20 Common Household Products That Have Disappeared Over Time
Once staples in American homes, these everyday products have slowly faded into obscurity, replaced by modern alternatives.
- Chris Graciano
- 4 min read
Once-essential home items have disappeared from store shelves throughout the years, either as a result of shifting customer tastes, safety concerns, or technological advancements. All of them were important in day-to-day living, even though some were adored and others were only fads. Let’s look back at 20 everyday home objects that have vanished through time.
1. Rolodex
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Before digital contacts, desks were cluttered with spinning organizers filled with business cards. These organizers were essential for professionals but lost relevance with the rise of smartphones and email.
2. Flash Cubes
Futurebobbers on Wikimedia Commons
Camera flashes used to come in small, cube-shaped attachments that could only be used a few times before being discarded. These were popular in the ‘60s and ‘70s before built-in electronic flashes took over.
3. Typewriter Correction Tape
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Erasing typos on a typewriter required special correction tape or liquid white-out. This product became obsolete with the rise of word processors and backspace keys.
4. Ashtrays in Every Room
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Once a common sight in homes, restaurants, and even cars, ashtrays were everywhere during the height of smoking culture. As anti-smoking campaigns gained traction and smoking indoors became less acceptable, they disappeared from most households.
5. Carbon Paper
White, John G. on Wikimedia Commons
Making copies before printers and copiers meant using carbon paper between sheets. It was messy, inefficient, and often left smudged copies.
6. Encyclopedia Sets
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Families once invested in full collections of encyclopedias to have a world of knowledge at their fingertips. The internet and Wikipedia rendered these massive book sets unnecessary.
7. TV Antennas (Rabbit Ears)
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Before cable and streaming, adjusting the “rabbit ears” on top of a television was a frustrating but necessary task. Digital broadcasting made them unnecessary, and most households have long since moved on.
8. VHS Tapes and Rewinders
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VCRs ruled home entertainment in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and every household had a stack of VHS tapes. DVDs, Blu-ray, and eventually streaming made them obsolete.
9. Metal Ice Cube Trays
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Before plastic trays and automatic ice makers, metal ice cube trays with levers were the standard. They were tough to use and often stuck to fingers in cold freezers.
10. Soap Flakes
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These were once laundry essentials, requiring users to dissolve soap shavings in water before washing clothes. Liquid detergents and pods eliminated the need for such a tedious process.
11. Glass Baby Bottles
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Heavy and breakable glass baby bottles were once the norm for feeding infants. Plastic alternatives took over due to their lighter weight and durability.
12. Record Player Consoles
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Massive wooden console stereos with built-in record players were a sign of sophistication in mid-century homes. However, the rise of CDs, MP3s, and streaming has made them outdated.
13. Mercury Thermometers
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Once the standard for checking fevers, these glass thermometers contained mercury, a toxic element. Due to safety concerns, digital and infrared versions replaced them.
14. Hand-Crank Egg Beaters
Department of the Interior. Patent Office. on Wikimedia Commons
Every kitchen had one before electric mixers became affordable. While they got the job done, they required a lot more effort.
15. Clotheslines in Every Yard
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Drying clothes outdoors was once the norm before electric dryers became mainstream. While some people still use them for sustainability, they’re no longer a staple in American backyards.
16. Telephone Books
Wikimedia Commons
If you needed a phone number, you flipped through a thick, printed directory that arrived yearly. With smartphones and search engines, these massive books have virtually disappeared.
17. Butter Churns
Jean-François Millet on Wikimedia Commons
Homemade butter was a necessity before grocery stores stocked pre-made versions. Hand-cranking butter was a long process that most modern households wouldn’t tolerate.
18. Popcorn Poppers with a Crank
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Before microwaves, families popped kernels on the stovetop using a metal popper with a crank. It required constant turning to prevent burning.
19. Sewing Patterns for Homemade Clothes
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Sewing machines and pattern books were once household staples for making and altering clothes. Fast fashion and affordable ready-to-wear clothing changed that.
20. Film Canisters
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Before digital cameras, people stored undeveloped film in small plastic canisters. Processing film was an essential step before seeing photos.