Saturdays were always a day of doing more than just the usual daily housekeeping. Everything had to be cleaned before Sunday. Windows washed, floors mopped, furniture dusted, stove polished, bathrooms deep cleaned, and about once a month the floors were waxed. Everything always needed to be nice and clean in order to enjoy a relaxing restful Sunday.
When it was our turn to have church at our house it meant that absolutely every single thing in the house needed to be cleaned. Often women and girls came for a day or so to help out. Dishes were polished so that they shone like brand new, every drawer was emptied the contents cleaned and then organized, a room or two might be painted, wax was stripped from the floors and several new coats applied, all the tops of cans on the can shelves in the basement were wiped off, the woodshed needed to have any little wood scraps swept up and all the wood neatly stacked. If it was during the summer the garden needed extra attention, not even the tiniest weed dared to be growing.
A lot of hard work crammed into two weeks of time.
When we moved to Somerset County where they use meeting houses instead of having church in homes, we missed the getting ready for church, extreme clean feeling, and chose to do the same deep cleaning every spring and fall.
I still like doing the same type of housecleaning, but it takes me a little longer than two weeks to get it done!
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WOW !!! Now, I have read about this, and, stands to be true !!! What a wonderful good reason to get the home in tip top shape !!! We all need this kind of pressure :):) Sounds like it could of been fun tho ..... women and children cleaning and sharing together. I am kind of a clean freak anyhow, and, it is always my favorite thing to do, when I have extra energy, I'm not one to just sit around, and, always find something to be busy with.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, it would take me longer then two weeks to be in this kind of shape. Sooo fun reading along with you my friend.
Happy, blessed,wonderful day to you xoxo
I enjoyed it as a child. My favorite part used to be making a new cover for the ironing board. With all the frenzy of cleaning everything, it was just Mom and me giving the ironing board a new look, and afterwards I was allowed to iron a few Sunday handkerchiefs to break it in.
DeleteWhat a sweet memory ....... now, I, just run out and buy a new ironing board cover :(:( yours I'm sure was way prettier too .... such an awesome little story .... xo
DeleteIt must have felt wonderful to have the house so thoroughly clean!
ReplyDeleteIt is a nice feeling, if only a house would stay that clean for a while.
DeleteHousecleaning. Hmm. My Mom was in a wheelchair by the time I was 6, and we had a lady who took care of her and also did the cleaning. This freed me for important things like chasing frogs, climbing trees, and reading. Unfortunately, it has also meant that I'm not very efficient at cleaning, which my ex-husband lamented on a regular basis. And he was right. I wish I could sign on as a paying house-guest in an Amish household for a summer and learn properly things I never did---like cleaning, canning, animal care etc. My life would likely run far more smoothly.
ReplyDeleteChasing frogs, climbing trees, and reading sound like much more fun than cleaning!
DeleteThis would be a wonderful thing! I fear I never clean deeply enough, although the house looks presentable most of the time. I miss the company of other ladies when I clean. When I was a child, we helped each other out and it was much more fun that doing the hard jobs by yourself.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Betsy
I still enjoy helping others clean. Want me to come over? :)
DeleteI think one thing I have always admired about the Amish is how they work together. It seems in today's world everyone just does their own thing and there's no sense of community or togetherness, even within families. I have two grown daughters who now have their own homes and jobs so it's rare that we clean, cook, or bake together. Every once in a while I make an effort to have them over for a day of baking or we'll have a craft night. I really enjoy it when we're able to do that.
ReplyDeleteA day of baking or a craft night with your daughters sounds very enjoyable!
DeleteI follow my mother's philosophy on house cleaning...it only needs to be clean enough to be healthy and nobody eats off the floor. That being said it does feel good to do a thorough cleaning when the seasons change.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad used to say something very similar! "Clean enough to be healthy, dirty enough to be happy."
DeleteLove it! Going to remember it and use it.
DeleteI love a clean house, but I absolutely loathe cleaning :-( I'm with your Dad, but even at that, I seem to fall into the "clutter" category and though no one has ever gotten sick at my house, they have gotten lost trying to find their way through our back entryway :-( *sigh* The last person to get lost was my husband ( who had to clean his way out - but most of THAT clutter was his!) LOL!
ReplyDelete