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Home Comforts : The Art and Science of Keeping House
by Authors:
Cheryl Mendelson
Hardcover
Virtually everyone enjoys a crisply ironed dress shirt, clean sheets on a well-made bed, and a savory home-cooked meal. Yet housekeeping today stands as a somewhat neglected, if not maligned, job. But as author Cheryl Mendelson points out in Home Comforts, keeping house well can be a rewarding position--it allows you to provide for the physical and emotional comfort of loved ones. It's also not an easy job--there's much to be learned about properly managing a home, and Mendelson has set out to provide a guide to doing just that.
Mendelson, a homemaker, lawyer, and mother, learned about housekeeping from an early age from her grandmothers, one Appalachian, the other Italian. The two grandmothers taught her that although different ways of keeping house can be appropriate, there are generally smarter, faster, and more creative ways of housekeeping that make it less of a chore and more of an art. In a practical, authoritative tone, Mendelson discusses the ins and outs of homemaking, such as washing dishes, recommended cleaning methods for various surfaces, housekeeping for those with pets or allergies, and emergency preparedness and safety procedures.
Mendelson's well-researched book includes meticulous sections on food (for example, which foods belong in the fridge versus the pantry, food storage times, picking the freshest fruits and vegetables, and keeping your kitchen and food sanitary) as well as laundry (caring for various fabrics, how to read--and read between the lines of--clothing care labels, and removing stains). Mendelson covers a lot of ground, and as she herself points out, readers shouldn't feel required to do everything mentioned in the book--simply pick the activities that seem appropriate for your particular home. This is a comprehensive reference book that should serve homemakers well and induce a greater appreciation for the effort and specialized knowledge that go into keeping house.
Average Customer Rating:
Extremely practical and a good read, too.
Mrs. Mendelson does a thorough and engaging job of outlining the general principles and specific methods of keeping a house. More than just hints and tips for cleaning, the book also includes information on everyday legal matters, how to optimize the lighting in a room, and suggestions for ways in which to spend time in the home you create. The advice is thorough and specific -- she presents a picture of a well-kept home, and then gives you all the information you need to deal with the specific tasks that need to be done and problems that need to be solved in the process.
Rather than taking the attitude that the work of keeping a home is unavoidable drudgery to be got over as quickly as possible, the author encourages both full-time housekeepers and people with demanding outside employment to view the work of keeping house as rewarding work that improves life for oneself and one's family. It truly inspired me to make my home a place of comfort and order, so that it can be inviting and pleasant for all who enter it. Those of us who have spent years stepping over things and only cleaning up enough in order to survive the next week can benefit from Cheryl Mendelson's high standards and gentle encouragement, and aspire to make home a place where order is enjoyed, rather than where mess is constantly being battled.
"Home Comforts" is enjoyable reading and very well-organized. You'll want to sit down and read large sections of it through the first time to get a glimpse of good housekeeping as a lifestyle choice, and then you'll refer to its specific explanations again and again.
Good start, but could be better
I was excited to find this book, since it seemed to be the encyclopedic book on housekeeping questions I always seem to have. It covers a wide range of subjects from fabric construction to great detail on bacteria found in the kitchen. The first part of the book is dedicated to how to make a house a home. It is strongly opinionated in a [certain] way about what and how things should be done. I agree with many of them, but realize it adds much stress to life.
It covered some of the things I never seemed to remember, even though my mother repeated them over and over, such as the proper way to make a bed.
I was disappointed to find that it failed to answer many of my basic questions such as "How do I remove yellow underarm stains on my husbands shirts". The advice was wear an undershirt and wash in hot water... Or how to wash upholstry, do I get it professionally cleaned or use my hand held. She suggests reading the label... What chemicals do they use when they clean professionally? Not answered. Why are they no longer using Scotch Guard? Not answered. Are there other fabric protectors? Not answered. Etc. Etc.
So, I guess I was left with all of my orginal questions and disappointed in the book. I think that it is a great start. Maybe a revision will address all the holes to make it the encyclopedia of housekeeping.
Thorough and well-written
This is the best book I've found for how to keep house. In addition to being helpful, it's a good read. It's not just a long, dictionary-type list of how to remove stains as so many cleaning books seem to be. It talks about setting up routines, about the science behind cleaning products (so you will always know what to use when), how to fold laundry, and so much more. It is perfect for anyone who feels clueless about the very basics of homemaking.
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DVD's
Extremely practical and a good read, too. 
Good start, but could be better 
Thorough and well-written 
