Archival Laundry

Archival Housekeeping

Archival Clothing's bibles are many - the Arnys catalog, the old Hebden Cord catalogs, the Montgomery Ward catalogs from the 1940s. But for all matters domestic, Cheryl Mendelson's Home Comforts comes, from us and others, Most Highly Recommended.


Mrs. Mendelson covers every imaginable topic of domestic interest. There is detailed advice for laundering anything, incredible glossaries of fabrics and flooring materials, instructions for folding for wrinkle-resistant storage, and 837 pages of so on.


For those of us who long for more quality time to nest, it's really wonderful - I often sit and read it like a novel. If you're at all interested in housekeeping, buy a copy now.


Please see our earlier post on recommended housekeeping garb.

Archival Housekeeping

Man hoovering

Add housekeeping to the list of archival chores I'd rather perform in the past. Not only do the tasks look simpler (limited activity, fixed locations), they seem to require a heightened, more thoughtful level of dress and grooming. Of course, I'd advocate for an individualized chore uniform. Aprons or multi-pocketed work jackets add a traditional, protective layer. But I'd extend my outfit to include sturdy lace-up shoes, a nice wool waistcoat and a more archival (washable, reusable) version of the 19th century printers' oversleeve in cotton poplin.

Sew your own oversleeves

For a practical manual on housekeeping in the past and present, see: Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Housekeeping by Cheryl Mendelson.

Trouser press

Shaking out the rugs

Dusting the television with a feather brush

A footballer preparing a meal

Wringer and centrifuge

A pile of washing-up

A brush salesman and his bicycle

Photographs from the Nationaal Archief flickr photo set: Huishouden/Housekeeping.