Now that I've got my housekeeping routines for the bedroom just so, it's time to begin fleshing out my routines for the kitchen. Up 'til this point, it's been just about following the routine in America's Housekeeping Book (1945) to the letter. It's high time I turned my attention to some of the missing pieces in the puzzle.
The floors, for example. Dusting, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, waxing --- floor maintenance is addressed in the "skeleton housekeeping schedule" for every other room of the house, but when it comes to setting forth daily and weekly housekeeping routines for the kitchen, they aren't even mentioned. But for this single clue: just before the housewife finishes her daily chores in the kitchen, she's advised to rinse her mop; "hang outdoors if possible." After the kitchen gets its weekly cleaning, the mop is to be washed, rinsed, and scalded and - again - hung outdoors to dry.
Happily, there's an entire chapter dedicated to floors, though I can't say my no-wax vinyl flooring really fits any of the categories of flooring addressed in the book. I guess linoleum is the closest I'm going to get.
Daily: Dust with an untreated mop. The areas near work surfaces in the kitchen may need to be damp-mopped every day.
Weekly care of a linoleum floor depended on the type of wax you used (paste or liquid vs. self-polishing):
- Women who used a paste or liquid wax on their linoleum were instructed just to use a vacuum cleaner, "soft hair broom," or untreated mop to remove dust. Otherwise, the floor only needed to be washed twice a year after the old coat of wax was removed and before a new coat was applied.
- Women who used a self-polishing wax on their linoleum were instructed to use a damp mop at least once a week. "Kitchen floors may need to be washed once a week or oftener." Self-polishing wax was presumably a less sturdy product as it needed to be reapplied on a monthly basis.
What's your routine when it comes to floor care for the kitchen? I'll bet those old linoleum floors were tough as nails to keep clean. Have you ever lived in a home where you had to wax the kitchen floors?
6 comments:
Thanks for the info about floors. I have my linoleum floor (looks like cheap fake brick) and looks dirty all the time. I go crazy trying to keep it clean - I can't imagine having to wax it too!
I've never lived in a home with floors that have to be waxed. I have tile right now so I sweep daily and end up steam mopping probably every 3 days. My floor is light and shows every drop of water and dirt. I always mop it on Wednesday but it really needs it more often especially in the summer.
Carey
I grew up in a house with linoleum that needed waxing. I remember those days -- no one could go in the kitchen for hours, until my mother gave the all-clear that it was dry. Mom used Johnson's wax and I can still smell it. Most times one of us kids would accidentally spill a few drops of water on the floor the day it was waxed, and it would leave white spots on the wax. My job was to dry mop the kitchen floor each and every night after dinner.
No wax floors sure make the work less. I have a small kitchen, three kids and a husband. Our floor requires significant attention because of all the use. I sweep when needed- about 2 or 3 times a day. I don't mop because it doesn't clean as well as the ol' down-on-your-hands-and-knees-with-a-rag-and-a-bucket-of-pinesol method. I do that on Wed and Sat at least or if I've done something particularly messy or sticky like making jam.
I grew up in a house built 1933. The kitchen had rubber linoleum squares. we past waxed them and then the kirby polished it. before the kirby i am sure my gran was buffing on her knees. that floor was still perfect when I sold the house in 1981. I wish you could still buy that kind of floor. we washed it weekly with warm water and sometimes mild soap. but oh the stripping and reapplying!
Amanda, you and me both. I'm feeling very grateful for no-wax floors since reading that chapter of The Manual...
Carey, thanks for sharing your routine! I'm not crazy about the vinyl flooring in my kitchen, but it is a plus that the mottled pattern doesn't show much dirt. Buys me some time.
Carol, I remember waiting for the all-clear when I was a kid, too --- but it must have been that my Mom had just cleaned the floor. We'd have to take our shoes off and tiptoe in on our stocking feet if we needed something from the kitchen.
Mrs. N., sounds like you spend a lot of personal time with your floor! It must be sparkling when you've finished with it. :)
Jeanne, it's a real testament to the quality of your grandmother's housekeeping that the same floor was in such great condition after almost 50 years.
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