A Brief History of Housekeeping

Home cleaning has never been easy or enjoyable. However, as technology advanced, chores became less time consuming and demanded less energy. Home maintenance has come a long way which makes the brief history of housekeeping very interesting and eventful.

Although the upkeep has gone through major changes over centuries and become a lot easier, many people prefer to rely on professional cleaning companies in Johns Island for assistance. This article will provide you with some interesting facts about the history of home cleaning.

How has home cleaning changed throughout the years?

Housekeeping had steadily evolved throughout centuries, but its major progress happened in a little less than 100 years. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and see how home cleaning started and what revolutionized it.

Ancient civilizations

Many ancient civilizations, from Egyptians to Greeks to Romans, had servants who did housework, except that they weren’t paid for their services. What all these civilizations have in common is the use of some of the most efficient housekeeping supplies, i.e. soap.

Ancient Egyptians used alkaline salts and vegetable oils to make soap both for washing clothes and personal hygiene. Greeks used ashes, clay, and sand with oils, whereas Romans used animal fat soaps in public baths.

The Renaissance

People weren’t aware of the connection between poor hygiene and the spread of diseases until the 11th century. Once people realized the importance of cleanliness it became fashionable. Still, rich people didn’t want to deal with chores so lower-class women did the housework. The difference compared to the time of ancient civilizations was that they were paid for their work. However, the salary was very low, so they were often exploited.

Pre-Victorian era

Up until the 19th century people involved in housekeeping were a part of a very complex hierarchy. Head housekeeper was in charge of managing the whole household. Well-off families had cooks who had assistants. Housekeepers took care of washing clothes, ironing and maintaining the bedding and towels.

Scullery maids were in the lowest grade of housekeeping. Their job was to wash dishes, scrub floors and clean dirty basements. They were the ones who knew when a home needed a thorough clean.

WWI and WWII

Since a lot of men went to war, women took up jobs that didn’t involve housekeeping. This raised the awareness among women who realized that they were capable of much more than doing chores and many of them refused to go back to the job of home cleaning after the war. This resulted in the decline in maids and wealthy women had to take care of the house on their own.

Postwar period

This period represents the peak of the evolution of cleaning tools. Every decade was marked by the invention of some household appliance. At this time people started using vacuum cleaners, bleach, dishwashers, washing machines, etc. Another feature of this period is that the new technology became affordable and accessible to a large number of people. These inventions made chores a lot easier and less time-consuming.

Which cleaning companies in Johns Island should I opt for?

If you don’t want to spend the entire day doing laundry, vacuuming and scrubbing, don’t hesitate to turn to Castle Keepers Charleston for assistance. Our seasoned experts provide comprehensive services and use top-notch technology such as HEPA filters to remove every speck of dust and any pollutants or allergens from your home.

Spend some quality time with your family and go for a walk to the Angel Oak Park while we make your home spick-and-span. Contact us today and make an appointment!