Sunday, November 10, 2013

Daily Cleaning Schedule - 1950s Housewife

So I found a traditional schedule of a 1950s housewife. I already do quite a bit of it, but I don't bother making myself presentable unless I need to leave the house. Even then, I settle for clean clothes and brushing my teeth and hair. Nope. I will be a good vintage housewife and don a dress/skirt and heels/flats when leaving the house and will make sure I change into something pleasing before my husband gets home.


  1. Throw back the covers
  2. Open up the blinds and windows
  3. Freshen up
  4. Make and serve breakfast
  5. Clean up breakfast
  6. Complete a 10-minute exercise regime
  7. Shower, do hair and make-up, get dressed
  8. Gather a basket for tidying. As the rooms of the home are tackled, pick up items that aren’t where they belong and place them in a basket. Redistribute them where they should be as you enter a new room
  9. Straighten up the living and dining room, including picking up potential clutter, light dusting, fluffing / straightening pillows, and watering plants or flowers
  10. Make the beds
  11. Tidy the bedroom, including light dusting
  12. Hang up any clothes that may be about or ensure dirty ones are in the hamper
  13. Do a light tidy of the bathroom including removing and replacing used towels, refilling toilet paper and soap (if needed) and cleaning the sink and basin area including soap dishes
  14. Review the menu for the current day and the next and compare it to what’s currently available in the home. Make note of anything that needs to be prepared ahead of time or marketing (shopping) that needs to get done
  15. Begin long-advance preparations for dinner (such as making dessert)
  16. Wipe down kitchen work surfaces and inside the fridge
  17. Dispose of garbage
  18. Rinse dish cloths and hang to dry
  19. Sweep or mop the kitchen floor
  20. Handle errands that might take you out of the home (such as marketing, volunteering, going to the post office, getting an item fixed, etc), bookkeeping, correspondence, or indulge in a hobby
  21. If returning from the grocery store, wash vegetables, wrap them and put them away. Place rest of groceries or purchases in their proper place
  22. Have a quick lunch
  23. Start advance food conditioning like crisping vegetables or thawing frozen foods
  24. Handle weekly chore for the day (Saved that for a separate post)
  25. Set the table for dinner
  26. Arrange the living room for evening enjoyment (such as “the Mister’s” newspaper, book, and cigarettes, or in our case, the husband's change of clothes and glass of ice water.)
  27. Do a quick sweep of the floors and ensure entrance ways are clear
  28. Prepare a special dish for dinner
  29. Freshen up before the husband returns from work. Consider changing into something more festive if the day dress is plain
  30. Set out a tray with equipment for making cocktails, should “the Mister” want to serve drinks before dinner
  31. Greet husband “gayly” (*snort* We should seriously bring this word back)
  32. Serve dinner
  33. Clear table and wash dishes
  34. Pour boiling water down the sink to ensure pipes are flushed (I prefer to clean my sink after dishes with vinegar and baking soda. Heads up, it bubbles when mixed)
  35. If necessary, pack the husband’s lunch for the next day. Set aside a lunch tray in the refrigerator for yourself if having leftovers (Already do this daily)
  36. Set table for breakfast
  37. Ensure breakfast foods are available and do any make-ahead preparations for it
I seriously got tired just reading then typing this list up. How in the world am I supposed to finish all of this is a day? *sheesh* Oh, and that's not all. Check out the other half of the list; these are to be done at least once a week:

  • Use metal polish on bathroom fixtures
  • Clean and disinfect all kitchen appliances
  • Scald and disinfect bread boxes and garbage pails and bins
  • Replace flowers with fresh bouquets

I don't know about the whole bouquet thing. I mean, I'll do my best, but we tend to only use wild flowers in the area and there's nothing really growing in November. Maybe I'll just make sure there's a pretty centerpiece on the dining table. Oh, and I don't have a bread box, so I'll have to just put something in its place.

So about the cleaning thing. I know there were things such as comet available, but the women used a lot of natural things, as do I. Most of my cleaning products are pretty much the same as they used in the 50s - baking soda, vinegar, Castille soap (I don't have access in my small town, so I use Fels Naptha and Ivory for natural detergents), lemon juice, and Borax and washing soda. Own and use all of these (I make my own laundry and dish soap). Guess I'm living a lot more like a 1950s housewife than I thought. Now, if I can just break the Internet and background television habit (I don't watch much TV. Just like the background noise when everyone is gone).

11 comments:

  1. Holy moly this scedule makes my head spin, I'd never make it! haha

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  2. This is great - I love this kind of stuff. Do you remember where you originally found this schedule? I'd love to see what else was included.

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    1. She found it back in 2010

      http://www.jenbutneverjenn.com/2010/05/keeping-of-house-1950s-style.html?m=1

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  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. Wow. I got tired just reading the "to-do" list. No rest? I guess I better step it up. Lol. Love this though! Thanks for sharing.

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  5. Great list to have ready to delegate to household members!

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  6. Any tips for getting all of this done with an older infant? I want to start keeping house like this 🙂

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  7. I've lived this way for 32 years, I m a older 50s housewife I'm 58 years old but I live this every day and love it that way. Haven't worked since I was 25 that's the mans job.

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  8. I've been trying to discover my homemaking/housecleaning Zen most of my adult life. I've tried all kinds of schedules and routines, and they're usually overwhelming with the micromanagement of daylight, or too lax. I like that, while this sounds exhausting at first, it's a straightforward simple list. And it sort of makes self care non negotiable, which I'm just now realizing is important. This would be great to make into a challenge...add a few things each day until it's routine....Ha, I just realized I've been searching for a sense of purpose. Tysm for this post.

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  9. A clean and organized workplace not only promotes employee well-being but also enhances the company's overall image.Daily office cleaning can help prevent the accumulation of dirt, dust, and germs that can lead to health issues and reduce productivity. It is essential to have a reliable and professional cleaning service provider to ensure that the cleaning is done efficiently and effectively.

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