27/03/2026
Agbatititi kii rọ
(The old ways don't bend easily.)
I watched her push aside the fancy glass spray bottles and reach for a handful of gray wood ash instead.
We were supposed to be deep cleaning the compound before the rains started, but my auntie just stood there staring at a stubborn grease stain on the outdoor hearth. She said, 'Agbatititi kii rọ', which basically means the old, hard ways don't bend easily, and neither should our results.
Then, I saw her mix that ash with a bit of water until it turned into a gritty paste and scrubbed the stone until it looked like it had never seen fire.
It hit me then that we often buy the expensive organic versions of what our grandmothers literally pulled from the fireplace for free. Watching her rinse it away, I realized how much we have complicated the simple act of keeping a home.
What is one old-school cleaning trick that you refused to give up for the modern version?
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