Want to clean like a 1950’s housewife? Try this 1950’s cleaning schedule. Your home will be spotless but you may be a bit exhausted!
Having a clean and well put together home was very important to housewives in the 1950s. And they spent a lot more time cleaning than we do now.
“Cleanliness was a mark of respectability. Sitting down was only acceptable in the evening.” – Dr. Liz Yardley, a lecturer in sociology at Birmingham City University.
The time women spent cleaning is one of the reasons many think women were so much thinner in the 1950s. They spent a lot of hours on their feet every day, cleaning and doing other housework.
Trying out a 1950’s cleaning routine can help you get your house in amazing shape and burn a few extra calories. You may not want to do all of these things every day but try adding some of these to your daily cleaning schedule and see what you think.
1950’s Daily Cleaning Schedule
This list is adapted from a list share by Jen but Never Jenn, be sure to check out her fun 1950’s housewife series.
- Throwback the covers and let your bed air out. (read why this is important)
- Open up the blinds and windows.
- After breakfast clean up the kitchen and eating area.
- Gather a basket for tidying. As you tidy the home, pick up items that don’t belong in that room and add them to your basket. When you enter a new room place the items from the basket that belong in that room where they go.
- Straighten up the living areas, pick up clutter, lightly dust, straighten pillows, and water plants.
- Make the beds.
- Tidy the bedroom, including a light dusting.
- Hang up any clothes that may be about or ensure dirty ones are in the hamper.
- Do a light tidy of the bathroom including removing and replacing used towels, refilling toilet paper and soap (as needed) and cleaning the sink area including soap dishes.
- Wipe down kitchen work surfaces and inside the fridge and discard of any old food.
- Dispose of garbage from around the home.
- Rinse dishcloths and hang to dry.
- Sweep or mop the kitchen floor.
- Handle weekly chores that need to be done that day. (see examples below)
- Set the table for dinner.
- Arrange the living room for evening enjoyment with the family.
- Do a quick sweep of the floors and ensure entrance ways are clear.
- Clean up the eating areas after dinner and ensure all dishes are washed.
- Set the table for breakfast.
Want some free cleaning products to use while trying this routine out? Click here to get my favorite Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning set for free.
Once a Week Chores
- 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.
- Laundry (including bedding).
- Vacuuming and mopping.
Be sure to also check out 7 Cleaning Hacks from 1950’s Housewives Worth Stealing.
Free Printable 1950’s Cleaning Routine
Want to try this list out as well? Sign up below for access to a free printable 1950’s cleaning routine checklist and other great printables.
With this cleaning checklist, you can follow along with me and others in cleaning like a 1950’s housewife. You may find some chores you want to add to your normal cleaning routine.
Interested in more 1950’s cleaning tips? Check out How to do Your Spring Cleaning Like a 50’s Housewife.
Christine
March 19, 2019 at 1:59 pmI’m going to try tomorrow but I’m getting tired just looking at the lists no energy not working.
Lisa Sharp
March 21, 2019 at 7:12 pmI’d love to know how it goes!
Dorianne
March 26, 2019 at 9:51 amThat’s why I’m exhausted most evenings because I’ll do the whole list most of the days…
Kenzie
March 26, 2019 at 3:44 pmMaybe this is a sign that I am overdoing it! I have a 9 month old and this cleaning list looks like a normal day for me ? I guess this isn’t the norm for 2019!
Lisa Sharp
March 26, 2019 at 4:04 pmThis is more than the average person cleans now. One study found housewives in the 1950s burned almost twice as many calories a day than we do now. Of course, we also have more appliances to help us but we still do less. You can likely cut back some and give yourself a break. <3
DJ
March 26, 2019 at 4:16 pmYeah, I do all of this and more now. I guess the biggest difference for me vs. a 1950’s house maker is that they likely did it in nicer clothes. Pajamas all day for the win!
Lisa Sharp
March 27, 2019 at 9:02 amI clean in dresses but not this whole list every day. 🙂
Kalyn
May 21, 2019 at 8:45 amI was going to say, do I have to do it in heels? Maybe I should try hahahah
Lisa Sharp
May 21, 2019 at 11:48 amI mean you can, I’m going to pass since I already had to use a walking boot once this year. ha!
Luanne
June 13, 2019 at 2:32 pmYep, that’s me too! So many of the chores can be done in just a few minutes, and then add a weekly chore in per day. Adding kids definitely makes it take longer….and a lot of repetition!
I’m definitely not in dresses tho! My mom wore dresses until about 1970 when we moved to California. It’s kind of funny…I used to be amazed because I never saw her cleaning up, yet the entire house was always clean…except for the chores she assigned me, that is.
Shandra Brown
April 4, 2019 at 8:51 amWow that is a lot. I know I will not be able to do half of that due to I am a working mom. I salute all the stay at home mother who does this.
Lisa Sharp
April 4, 2019 at 8:55 amNot many do this no matter if they are at home or not. It’s a lot, don’t feel bad.
MaryP
April 22, 2019 at 5:28 pmUmm. This is pretty normal housework. Growing up my mom worked part time at night. She cooked and baked from scratch. Never any dirty dishes. The house always spotless. We had a big Italian family and had everyone in and out all day. There were 4 of us kids plus all the cousins and friends that stopped by. I thought this was normal. My friends mom’s did the same and of course all my aunts. They would have been ashamed to have it any other way. I’m 67 and as I go about my house I think of how they all worked so hard.
Lisa Sharp
April 22, 2019 at 6:38 pmIt’s not normal these days, at least not for one day. 🙂
Jessica Taylor
April 26, 2019 at 7:08 amVery helpful! Gives me some inspiration. Thank you!
Lisa Sharp
April 26, 2019 at 8:40 amI’m so glad it was helpful!
Nina
April 27, 2019 at 12:35 pmIn the fifities ladies had hard surfaces to wipe and limited carpeting. Loads of linoleum mopped with vinegar water. They washed walls every two years. Curtains every spring. They had limited clothing. They had house dresses.
Imagine a wardrobe that stopped with five shirts, three pair of pants, eight underwear, five undershirts. Eight pairs of socks. A suit and hat. Typical men’s wardrobe. Oh and hankies. All ironed. Except the suit and hat.
Mirley Guerra Graf
May 24, 2019 at 9:54 amI love this blog! It’s so original and refreshing to read. I just have a hard time cleaning the bathrooms. I really dislike it.
Lisa Sharp
May 25, 2019 at 9:15 amThank you! I don’t mind bathrooms other than the tub. That’s always a pain.
Jan
May 29, 2019 at 2:36 pmI love to notice how things have changed. There are certainly things to strive to continue and some to let fall by the wayside. Most important is to be teachable and willing to learn from those that came before us.
Lisa Sharp
June 9, 2019 at 9:50 amVery true!
Susan Newbigging
June 13, 2019 at 10:17 amMost of these are just normal daily chores any one should be able to do. They are easier to do now with the dish washers and cleaning tools available. With kids it would be much harder, so I understand the mommy thing. Kids always come first before the house.
If you do quick wipe downs, quick pick ups and stay on top of laundry………then it is not so hard.
You do not have to follow the list exactly on busy days choose what is bothering you most about the house work…focus on that.