“It must be confessed, however, that after the great turmoil is over – when the week, or fortnight, or three weeks of scrubbing, scouring, drenching are passed, there is a moment of delightful repose in a family there is a refreshing consciousness that all is sweet and clean from garret to cellar there is a purity in the neighborhood, the same order and cleanly freshness meet you as you cross every threshold. In 1848 writer Susan Fenimore Cooper wrote that spring cleaning was a necessary evil in life, though did say that it was often worth it in the end: ![]() I might spring my feet off and not get all that done.” Yes, spring cleaning to be done closets, bags, and baskets to be disemboweled furs and woolens to be packed away children’s last summer clothes to be inspected (not a garment that will fit all grown up like Jack’s bean-stalk) spring cleaning, sure enough. “‘Spring cleaning!’ Oh misery! Ceilings to be whitewashed, walls to be cleaned, paint to be scoured, carpets to be taken up, shaken, and put down again scrubbing women, painters, and whitewashers, all engaged for months ahead, or beginning on your house to secure the job, and then running off a day to somebody else’s to secure another. In 1857 writer Sara Payson Willis Parton wrote of the ritual: It appears to me that spring cleaning was taken rather seriously by many Victorian households, though many had mixed feelings about it. Getting ready to do some spring cleaning of your own? I have pulled a lot of ideas from a few great household manuals to give you a true look inside preparing a home for spring in the Victorian era. Remarkably, the books recommend different methods for nearly each item in a home that could be cleaned. Victorian household manuals were highly specific on how to clean each and every part of a house, from floors to lamps to windows and beds. And, they had some great ideas that I think we can still use today. Without a lot of the modern conveniences and supplies that we now use, it was a lot more involved. Victorian spring cleaning did look a lot different than it does today. I am also striving to use more environmentally friendly products in my home, and thought I might learn something as well. It got me thinking about how this tradition has been around for so long and wondering how much I could find in Victorian household manuals on the topic. The theme for the issue is naturally, spring cleaning. For stainless steel: Dampen a microfiber cloth with distilled white vinegar and rub in the direction of the grain.Last weekend I picked up the April copy of Real Simple. For enameled steel: Use a multisurface solution and paper towels. Put the food back in, wiping down jars and bottles.Īttach the baking-soda pod's suction cups to an interior wall.Ĭlean the exterior. ![]() (Don't forget the shelf seams and the rubber door seal.) Use an old toothbrush and a spritz of cleaner to dislodge grime from crevices. ![]() Leave them out to air-dry.ĭouse the interior with a multisurface spray. Scrub the drawers with a sponge, warm water, and liquid dish soap. Remove the drawers and place them in the sink. Toss anything past its prime into a trash bag. Slide a coil brush underneath the unit's kick plate (the rectangular panel just above the floor) to remove dust.Įmpty the contents.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |