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Classic Household Hints: Over 500 Old and New Tips for a Happier Home
Long ago (before Pledge, Handi-Wipes, and Scrubbing Bubbles), in a galaxy far, far away (Picketfence, U.S.A.), folks wouldn’t think of letting strange people—or strange chemicals—do their housework for them. It was a simpler time when, armed with nothing more than a can of Bon Ami and a box of Oxydol, people set about creating their own tidy vision of happiness—clean, homey, and oh so inviting.
Classic Household Hints returns to those lovely days of yesteryear to gather hundreds of time- and money-saving tips on all things chez nous -—from cleaning and organizing your home to buying and handling food. Want the freshest eggs in the store? Pick the ones whose shells feel roughest to the touch. Is that expensive floor wax remover you bought lying down on the job? Simple ammonia will do the trick. The book’s quick-take, better-than-ever information is accompanied by lively full-color retro illustrations, fascinating sidebars, quotes, and mini-facts that provide a frisky, informal look at American home life from the 1920s through the 1960s. This winning combination makes Classic Household Hints the perfect gift for nostalgia-hungry baby boomers, soon-to-be-homemakers, and neat freaks of every persuasion.
Classic Household Hints returns to those lovely days of yesteryear to gather hundreds of time- and money-saving tips on all things chez nous -—from cleaning and organizing your home to buying and handling food. Want the freshest eggs in the store? Pick the ones whose shells feel roughest to the touch. Is that expensive floor wax remover you bought lying down on the job? Simple ammonia will do the trick. The book’s quick-take, better-than-ever information is accompanied by lively full-color retro illustrations, fascinating sidebars, quotes, and mini-facts that provide a frisky, informal look at American home life from the 1920s through the 1960s. This winning combination makes Classic Household Hints the perfect gift for nostalgia-hungry baby boomers, soon-to-be-homemakers, and neat freaks of every persuasion.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published June 7, 2007
189 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 31, 2020
Classic Household Hints: Over 500 Old and New Tips for a Happier Home by Susan and Waggoner is a 2007 Harry N. Abrams publication.
This little book is just chock full of little bits of trivia, tons of ideas, and helpful hints, tips, and advice about household cleaners, tools, and devices, all designed to make your life easier and help save you money, while keeping your house clean and organized.
The book is divided into segments, ranging from organization and clutter to food tips. The author takes readers through the entire house, even the basement, and suggests ways to clean every room in the house from top to bottom and keep it that way.
Many of these ideas are great and work just as well in the modern household as they did in the past. Some of them, of course, are not as economical to use today, and some hints may not work with the latest appliances without changing the formula up a little.
The vintage photos are fantastic and the history of when certain mainstay cleaning products and tools came on the market was fascinating! Toilet Paper, wire hangers, Hoover vacuum cleaners, cheese slicers, gas stoves etc.
There is also a funny segment about some old cleaning advice from the past that didn’t quite work out- such as a 1950’s era book claiming that an inexpensive way to clean upholstery began with a loaf of bread. ?????
Trivia, nostalgia and humor aside, this is indeed a very helpful little book. Did I try any of these tips? As a matter of fact, yes, I did. During the pandemic, like so many other people, we baked our own bread. To keep it fresh, I followed the instructions in this book and found it to be most effective. I tried several other things, that today we might call 'hacks', and plan to experiment here and there with some other tips in the book.
This was a great find, especially at a time when we are much more mindful of keeping our homes safe and clean. But, the book was much more than I had anticipated. My husband and I had a blast thumbing through it, looking at the old pictures and discussing the products our parents used back in the day, and many that we still use in one form or another today.
Although many of the tips are 'classic' ones, there are 'current' tips too, but these may seem a little old fashioned too, because a lot has transpired in the thirteen years since this book was originally published.
But, overall, this little gem has many timeless and ageless remedies, and often employs common, easy to find, economical items that work just as well as buying expensive products. I’m glad I stumbled across this book!
4 stars
This little book is just chock full of little bits of trivia, tons of ideas, and helpful hints, tips, and advice about household cleaners, tools, and devices, all designed to make your life easier and help save you money, while keeping your house clean and organized.
The book is divided into segments, ranging from organization and clutter to food tips. The author takes readers through the entire house, even the basement, and suggests ways to clean every room in the house from top to bottom and keep it that way.
Many of these ideas are great and work just as well in the modern household as they did in the past. Some of them, of course, are not as economical to use today, and some hints may not work with the latest appliances without changing the formula up a little.
The vintage photos are fantastic and the history of when certain mainstay cleaning products and tools came on the market was fascinating! Toilet Paper, wire hangers, Hoover vacuum cleaners, cheese slicers, gas stoves etc.
There is also a funny segment about some old cleaning advice from the past that didn’t quite work out- such as a 1950’s era book claiming that an inexpensive way to clean upholstery began with a loaf of bread. ?????
