If you were to sit down and make a list of the home appliances you couldn’t go a day without, how long would that list be? Before you answer this question, try imagining a typical day in your life. Starting from the alarm clock, all the way to the socks you grab from the dryer to put on before sleeping, most home appliances are terribly underrated. A large number of these appliances are electronic.

With the quick pace of modern-day living, there are so many conveniences and small delights that we cannot afford to miss on, even though we only realize its value once we lose it. Here is a list of five home appliances we know you cannot live without.

The alarm clock
Even if you don’t use an analog alarm clock, the functionality of “the alarm” that wakes you up without fail every morning is the first home appliance you have to thank. Keeping track of time, especially during a busy day can be a tedious task. But thanks to technology, we now have clocks just about everywhere, right from your mobile phones to family cars, satellite boxes, microwaves, coffee makers and even ovens. Time is just about everywhere you look.

The refrigerator
The next time you find yourself tiptoeing towards the fridge late at night for a midnight snack, think about what life would be like if you didn’t have that gigantic cold box. You wouldn’t be able to keep your food fresh, you wouldn’t have ice for your beverages. Most of the staples you need on a daily basis like milk, eggs, meat, and cheese would have to be purchased right before you consumed it and in small quantities. From a broader perspective, you wouldn’t have the variety of supplies you see at the supermarket, as it would be impossible to ship them without getting spoilt.

The washing machine
Different ways to wash clothes have been invented by people ever since we’ve been wearing clothes. A few decades ago, people would beat their clothes against a stone surface to get the stains out. This process was initially started by the Romans. Later on, the stony surfaces were replaced with wooden boards used primarily for scrubbing. Fast forward a couple of decades and now, we have a super convenient way to wash our clothes instantly, without any human labor. Drying clothes is also not an issue, thanks to dryers.

The air conditioner
A mean summer heat wave is all it takes to make one pass out. This is because people are used to air conditioning on a daily basis. But much before Willis Carrier came up with the idea of air conditioning, people found ways to stay comfortable with the unbearable heat. A nice, cool drink was and is always appreciated. Some homes were designed differently, so as to invite light breezes from outside. An example of this would be shotgun-style homes. Lucky for us, we no longer have to worry about a finding a way to keep us cool.

The microwave oven
“A meal within a minute or two” was earlier considered a miracle. But thanks to the introduction of the domestic microwave oven, this is now a daily reality. Ovens are helpful but microwaves can now cook meat five times faster than the average oven. This has made our lives so much more convenient.