed hungry was common. There was no birth control , men did what they wanted. Lying in bed sweating and being eaten by mosquitoes because there were no screens in the windows. I have very few memories of good times , and even though I can sew , cook and stretch a dollar , I will never say those were the” good ole days” or simpler times as some want to think. Every generation has good and bad.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yes,we did “green” because it was the only color crayon in the box LOL
You make some good points. I grew up in the late 50’s & early 60’s and while my childhood was relatively carefree my parents struggled daily just to meet the physical needs of us 6 kids….food, clothing & shelter. Lots of good things about the “good old days” that we can learn from but it wasn’t a bed of roses either.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This article is very true to the “old” ways. My husband and I still practice most of them and are teaching our children too. I have a load of laundry in the washer now that will go out on the clothes line in a bit. We grow our food, can and freeze it. We have chickens and ducks for eggs and entertainment. We also have insulated cups and don’t use bottled water unless it’s an emergency. Thank you for reminding us of better ways to live, and teach.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That sounds amazing! Thank you Leslie :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.this is perfect. in my family, especially my mother’s side who was Italian you would see so many foods that were preserved; hanged our clothes outside (the smell was the best from that.) we did go to a Milk store to get glass bottles of milk and even when I went to grammar school we had our own lunch box. the buses were cheap and friendly; we were told to play outside whenever possible; the treat was every other month we go to get burgers at a restaurant. our vacations were camping every year; came from a large family and it was the cheapest way to go. The only thing about being outdoors at that time, I have developed a skin disorder from years being outside without a sunscreen protection; it was invented at that time. A good article.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great Article….Loved it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.They also used WAX paper to wrap sandwiches in and everything else. Garbage was composted and then what could not be used for the compost bin…..wrapped in the daily newspaper which everyone could read back then because it was actuall reporting of the actual news. I don’t care what anyone says, life back in the 50’s was a wonderful time
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is great. I’ll have to show my folks and ask if their parents did these things.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I am 83. We did these things as we had very little money. Depression years were tough for the majority. My Mom broke her arm when she was tugging the clothes line to tighten it, it snapped, she fell, her arm snapped. Rarely saw a Dr. immunization shots started in elementary school. We were lined up and shot. Have no idea how they were paid for. We would spend a dime once a month to buy a stamp for our war bond book which eventually bought a $25 bond for I think $18.75, (.?).
We were happy kids, the world in our hands. Not bombarded on the second with the latest dire happenings in the country, world. Them were the days my friend. Laura
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Those were good days….people today dont appreciate the simple things…wonderful article..many thanks for the memories..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great article. I learned a lot from my mom and grand mother. Favorite expression was “Make it over, make it do or do without” .
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I believe if our earth was in the same shape some of these things would be possible, like the tap water. I can understand some countries and bottled water. When we traveled overseas bottle water was the norm to keep from upset stomachs. Today we drink out of the tap in our home. Now out of the 17, I do 13 more than my children think I should. I enjoy all I do to help conserve but that’s just me. Thanks for the article it was very enjoyable and brought back memories of cooking and baking with my mother. Not to sure my daughter will have similar memories because she is all thumbs in the kitchen but what a laugh we get when I tell her she cannot mess something up and yet she excells in that regard.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We have become lazy. Our mothers and grandmothers were resourceful
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Our priorities have changed.. probably we are busier than our moms n grandmoms.. but now doing these kind of household chores and being resourceful in the house either seems like a taboo or like wastage of brilliance or time..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.