'Desperate Housekeeping'

manicdays

I thought the article was quite good! Although she did make me laff about the jam jar & vinegar thing!!!

TBH, we have moved on with the times so we don't need to hand wash in soap flakes! But it is funny to do an experiment about living how woman lived 50 odd years ago. Remember the prog on tv about the family, I think they went back to the 1940's! That was very good.

Lisa x

kabie

I remember the 1940's house (think that's what it was called). I know I'm lazy but reading these things just shows me how much. I live in a grubby house and really don't have the enthusiasm to do anything about it. I just always find better things to do. It's clean just not clean enough; I think the term's "lived in". I collect jam jars too, well doesn't everyone? We're the normal ones I reckon it's those "others" that are weird. I always say that if I won the lottery I'd get a cleaner but I know I wouldn't and if I did I'd probably be one of those that felt I had to clean and tidy before she arrived.

THIRZAH

I remember my mother and grandmother doing housework that way but I would disagree with the author of the article about shopping every day. We had almost everything delivered. The baker came three times a week, the butcher delivered all our meat and the weekly grocery order came in a cardboard box with the packet of soap powder wrapped in newspaper.

Lillibet_2

I've had to email & point the journalist in the direction of this forum...oh how they'll laugh at us....but then we aren't the in-debt stressed out ones:D

Lillibet, who currently has 8 jam jars in the cupboard "just in case";)

Ticklemouse

Hi Lillibet - I've also sent a small (ish ) email winging their way too. It will be interesting to see if anyone gets a response, or if there is any sort of follow up article to this.

ooops - forgot to mention my jamjar collection. I must tell Mr TM I'm not the only one :rotfl:

Jo_anne_2

One thing to remember is houses in the 40's and 50's did get very dusty and dirty because of open coal fires for heating. I'd guess a lot of dust came in through the windows too, thinking about how drafty our house was when I was a kid!

arkonite_babe

To all of you who have emailled, well done! It's about time the OS way got spread further afield

Can't wait to hear if you get any replies!!

nabowla

I too have a jam jar collection 'just in case'. It does come in handy once every few months or so: I'll use a couple of the jars this weekend for HM mincemeat and I sometimes use a jar to store HM salad dressing in the summer. Mind you, I do seem to save rather more jars than I actually re-use.

As for soap flakes, am I the only one that still uses them? I don't use them for everyday stuff, just the delicate handwashing (underwear, wool jumpers etc). Perhaps I really am 50 years behind the times.........

Alfietinker

nabowla wrote:

As for soap flakes, am I the only one that still uses them? I don't use them for everyday stuff, just the delicate handwashing (underwear, wool jumpers etc). Perhaps I really am 50 years behind the times.........

I use soap flakes for my handwashing - love the smell And I've got a washing dolly to help me too.....

nabowla

Loved today's article - glad I'm not the only one that is obsessed with reading housekeeping books, wandering around John Lewis and ordering gadgets from Lakeland! There's going to be a weekly column every Friday. In true OS style I'll be nicking my boss's copy of the Times every Friday or logging onto the free website

Alfietinker: what's a washing dolly? I think I might need one, even though I haven't got the foggiest clue what you're talking about!