A REAL 1950s Housewife Schedule For Working Women | How to be a 1950s Housewife

I see a lot of people who say that 1950s housewives never worked, and that you can’t possibly be a vintage housewife if you have a career outside your home. But that simply isn’t true!

I have found vintage housewife schedules for farmwives, for disabled homemakers, and now, I have one for all you working wives, mothers, and career girls!

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How to Keep House Like a 1950s Housewife

In the 1950, 20 million American housewives worked outside the home!

One thing I think we can all agree on—whether you work full-time outside the home or not—is that there never seems to be enough time in the day. As working women, we face the constant challenge of maintaining a home that’s both beautiful and functional, and yet, the hours feel woefully short. The need to juggle responsibilities while keeping our homes running smoothly often leaves us feeling stretched thin, and that’s before we’ve even touched the stove or folded the laundry.

A fascinating 1952 study conducted by the General Electric Company on the housekeeping habits of working wives found that working women, despite their demanding schedules, spent nearly as much time on housework as women who don’t have jobs outside the home, even in the 1950s. Nor were they more likely to use shortcuts or gadgets than their stay-at-home sisters! It’s a striking reality, one that highlights just how deeply ingrained homemaking is in our routines—whether we’re clocking in at an office or not.

And yet, isn’t it curious how some of the most efficient women in the workplace often seem to struggle at home? I’ve visited homes where professional dynamo women have let their domestic spaces slip into charming chaos—delightful, perhaps, but chaotic nonetheless.

Men love to quip, “If you ran your house like a business, everything would be fine.” But let me tell you, that notion is as flawed as it is frustrating. A house isn’t a business, and thank goodness for that. At home, the human element takes precedence, as it should. You can’t treat your family like employees or run your household like a steamroller—at least not if you value a happy home life.

Can I Really Follow a 1950s Schedule if I Work?

This 1950s housewife schedule for working women is actually surprisingly adaptable. The key lies in understanding the principles behind the routines. It’s all about the homemaking philosophy.

• Prioritize tasks. Know what’s important to you and the people you live with.
• Time-block your day. Divide your housekeeping into chunks, so that you can fit the chunks into the most effective time slots.
• Streamline chores. Use simple, efficient routines for cleaning and cooking. The routine was designed for women without domestic help.

With a little creativity, you can embrace the structure without overwhelming yourself.

Do I Need to Follow Every Detail of a 1950s Schedule?

Absolutely not! A schedule should serve you, not the other way around.

• Adapt tasks to suit your lifestyle.
• Skip what doesn’t apply—like ironing socks!
• Focus on creating a rhythm, not replicating every task.

The goal is to build a foundation of order and simplicity that enhances your life.

Building a Schedule From Vintage Books

America’s Housekeeping Book is the #1 book for learning how to clean like a vintage housewife, although its routines and suggestions date back to the WWII housewife! This book was quite popular and went through several reprints thanks to its comprehensive approach to caring for the home. Another commonly referenced resource is The Good Housekeeping Housekeeping Book, published in 1947

This schedule is from Housekeeping After Office Hours by Charlotte Adams, published in 1953. This book was published by a writer for Charm Magazine, a vintage magazine specifically for working wives, mothers, and career girls. She covers all the same material as my other favorite vintage housekeeping books, from routines to cleaning methods, meal planning, and hostessing.

There are also other vintage homemaking books with step-by-step routines to help you learn the best way to clean, which can be very useful if you have no children since they are written for newlyweds. Here are some of my favorites:

• Making Housekeeping Easy, by Dorothy Lois Abel, published in 1948
• The 1-2-3 of Homemaking, by Marion Hurst, published in 1947

The 1950s Mom Daily Schedule for Women Who Work

Now, let’s talk about schedules, because, like budgets, they’re both necessary and dangerous. A good schedule is your best ally when you are wearing all the hats, but an inflexible one can become your worst enemy. Writing things down—daily, weekly, even monthly tasks—gives you clarity and direction. However, if you let the schedule run you instead of the other way around, you’ll lose the joy that makes homemaking worthwhile.

Treat these schedules as living documents. Cross out what doesn’t work for you, add what does, and don’t hesitate to revise! Your home is a reflection of you, and it should adapt to meet your needs—not the other way around.

