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2nd out of 26 books
—
16 voters
Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House
by
Cheryl Mendelson (Goodreads Author),
Harry Bates
The classic bestselling resource for every American home. Choosing fabrics, cleaning china, keeping the piano in tune, making a good fire, folding a fitted sheet, setting the dining room table, keeping surfaces free of food pathogens, watering plants, removing stains -- Home Comforts addresses the meanings as well as the methods of hands -- on housekeeping to help you mana...more
Paperback, 896 pages
Published
April 5th 2005
by Scribner
(first published November 4th 1999)
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I have a sick obsession with reading books about how to manage a home. That said, I have really enjoyed this book because the premise is solid. The author doesn't avocate principles of order and cleanliness so that the neighbors will think you're great or to assert her domestic divinity (MS). She has some really sound advice that points toward creating an environment that makes your house a home where people feel they have a place. As always, I applaud women who give dignity and purpose to what...more
Apr 05, 2008
Kate
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who can learn from an obsessive compulsive lawyer
Shelves:
desperate-attempts-at-self-improvem,
reference
I got this book in a used bookstore for five bucks. I NEVER would have paid full price for it, but for five bucks, I figured it was worth it. Full disclosure: I am a slob. If there is something in my path, I will step over it for months before it will occur to me that I could pick it up. Before obtaining this book, I had no idea what a dustmite looked like or how many billions of the little critters I have squirming around in my pillow every night. It never dawned on me that my living room drape...more
Mendelson approaches housekeeping from both a practical and philosophical perspective - with the occasional scientific explanation thrown in. She goes into immense detail on just about every aspect of home-making imaginable; from a discussion on types of fabric, to how to organize a pantry, to a dismaying examination of microbes found in food.
IMHO, her focus on sanitization borders on obsession; I began to wonder if she had stock in Clorox, as she recommended bleaching towels and bedding to wit...more
IMHO, her focus on sanitization borders on obsession; I began to wonder if she had stock in Clorox, as she recommended bleaching towels and bedding to wit...more
This was a recommendation from a friend. Literally, every detail imaginable about keeping house. A few things are a little over the top - (i.e. bring an ice chest with you to the store in order to bring home perishables safely - who does that??) and if I could actually do everything the book suggests, I would have to quit my job, stay home, NOT have kids and spend every waking minute keeping house. It's hard to understand how the author, both an attorney and philosophy professor is able to follo...more
i secretly like to tend house. shut up. i'm not interested in your comments. anyway, this book tells you how to take care of your house, your clothes, and your everything else. and it's kind of funny. and realistic. this woman won't go all martha stewart on your ass and tell you you're a bad person for not ironing your sheets. she'll just tell you you _could_ iron your sheets if you realy felt like wasting your day. and then she'll tell you to wash your sheets in hot water, not cold, so that the...more
Okay, here is how much of a geek I am:
1. I have actually read etiquette books for pleasure
2. I took reading advice from the newsletter sent out by my former realtor
These are the factors that brought me to "Home Comforts", a very interesting reference book on all things related to having a pleasant home environment. The author is a thoroughly modern woman with an old-fashioned view that there is a correct and desirable way to do most everything around the house. She has researched and compiled th...more
1. I have actually read etiquette books for pleasure
2. I took reading advice from the newsletter sent out by my former realtor
These are the factors that brought me to "Home Comforts", a very interesting reference book on all things related to having a pleasant home environment. The author is a thoroughly modern woman with an old-fashioned view that there is a correct and desirable way to do most everything around the house. She has researched and compiled th...more
Jul 08, 2008
Debbie Petersen
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone starting out in a new home, and the rest of us as a reference
Shelves:
attempts-at-self-improvement
I actually enjoyed this book. It was enlightening to finally find out the answer to why the homes of so many others are cleaner, how they seem to know as if by magic what foods, spices, and whatever else belongs in the kitchen should be there and their expiration date; how to properly launder clothing and sheets; how often one should vacuum; what that appliance that sits on the ironing board is for...etc. I have used this book as a reference when stumped by various situations caused by children...more
"Each day I long for home/ long for the sight of home." -The Odyssey.
