Forgotten household skills revived and put to use

Then it became easier to toss things out rather than fix them, quicker to call the professionals. Now, in an unsettling era of staying at home and not knowing what will be available tomorrow, the old ways are being dusted off and relearned. Since the coronavirus has shuttered many small businesses that do our work and supply our things, millions of people trying to stay home are driven by necessity — or boredom — to do more cooking, cleaning, fixing, grooming and other practical skills themselves.

“It’s during uncertain times like these when we take stock of all the basic life skills we’ve forgotten, or never learned in the first place, because they sure could come in handy right about now,” says Erin Bried, a magazine editor in Brooklyn and author of How to Sew a Button: And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew. In a dark and difficult time, it can be an emotional lift to find that you’re more capable around the house than you thought.

“I accomplished something real today!” Maria Kernahan, a real estate agent and children’s book author, said after installing a new thermostat herself in her Castle Park, Michigan, house. She followed online advice to figure out the wiring in the old house. Her husband, meanwhile, has begun chopping wood. “We’re making this up as we go along,” she said.

Bill Hughes, a business consultant in University Place, Washington, had to wash some shirts and didn’t want to put them away wrinkled. “When I was a graduate student, I would iron my own shirts to save some money. It was tedious and I looked forward to the day when I could afford to drop off my shirts to be cleaned,” says Hughes, 59. “Since my dry cleaners is closed, I dusted off the iron and ironing board, turned on some Huey Lewis and the News, and went at it.”

Janice Simonsen, who works in corporate communications in Philadelphia, helped sew masks for medical personnel, following instructions on a YouTube video. “I haven’t pulled my sewing machine out for many years. I never really had the time,” she says. “Those junior high sewing classes kicked back in.”

She plans to keep the machine out and try some projects, like pillow covers, that she’s put off for years. “It felt good to create something useful again,” says Simonsen. Yes, you can still order takeout in most places and call the plumber or electrician.But more people are trying to do that only when absolutely needed. Hardware stores have seen high demand for home-repair and lawn tools. Social media feeds everywhere are full of posts from newbies planting vegetable gardens, giving themselves haircuts and baking bread.

Especially sour-dough. Lots of sourdough. YouTube has seen a spike of more than 100% in average daily views of videos with ‘Cook with Me’ in the title since March 15 compared to the rest of the year, said spokeswoman Veronica Navarrete.“We’re seeing this trend across several verticals,’’ including cleaning, she said. For her book, Bried interviewed women who had lived through the Great Depression and imparted lessons on how to make do and get by.

“I feel a new, closer connection to all of their stories now,” she says. ”It was a difficult time, and it left its mark on all of them. I think this pandemic, too, will leave its mark on us much in the same way. It’s caused us all to halt our lives and re-evaluate, maybe for the first time, what is truly important and what we’re equipped to handle.”