Morning Routine

This routine starts 1-1/2 hours before you need to leave for work — or 2 or more hours if you have children. The routine is:

• Get up!
• Start breakfast.
• Bathe and dress.
• Eat breakfast.
• Wash dishes.
• Make bed.
• Dust, if necessary.
• Put out trash and garbage.

Get Up!

The first step is the hardest—getting out of that warm, cozy bed. And, of course, my vintage beauty routines will remind you to stretch and rinse your mouth with mouthwash upon getting out of bed.

Start Breakfast

Breakfast (and other meals) are a crucial part of vintage homemaking — to the point where most schedules were actually built around regular meals. It was one of the really important things for keeping your husband happy or raising your child right. Everyone had heard the story of Sam Square-Meals and Percy Poor-Meals!

Bathe and Dress

Choose an outfit that makes you feel confident and polished—it’s amazing how much power there is in feeling well put together, even on the busiest mornings. If time allows, swipe on a touch of makeup or pull your hair into a neat bun. Remember, homemaking doesn’t mean sacrificing personal care.

• Invest in an easy-to-remember uniform look — suits for an office, or an actual uniform.
• Keep your makeup simple but neat—think mascara, blush, and lipstick.
• Wear an apron to protect your clothes and add a vintage flair.

Eat Breakfast

Eating a decent breakfast was thought to be crucial for good health and energy.

It didn’t have to be a big breakfast, though! Amy Vanderbilt said that her everyday breakfast was 4 melba toasts and and half a cup of cottage cheese — which is about all I can manage most mornings now!

Wash Dishes

Once breakfast is done, don’t leave the kitchen in disarray. Wash the dishes or load them into the dishwasher if you have one. Wipe down the counters and appliances, put everything away. and sweep the floor. Leaving a clean kitchen is important for both your mental and physical health.

Make the Bed

Next, head to the bedroom and make your bed. Like the kitchen, leaving the bedroom tidy was important.

This schedule, like most vintage housekeeping, takes for granted that everyone learned to hang up their pajamas, turn down the covers to air the bed when you get up, open the bedroom window for ventilation as soon as you arise, clean the tub after you use it, wipe the sink after you use it, and not leave towels or grooming necessities around the bathroom.

Dust, If Necessary

Take a quick look around. If you notice surfaces gathering dust or clutter, clear things into a put-away basket and give the surface a swift wipe-down. I keep oil-treated dusters on hand for this.

This is also the time to pop your head into the bathroom and wipe down all the surfaces in there as well, either dry dusting or with a damp cloth.

Put Out the Trash and Garbage

Finally, take out the trash and any food scraps from breakfast. There’s nothing worse than coming home to unpleasant odors or an overflowing bin.

And, if you have pets, now is the time to sandwich in feeding and watering them before you leave.

At Noon

If your day allows for a break at home or if someone is there to help, this is an ideal opportunity to place an order or schedule a delivery. Or, order for pick-up, if you can.

For working women, recovering vintage conveniences like grocery pick-up and laundry services can be a lifeline without compromising on important things like meals. The first place that a vintage housewife chose to pay for service was usually laundry.

End of Day

The transition from work to home needs to be carefully planned to create a good family home evening environment. Here are the basic steps:

• On the way home, market, if necessary.
• As soon as home, change clothes.
• Start dinner.
• Set table.
• Eat dinner.
• Wash dishes.
• Brush the kitchen floor and wipe working surfaces.
• Do whatever you like.

On the Way Home, Market if Necessary

If you didn’t order groceries earlier, stop by the market. If it helps you unwind, pick out your own food. Otherwise, try to do a grocery pick-up.

As Soon as You’re Home, Change Clothes

One of the first things to do when you walk in the door is change into comfortable house clothes. It mentally and physically signals the shift from work to home life. Plus, it spares your work clothes from unnecessary wear and tear. And on that note, if you have children, make sure they do the same.

Start Dinner

Once you’re refreshed, head to the kitchen and begin preparing dinner, dessert and drinks. I have a vintage article on getting dinner on the table in a hurry. And many of my vintage cookbooks have menus arranged by approximate time to prepare.

Set the Table

That 30-minute dinner I mentioned? It includes time to set the table nicely.

