7 Cleaning Hacks from 1950’s Housewives Worth Stealing

The way we clean has changed a lot over the years but we may have forgotten some great cleaning hacks from 1950’s housewives. You are going to want to save these!

I’m so grateful for many of the new cleaners and appliances we have now that help makes cleaning easier. Thanks to all of these things we can spend less time cleaning and more time on fun things.

The only problem is we may have also forgotten some really valuable cleaning hacks in the process. These cleaning tips used to be passed down but somewhere along the way, they got lost.

If you ask me we can learn a lot from these 1950’s housewives and their cleaning habits. Don’t take my dishwasher and cordless, bagless vacuum but I will start using these cleaning tips!

Cleaning Hacks from 1950’s Housewives

Don’t Double Your Cleaning with Covers

Peg Bracken shared in The I Hate to Housekeep Book that she thought you shouldn’t give yourself more to clean.”The reason you picked linoleum or vinyl instead of wall-to-wall carpeting was so you could wipe it up, remember?”

She also urges us to ditch toaster covers, shelf liners, throw rugs, or anything that doubles your cleaning effort. 

Use a Sheet to Dust Behind Heavy Furniture

If you have a wardrobe or china cabinet that is too heavy to move, put a sheet over the top at the back and pull it side to side working from top to bottom. The dust will come down with the sheet and can be easily cleaned.

Use More Flour-Sack Towels

Flour-sack towels work for all kinds of things and help you avoid paper towels. They are lint-free and perfect for wiping down appliances, setting out for dishes to drip-dry on, cleaning up spills and so much more.

Clean Your Home Top to Bottom

As you clean you will likely knock dust and dirt down so always work from top to bottom to prevent needing to re-clean something you just finished cleaning.

Deep Clean Seasonally

Seasonal cleaning is becoming less and less common but it was a great way to keep up with tasks that really need to be done seasonally or annually. 

Things like washing windows, changing furance filters, cleaning your mattress and flipping it, decluttering, etc…

Additional Information: Spring Cleaning Tips from 1950’s Housewives

Clean As You Go

Cleaning up as you go prevents small messes from becoming big chores. Clean up the kitchen after meals, wipe down the sink after brushing teeth, and sweep the floor daily to avoid things being tracked all over the house.

Additional Information: Cleaning Your Kitchen Like a 1950s Housewife

Dust with a Damp Cloth

Don’t just let the dust go everywhere. Use a damp cloth to trap the dust and then just wash the dust away.

(Modern tip: you can add a few drops of essential oils to add a lovely smell)

Adding these tips to your cleaning routine can really help you clean faster and more efficiently. Don’t forget to also check out the 1950’s Cleaning Routine.