I'm venturing into the hardest part of housekeeping for me: cleaning. Straightening up is one thing, laundry - you can't get away without doing that --- but cleaning is a whole new ballgame. It's always been something I do sporadically. When I get a burst of energy, when I've got guests coming over, when I just can't stand it any longer. This week's mission - and the missions for the next several weeks - are going to be super challenging.
Now, the authors of the manual suggest that the '40s 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 bedrooms and bathrooms be cleaned on Thursdays.) Since I work outside the home full time, I'm not going to be able to clean every room on a daily basis. My plan is to hit each room once a week and fold the daily and weekly chores into one.
This week - the bedroom. (There's only one in my place.) On Thursday evenings. The manual walks its readers, step by step, through daily and weekly cleaning routines for every room. I've blended the bedroom routines together and typed 'em up below. There are also several steps marked "if necessary" and "when necessary." What I've decided just for now is to skip those extra items while I work to make cleaning a habit. This is going to be a battle supreme with my inner slob, and I don't want to make things any harder on myself than necessary! So here it is - a barebones once-a-week housekeeping routine for the bedroom:
1. Remove all bed covers; stretch over end of bed, or over chairs, off the floor. Remove soiled bed linen; place near door to be taken out. Place mattress pad over chair near window to air.
2. Collect lamp bases, bric-a-brac and dressing table fittings that need polishing or washing, and dresser scarves to be laundered.
3. Bring in cleaning equipment: vacuum cleaner and attachments, dust mop, cleaning basket, dust cloth, damp cloth. Bring in fresh bed linens.
4. Turn mattress end for end. Make bed.
5. Brush draperies (or use brush attachment of vacuum cleaner). Dust mirrors, pictures, lighting fixtures, lamps, woodwork.
6. Dust radiators (covers and coils) or registers. Brush baseboard or use brush attachment of vacuum cleaner.
7. Remove cushions from upholstered furniture. Use brush attachment of vacuum cleaner on furniture (getting into all crevices) and cushions. Replace cushions. Straighten covers. Plump up pillows.
8. Dust furniture. Rub wood surfaces of furniture to polish. Wash glass table tops.
9. Use vacuum cleaner for cleaning of rugs and carpets.
10. Polish or wash accessories and return to place with other objects removed during cleaning.
11. Final touches: Straighten draperies, shades, curtains, etc. Take out cleaning equipment and waste basket. Bring back clean ash trays, accessories, flowers and waste basket. Close windows if desired.
6 comments:
This is some comprehensive list! My inner slob blenches at the decluttering I would have to do before even starting that cleaning regime. Now I realize why my grandmother's house was always so clean - and uncluttered.
There is a very funny chapter in The Egg and I (published 1945ish) about the author's weekly housecleaning routine. The point where she mentions that her husband checks to see whether or not she has dusted the bedsprings leaves me gasping. What 21st century husband would dare?
I would hope even a 20th century 50's husband wouldn't dare to do that! I think it, as in all things, must depend on the man. Just be careful you you marry gals. I know when I was dating my husband and first visited my future ML house, it was (and still is) spotless. My husband was always courteous and kind to his mother and sister and was show respect for people AND things and to this day, he puts his own clothes away every evening, hanging troussers up and putting dirty clothes into his hamper.
I am really trying to get a handle on this book as well, which I am soo glad u introduced it to all our lives Jitterbug! Every day I try to put another thing on my list. I am also leniant wiht myself for example Monday is wash day and Tuesday is ironing, but I had a clean table cloth and napkins that had been washed and waiting for ironing. I needed to change the linen tongiht before I made the table, so I ironed tonight before dinner. Now, next week I may have made the time to have already had it done and in the sideboard drawer waiting for me, but baby steps.
Oh, no! The bedsprings need dusting! That must be one of those "if necessary" items I shelved for now...
You flip the mattress every week? I can see dusting the baseboards, but the mattress thing seems excessive (but I'm a slob, what do I know.)
i usually rotate the mattress (because apparently mine is a one sided mattress that can't be flipped) about once a month
What can I say? Maybe the mattresses in those days sagged more quickly than they do today - so they were extra careful to flip them every week. The manual also recommends flipping them over once a week "if desired."
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