How to do your Housework

from Home Management, 1934

 

1.Open bedroom windows top and bottom; strip the beds and leave them open to air.

2.Light the fire in the dining-room; brush the grate; clean the hearth; sweep and dust the room.

3.Clean shoes, if they have not been done overnight.

4.Sweep and dust porch; wash steps if necessary.

5.Clean the brass, if there is any, on the front door.

6.Lay breakfast and prepare it.

7.After the meal is finished, clear the breakfast things.

8.Tidy the living-room.

9.Wash up breakfast things.

10.Make the beds.

Take up rugs and shake in garden. The rugs go back upstairs, together with carpet sweeper and mop, short broom and dustpan, and three dusters, one dark one for the hearths and two for dusting furniture.

Sweep up the fluff from under the beds and all the pieces from the floors; wipe round with a damp cloth every other day, dust the room and the fireplace and put rugs back down, leaving the rooms quite fresh and neat. Do this in all the bedrooms.

Then sweep down the stairs, dust the handrail, wainscot and the sides of the stairs.

The drawing - or sitting - room should be made tidy and dusted, and any special work for the day be done.

Preparation for the dinner must now be attended to, and laying the table.

After dinner comes the washing up, and the scullery must be tidied, the fire made up, and the hearth swept.

 The principal part of the day's work being done, the housewife will be able to change her dress before tea, and when the tea-things are cleared away there will be shopping to be done for the next day, unless she managed this in the morning.

 At dusk the bedclothes should be turned down, windows partly closed and blinds drawn, children bathed and put to bed, supper prepared, cleared away, and some preparation made for the morning.

 The great thing in home-making is to consider the comfort and welfare of the inmates, and to do one's very best to promote their happiness and well-being.

 

MONDAY: General preparation for washing clothes; sort, mend and put to soak; fill copper; make starch. Prepare, or cook dinner for Tuesday to save time. Clean sitting room or drawing room.

TUESDAY: Wash and put clothes in copper to boil. When washing finished, clean scullery. Dry clothes and fold.

WEDNESDAY: Ironing, airing, and baking cakes or bread.

THURSDAY: Clean two bedrooms, stairs and landing. Stair rods to be brightened every week, where no vacuum cleaner stair carpets to be taken up once a month and stairs well scrubbed.

FRIDAY: Clean small bedroom or bathroom alternate weeks, dining-room. Polish silver and bright articles and windows.

SATURDAY: Passage, pantry, kitchen, scullery, yards and any preparations to lighten the work for Sunday.

When the washing is done every other week more time will be left for extra house-cleaning, such as scrubbing the stairs, etc.