House Cleaning

The only time my mother had household help was spring cleaning time. What a trauma! Everything was removed from the house - you would think we were moving. The curtain’s came down and were washed - starched and placed on stretchers - windows washed inside and out - the furniture was cleaned and polished - the wallpaper was cleaned with a pink sponge-like pad (we had coal to heat and it produced a dirty film). Rugs were placed on the clothes line and beaten - pictures and mirrors cleaned - closets emptied and reorganized. It was a wild three days with only soup for dinner. The woman who helped mom clean was there for the three days - all day. I think she was paid $5.00 for the three days.