Looking Back: No gyms or zumba for women in the 1950s, housework kept them fit!

Care of the house was a woman’s full-time occupation as they would usually be full time housewives in the 1950s.

Cleanliness in the home was seen as a mark of respectability and sitting down was something only done in the evening. ’Cleanliness is next to Godliness’ could be heard at a time when people loved to utter little homilies.

In a time when gossip between neighbours and about neighbours could be a daily occurrence, any unfortunate woman who didn’t sweep her path or donkey stone the steps bore the brunt of it.

Housework kept women slim and fit. There were no dish washers, automatic washing machines, vacuum cleaners, fitted furniture or fitted carpets.

Daily cleaning of course, with washing, ironing or preparations for the evening meal began once the man of the house had departed for work and the children to school but Spring Cleaning was just that bit more thorough.

Curtains taken down and washed. Windows cleaned. The stove had a good clean with all parts soaked in soapy water. Curtain rails, picture rails and pictures dusted. Ornaments washed. All furniture polished, Contents of kitchen cupboards taken out, washed and put back. Rugs sprinkled with dried tea leaves, put on the washing line to be beaten and then put back on the newly washed lino. The cleaning extended to every room in the house even before she had started on outside.

Husbands often considerately stayed a bit longer in the pub after work to give her more time to get it finished before she got the evening meal ready!

A recent article on Spring Cleaning today mentions de-cluttering, making things more efficient and using online platforms like Vinted and Ebay to get rid of unwanted items thereby making a bit of money. In the 50s there wasn’t many things of value in your house and people would joke that burglars would bring you stuff in instead of taking anything out!