The New Housekeeping

THE NEW HOUSEKEEPINGEfficiency Studies in Home Management. Why should you be interested in reading a housekeeping book published in 1919? After all, life was different then, wasn’t it?. There is information not in today’s books. For instance, the whole field of Scientific Management is unknown to most people today. Scientific Management does more in less time with less fatigue. In the workplace, the workers also get paid for increased production (or the system doesn’t work.) There is a deeper explanation in the book. . First, there will be an introduction to Scientific Management, and Christine Frederick challenges herself to use this method in the home. The key is finding a “standardized way” to do each task, with the idea of doing it in the shortest time with the least fatigue.. She first applies this concept to the kitchen. Since reading this book, I have entirely rearranged my kitchen cabinets so almost everything is in reach when I need it. This saves needless steps, and a surprising amount of time. . Christine writes about home finances, keeping track of records, and many other things in the home. . Then she applies the concept to training maids, and giving them increased pay for increased production. Most of us do not have maids, but the payoff is increased time to do other things. . After reading this book, I got a new insight into the challenges the traditional homemaker faced, and a new respect for their skills and organization. I can apply much of the information to my own life. . Now that I’ve implemented the methods in this book, I can keep my home clean in about 20 minutes a day. I have a schedule for each day, and as long as I follow it, it is easy, and surprisingly, it has turned into fun as I look for more efficient ways to do the work. . As you learn the principles of Scientific Management through their use in the home, you can begin to apply them to your employment and other areas of your life. You will find your life runs smoother, you get more done, and you have more time off for recreation. In fact, enough recreation is part of the system.