See how washboards powered old-fashioned laundry days with scrub, soap and skill, plus vintage photos showing them in action.
cleaning
Have you ever wondered where products like Formula 409, 7-Up, WD-40 and Preparation H got those famous vintage brand names? Find out here.
Take a fun look back at the stereotypical perfect ’50s housewife, as she vacuums in heels, washes dishes wearing pearls, and makes everything practically perfect.
Here are a few authentic old-fashioned ways to make homemade soap, with directions from the olden days in Nebraska back in 1908!
Let’s consider for a moment the soap on a rope phenomenon — a peculiar fusion of the useful and the whimsical that once occupied a
Here’s a look back in time to see some of the popular old bar soap brands from decades past – many long forgotten, and some that still are available to this day!
These retro laundry rooms have decor so fresh they could influence the modern versions! Take a look back at these washer and dryer areas from yesteryear.
America’s love for clean and bright clothes made these old laundry detergent brands into big business.
‘Suzy Homemaker’ was the name of a vintage line of toy appliances that encouraged girls to play by cleaning and cooking… just like mom!
Here, remember a few of the vintage colored paper towels that almost every home in America had hanging in their kitchen, in a wide range of now-rare colors & patterns!
You couldn’t tell a 50s housewife that pastel pink washers and dryers weren’t practical, or that they wouldn’t still be fashionable in a decade. The appliances were stylish and pretty right then and there, at least to millions of women at the time.
Soaky was a popular brand of bubble bath in the ’60s that kids loved because the plastic bottles were shaped like cartoon characters. See some here!
Who remembers this long-running old ad campaign, showing how vintage Jergens Lotion helped with ‘detergent hands’ – dry, reddened skin from hand-washing dishes?
Years ago, companies promoted all kinds of vintage freebies and low-cost mail-in offers, usually requiring some boxtops or proof of purchase. Look back at some of the premiums from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s!
Back in the eighties, these cute vintage Mr Culver’s Sparklers stained glass air fresheners took the problem of ugly room deodorizers, and made them look like little works of art that you could hang in the window.
Our grandmothers used to take care of lace to preserve them, and we, too, can follow in the footsteps of our ancestors to keep our laces in good condition.
Take a look back at some of the most popular vintage Black & Decker electronics and small appliances from the late ’80s, including everything from Dustbusters to irons, and food processors to toaster ovens.
Take a look back at 20+ elegant antique bathrooms and decor from the turn of the century, many of which were intended for luxury homes.
In these vintage ads from the ’50s, the message was clear: ‘If you don’t wash with Lysol, you’ll smell bad, and your husband won’t love you anymore.’
Do you want to get organized? Have you longed for the uncluttered life? Actress Doris Day reveals her plan for becoming an ‘ex-Aimless’ and an ‘ex-Chaotic.’
From Bert Bacharach (father of Burt) come dozens of helpful household hints & tips, from cleaning up paint to making cheap cookie cutters.
Betty Grable’s legs: They have now achieved the stature of a major Hollywood landmark LIFE – June 7, 1943 No one since Paavo Nurmi has
Remember the old Palmolive dish soap ads, featuring Madge the Manicurist (actress Jan Miner), who was always telling women how terrible their hands looked?
For the ’50s housewife, laundry was huge: the love you had for your kitchen paled only in comparison to the adoration you felt for your washer and dryer.
For the picture-perfect housewife of the ’50s, the kitchen was the heart of the home. And the heart of the kitchen was the refrigerator/freezer combo – the kind of luxury that mother and grandmother could have only dreamed of!
A lighthearted look back at the 50s housewife during the sunny days of yesteryear, when a woman’s home was her castle — and her kitchen was the heart of that home.
Are you wasting time and energy – and your silver plate – through a vigorous use of polish? Here, get some great old-fashioned tips to clean your silver.
What were 1950s washing machines like? Here are some old-fashioned washers with high-end features for their time. These brands paid big bucks to promote these laundry appliances!
Once electrical power became widely-available in homes, vintage vacuum cleaners debuted, including ones from the famous Hoover brand.
Vintage Formula 409 household cleaner hit supermarket shelves in the ’60s, and was one of the most popular household cleaning products during the 1970s and 1980s. See why people loved the stuff here!
