7 Vintage Cleaning Tips To Try Now for a Better Home

Are you curious about vintage cleaning tips that moms and grandmas have used for ages? 

Are there tried and true tips from decades ago for keeping a clean and peaceful home that still work today? I went on the hunt for some great tips that I know many learned from their moms and grandmas and still use. Old-fashioned, simple cleaning methods that just work. 

In this post, we will talk about 7 home cleaning hacks and tips we can use in our homes today from eras gone by.

1. Open The Windows and Air It Out 

Nowadays the popular advice is to make your bed before you do anything else to start your day right. But the 50’s housewives knew that you throw those covers all the way back and let things air out and I think there is validity to that. They would also open the windows to get in some fresh air and leave the bed-making and bedroom cleaning for later in the day. 

Now some homes have HVAC systems to circulate air but why not give the open windows a try? There truly is something fresh and beautiful about a breeze flowing in and watching the curtains dance. 

Also, put your mattress and pillows out in the sun from time to time. 

2. Clean From Top To Bottom

This is a philosophy I’ve always cherished when it comes to cleaning. There is an order to things to make it more efficient. You start at the top and work your way down. The 50’s housewife would clean the walls too. Do you clean your walls? Is that a thing? Let me know in the comments.

As you dust top cabinets and shelves, some of that dust gets knocked down to the bottom. Starting at the top and working down means you don’t have to reclean lower surfaces that got dirty from cleaning upper surfaces. 

I like to wash dishes and clean the counters before I clean the floors for instance. That way any food or water that gets on the floor gets cleaned up after. It’s just the most efficient way to go. Do you agree?

3. DIY Simple Cleaning Solutions

If you look for retro home cleaning solutions you will see a lot of lemon, baking soda, vinegar, Borax, and even the humble salt. There are so many vintage cleaning tips using recipes with these ingredients. These ingredients are used to clean windows, cutting boards, laundry, and more. 

Here are a few of the simple vintage cleaning ideas:

• Course salt on a lemon half to scrub the sink, and cutting boards, and sanitize wooden spoons. 
• Leave coffee grounds in a bowl to deodorize rooms. 
• Use cold buttermilk to soak clothes with mildew stains. 
• Put some borax and white vinegar in the toilet and leave overnight. Simply flush in the morning with no scrubbing. 
• Sprinkle baking soda over rugs and carpets before vacuuming to sanitize. You can also do this on your mattress. 
• Polish stainless steel appliances with olive oil and lemon oil. 
• Make window cleaner with a combination of water, white vinegar, a little rubbing alcohol, and drops of lemon oil. 

4. Use A Bucket For All Your Cleaning Supplies

I know this one is not exactly groundbreaking. All of these tips are simple but this one can make a big difference and a lot of people don’t do it. Instead of trying to have cleaning supplies in different locations or go back and forth to your cleaning cabinet have everything you will need in one basket or bucket. 

You can carry the bucket from room to room as needed. This makes cleaning so much easier. It also allows you to place items in the bucket to carry to another room when they are out of place. This eliminates a lot of back and forth. 

With Love, Kristina has researched and put together an interesting 1950s housewife cleaning and daily routine that also includes what you should have in your cleaning basket. 

5. A Place For Everything and Everything In Its Place

Another philosophy I love but doesn’t always happen hello wife and toddler mom! But having a home, if you will, for all your things makes tidying so much easier. You and all the members of the family can learn where everything goes and help keep things in their proper place.   

Finding a home for everything, or at least most things, can take time. But it’s an investment worth pursuing because it saves so much stress and time later.  If you tidy throughout the day every day you don’t have to do those big clean-ups that take hours later. 

6. Be Minimal and Frugal 

Do you remember opening a container in your grandmother’s fridge thinking it contained the thing pictured only to see it was leftovers? Back in the day many of our grandmothers and mothers reused everything from grocery containers to bags to flour sacks. 

Many retro housewives also used to cut sponges in half to give them twice as many. I’ve done this with paper towels and dryer sheets. I no longer buy either. They also would reuse stained kitchen towels for dusting rags. 

Having less and getting more use from less can cut down on your cleaning time while saving money.  

7. Use your Vacumn Brush Attachment to Dust

This was a tip I saw on How To Clean a House like it’s 1955. Possibly a commercial for a vacuum cleaner but it’s a good tip for dust. Those old vacuums seemed to just keep working and working and dusting was a good use. 

You can vacuum the dust off your blinds, picture frames, console table, and more. Another popular vintage dusting tip is to use a damp cloth. That is what I do to capture dust so it doesn’t me sneeze. 

You can add a few drops of lemon oil or another essential oil to make the house smell good. Just be careful what oils you use around children and pets as some are not safe. 

Do you use any of these vintage cleaning tips? I love to hear about it. Let me know which one is your favorite in the comments.

Finished with the vintage cleaning tips? For a more peaceful home also check out Cultivate A Peaceful Home