"In addition to the daily and weekly routine of housework it is customary to give the house and its furnishings a thorough overhauling and renovating once or twice a year, usually in the spring and fall. But this custom varies in different parts of the country, and in cities...winter is the season when guests are received and most entertaining takes place; hence the fall house cleaning, as a preparation for the duties and festivities of the winter season, is likely to be the more important."

"The work of house cleaning will be very much simplified by thinking out in advance a systematic plan of campaign. In a blank book make an inventory of the principal contents of each room...and preserve the book for future use."

"While house cleaning, dress appropriately for the work. Pull the sleeves up as far as you want them to go, and put elastic bands on the arms over the sleeves. Trim the finger nails as short as can be borne with comfort....Wear a dust cap, a big apron, and loose gloves."

"Soak 2 or 3 ounces of quince seed over night, strain through cheese cloth, and add 2 quarts of water and 2 ounces each of glycerin, boracic acid, and witch-hazel."

"Take down all curtains and draperies; launder, fold, and store them before the house cleaning begins. Thus they will be out of the way and ready to be put up when papering, painting, and whitewashing are finished."

"Clean one room at a time, doing everything thoroughly. Settle each room before going to another. This avoids upsetting the whole house, and is much better than cleaning by floors and having all the bedrooms or all the living rooms upset at the same time.

"First take up the carpet and scrub the floor; then beat and clean the carpet and hang it on the line, so that both the carpet and the floor from which it is taken may have all day to dry and air."

"Or, after the floor covering is taken up, the ceiling may be first cleaned, and papered or whitewashed, if necessary, and the walls papered before the floors are scrubbed, this being reserved for another day. Lastly, any necessary painting and varnishing may be done and the windows and woodwork cleaned....Last of all, stain or paint the floor, or relay the floor covering, and return furniture and pictures to their positions."

"Use a stiff bristle brush...to clean the cracks and crevices of woodwork, iron beds, and the like."

"Take down all curtains and draperies, if not already removed, and carry them to the laundry. Put the bedding on the line, shake and beat it, and leave it to air. Take the mattress out of doors, and beat and air it....Take up carpets and rugs to be beaten and shaken....If the floor is of hard wood, wash it with gasoline as you would with water, and ventilate thoroughly before admitting a light. Polish with wax and suitable furniture polish."

"Before taking up the carpet it should be well swept. The less dust it contains the quicker it can be beaten. Sprinkle with salt or corn meal, or with a mixture of salt and corn meal moistened with kerosene. Or, if fresh clippings from a lawn mower can be had, sprinkle the carpet with them. Or, if the carpet is of a dark color, with wet tea leaves. If you have a clean green lawn, draw the carpet over the grass for some distance, turn, and draw back on the other side. Beat the carpet while lying on the grass. Reverse the carpet so as to draw it over another spot, and beat on the other side. Then hang it over a line and...beat first thoroughly on the wrong side and afterwards more gently on the right."

"A strong pail fitted with a small wringer such as is used by janitors of large buildings will be found a great convenience. To save stooping, place this on a chair. Use two mops of soft woolen rags, one of small size for washing the floor, and a larger one for wiping dry."

"To remove dust from walls, use a clean hairbrush or window brush with a suitable handle. Brush from the top downward. Or make a bag to cover the head of the broom."

October 20 (Thurs)--Cleaning Perry’s room aft I took Carrie--Alice & Mildred to Jewish Card party night Carroll & I down to the Wards

October 21 (Fri)--Cleaning my room all day night Perry Carroll & I went to Y.W.C.A. & had supper with Auntie Curley then Carroll--Aunt C. & I went to a movie "The orderly--"

October 22 (Sat)--Cleaned house all day cleaned the two west rooms finished at 8:30 dead tired

October 23 (Sun)--Put away clothes darned & mended aft Perry, Jessie, Lip--Mary--Carroll & I went to Labelle hunting got 2 Snip [sic], 1 Duck Rabbitt [sic] possum & snake got home about 8 Jessie came out & we ate hamburgers & ice cream

October 24 (Mon)--Cleaned all day on breakfast room & conservatory & cleaned Refrigerator night bed early tired

October 25 (Tues)--Cleaning Library--Louise & baby & Lottie out for while aft finished Library & windows in Music Room & Parlor night--Carroll & I went to see "Sun Kist"

October 26 (Wed)--Cleaned Music Room & Parlor Harry Hebert out for lunch to eat Snipe he & Peb [Perry McFaddin Jr.] got--late Pressed Curtains night. Fixed rooms after John [Golden, the butler] waxed them

October 27 (Thurs)--Cleaned Dining Room & upstairs hall worked till dark night Fixed rooms after John waxed floors--

October 28 (Fri)--Cleaned downstairs hall Sun Parlor & sleeping porch had [?] porch washed--Brass polished Fixed flowers night Fixed--hall after John waxed--

November 26 (Sun)--Carroll left for Pass--Ma at church I dressed aft Kydie took kids & me riding night Mama & I put kids [her cousins Teddy and Dabney Caldwell] to bed then read--cleaned out all my drawers & desk--

November 27 (Mon)--House cleaned my room & finished sleeping porch aft Ma at church. serving banquet for Mr. Ellis night Pa & I stayed home with kids bed early

November 28 (Tues)--John sick didn’t clean today--stayed home wrote

November 29 (Wed)--Feel bad Dr W out to see Dab & me Cleaned Ma’s room aft took nap then Cleaned. Mr. & Mrs. Ward out while night Carroll in we all stayed home

November 30 (Thurs)--John cleaned Peb’s room alone Fixed house & table Ma & I McKee’s & Dr Williams here for dinner [noon meal] We talked then Ma & I rode with McKees Pa & Carroll went to see about business night Carroll & I at Wards then to Shrine Circus won chicken

December 1 (Fri)--Pa & Carroll left early for Pass--we cleaned the front hall upstairs & finished Peb’s room dead tired night washed my hair & had bath Carroll got in about ten o’clock.

