6 Ghanaian household items that are slowly disappearing

• Several traditional Ghanaian household and everyday items, including photo albums, box irons and five-five utensils, are gradually disappearing as modern alternatives become more popular.

• Items such as SHS phone booths and landlines remind older generations of a time when keeping in touch with family required patience, queues and limited privacy.

• Lanterns were once essential during power outages, helping families study, eat and spend time together before rechargeable lamps became common.

Long before smartphones, Bluetooth speakers and modern electric appliances became household essentials, these everyday items were an important part of our lives, making appearances in our homes, schools and neighbourhoods in ways we simply took for granted. From the familiar sounds and smells to the little routines that came with using them, they were woven into the fabric of growing up in Ghana.

Today, however, many of these once-popular items are slowly disappearing, replaced by newer technology and changing lifestyles. While older generations will instantly recognise them, some Gen Zs might look at these things and wonder what on earth they were used for. But if you remember them, then you know they were more than just household items; they were part of the experience of growing up.

Here are six Ghanaian items that deserve a little appreciation before they become completely forgotten.

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Before Google Photos, iCloud and phone galleries, our parents had actual albums filled with printed pictures. You could spend hours flipping through old family photographs, embarrassing childhood pictures and memories from weddings, birthdays and naming ceremonies. Every picture had a story, and looking through an album was practically a family activity.

And please, don't even think about removing a photograph from its plastic cover carelessly. Those albums were precious family treasures, and you could get into serious trouble for mishandling them!

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Before electric irons became common in many households, box irons were doing the heavy lifting. These traditional irons needed charcoal to work, and somehow our grandmothers made ironing look effortless. You had to heat the charcoal, fan it properly to get enough heat and be careful not to leave black marks on your favourite clothes.

It was a whole process, and one wrong move could ruin an otherwise perfectly good outfit. Electric irons really came through and changed the game!

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If you grew up in a Ghanaian household, chances are you have seen these colourful plastic plates, cups and bowls at least once. Five-Five utensils were practically household essentials, making appearances at funerals, weddings, family gatherings and even ordinary meals at home.

Some mothers had entire collections carefully stored away, only bringing them out when visitors arrived or there was a special occasion. And somehow, no matter how many plates were available, there was always that one favourite set nobody was allowed to touch!

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Before WhatsApp calls, FaceTime and unlimited mobile data, keeping in touch with your family while in senior high school was a whole mission. Phone booths were a familiar sight in some schools, and students often had to queue for their turn to speak to their parents or loved ones.

You had to wait patiently, get your calling card or coins ready and make sure you said everything you needed to say before the next person started complaining about how long you were taking. Imagine explaining that routine to today's students, who can video-call home whenever they want!

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Remember that one telephone sitting proudly in the living room or somewhere in the hallway? That was the family landline, and everybody knew it was there for receiving and making calls.

The interesting part was that privacy was almost non-existent. If your crush called, your parents could easily pick up another extension and listen to the conversation. Sometimes, you would even have to explain who was calling and why they wanted to speak to you. Those were the days when receiving a phone call could become a family discussion!

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Before rechargeable lamps and modern emergency lights became common, lanterns were the real household heroes whenever the electricity went off. Whether you needed to study, eat dinner or sit around listening to family stories during 'dumsor', these little lights helped keep things moving.

Of course, using one came with its own challenges. You had to deal with the kerosene smell, carefully adjust the wick and avoid burning your fingers while lighting it. For many Ghanaian children, the sight of a lantern being brought out was a familiar part of life. Today, rechargeable lamps have largely taken over, but the memories remain.

Progress is great, and nobody is asking for dumsor to come back. But these items were part of growing up in Ghana. Which one do you miss most? Tell us in the comments.