Spring Cleaning by Helen Henderson

Windmaster Legacy
by Helen Henderson
Click the cover for purchase information

The weather is warming. The birds are returning from their winter migrations and the first ladybug of the season has been spotted. It is time for another traditional herald of the season, spring cleaning. Today spring cleaning is a time to open the windows and give the house a thorough sprucing up. But it once was a real necessity and continued to be so until well into the 20th century. After months of cold weather during which the house was closed up and heated with wood or coal and lighted with kerosene or whale oil, furnishings were laden with soot and reeking of stale air.  

Homemade cleaning products included such diverse ingredients as salt and vinegar. Before the advent of indoor plumbing, water was hauled into the house and had to be heated before it could be used. That might mean numerous trips to the creek, the hand pump in the yard, or if you were lucky enough, the fire hydrant just outside the house.  

Before the day of vacuum cleaners, all the cleaning was done by hand with a carpet brush. In good weather the rugs were cleaned more thoroughly by hanging them on the washing line to let the sun and wind get at them. And while on the line they were beaten with woven cane, rattan, or twisted wire carpet beaters sold specially for the purpose. It not only exercised the body, but calmed the mind as you took out all your aggression. If you didn't have a real carpet beater, an old broom stick or a tennis racket did the job.

Image by AnnaliseArt from Pixabay

Even in the 1950s, every home needed at least one big clean a year; and spring is often considered the best time. It was a major task with the removal of all contents and a thorough clean of all kitchen units and cupboards inside and out. The washing of all painted and commonly-touched surfaces such as doors, window frames, and baseboards. Curtains were taken off the rods, then washed or cleaned, then after the whole room was cleaned including washing of walls, windows, and woodwork , the same curtains were rehung or swapped out for the lighter spring ones. Just this one item took a lot of effort and energy. And don't forget any blinds or shades. 

Then there was the lugging of the wooden trunks of seasonal clothes out of the attic or the back of closets. Once the summer clothes were washed and aired out, the winter clothes were cleaned, mended and moth-proofed before going into storage. Repeat the same steps with the blankets, quilts, and bed coverings. 

Image by Jazella from Pixabay

We didn't have an modern automatic clothes washer but an old wringer washer with a large metal washtub set beside it. Clothes were put in the washer, and the agitator swirled them for however long we wanted. Then we fed the clothes through the wringer and into the clean water of the washtub. Dunking took out the suds and dirty water, then the clean items were fed back through the wringer before being carted up the stars and outside to be hung on the line. But at least I had indoor plumbing and the washer was slightly newer than the one pictured. Both the wringer and the agitator were electrified.

 Another part of spring cleaning I dreaded was not the beating of the rugs, but the washing of all dishes and bric-a-brack in cupboards and cabinets. 

Spring cleaning still exists, although in a modified form. A modern list might include decluttering the home, cleaning out unneeded clothes, and tackling the junk drawer stuffed with odds and ends. While Covid-19 might have us cleaning our phones and keyboards more often, screens both big and small can be overlooked and need to be added to the cleaning list.

I hope you enjoyed this somewhat nostalgic look at spring. I’m off to hang a rug on the porch rail and beat it. Then I have to tackle the backing up and spring cleaning of my computer files.

To purchase the Windmaster Novels: BWL

 ~Until next month, stay safe and read. Helen

Find out more about me and my novels at Journey to Worlds of Imagination.
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Helen Henderson lives in western Tennessee with her husband. While she doesn’t have any pets in residence at the moment, she often visits a husky who have adopted her as one the pack.