My sister is headed home to New England tomorrow with Kitten and Poppet. They're off to spend two weeks visiting family and friends - and enjoying some of that crisp autumn weather I'd love a taste of myself! (My babies will be so far away!!!) I've resolved to keep myself busy while they're gone with a whole new mission. It's time to take it back to basics and finally add that living room to my weekly housekeeping routine. The only real housework I've been doing in my living room since starting The Experiment has been to give that room a little daily tidying. It was ten months ago that I began giving the following treatment to my living room every evening before bed:
Put living room in order.
- Open windows top and bottom for free circulation of air.
- Pick up and replace small articles belonging in the room, such as books, magazines, music, games, victrola records, cards, etc.
- Gather up on tray to be taken out: used ash trays, articles belonging in other rooms, plants or flowers to be tended. Collect trash in waste basket.
- Carry out tray.
Now, the authors of America's Housekeeping Book (1945) suggest that the housewife give each room in the house a daily cleaning shortly after breakfast. Once a week, she should return to each room and clean it more thoroughly. (The day of the week doesn't matter very much, but they do recommend once in passing that living rooms be cleaned on Fridays.) Since I work outside the home full time, I can't clean each room every day. Instead, I aim to give each room a weekly cleaning (with the chores recommended to the '40s housewife on a daily basis) and then - once a month - do the chores recommended to the '40s housewife on a weekly basis, rotating between the four rooms in my apartment so that each room gets the white glove treatment once a month. Without further ado, here's my new barebones once-a-week housekeeping routine for the living room:
1. Bring in cleaning equipment: hearthbroom (if not kept at fireplace), carpet sweeper or vacuum cleaner (according to need), dust mop, cleaning basket.
2. In season, clean out fireplace, lay fire, sweep hearth.
3. Dust high objects if necessary: mantels, high shelves, window frames and sills, tops of bookcases, secretary, highboys, etc.
4. Dust radiator covers if necessary.
5. Brush upholstery if necessary. Straighten covers. Plump up pillows.
6. Dust furniture and low objects if necessary. Treat stains or blemishes as they occur.
7. Dust exposed wood flooring with dust mop if necessary. Use carpet sweeper or vacuum cleaner on rugs or carpets.
8. Final touches: Straighten draperies, shades, curtains, etc. Take out cleaning equipment and waste basket. Return clean ash trays, accessories, flowers and waste basket. Close windows if desired.
6 comments:
Your one room a week treatment sounds very doable. It kind of resembles the modern FlyLady routines, concentrating on deep cleaning one room over the course of a week.
It works out extra handy when you've only got four rooms! I can hit 'em all once a month. Now if that isn't an argument for keeping my tiny apartment...
:)
Don't you just love that living room? So neat and comfy. Notice there is no TV?
It is a lovely room! Must be the single tone of green for both walls and carpet - and the warm maple shade of the furnishings. The fireplace makes a much nicer focal point than a plastic TV, too!
It's funny how some things never change. In my 'modern' and my 1955 modern cape house I have many of the items in this picture: the wing chair, the Winthrop desk, The Windsor chair, the braided rug etc. I guess old 'classic' never really goes out of style, just fabrics and maybe arms and skirts on the 'modern' sofa is only the real difference and then of course carpet or no carpet. Nice picture.
A 1940s interpretation of a classic look that never really goes out of style...
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