December 2 (Sat)--Carroll went to Dutch Joe’s--We put up curtains upstairs tired dressed late night Carroll in he & I went to Shrine Circus home about 11--

December 4 (Mon)--Cleaned breakfast room took all day dead tired night. stayed home bed early.

December 5 (Tues)--Ma at nursery meeting we cleaned Library--night stayed home tired

December 6 (Wed)--Cleaned Parlor I feel bad didnt do much cleaning washed all ornaments for that & music room night stayed home

December 7 (Thurs)--Cleaned music room just finished papering it. started on sun Parlor. Ma & I hung pictures night Mr & Mrs Ward out.

December 8 (Fri)--Carroll in Lake Charles--they finished cleaning Sun Parlor & cleaned some in attic. I layed around feel terrible Ma at Service League night Carroll home at 8:00 I took calomel.

December 9 (Sat)--sick in bed took calomel up at noon feel weak & bad layed around all aft helped straighten hall--cleaned it today--night Sid Broussard here for supper--bed early--

December 13 (Wed)--Carroll left at 4:30 for up bayou aft John & I hung all curtains & draperies downstairs night Stayed home bed early

November 6 (Tues)--Pa back from Austin Cleaned Library & Music room night all home.

November 7 (Wed)--Cleaned Parlor & Dining room night all home bed early.

November 8 (Thurs)--Cleaned downstairs hall dead tired night bath & to bed early all home

November 9 (Fri)--William [butler] & I hung all the draperies & curtains aft Kydie over till 4 then I finished with curtains night C & I at Wards

November 12 (Mon)--Cleaned Perry’s room & hall closet finished about 3:30 stayed home night all home talked & read till 10.

November 13 (Tues)--Cleaned front west bed room finished at 3--stayed home night all home bed early.

November 14 (Wed)--Cleaned East front bed room & sleeping porch finished at 6. night Home all of us

November 17 (Sat)--stayed home. Cleaned down stairs William sick aft. dressed night all stayed home Carroll in about 9:30.

November 18 (Sun)--William at work Carroll & Peb washed "Sister" & sprayed her house I dressed & out with men by to see cash register--aft Carroll & I down to Wards night all stayed home worked on books

November 19 (Mon)--Cleaned house Corinne [maid] didn’t show up feel bad aft. stayed home night

November 20 (Tues)--Cleaned up aft stayed home

November 21 (Wed)--Mrs. Chipman & "Miss" Cora out brought me flowers. Cleaned up had furniture moved from attic to bedroom & put up curtains in 2 front rooms & Pebs room night stayed home.

November 22 (Thurs)--Cleaned my room didn’t finish till dark Pa & Peb at farm for dinner night all stayed home.

November 23 (Fri)--Cleaned Mama’s room Papa came home sick Auntie Curley out for dinner finished cleaning 6:30 night stayed home Pa alright. dead tired.

November 24 (Sat)--William, Louis & I cleaned up stairs hall finished at dark night stayed home.

October 10 (Fri)--Louis & I cleaned Mother’s & my closet aft took nap. night Caldwell & I took Carroll to 9:30 train to go to Dallas to A&M-Sewanee game Pa home all to bed early Telegram from Mother she arrived in Cincini [sic] & Aunt O. met her.

October 13 (Mon)--Started house cleaning. Cleaned Mama’s room tired night Carroll Papa & I stayed home

October 14 (Tues)--Cleaned front East room finished about 4 dressed night Papa & I to movie. Carroll took boat up bayou stayed all night Caldwell to Bmt Club opening Peb stayed home

October 15 (Wed)--Cleaned guest room finished early took short nap night Papa, Peb Carroll & I stayed home.

October 16 (Thurs)--Cleaned my room finished 3:30 cleaned up Carroll home early night. Pa, Peb, Carroll & I stayed home. Caldwell at school

October 17 (Fri)--Cleaned boys room finished about 3:30 dressed night Pa, Peb, Carroll & I stayed home Caldwell at choir practice

October 18 (Sat)--Cleaned upstairs front & back hall finished about 4. dressed. tired. night mended & darned, Carroll in about 8. Papa & Caldwell at Majestic [movie theater].

[House cleaning was interrupted by the death of J.C. Ward, Carroll’s father]

October 23 (Thurs)--Cleaned Parlor finished about 3:30 tired night all stayed home.

October 24 (Fri)--Pa went to Big Hill Cleaned dining room finished about 3:30 dressed night down to tell Levy & King good bye they left for Chicago

October 25 (Sat)--Carroll left for Big Hill Cleaned downstairs hall finished at 4--thru house cleaning dressed night I stayed at Y.W. with Auntie Curley while Caldwell at Majestic rest of men folks at Big Hill

November 3 (Mon)--Home put curtains in hall & boys room