Take a moment to make the table inviting. Even if it’s just for you, use proper dishes, maybe a cloth napkin, and light a candle. This simple act transforms dinner from a routine meal into a comforting ritual.

After all, the second domestic spices is a snowy cloth and a neatly arranged table.

Eat Dinner

Sit down, savor your meal, and, if you’re dining with loved ones, enjoy their company. Don’t eat in front of the TV. Eat together. This is a time to reinforce values, and family culture.

Wash Dishes

After dinner, wash the dishes and clean the kitchen. A clean kitchen at night means a fresh start in the morning.

Brush the Kitchen Floor and Wipe Surfaces

A quick sweep and wipe-down keep your kitchen feeling orderly.

I also take this time to wipe-down and sweep the bathrooms. Since there are bathtimes, it lets me double-check that everything is as it should be.

Do Whatever You Like

This is really important in vintage homemaking. Once the work is done, take some time for yourself. Read a book, listen to music, work on a hobby. Do a mid-week beauty routine. Write letters. Go on a date. Host a party. This is your chance to unwind, recharge, or get social.

Bedtime Routine

Here are the basic steps for a vintage evening routine for a 1950s working housewife. The basic steps are:

• Empty ashtrays and trash baskets.
• Dust.
• Vacuum or sweep rugs, if necessary.
• Put away magazines, books, and records.
• Water flowers and plants.
• Do personal laundry.
• Lay out clothes, purse, etc. for the next morning.

Since this doesn’t include a beauty routine, you can try my vintage evening beauty routine, and simply tack it on after laying out your clothes. It will make a complete evening routine for a vintage lady.

Empty Ash Trays and Trash Baskets

Empty the ashtrays and nut bowls, check on any fireplaces that have been used, and empty the wastebaskets.

Dust

Clean surfaces add to a rested feeling in the morning.

Vacuum or Sweep Floors

Give the floors in the living room and hallways a quick once-over. If you’ve gotten to your dining room floor after meals, and your kitchen and bathroom floors during your housekeeping routine, then your house will feel caught up.

Put Away Magazines, Books, and Records

Clear surfaces by returning items to their rightful places. It takes only a few minutes but makes a big difference in keeping your home serene and uncluttered. By the way, vintage housekeepers expected that each member of the family would put away THEIR OWN THINGS before bed!

Water Flowers and Plants

Take care of your indoor greenery, and also change the water in your flower arrangements. Nothing makes a room feel stale like dusty surfaces and dead flowers! (That’s why Morticia Addams cuts the flower heads off rather than simply leaving them to die or be dead.)

Do Personal Laundry

This is an aspect of vintage clothes care that we don’t talk about much, but it was common to wash your underwear, hosiery and foundation garments by hand in the sink at the end of the day and let them air-dry overnight. That’s part of why clothing lasted as long as it did.

Other meticulous care would be polishing work shoes, brushing your work clothes, especially the woolens, and mending rips and holes right away.

If you don’t take such meticulous care, you can use this time to ensure that a daily load of laundry is done, folded and put away.

Lay Out Clothes, Purse, Etc. for the Next Morning

Prepare for the next day by laying out your outfit and packing your bag. This is also when you’d make sure that everything was ironed, and then hang it for the night to air and not be wrinkly.

And after this, there is plenty of time for your beauty routine!

If You Have Children, Add These:

Of course, if you have kids, you’ll need to get up a bit earlier to take care of it all. Add these tasks whever they make the most sense:

• Rise two hours before going to work (or whatever time you find necessary ).
• Prepare lunch for children to take to school.
• Get children off to school.

Prepare lunch for children to take to school.

I have a lot of vintage lunch ideas, but in general, a sandwich, a thermos of hot soup, a piece of fruit, and a small dessert made up a school lunch, with milk served at school (Remember when Alexander’s mom forgot to put in dessert in Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very-Bad Day?) I use ideas from old Campbell’s ads for a lot of lunch menus.

Get children off to school.

This, according to my vintage child-raising books, involves them dressing, washing up, and brushing teeth and hair, collecting books, lunch, and bag, taking vitamins, and leaving for school. Obviously, Mom needs to CHECK everything along the way.

