Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House

I must admit to thinking this would be a cringe making book about housework. However, much to my surprise, it has given me a new take on cleanliness and hygiene in the home and why we do things the way we do.For example, I never actually thought about cleaning the loo seat daily (I live alone but still have visitors) or all the bacteria that could live quite happily in my sink.Her writing is clear, and thank heavens, not patronising.We spend so much time in our homes and we owe it to ourselves to make it as pleasant as possible. Although I would not wax lyrical about the joys of cleaning etc., it is undeniable that learning how to cut corners, and having a more or less daily routine when working full time does reap some very real benefits.Plus sometimes, her words stick. Heat rises (ta da!) so therefore where does the raw meat go in the fridge? Yes, bottom shelf.Love this book, really.

I approached this book with apprehension having heard the author interviewed on "Woman's Hour" ages ago. At the end of the interview I barely suppressed a snort of cynicism when she told Jenni Murray that she "would at last have time to give her home a really good spring clean" - with the assistance of her housekeeper - oh yeah, I thought....Then I picked up a copy of this book in July 2009. I was spellbound. I have never really settled into housekeeping, always seeing it as a chore and rather beneath me. I'll say it now, I still hate dusting, but our house has become a home in the housekeeping sense for the first time in the 30 years we have been married - forget the details, I have stacks of books on theory, it is the whole philosophical approach to home-making rather than housekeeping that has made me happier and our home cleaner , better organised and a more welcoming, cosy environment.Yes, it is very American in tone in the way that feels very neurotic to us but I haven't bothered with reading the bits that I thought would aggravate me; the first few chapters alone make this book terrific value and genuinely life affirming.As for housework being beneath people, just look at this woman's CV. She is right, a clean, well-organised home is not a sign of subservience, it is an attainable goal which we will all benefit from if we strive to achieve it. And by the way, since I started to follow her principles I spend less time cleaning up and still have a nicer home!p.s. "How to get everything really flat" is great for the HOW to do it, she is more for the WHY.

This book is not only a 'how to..' but a 'why to..' guide to caring for your home and your family. It is intelligently written and frequently challenges our views about the way we live today. And it provides exceptionally comprehensive advice on how to deal with all aspects of 'housework' in the broadest sense. It is never dictatorial, and encourages the reader to understand the rationale of all the advice it offers. For me, the 200 pages on laundry were the best of all, but even the chapters that were of little direct relevance provided a wonderful read.This book has been sensibly re-edited for the UK reader, who should avoid the US edition; there are significant differences with the way we live this side of the Atlantic (for instance, we normally have front-loading washing machines, where the Americans tend to use far more basic top-loaders). This book will almost certainly prove a long-term reference book, and I would suggest that it is better purchased as a hardback. Just search Amazon for Home Comforts and you will find both the UK and US editions in hardback - the UK one has the white dustjacket with the clothes care symbols on it.Like other reviewers I have found this book quite inspirational, it has certainly changed the way I live, and I speak as a single man who lives alone.

I have been reading a lot of this type of book recently because I am developing a course on the subject. This one stood out above all the others both for the depth of the subjects covered and the clarity with which the material is presented.The author does not patronise not do you have to put up with the joky approach. I would particulalry commend the section on the storage life of food, frozen or fresh. There are useful tables so you know exactly how long your minced beef will last before and after cooking, or how long that jar of pickles remains edible once opened, and if you should store it on a shelf or in the fridge. This section alone should save us all from throwing away perfectly good food.Topics covered include keeping just about every conceivable article or surface in your home clean and safe.This would make a very handy gift to anyone setting up home for the first time, or the experienced homemaker.Although the legislation described in the sections on insurance, selling and buying etc., the advice given is still useful.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a complete manual on everything related to home care. It is indispensable for knowing everything about everything about looking after and maintaining your home. More than that, it also has fantastic, detailed guidance for the "finishing touches" of home maintenance, such as preparing family meals, place settings, etc etc etc.My favourite paragraph from this book, one which I copied and applied to my Home Control Journal is:"Unfortunately, what a traditional woman did that made her home warm and alive was not dusting and laundry. Someone can be hired to do those things (to some extent). Her secret was that she identified herself with her home. . . Then her affection was in the soft sofa cushions, clean linens and good meals; her memory in well-stocked cupboards and pantry; her intelligence in the order and healthfulness of her home; her good humour in its light and air. She lived her life not only through her own body, but through the house as an extension of her body; part of her relation to those she loved was embodied in the physical medium of the home she made."