Trivia, nostalgia and humor aside, this is indeed a very helpful little book. Did I try any of these tips? As a matter of fact, yes, I did. During the pandemic, like so many other people, we baked our own bread. To keep it fresh, I followed the instructions in this book and found it to be most effective. I tried several other things, that today we might call 'hacks', and plan to experiment here and there with some other tips in the book.
This was a great find, especially at a time when we are much more mindful of keeping our homes safe and clean. But, the book was much more than I had anticipated. My husband and I had a blast thumbing through it, looking at the old pictures and discussing the products our parents used back in the day, and many that we still use in one form or another today.
Although many of the tips are 'classic' ones, there are 'current' tips too, but these may seem a little old fashioned too, because a lot has transpired in the thirteen years since this book was originally published.
But, overall, this little gem has many timeless and ageless remedies, and often employs common, easy to find, economical items that work just as well as buying expensive products. I’m glad I stumbled across this book!
4 stars
May 30, 2022
I can’t believe this is the first book I’ve finished all year.
Not a bad reference book, though it is pretty short.
The author admits to cutting out most of the vintage tips which aren’t applicable to the modern day (and in some cases, can’t resist putting a modern twist on some subjects).
All of the tips are short and easily digestible, with a few vintage magazine covers and ads splattered throughout.
The book is probably more of a three star read than a four star read, but it DID motivate me to actually start cleaning my apartment for the first time in ages.
Not a bad reference book, though it is pretty short.
The author admits to cutting out most of the vintage tips which aren’t applicable to the modern day (and in some cases, can’t resist putting a modern twist on some subjects).
All of the tips are short and easily digestible, with a few vintage magazine covers and ads splattered throughout.
The book is probably more of a three star read than a four star read, but it DID motivate me to actually start cleaning my apartment for the first time in ages.
March 20, 2015
This book is so cool! It's like a historic version of "Household Life Hacks," pre-Pinterest-era. I'm pretty sure my mom wrote it :). Filled with helpful homemaking tricks and tips...not to mention ads, magazine covers, movie quotes and photos from the 50's (sooo vintage!). Not just old hints, though; the book has updated info related to the internet and modern ideas/products.
Some of my favorites:
"Hard-boiled eggs will be easy to peel if you add salt to the water before you set the eggs to boil. This toughens the shell and makes it easier to remove in large pieces."
"Don't add fabric softener to the water you wash your towels in--it can diminished their absorbency. If your towels have already suffered this fate, bring them back to life by adding a cup of distilled vinegar to the rinse cycle."
"When you've finished painting your walls and want to get rid of the fumes fast, place several charcoal briquets in a pan, leave in the center of the room, and close the doors for several hours."
"To remove rubber shoe marks [on the floor], try an ordinary eraser."
Some of my favorites:
"Hard-boiled eggs will be easy to peel if you add salt to the water before you set the eggs to boil. This toughens the shell and makes it easier to remove in large pieces."
"Don't add fabric softener to the water you wash your towels in--it can diminished their absorbency. If your towels have already suffered this fate, bring them back to life by adding a cup of distilled vinegar to the rinse cycle."
"When you've finished painting your walls and want to get rid of the fumes fast, place several charcoal briquets in a pan, leave in the center of the room, and close the doors for several hours."
"To remove rubber shoe marks [on the floor], try an ordinary eraser."
June 12, 2021
Someone else referred to this as a Pinterest Board before Pinterest was a thing, and that's the most accurate description I have ever heard. This is literally a collection of notes your grandma would have ripped out of Reader's Digest on how to clean a house. It's a quick flip-through and would make a fine coffee table book. The lack of real organization or index with the tips makes it hard to use as a reference. Unlike Reader's Digest, there isn't any personality involved which makes it a fairly dry read.
May 16, 2019
Great hacks
This is a good house cleaning and cooking hacks book with a lot of ideas and some nostalgia intertwined. Great book.
This is a good house cleaning and cooking hacks book with a lot of ideas and some nostalgia intertwined. Great book.
July 26, 2020
Really well written.
Really interesting read I really enjoyed it. I did know some of the tips but most I did not. W
Really interesting read I really enjoyed it. I did know some of the tips but most I did not. W
September 17, 2022
Just for fun.. Was hoping to see more of the outdated kind of tips and things.
November 6, 2022
Fun and informative …
Old time tips that are as helpful today as they were back in the day. Especially the organizing and storage tips.
Old time tips that are as helpful today as they were back in the day. Especially the organizing and storage tips.
Read
June 9, 2011Well-researched and fun to read. I highly recommend giving the book a go-through. Not something you need to own - much better to borrow it at the library. But if you're into housekeeping and enjoy vintage ads check it out.
August 3, 2014
Reminds me of my mom, so of course I love it no matter what!
December 1, 2019
Okay, so this was kinda fun to read, but it was published in 2007-ish, so the information is pretty outdated 😏
December 21, 2018
Interesting book to “browse” through. Felt like some suggestions were really outdated, which is reflected in the disclaimer at the beginning of the book. Found a few helpful tips but overall not really life changing information.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews