ADVERTISEMENT

We don’t really notice how fast time goes by. But this time, we are taking you on a trip to the past that shows how our households have changed beyond recognition since the '70s.

And trust me, in most cases, it’s for the better. Take a chip pan, for example—these crazy fire agents that produced the best chips on the planet your mom can probably still taste in her mouth would keep homes on the brink of tragedy, and yet people adored them.

Thanks to the Memorial Device Twitter page that shared this illuminating guide, we now have the full list of the 40 greatest '70s household dangers all posted in order. Both nostalgic and utterly terrifying, they make you wonder whether people back then had less of a sense of health and safety. Or if it’s us who live in an overly protective mindset. Anyhow, I prefer the latter one.

#1

Mildly-Terrifying-Nostalgic-70s-Household-Dangers

memorialdevice Report

Add photo comments
POST
grubbster55 avatar
Andrew Gibb
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mum set the kitchen on fire using one of these- we first saw the flames through the serving hatch into the dining room. Luckily the local Fire Chief and his son, a fireman lived next door to us.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#2

Mildly-Terrifying-Nostalgic-70s-Household-Dangers

memorialdevice Report

Add photo comments
POST
charlottecottrell avatar
Nannychachi
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Making the opening smaller results in a quicker draw on the coals which gives a quicker hot fire.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Bored Panda reached out to the authors behind the Memorial Device Twitter page who shared this viral thread which listed 40 dangerous things that were casually used in ’70s households. Introducing themselves as “a band from Airdrie,” a town in Scotland, the creators said that their account was inspired “100% by the book ‘This is Memorial Device’ by the genius Scottish author, David Keenan.” They added that “You will have to read the book to really understand the account.”

#5

Mildly-Terrifying-Nostalgic-70s-Household-Dangers

Here's the bizarre video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQcGIZioqQE&t=4s&ab_channel=FunFinder

memorialdevice Report

#6

Mildly-Terrifying-Nostalgic-70s-Household-Dangers

memorialdevice Report

Add photo comments
POST
robert-thornburrow avatar
Robert T
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My grandma had a manual mangle (wringer). Before the advent of washing machines with a decent spin cycle, my mum had a spinner, which was basically a small washing machine drum mounted vertically and it did a better spin to get more water out.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

When asked how they came up with an idea to create the guide to all the miscellaneous stuff from the past, the creators said that it’s just one of many countdown lists on the “Memorial Device” account. “But it’s the one that most people seem to identify with,” they said and added that it may be because it’s “Proper working-class history.”

ADVERTISEMENT
#7

Mildly-Terrifying-Nostalgic-70s-Household-Dangers

memorialdevice Report

Add photo comments
POST
nfrlprdpr avatar
Mazer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Before the change to salicylic acid, the two active ingredients in Vosene were coal tar and sulphusuccinated undecylenic monoalkanolamide. These chemicals were discovered to be carcinogenic, leading to their replacement with salicylic acid

russellbowman_1 avatar
Russell Bowman
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Acid based shampoo ...nothing like the tingle of a layer of skin disolving

grubbster55 avatar
Andrew Gibb
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

this stuff was great at making my sister cry at bath time. Once a week on a Saturday evening.

vickyz avatar
garyfrench avatar
Solidhog
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Mum - "Have you washed your hair yet?" Me - "Yes. Just waiting for my eyes to harden again so I can see where I am going."

jim_lees2 avatar
Jim Wyatt-Lees
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ahhh, hair stripper. Evil stuff along with Izal medicated toilet paper. Why? Why medicated? What with? Valium?

jackieporter avatar
Jackie Porter
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I once got this in my eyes in the shower. I couldn't see for days!

nicky_colohan avatar
IlovemydogShilo
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This was the bane of every bath night. It stank, stung my eyes and made my hair feel horrible.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#8

Mildly-Terrifying-Nostalgic-70s-Household-Dangers

memorialdevice Report

Add photo comments
POST
blue1steven avatar
Donkey boi
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I nicked the red bulbs out of our and used then in my bedroom light fitting. The whole street thought my parents had started a brothel.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#9

Mildly-Terrifying-Nostalgic-70s-Household-Dangers

memorialdevice Report

Add photo comments
POST
dc1 avatar
DC
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I used one of these in 2014, 2015 in Berlin, because I couldn't afford a decent place to be ... so I lived in the basement of a guy who was too old (>90) to take out the trashy and broken furniture.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

We also asked if they can imagine anyone living with some of these crazy household objects these days, the authors said that they in fact experienced “the bathroom ceiling heater in Whitby last week. Switched it on—nothing happened. Came back later and it was glowing hotter than the sun. And it was fitted above the bath.”

The band added that they’re “Big fans of the coal effect fire and the immersion heater, along with the working-class shower,” and found “drawing the fire as total madness.” “As is buying a full-size crossbow from the Kays catalogue on HP,” the Memorial Device concluded.

#10

Mildly-Terrifying-Nostalgic-70s-Household-Dangers

memorialdevice Report

Add photo comments
POST
scrappymoo22 avatar
Laura Jones
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

they gave out fantastic heat but the gas bottles when full were so heavy and it gradually went up in price to a ridiculous level

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#15

Mildly-Terrifying-Nostalgic-70s-Household-Dangers

memorialdevice Report

Add photo comments
POST
smilinghonesty avatar
Natalia A
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People are so overly cautious. Unless you put your fingers in there (and you'd have to be stupid to do that), what would go wrong?!

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#19

Mildly-Terrifying-Nostalgic-70s-Household-Dangers

memorialdevice Report

Add photo comments
POST
frostyruby avatar
Redfox
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had these. Whacked myself in the nose so hard I thought my nose had gone to the other side of my head. I obviously did not learn co-ordination nor skill.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#22

Mildly-Terrifying-Nostalgic-70s-Household-Dangers

memorialdevice Report

Add photo comments
POST
dc1 avatar
DC
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That wasn't really frowned upon until the nineties. All my friends' parents, mine, and basically every adult we knew smoked in his house, his car, everywhere. Children's rooms ... not that often, but sometimes, too.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#25

Mildly-Terrifying-Nostalgic-70s-Household-Dangers

memorialdevice Report

Add photo comments
POST
rain197240 avatar
Rain WhiteBuffalo
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

OMG I miss these shoes. I want a pair right now!! I remember having a pair in every color they offered (tan, white, navy and black). I loved these!!!

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#34

Mildly-Terrifying-Nostalgic-70s-Household-Dangers

memorialdevice Report

Add photo comments
POST
nathan_seddon avatar
Dhukath
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Worst when your foot can off and the whole thing sprang up and smacked you under the chin!

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#36

Mildly-Terrifying-Nostalgic-70s-Household-Dangers

memorialdevice Report

Add photo comments
POST
bp_10 avatar
WilvanderHeijden
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Only in dysfunctional families would these be used a lethal weapon. The rest of the world used them to throw them at dartboards.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#39

Mildly-Terrifying-Nostalgic-70s-Household-Dangers

memorialdevice Report

Add photo comments
POST
smilinghonesty avatar
Natalia A
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We do this in Cyprus for new year's. You clean the coin, wrap it in foil and drop it in the cake batter. Everyone knows it's there so they're careful:)

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#40

Mildly-Terrifying-Nostalgic-70s-Household-Dangers

memorialdevice Report

Add photo comments
POST
moconnell avatar
M O'Connell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Leaving a battery on an unregulated charger is something a moron would do. 1970s or otherwise.

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda