As some of you may know, my latest release, ARMED & MARVELOUS, is set in 1955, an era of my birth and growing-up years. It truly was a different time than what we live in today. Families are smaller, more women are working outside the home, and attitudes have changed. In some ways, life has gotten harder since the simpler times of mid-century. In others, it has gotten easier. There are fewer stay-at-home moms and housewives, which inevitably leads to more hectic lives and more ways to simplify them.
My grandmother and mother were both practical housewives. I was, too, until I returned to the workforce for 17 years to pay tuition to our daughters’ private schools. But my stay-at-home housewife years were a happy time for me, and now that I’m retired, I’ve reverted to simplicity whenever I can.
Of course, I’m grateful for the machines that make our lives easier today. Labor-saving washing machines, dryers,
dishwashers, hand vacs, air fryers, Instant Pots…the list goes on and on, and never mind the sanitary wipes, paper towels, spray cleaners, and all those disposables that we use.
But there are some skills that our grandmothers used that should not be discarded. They are still simple, effective, and cost-saving, and I can’t help but think Rexanna, the heroine in ARMED & MARVELOUS, who gave up her wild game hunting career to be a ranch wife, would have used these same skills. Ditto with her beloved grandmother, the heroine of HARRIETT.
I don’t ever remember my grandmother having a messy house. She was a hard worker, devoted to her home and family, and it showed. Like my mother, she grew a large garden and canned the produce. Also like my mother, she kept life on a routine. No surprises on the clock, and in my opinion, families thrive on routine.
ARMED & MARVELOUS – Book #8 Pink Pistol Sweet Romance Series – Buy on Amazon
HARRIETT – Book #1 – Cupids & Cowboys Sweet Romance Series – Buy on Amazon
Here are a few tips to keep a clean house:
Housekeep Every Day
Make the beds, put things away where they belong, wash those straggly dishes you don’t put in the dishwasher throughout the day. A tidy house and clean kitchen is a huge mood-lifter. Something else – we have a Golden Retriever, and we vacuum floors and steps every single day. If we didn’t keep up on it, we’d be drowning in dog hair–and that’s just gross.
Make a Laundry Day
I have always done this. Monday is my day to do laundry, and my hamper is empty when I’m done. Very gratifying. I also use a clothesline – can’t beat that fresh air smell – and it saves electricity, too. Plus, if you can’t get to the dryer’s laundry to fold right away, you avoid a wrinkly heap letting the laundry hang. The ironing can wait for another day.
Vinegar is your friend.
Environmentally friendly, economical, and non-toxic. Make your own cleaning solution–just mix equal parts of vinegar and water and put in a spray bottle. I also use a mix of Pine-Sol and water (about 1/4 cup for a 32 oz spray bottle of multi-purpose cleaner like Lysol or Simple Green). Cheap, cheap.
Wash Dishes While you Cook–and Afterward, too!
My husband does this. He always has a sink of soapy water to wash the cutting boards, knives, bowls, and skillets we use as we cook. Since I’m a little fussy about what I put in my dishwasher, it’s so nice not having a mountain of dishes to wash after dinner. This way, clean-up is minimal.
The sun is your friend, too.
See above. Use the sun to dry linens, dish towels, comforters, etc. One recommendation – spray the bulky items with a vinegar and water solution to freshen and sanitize, then hang on the line for several hours. Sun kills bacteria. I remember hanging diapers on the line hundreds, maybe thousands of times, over the course of four babies. Disposable diapers were just coming onto the scene with our fourth daughter, but I stuck to the cloth diapers and saved a ton of money. Even better, they were always visibly whiter and sanitized afterward.
Don’t get overwhelmed! Make a schedule.
You’ll only have to think of that one task on one day. Remember those embroidered dish towels with chores for every day of the week? There’s wisdom in those towels. Hold yourself accountable! Here’s an example. Adjust as needed.
Monday – Laundry, change bedding
Tuesday – Clean bathrooms. Wash mirrors/handprints, doggie slobber, etc. off door glass. Newspapers work great and leave the glass sparkling. No newspapers anymore? Flour sack towels work great. No lint and easy to wash.
Wednesday – Mop/Vacuum floors
Thursday – Dust furniture/blinds. Use a micro-fiber cloth. They’re amazing for collecting the dust.
Friday – Wipe down kitchen appliances.
Weekends – Meal planning, grocery-shopping, lawn work
Have Children?
Give them their own chores. Fifteen minutes a day to help mom out will teach them to be responsible adults/employees later. Trust me on this. I’ve seen it with my own children and grandchildren. And like I said, a routine is comforting. Same time for meals, wake-up and bedtimes. It works!
Take time to Relax and Have Fun!
A clean house leads to a happier family. Evenings are for relaxing. Make a date night happen or movie night with the kids. Just be sure to pick up the popcorn bowls later! There are few things worse than waking up to a messy kitchen or TV room!
Note: There are lots of housekeeping sites online, but one of my favorites is the Flylady method. http://www.flylady.net.
Another is http://www.retrohousewifegoesgreen.com
Do you have a favorite cleaning tip from your grandmother or mother?
Do you have a favorite housekeeping hack to share?
What is your favorite housekeeping chore?
Pam has written 30 romances, most of them historical westerns, but she's proud of her contemporary sweet romances featuring the Blackstone Ranch series published by Tule Publishing, too! Stay up on the latest at www.pamcrooks.com
Baking soda is a gentle scrubbing agent that works on many surfaces safely.