The entire home industry, in its maneuver to sell us household goods by selling the promise of home itself, is some kind of Kincadian nightmare.* Despite peddling keys at a relentless pace ("How about this Hot Chocolate Pot? No? Never mind then; how about this cute little cabin of maple syrup?"), it will never unlock the glowing house full of loving people and hot food. "It comes down to the product versus the promise. It's no...more
The entire home industry, in its maneuver to sell us household goods by selling the promise of home itself, is some kind of Kincadian nightmare.* Despite peddling keys at a relentless pace ("How about this Hot Chocolate Pot? No? Never mind then; how about this cute little cabin of maple syrup?"), it will never unlock the glowing house full of loving people and hot food. "It comes down to the product versus the promise. It's no...more
Aug 22, 2008
Frangipani
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
homemakers; people moving out on their own
Recommended to Frangipani by:
magazine
Shelves:
personal-development
Had this one on loan from the library, and for a couple of weeks it sat mocking me in my reading corner. It fell open at a page entitled "how to iron sheets" which put me off opening it. IRON SHEETS? However it was glowingly reviewed in a magazine so I wanted to give it a chance to see if there was anything practical I could learn from it. I'm just perturbed as to how the author manages to do everything she's writing about while still having a LIFE outside of housekeeping. Does she have several...more
2 likes · like · see review
It is a book I have used countless of times. It has everything in it: How to do all basic sewing stitches. How to iron a dress shirt and how to fold sheets. How to make up a bed with hospital corners. How to choose proper sizes for sheets, tablecloths, and other household linens. How to set the table for informal and formal meals. Expert recommendations for safe food storage. The most exhaustive and reliable information on fabrics, textile fibers, and their laundering, and drying. A thorough exp...more
Sep 11, 2007
Alyssa
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everyone but particularly those with a passion for keeping house
Shelves:
household-interests
This book is amazing! There's no other way to put it. Cheryl has covered every topic that could possibly come up when keeping house. Even if you're not that enthusiastic about housekeeping and to you that translates to slaving away over an iron or cleaning the bathroom, you should check this book out. It's so much more than a "how to clean your house" tip book. The author depicts keeping house as something sacred since it's the space that we all inhabit on a daily basis.
1 like · like · see review
May 14, 2008
Courtney
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone needing help organizing or cleaning their home
Recommended to Courtney by:
salon.com
I've had this book for about two years and don't feel like I've finished it. Its not because its bad or hard to read, it just has so much information that I like to go back and re-read the same sections repeatedly. The author's tone is very familiar and makes you feel like a friend or family member is giving advice. The tips on stain removal are excellent and the lists are very helpful. Overall this is a great resource for all things home related.
2 likes · like · see review
In the interest of full disclosure: I used a gift card to purchase this book when it first came out. I have never regretted that purchase.
This is a practical reference for anyone who has a house, apartment, condo or any other dwelling and wants to maintain it. It is full of information that every man or woman needs to know about practical housekeeping. Most of this is information that in a different age we'd already know by the time we set up on our own.
I don't pretend to live by this book... Bu...more
This is a practical reference for anyone who has a house, apartment, condo or any other dwelling and wants to maintain it. It is full of information that every man or woman needs to know about practical housekeeping. Most of this is information that in a different age we'd already know by the time we set up on our own.
I don't pretend to live by this book... Bu...more
This is the ultimate reference for how to keep a house in running order. It's not a book to be read through in a few sittings, however, it's an encyclopedia to be referenced as needed. Not to say it isn't engaging... I certainly read it through cover to cover and am reading it again. But most people are not of the mindset I am.
