More than thirty years have passed since the collapse of the USSR, but there is still a category of people who cannot get rid of their Soviet habits. Scarcity, saving and living for tomorrow were the three fundamental pillars on which everyday life was built in Soviet times.

Many of the typical habits of those times were so ingrained and rooted in the minds of people that even now it is difficult for housewives to break them. OBOZREVATEL talks about some of the habits originating in the USSR that are long overdue to be broken.

Everything in the house, everything in the household

Housewives who were brought up according to Soviet rules know how to set a rich table with a minimum amount of food and know all the folk life hacks for removing dirt or grease. Of course, there is nothing wrong with this: the ability to experiment with culinary dishes will never be superfluous, and ordinary soda and salt can really help with cleaning better than chemicals.

However, this category also includes the typically Soviet habit of using second-hand items to the last. Even old T-shirts were not thrown away, but used for rags. Old, leaky socks were used to wipe off dust. The list goes on and on. The period of shortages is over, and special rags and mops are both long-lasting and inexpensive.

Oilcloth on the table

It was customary to cover a tablecloth or just a table with oilcloth. This habit does not add beauty and comfort, but it spoils the look of the kitchen.

Food for future use and the empty plate rule

Soviet people always had food in reserve. However, everything should be in moderation: each product has its own shelf life, so it's hardly worth buying food for future use - at least not perishable food.

And you should stop living by Soviet canteen stereotypes. You shouldn't eat stale food to avoid throwing it away. You don't need to keep soup or borscht in the fridge for weeks until it's all eaten.

There were other habits that people still can't get rid of. These include things "on the way out", solving problems "on the cheap", and the cornerstone question that every Soviet citizen asked himself: "what will people say?". Read the article to find out how Soviet stereotypes spoil life and why they should be abandoned immediately.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL told why the USSR produced canned water.

Subscribe to OBOZREVATEL's Telegram and Viber channels to keep up with the latest news.