At Night

Before bed, help your children prepare for the next day. Lay out their clothes, check their backpacks, and ensure everything they need is ready.

Get them bathed and teach them the value and comfort of nursery supper, too.

The 1950s Weekly Cleaning Routine for Women Who Work

The beauty of homemaking lies in its rhythm, a steady cycle of care and maintenance that keeps your home running smoothly.In order to have that, as a working woman, you need a schedule for weekly housekeeping as well.

Monday: Take Clothes to the Laundry

On your way to work, gather the week’s soiled laundry and drop it off at the laundromat or schedule a pickup. As I said early, one of the first tasks outsourced has ALWAYS been laundry, which allowed poor women who needed to work from home a source of income in the Victorian times.

This is a good evening to do a mid-week beauty routine.

Tuesday: Take Clothes to the Cleaners

Today, handle your professional garments and other items needing professional cleaning or renovation. Pick up the rest of your laundry as well, unless you are lucky enough to get delivery!

Change out your bath linens for fresh ones.

Tuesday is also a good day to host a dinner party or cocktails.

Wednesday: Extra Tasks as Needed

Midweek is perfect for tackling an extra task or two, depending on what your home needs. Perhaps your silver needs polishing, or the refrigerator could use a thorough cleaning. There is a full list of the extra tasks below.

Thursday: Meal Planning

Devote some time to additional household tasks, just as you did on Wednesday. Then, plan next week’s meals. Sit down with a pen, paper, and your favorite cookbooks. Sketch out wholesome, scratch-made and nutritious menus, and jot down a market list for ingredients.

This is also an excellent night for your weekly beauty routine in preparation for the upcoming weekend.

Friday: Big Marketing Prep

Wrap up any unfinished tasks from earlier in the week. Then, prepare for your big marketing trip.

This evening, clean your refrigerator and give your kitchen its weekly deep clean. Then, either tonight or tomorrow morning, head to the market for fresh vegetables, meat, and pantry staples.

If you aren’t doing your big marketing this evening, it’s also a good evening for hostessing. In that case, just roll your meal planning and your marketing prep together another night of the week.

Saturday: Market, Cleaning, and Big Cooking

Complete your shopping if you didn’t do it Friday.

Do a weekly deep cleaning. Vacuum thoroughly, reaching corners and under furniture. Wash the bathroom floor to keep it fresh and sanitary. Wash and wax the kitchen linoleum. Change the bed linens. Wash down the front and back porches and walks, and clean the car.

Prep for Sunday by getting Sunday breakfast and dinner ready in the refrigerator to cook without stress, doing special baking (I like to have cakes for Sunday), and making sure that everyone’s Sunday clothes are in order and ready to wear.

This is the day to have your older children clean their rooms thoroughly, as well.

You can hostess this evening, or go out.

Sunday: Church and Family

Sunday morning church is always easier when everything is made ready in advance. My idea of a good vintage Sunday comes from the vignettes in A Thousand Ways to Please a Husband and A Thousand Ways to Please a Family.

Extra Tasks (As Needed)

These are the extra chores and projects to attend to, and these can be slotted into your week as needed:

• Polish silver, brass, and copper to keep your home’s details gleaming.
• Defrost and clean the refrigerator for freshness and efficiency.
• Mend clothing—an act of thrift and care that’s far too rare today.
• Press clothes to keep them neat and ready to wear.
• Shampoo or spot-clean rugs and upholstery to maintain a tidy, welcoming home.
• Rotate seasonal clothes, labeling storage boxes or bags clearly for easy access.
• Clean closets and shelves for a sense of order and clarity.
• Dust books to protect and preserve your library.
• Wash and wax woodwork for that rich, timeless glow.
• Wax floors to keep them gleaming and protected.

If you keep doing these regularly, then the only things you will need to tackle for spring and fall cleaning are cleaning upholstery, drapery, and carpet, cleaning chimneys and doing seasonal maintenance, and of course garden chores. It’s a good idea to hire out major maintenance to professionals for safety and to make sure it gets done right.

References

America’s Housekeeping Book, Charles Scribner & Sons.

The Good Housekeeping Housekeeping Book, Helen Crandall.

Housekeeping After Office Hours, Charlotte Adams