Get inspiration from the past with this 1920s cleaning schedule straight from a book for 1920s housekeepers. Download the free printable schedule to use in your own home.
I love learning about how other people live. It’s so interesting to see someone else’s life, clearly many feel the same way since reality TV is so popular. Of course, most of those shows aren’t all that realistic.
I especially love seeing what people lived like in past generations. It can give us an appreciation for what we have now and also teach us some skills we can still use that have become less common.
This is one reason I enjoy checking out cleaning routines from the past. While they are usually the ideal schedule and not what everyone would have followed you can still learn from it.
I’ve already shared a 1940s cleaning schedule and a 1950s cleaning schedule and now I have one from the 1920s. It’s another good one to try out to mix up your usual routine.
1920s Cleaning Schedule
This cleaning schedule is inspired by the 1920s book Good Housekeeping’s Book on the Business of Housekeeping. The book was written for housekeepers but we can still learn a lot from the routine. And often housekeepers are some of the best people to get cleaning advice from because they always need to find ways to work faster.
1920s Weekly Cleaning Routine
To start with is the weekly cleaning routine. This was the one shared for a home with just one maid.
- Monday: Laundry
- Tuesday: Mending
- Wednesday: Cleaning of silver, pantry, and icebox.
- Thursday: Alternate cleaning the living room, hall, and stairs with cleaning the dining room, hall, and stairs.
- Friday: Clean bedrooms and bath.
- Saturday: Clean kitchen, closet, and icebox.
Much of this routine doesn’t make sense for modern life. This is a modernized version you can use.
- Monday: Laundry
- Tuesday: Clean bathrooms.
- Wednesday: Alternate cleaning the living room, hall, and stairs with cleaning the dining room, hall, and stairs.
- Thursday: Clean bedrooms.
- Friday: Clean kitchen, fridge, and pantry.
Since mending is important but needed less often than in the past I removed that. Most of us also don’t have silver that needs to be polished weekly so that can go. Also with new fridges, they don’t need twice a week cleans.
Because of all that can be removed from the list the modern plan leaves the weekend for other projects and rest.
1920s Daily Cleaning Routine
This routine was divided into upstairs and downstairs care. Generally downstairs was the living spaces and kitchen while upstairs was bedrooms and bathrooms.
Downstairs Routine:
- Open the windows to allow the rooms to air out.
- While the windows are open, tidy the hall and living room. If you have a living room porch, library, and/or den, give those rooms the same attention.
- Set the breakfast table and serve breakfast.
- Additional tasks: Wash dishes three times daily, dust and dust mop the floors, vacuum all rugs, polish or dust furniture, wash and refill pet water dishes, remove any wilted flowers, and add fresh.
A great tip that is shared is to have a drawer or large basket for small personal belongings that family members may have left out. This makes it easy for people to find things and saves you the time of putting everything back.
Upstairs Routine:
- Tidy the bathrooms first.
- Clean and disinfect the sink and wipe off the faucets.
- Wash floors only once a week unless needed.
- Wash the tub.
- Renew soap and other bathroom supplies.
- Replace bathroom linens.
- Work on one bedroom at a time, starting with tidying up.
- Put away clothes and shoes.
- Before you make the beds, be sure to air them out by opening windows and pulling blankets over the footboard. (read why this is still important)
- Once a week be sure to change bed linens. They suggest changing pillowcases twice a week.
- Once a week vacuum and mop the floor.
- Dust the room daily.
- Dust mop the hall.
- On laundry day sort and put away clean laundry.
Overall, this routine is still a good one for modern life. Especially if family members help do some of the chores like throwing their bedding over the end of the bed in the morning and tidying their spaces, you can get this done fairly quickly.
I have ADHD and this feels like a schedule that could help me stay on top of things. I love having these cleaning routines from different eras to rotate between because it can keep it all from being boring.
Free Printable 1920s Cleaning Schedule
If you’d like to try this schedule I’ve created a printable version that you can print out to follow. Simply sign up below and I’ll send you the schedule.
Likely due to homes often having cooks if they had maids, there were not any details given for cleaning the kitchen. On the printable schedule, you will see some tasks and there is room to add your own.
More Vintage Cleaning Routines
Looking for more vintage cleaning routines to try? I’ve got you covered!
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