Contents

Preface

BEGINNINGS 1 My Secret Life 2 Easing into a Routine 3 Neatening

FOOD 4 The Whys and Wherefores of Home Cooking 5 Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner 6 Serving Meals 7 Stimulating Beverages 8 The Center of a Dwelling 9 Kitchen Culture 10 To Market, to Market 11 Cold Comfort 12 Bread and Honey 13 Safe Food

CLOTH 14 The Fabric of Your Home 15 Transformations 16 The Natural Fibers 17 The Man-Made Fibers and Blends 18 Fabrics That Work 19 Carefully Disregarding Care Labels 20 Gathering, Storing, and Sorting Laundry 21 Laundering 22 Drying the Laundry 23 Ironing 24 Folding Clothes and Linens 25 How to Launder Tricky Items 26 Common Laundry Mishaps and Problems 27 Sanitizing the Laundry 28 Removing Stains from Fabrics

CLEANLINESS 29 The Air in Your Castle 30 Peaceful Coexistence with Microbes 31 The Chemistry of Household Cleaning 32 Aprons, Rags, and Mops 33 Dust and Dust Mites 34 Vacuuming, Sweeping, and Dusting 35 Textile Furnishings 36 Floors and Furniture of Wood and Woodlike Materials 37 Resilient Floors 38 Ceramic Tile 39 Stone 40 Man-Made Solid Surfaces and Other Plastics 41 Bathrooms 42 Pipes and Drains 43 Walls, Ceilings, Woodwork, and Windows 44 China and Crystal 45 Metals 46 Caring for Jewelry

DAILY LIFE 47 Kindly Light 48 Fireplaces 49 Some Quiet Occupations 50 Sewing 51 Caring for Books 52 Music 53 Images and Recordings 54 Home Offices and Computers 55 Pets

SLEEP 56 The Cave of Nakedness 57 Beds and Bedding 58 Closets for Clothes and Linens

SAFE SHELTER 59 Being Prepared 60 Fire 61 Electrical Safety 62 Slips and Falls 63 Further Miscellaneous Safety Rules 64 Poisons, Hazardous Substances, and Proper Disposal of Hazardous Household Wastes 65 Additional Safety Measures for Children

FORMALITIES 66 Understanding Your Castle 67 Too Late to Say You¹re Sorry 68 Promises, Promises 69 Domestic Employment Laws 70 Working with Household Help 71 Insurance 72 Fond Records NOTES ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND SOURCES INDEX PREFACE