Spring cleaning and genial breath\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\nSPRING. Winter, the season of frost and snow, of dark nights and of gloomy days, disappears before the warm and genial breath of spring.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The country changes its cold and barren look for a coating of bright green\u2026 signs of life and vigour are shown in bursting buds\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Well, quite. The above is from the Lakes Chronicle and Reporter,<\/em> of March 4, 1887. And contains what was apparently a clich\u00e9 in those days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a new one on me, but \u2018the genial breath of spring\u2019 crops up in publications from The People\u2019s Friend<\/em> to the Pontypool Free Press<\/em> in the later decades of the 19th Century.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today is the first day of meteorological spring (in the UK). But as it had rained some part of pretty much every day of 2026 so far, the gardens are too saturated to contemplate post-winter tidying up etc. So thoughts turn to that other perennial topic of the season: spring cleaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turns out not much is new under the sun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spring cleaning and decluttering<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In 1865, Wells\u2019 Marine Stores was urging readers of the Kendal Mercury<\/em>: \u2018Let nothing be wasted.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Any housekeeper \u2018or others\u2019 decluttering while doing their spring cleaning were told \u2018G.W.\u2019 welcomed \u2018anything useless, such as ladies\u2019 and gentlemen\u2019s cast-off clothing.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They were also interested in such items as waste paper, books, rags, bones, whalebone, hare and rabbit skins, and horse hair, as well as old metals. Not quite the items listed in today\u2019s \u2018we buy your stuff\u2019 adverts, but the same principal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
GW\u2019s business address was Angel Yard, Highgate, Kendal. The only decent match on the census is a George Wells, \u2018broker and book dealer\u2019, who was 36 in 1871 and living in Finkle Street with a wife, several children, and a general servant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beware of imitations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Kendal folk were, around that time, being advised to use Hudson\u2019s Extract of Soap, for spring cleaning (Beware of imitations). While all those who wished to see a brilliant polish on their furniture: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u2018ought to use Holme\u2019s Furniture Cream. Superior to any other preparation of the kind in the North of England\u2019.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
This was being marketed by John Holme, a stationer and druggist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A women\u2019s work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Lakes Chronicle and Reporter,<\/em> in 1880 noted, under the heading Spring Cleaning, that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u2018whilst their husbands are boiling over with political enthusiasm, the good housewives of the Lake District are in the midst of their annual preparations for the reception of visitors.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The writer mused on the topic of \u2018dirt\u2019 being \u2018misplaced matter\u2019:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u2018At this season of the year they seem specially alive to the conviction, and to be seized with a frenzied desire to get rid of the misplaced matter, and send it to its own place, wherever that may be.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The author \u2013 someone called Muriel \u2013 was not surprised that some women weren\u2019t keen on spring cleaning, but had found:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u2018some people who seemed to take a fierce kind of delight in periodically turning everything upside down, and making everybody in the house as uncomfortable as possible.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Muriel then went off on a random tangent of thought about how \u2018some women I know\u2019 had a keen eye for dust, but no grasp of wit: \u2018the keenest shafts of satire (would be) levelled at them in vain\u2019. Before giving readers a way to cook Brussels sprouts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spring cleaning tries the temper<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In 1887, it was \u2018Jennie\u2019 who was writing on the topic in The Reporter, in the form of a \u2018letter\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u2018Spring cleaning\u2026 isn’t there a terror in the very name. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Visions of uncarpeted stairs, curtainless windows, beds without hangings, folding steps left standing just while everybody will knock them down, hammer and nail thrown down just where everyone is bound to tread on them, confusion reigning supreme, and a smell like a workhouse pervading the atmosphere.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Her particular sympathies were for those women who only had one servant and \u2018a slip of a girl\u2019 to help them. For them: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u2018spring-cleaning means many a trial of temper and much discipline of soul.<\/em>\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
At least Henry Wilson Herd, chemist, stocked Superior Furniture Cream at six pence and one shilling a bottle in his Ambleside pharmacy. When applied according to directions, it would be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u2018found to produce a bright surface with half the usual amount of labour.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Henry, in 1881, was living in Ambleside with his wife, two very young children, an apprentice, a \u2018slip of a girl\u2019 domestic servant (aged 14) and his mother. The women of the house were probably glad if the Superior cream lived up to its promise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Robbing spring cleaning of its horror<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Lakes Herald<\/em>, in 1888, had the sort of advice that turns up in my news feed today about de-cluttering and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It says planning is key to \u2018robbing spring cleaning of its horror\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Draw up a plan of action: go through the house from top to bottom:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u2018and empty, scrub out, and tidy all drawers, boxes, cupboards, presses, and chests.<\/em>\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Then tackle \u2018the larders, kitchens and store cupboards\u2019. Getting rid of anything no longer required. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u2018When energetic action can no longer be dispensed with \u2013 and not till then \u2013 have the stair carpets up, take the bull by the horns, press all hands into the service, and get through as speedily as possible.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Along the way, only do what you can, then:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u2018Having finished for the day, try to banish the subject from the thoughts as well as from conversation. If it can be set aside completely it will not be a strain on the nerves<\/em>.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Baking soda and vinegar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
According to influencers and news outlets that pick up their hints, the answer to all domestic problems today is to use either baking soda or white vinegar. Or both. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 1888, it was turpentine that was being touted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
All I can say is that nothing in this post is a recommendation endorsed by Cumbrian Characters<\/em>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turps can be used to clean oil-based paint off brushes, but the smell is horrible, should only be used somewhere well-ventilated, and you\u2019d have to be mad to ingest it or rub it on your feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But back in 1888, it was claimed that it was good for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nBurns; corns; rheumatism and sore throats; convulsions or fits; preventing moths in drawers; keeping ants and bugs from closets and storerooms; killing bed bugs; adding to the suds on laundry days, and (oh yeah) cleaning paint.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Spring hasn\u2019t sprung<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The start of meteorological spring is too early to be washing curtains or cleaning carpets. After just the regular weekly housework yesterday, the thought of \u2018emptying, scrubbing out and tidying all drawers\u2019 really did sound like \u2018a trial of temper.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a few weeks\u2019 time such things will have to be contemplated. But for now, I\u2019m with Mole from Kenneth Grahame\u2019s \u2018Wind in the Willows\u2019:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n‘Hang spring-cleaning!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Spring cleaning and genial breath\u2026 Well, quite. The above is from the Lakes Chronicle and Reporter, of March 4, 1887. And contains what was apparently a clich\u00e9 in those days. It was a new one on me, but \u2018the genial breath of spring\u2019 crops up in publications from The People\u2019s Friend to the Pontypool Free […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3022,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[52],"class_list":["post-3021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-history","tag-westmorland"],"yoast_head":"\n
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