Ah. You’re right, Denise. I should have mentioned baking soda. It truly is versatile.
Pick up any clutter at the end of the day before you retire for the night. It makes the chore quick and relatively painless if you do this daily.
Absolutely!! There are few things more discouraging than to wake up to a messy house. Ugh. So much easier to keep up on the clutter throughout the day instead of letting it pile up!
I also use baking soda. And vinegar for mopping. I have days of the week to clean certain areas also. Since I have two households, mine and my mother’s, I’ve had to hire the cleaning for hers once a month. However, I still vacuum hers. And days to take her trash off, wash her clothes and sheets and water her plants, etc. She lives 30 minutes away from me. Housekeeping for me, has never been my favorite chore! LOL I do like getting it done and finished Pam, but that is it! I like the pictures of the ladies in aprons. That is one thing my grandmother wore everyday! My mother only wore one in the kitchen. To this day, I love aprons!
I don’t think I’ve read Harriett! I’ll have to get that book! I loved your the story in Pink Pistol book!
Tracy, you are a wonderful daughter. I don’t know the situation with your mom, but it sounds like she’s living in her own home and needs your help. God bless you, girl!
And yes, my grandmother wore an apron every single day. Both grandmothers wore housedresses, too. Never pants. Hmm. Maybe that’s another blog topic for me. 🙂
Thank you for your kind words about ARMED & MARVELOUS. I think readers enjoy seeing characters in later books and reading that they are enjoying their happy-ever-after. It was truly fun to write about HARRIETT again – although I had to think about her as a grandma instead of a young woman!
the vinegar and water 50/50 in a cup in the microwave, heat for 2 minutes and let steam for 5, wipe down and it is so clean!!
Oh, wow, Teresa. I’ve never heard of heating vinegar and water. You mean – for a coffee-stained cup or something?
Put bleach in toilet bowls for a couple of hours, it works and sanitizes really good. Never leave dishes over night, that is a pet peeve of mine. Thank you for sharing all this info with us. Have a Great day and a great rest of the week.
Good morning, Alicia! My sister is a voracious bleach-user. I must admit I don’t use it as much as I could. Have you seen how expensive it’s gotten in the stores??
baking soda is wonderful. it is a natural cleanser and deodorizer. It is good in the fridge/freezer, washing, in shoes, etc.
Lori, yes about baking soda being a good deodorizer (although I’ve never heard of it being put in shoes). I often have an open box in the ‘fridge. I remember my grandfather brushing his teeth with baking soda!
Fly lady is fantastic. My grandmother and mother did not have messy houses either. At gift times we would receive one gift from from mom and one from our grandparents so there wasn’t an over abundance of toys which helped. It was expected that we helped the family with chores whether it was watching younger siblings, ironing, sweeping floors, or washing dishes. We also hung clothes outside. There is nothing like the fresh smell of sheets hung outside.
Your family sounds very wise, karijean I know not everyone agrees, but it’s important to expect kids to work and help out. Nor do I think they need to be paid for it, but again, not everyone will agree with that. Kids are better adults with responsibilities when they are young.
Thanks for stopping by.
I never leave dirty dishes in the sink. It is always nice to wake up to a clean kitchen. I am a fan of vinegar for many uses. Shoot – I used to rinse my hair in it for a shine. I don’t do that anymore. I also love lemon for cleaning and whitening.
Kathy–lemon is a great one! I always buy lemon-scented air fresheners for our cabin because it’s closed up alot, and when we open it up, the place smells so fresh and inviting.
And I am so with you about not leaving dirty dishes in the sink overnight. Makes such a difference!
My favorite chore is vacuuming and moping. The house smells so fresh afterwards, not to mention, it really looks nice. I love the vacuum tracks! I grew up in the late 40’s and 50’s in a family of 3 boys and 3 girls. my sister and I, being the oldest, had chores outside like milking the cows and I took care of the chickens mostly. We all were given chores before and after school. It was a much simpler time for us and well as joyful and fun. I loved to bake and helped mom a lot, but also kept baking those sweets when I got married. It doesn’t to much for the waist line except make it bigger. I also learned how to sew from Mom and made much of my own clothes. We also DE tasseled corn, my sister and I, to earn money. My grandmother used to darn socks and I have always wanted to do it myself, but I did not ask her to help me learn. Hence, I just have to throw away those socks with holes in them.
You have been given a great work ethic, Judy, and I’m sure it made you a more efficient homemaker, wife, and mother after you married. Those skills would have been second nature to you.
You know, I’m not even sure what true ‘darning’ is. I will whip stitch sock holes together – but only once. If more holes come, then into the trash they go. 🙂
Newspapers to wash windows is a classic.
It is – except we don’t have newspapers anymore!!! Everything is online. But I agree – newspapers definitely know how to shine up a window.
You are so right about the routine. When I first got married and when the children were little, I had a good cleaning routine and it really showed. It suffered a bit when I worked outside the home. Retirement has surprisingly been less organized. We are involved with several volunteer organizations and have no real schedule anymore. I have discovered that once things get ahead of you, it is hard to get caught up. I remember hanging clothes outside with my mother. I loved the fresh smell and crisp laundry we would bring in. We live in the country, but the air is not all that clean and fresh. There is just so much dust.
Trying to get my routine back, I’ve found that making sure you have a place for everything and making sure things get put away right away make a big difference. It is too easy for things to start piling up if you don’t.
You are right, Pat. I do think in my case my house is tidier in retirement. My husband actually spends more time on housekeeping than I do, so I have to credit him for our clean house.