Old houses include interesting elements that you won’t find in new ones, ranging from the mysterious to the quite frankly bizarre. These qualities used to be useful, but with the introduction of refrigerators and electricity, they became obsolete. Some of these oddities can still be found in ancient houses if you’re lucky.
Some elements, like a little slit inside a medicine cabinet, are hidden. Others, such as a lone toilet in the basement, are obnoxious and odd. Continue reading to learn more about these ancient house elements and whether or not they may be used.
Laundry Chutes
A small door may connect the hallway to the washing room in residences with more than one story. Laundry chutes are designed to eliminate the hassle of hauling laundry by allowing you to just toss it down the chute to be washed. They’re so useful that a lot of people still use them now.
Nobody knows when or who invented the first washing chute. Newspaper clippings from the 1890s describe the first linen chutes. Your laundry days will be a lot easier if your home has one.
Laundry Chutes
Medicine Cabinet Slit
A tiny slit that appears like a coin slot can be found in certain old houses’ medicine cabinets. It was originally intended to be a place where razors may be deposited. People would drop their discarded razor blades into the slot once they completed shaving. Where would they go exactly? Nowhere really, just into the wall. You’d probably notice all the discarded razors if you took out the medicine cabinet. If you’re having your old medicine cabinet replaced, keep that in mind. You don’t want an infection from a razor blade that’s been around for decades.
Medicine Cabinet