The author states directly, in her introduction, that *noone* is expect to pick up from nothing and do all she talks about. She discusses the variances in how a house migh...more
The author states directly, in her introduction, that *noone* is expect to pick up from nothing and do all she talks about. She discusses the variances in how a house migh...more
Fascinating for the sheer volume of information, as well as the quality of research, writing, and illustration, given the topic. Very interesting personal introduction on the importance of giving thought to the task of keeping house and keeping fed, no matter what your circumstances.
I'm sure that I'll keep this book forever as a reference work. It is tremendously satisfying to have a source I trust to resolve, once and for all, the vacuum first or dust first question. The illustrations by Henry...more
I'm sure that I'll keep this book forever as a reference work. It is tremendously satisfying to have a source I trust to resolve, once and for all, the vacuum first or dust first question. The illustrations by Henry...more
Well, I didn't actually finish this but on the advice of my husband, decided to "put the book down". :-) I think he got tired of hearing me say things like "honey, did you know we should be changing the air in our house 8 times an hour?" or " honey, did you know there could be radon in our house?" I most liked the philosophy of the importance of keeping a nice house but it was way too detailed for me.
Yep, it's about just what it says it's about - housekeeping. This book is kind of a guilty plea...more
Yep, it's about just what it says it's about - housekeeping. This book is kind of a guilty plea...more
I have to be honest. I have not finished this book. But I am about a fourth of the way through and it has changed my life. Most people will probably never "finish" this book because it is a homemaking encyclopedia.
A very historical, literary look at homemaking and what and why we do things. If you want to know the "best ways" of taking care of your home, with a great deal of background information, this is for you. Diagrams on silverware, place settings, to cooking, cleaning, organizing, enterta...more
A very historical, literary look at homemaking and what and why we do things. If you want to know the "best ways" of taking care of your home, with a great deal of background information, this is for you. Diagrams on silverware, place settings, to cooking, cleaning, organizing, enterta...more
Jun 28, 2010
Kathleen
added it
Recommends it for:
Nerds like me who think cleaning and organizing is a form of relaxation.
I'm such a nerd but my Older Sister got this book for me as a wedding gift and I've only looked at it a couple of times as a reference but I pulled it out the other day and actually started reading it and the first few chapters have been suprisingly enjoyable!
1 like · like · see review
"Housekeeping creates cleanliness, order, regularity, beauty, the conditions for health and safety, and good place to do and feel all the things you wish and need to do and feel in your home. Whether you live alone or with a spouse, parents, and ten children, it is your housekeeping that makes your home alive, that turns it into a small society in its own right, a vital place with its own ways and rhythms, the place where you can be more yourself than you can be anywhere else." (from Chapter 1)....more
This is by far the VERY BEST book for answering and inspiring anything you need to know about "keeping house." While growing up, when I watched my mother move seamlessly through her day as a full-time homemaker and mother, I failed to ask many "WHY?" questions which, now in my own home, I really need to know the "whys" in order to better teach my children, especially my sons (they don't take my example or instructions on blind faith as I did with my own mother!).
While I have purchased several bo...more
While I have purchased several bo...more
Jun 17, 2009
Lobstergirl
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
dirty people
This must be the only housekeeping manual written by a philosophy Ph.D. and Harvard Law School J.D. She's also practiced law and taught philosophy at Columbia. And she's really, REALLY into homemaking. The book is very pleasurable reading, even though you know (because you know?) you could never possibly be as anal as Cheryl Mendelson, and because she's a good writer. Some of her advice is just common sense: Don't buy celery "that is limp, splitting, or woody." "Crocheted antimacassars are quite...more
1 like · like · see review
I'd forgotten about this book until reminded of it in a conversation last week. Reading it again, I've had a nice brake from mountains of history, health, and herb books. After more than a quarter century as a homemaker, I nevertheless, learned quite a bit from this book. However, it's a bit sad that this woman felt embarrassed for loving domestic life, even going so far as prefacing the book with an apology. Homemaking, with the proper perspective, is a deeply fulfilling and challenging lifesty...more
This is a wonderful for the science of cleaning your home. This is not a dry how-to manual, nor a collection of odd tips and hints, a cleaning book, a history book, or an arid encyclopedia compiled by a committee or an institute. Home Comforts is a readable explanation for both beginners and experts of all the domestic arts -- choosing fabrics, keeping the piano in tune, caring for books, making a good fire in the fireplace and avoiding chimney fires, ironing and folding, setting up a good readi...more
This book contains both practical tips, as well as an insipiring look at the history and theory of home keeping. This book has done a lot to redeem the management of a home from the modern's world disdain and to remind us all that creating clean, healthy, comfortable, and lovely surroundings can be a powerful expression of love. The book reminds us, too, that keeping a home requires wisdom, creativity, and perseverance.
