1950's Housewife schedule and Rules

1950s housewife schedule from the Americas housekeeping book 

Monday - Washday

Early Morning - Prepare and Serve Breakfast

Forenoon - General pick up and tidy of the rooms, washing

Noon - prepare lunch/dinner, have lunch, make afternoon snack, Clean up Kitchen

Early afternoon, until 2pm - Finish washing

Late afternoon - Rest, Correspondence, reading, Personal care. Final Dinner preperation

Early Evening - Washing Dishes

This is the Skeleton house work Schedule and is added ito in more detail further in the book for each room so this is how my day is going to look on a monday following, what it may have looked like in the 1950s

6am             Rise, get dressed and do hairand make up.

6:30am        Prepare Breakfast for Husband, throw back the covers on the bed and open windows for air circulation

7:00am        Wake up kids, while they are getting dressed prepare their Breakfast

7:30am        Serve Breakfast, Start washing and start the general pick up and light clean which is as follows

Dining Room

1. Open window for free air circulation
2. Clear the dishes from the table, and put misplaced belongings the belong in the dining room away
3. Gather up to take out articles belonging in other rooms, and collect trash
4. Rinse and stack dishes (not wash them)

Living Room

1. open windows for free air circulation
2. pick up and replace articles belong in the room and replace
3. Gather up articles belonging that belong in other rooms in a basket
4. Carry out

8:00am        Walk Kids to school this takes about 45mins for a 3 km walk so I may need to skip this step on hot and cold days not sure yet.

9:00am        Walk to the shops, stopping at the butchers, and green groccers.

10:00am      Walk home.

10:30am      General pick up and tidy of the rooms which is as follows in the exact order

Give all rooms their daily Clean in the following order, hanging out washing when needed and putting more on

Living Room (1) Bring in cleaning equipment

1. Dust high objects
2. dust and wipe down furniture
3. dust low objects
4. sweep floor
5.  Straighten blinds, close windows and take out cleaning equipment

Living Room (2) same as above

Dining Room, Bring in cleaning equipment

1. Dust high objects
2. brush upholstery
3. dust low objects
4. sweep floor
5. Final touches, straighten table, close the window
6. take out cleaning equioment

Bedrooms, bring in cleaning equipment

1. Make bed/s
2. dust high objects
3. Straighten covers, plump pillows
4. dust low furniture
5. sweep carpet
6. final touches, close windows, take out cleaning equipment

Bathrooms, Bring in Cleaning equipment

1. open windows
2. pick up and replace small articles belonging in the bathroom
3. wipe mirror
4. wipe tiles behind the wash bowl and tub
5. clean bath and metal fixtures
6. clean the toilet with the brush and wipe the outside with a cloth just for that purpose
7. straighten linens and cloths
8. sweep floor and gather up dust in dust pan
9. replace bathmat and close window in cold weather

Hall, Bring in CLeaning equipment

1. do the same as for Lounge Room

Kitchen, Before Cleaning put away Cleaning Equipment

1. Collect rubbish and put in rubbinh can
2. wipe of refridgerator, and benches in need of cleaning
3. wash and dry dishes and put away ( if no room to rinse in hot water leave dishes to dry)
4. wipe down range and oven
5. dry damp surfaces
6. take out rubbish and reline can
7. clean sink, Rinse cloth and hang out side if weather permits to do so
8. take out soiled tea towel and hang out new one

11:30am     Washing

12:30pm     Start dinner preparations, make and eat lunch, make afternnon snack, wash dishes

1:00pm       Finish washing, this includes folding and putting away of washing

2:00pm       Rest

3:00pm       Pick kids up from school

4:00pm       kids snack time and tv time while I finish the washing

4:30pm       homework

5:00pm       Start Dinner

5:30pm       Kids Bath time, do a quick light clean again before husband gets home

6:00pm       Finish Dinner

6:30pm       Dinner Time

7:00pm       Wash Dishes, make husband and kids Lunches,

7:30pm       make sure school bags are ready for tomorrow and clothes laid out

8:00pm       quiet time before kids go to bed

8:30pm       Kids Bed Time. Shower and curl hair

10:30pm to 11:00pm Bedtime