Before you can start cleaning your house properly, you need a cleaning basket. Now, obviously, the cleaning basket is just part of the vintage cleaning closet. The closet also contains other essential equipment and materials. But the cleaning basket is a real timesaver, and one of those vintage housekeeping secrets that helps the ’50s housewife to get it all done!
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How to Use a Cleaning Basket
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The cleaning basket keeps the housewife from having to run back and forth to the cleaning closet, saving time and energy! Along with a cleaning apron, and a large tray or basket for removing misplaced items from rooms, the cleaning basket makes it easy to get things done in an hour or so every day.
An open basket, about 12″ x 10″, and 8″ deep, makes an excellent cleaning basket. It can be fitted with an oilcloth organizer lining, to keep it neat and easy to clean.
What to Put in a Cleaning Basket
- Whisk broom or upholstery brush — for brushing drapery and upholstery
- Small soft brush — for dusting carving, etc.
- 1 treated dustcloth — for daily dusting
- 2 cheesecloth squares — for washing and drying woodwork
- Cotton waste — for applying polishes and cleansers
- 1 flannel polishing cloth — for rubbing and polishing
- 1 cellulose sponge — for washing woodwork, walls, etc.
- Art-gum eraser — for removing soiled spots from walls or lampshades
- Wallpaper cleaner — dough-type works well
- Furniture polish, lemon oil, or furniture wax
- Mild scouring powder
- Paint cleaner
- Carbon tetrachloride
- Oil of peppermint
- Scissors
And that’s the cleaning basket! I also like to include laminated copies of my cleaning routines to check off.
Just don’t forget that there are some newer, safer cleaners that you may want to use instead! (I’m looking at you carbon tetrachloride.)
Trying to Keep All. The. Things Clean?
Maybe you should try a vintage cleaning routine! Or a new morning routine that helps you get things done.
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