One caveat: It's good to remember that you don't have to be as excellent at...more
One caveat: It's good to remember that you don't have to be as excellent at...more
I've read other house keeping books and this is the one I keep referring back to because it's well organized, has great advice and is very detailed for lots of different scenarios. It's completely through as well. It covers a bazillion topics. You can find some of this info on the internet, but not in one place and not as well organized. Do yourself and favor and get this one if you are just setting up a household for the first time. I actually did read it cover to cover when I bought it, and le...more
I didn't actually read this thing cover-to-cover, because doing that would be like reading L-S of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. I did some interested perusing though, learned that I have violated the Laws of Housekeeping by (among other things) not refrigerating my butter. Oddly, I've never noticed any rancidity but I'm probably just not tasting it correctly. Mendelson has compiled the ultimate housekeeping Bible, and as a reference for OCD-types I'm sure it's invaluable- but I guess I'm really...more
It is nice when someone has the expertise to tell you exactly what needs to be done. In this case, Cheryl Mendelson knows exactly what needs to be done to make a beautiful home. Not that I have or ever will follow her advice (such as having a laundry day) but reading this book is very relaxing, in the way that thinking about a perfect love, or a perfect day, is relaxing. It explains how to clean everything and how to keep a home. She is a very intelligent woman who, like so few of us, has no sha...more
Feb 10, 2009
MichelleMarie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
homemakers
Shelves:
want-to-own,
wishlist
I never thought I would like a book like this, but I loved it.
I am sure not many people even want to touch it. But for some reason I loved the details of how to clean a room, iron a shirt, make your house a home etc. She was extremely detailed on why things should be a certain way and how to make them that way. Extremely thorough covering every kind of topic for the entire house.
For most people this would be a good book to have for reference (like the How to Cook Everything Book) for me it gave...more
I am sure not many people even want to touch it. But for some reason I loved the details of how to clean a room, iron a shirt, make your house a home etc. She was extremely detailed on why things should be a certain way and how to make them that way. Extremely thorough covering every kind of topic for the entire house.
For most people this would be a good book to have for reference (like the How to Cook Everything Book) for me it gave...more
This is a great resource for all things related to home. I use it as a reference book. I especially love the beginning, when the author lays out her experiences learning about home making from her grandmothers -- who came from two different cultures. She also helps the modern reader understand the importance of making home an efficient, clean, well-tended, delightful place to live.
This book would make a great gift for anyone moving into her (or his) first apartment or home away from "home", as...more
This book would make a great gift for anyone moving into her (or his) first apartment or home away from "home", as...more
I have mixed feelings about this book. As a reference book, I find it overlarge and cumbersome, and its index and table of contents are a little opaque and hard to navigate, and frankly, some of her methods I find a bit overdone. (Unless you have some seriously smelly hair, you really do not need to change pillowcases twice a week.) But mostly, it's the general feeling I have that keeping house is not so hard as to need a two-inch-thick dictionary to consult.
But I also find a lot of her writing...more
But I also find a lot of her writing...more
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Jul 23, 2008 07:15pm