Rating: 
Summary: I wish I'd had this years ago....
Review: Mendelson's lucid prose transforms the hot-button subject of homemaking (which is more than just housekeeping) into an activity worthy of time and attention. Without the slightest preachiness, she covers everything you need to know to run a home efficiently. Her gentle, practical tone eliminates any need for defensiveness, so it is possible to glimpse her vision of the pleasantness of order. The book is more like a detailed, well-organized textbook than a "helpful hints" manual. For example, the "Cloth" section begins with descriptions of modern fabrics, and thoroughly discusses everything relevant to choosing, laundering, ironing, folding, removing stains, sanitizing (for contagious diseases, lice, or poison ivy), and troubleshooting fabric difficulties. And she manages to make it interesting! My mother, whose home was perfectly maintained, used many of Mendelson's techniques and scheduling ideas, but never passed them on to me (she preferred to do it herself so that it would be done "right") so I grew up feeling that housework was something I couldn't successfully do.Since there are few things more depressing than feeling incompetant, I've tried to learn homemaking through trial and error. This book would have eliminated much of the error, and provided a much shorter and more pleasant learning curve. I recommend this book to anyone who has a home or wants to be prepared to maintain one. It's well worth the price.
Rating: 
Summary: Useful, but not comprehensive
Review: The most important thing to know about this book is that it is not a comprehensive guide to homemaking, rather it contains topics in which the author is interested. The last 10 chapters are on legal issues, sometimes not very relevant to homemaking (the author is a lawyer). The book is short on information on the major systems of a home, such as electricity, heat, etc. Plumbing only rates a two-page chapter that basically says 'call a plumber'. There is an impressive amount of information on air quality, allergens, food safety and related topics. Almost enough to make a person really paranoid. I like the author's no-nonsense approach to cleaning. At first I thought it was crazy to get on hands and knees to wash a floor, but I tried it and realized how much ground-in dirt really was on my floor. It makes sense that you can see more dirt from 2 ft away than 5 ft.
Rating: 
Summary: I returned it
Review: I was so disappointed. I thought this would have much more meat to it. If you know how to fold a fitted sheet, iron a blouse, or use lime-away on shower doors don't bother with this book. I was looking for different, helpful hints. Mom already told me to use lime-away. I have a book called something like "Yankee Home Hints" that is just filled with useful tips and hints on everything you could image. I guess I was hoping this book would be more like that.
Rating:
Summary: Yes, It's Even For Busy People!
Review: I think a lot of times we disregard the 'old-fashioned' way of doing things because we feel it is outdated. This book reminded me that there can be merit in doing things the traditional way, and that it doesn't necessarily take any more time than to do it the 'quick and easy' way (that is not as fulfilling). For example, meals have ceased to become the events that they were in the past. Now they are rushed, consist of fast foods, eaten in front of the TV, etc. Sometimes our lives ARE hectic, but is there really a reason why we have to eat in front of the TV instead of the table? And sometimes waiting in line at the drive-thru takes more time than preparing a simple meal -- maybe soup and salad. Cloth napkins are just as easy to use as paper, even for people who have to use a laundromat, but they are often more appealing. Meals now are simply fuel for the body, instead of a time of rest to fuel the spirit -- but it doesn't have to be that way. If you'd like to make meals more traditional, this book can show you how. This book is also a great help for those of us who didn't really learn much about keeping a house from our parents. Most of my generation grew up away from our extended families, our mothers worked, and being a feminist meant doing NOTHING like the previous generations... so we didn't learn much about making a home in the tradtional sense. I had no idea how often or why some things were even done! Some readers may be intimidated by the vast amount of information in this book, but Mendelson states up front that you should only do what is right for you and your family. She gives you all the information you could ever want, so that you are able to make an informed choice about how to keep YOUR house.
Rating:
Summary: FINALLY!
Review: I can sum the way I feel about this book in 3 words - I LOVE IT! I'm a stay-at-home mother and housewife, basically I'm June Cleaver born 30 years too late. I can't tell you how reading just the first few chapters of this book have given me such a sense of validation. In this world of working women, I am a dinosaur. The business of running a household and raising a family is unfashionable and not held in much esteem by most these days. Having read through Home Comforts, reassures me that what I do does have real purpose, and is a necessary and important job.
Rating:
Summary: Great Bathroom Reading!
Review: I'll be closing on my first house in about a month. Uptillnow, my family and I have been living in apartments (We've livedin approximately five different apartments and one rented house in the past seven years.). My wife and I have secular jobs and our son keeps us busy when we're not at work... and, sometimes even while we are at work - you know the drill. We have always had a terrible time trying to keep our home clean. I finished reading the book (nearly all of it - the section on material and fabrics was a little boring to me; but that's just me) within two weeks... all while in the bathroom! Like my review title says; it's GREAT bathroom reading. I go back to the book periodically to review the material to make sure I've memorized as much as I can before I need to start using it in our new house. I've already used the how-to part on folding laundry - it's so nice to open my drawer and see my shirt folded neatly (like they are when you buy them at the store), waiting for me. The book touches on (as near as I can figure) all aspects of "keeping house" and will be of value to anyone interested in coming home each day after work to a nice, clean, organized home in which to relax. END
Rating:
Summary: One can do worse than live in a clean home
Review: Anyone who thinks that it's sexist to clean house needs to get a life. In fact, men can feel free to follow any of Mendelson's plans too because the book does not necessarily direct every comment to women. I couldn't get over how much research went into this book -- the author must have spent years writing and polishing this work. Whether or not you agree with her philosophy, this book is indispensible as a reference work on everything to do with the house: cooking, cleaning, removing tough stains, organizing a weekly schedule, etc... I have to admit that I read it straight through, not just as a reference, and found almost all of it engrossing. I like the idea that keeping house should be an art, or at least a priority in our busy lives. Couples will certainly feel more grounded after reading this book and internalizing some of its ideas. A great house-warming present!
Rating:
Summary: Even feminists clean house, don't they?
Review: I never burned my bra (heaven knows I need it to keep things where they belong!), but that doesn't mean I'm not a feminist. That said, I didn't know feminism precluded a clean, well-ordered environment. The author of this book is a lawyer & professor. She has children. She works outside the home. And she cleans. Cut her a break. In her introduction Cheryl Mendelson specifically states she is writing a 'reference' work. One that would work equally well for beginners as well as for experienced homemakers. No where in this book does she say you have to do everything she suggests or follow her lead. She's simply supplying the information. Unless you live in a sty, everyone cleans. How much time you spend on that activity is up to you. If there are tricks and short-cuts to make it easier, all the better. Since reading this book, I've have re-instated many of the routines I used to have. What happened? I'm actually spending *less* time on cleaning and straightening than before. The only thing I disagree with is the emphasis on disinfecting surfaces, bacterial contamination, etc. I think we all need a few germs in order to build our immune systems. Studies have shown that parents whose children are kept too clean get ill more often. Unless there is a person in your household who is already immune compromised, I'd ease up on the sanitizing and anti-bacterializing. Many things have changed, but, unfortunately, women are still judged on how their houses look. But, even if that wasn't true, I doubt I'm the only one who still wants a clean, organized home, who likes linens to smell fresh, who feels a sense of satisfaction in cooking great-looking, good-tasting meals. Being a feminist means being yourself, living the way you want -- and allowing others to do the same.
Rating:
Summary: Home keeping can be an art
Review: This book is not just as a reference book. I was attracted to the idea that "home-making" is a serious and needed vocation. She was able to write without simplistic demeaning remarks, and without the idea of a "perfect" Martha-Stewardish home.
Rating:
Summary: Living Comfortably
Review: "With systematic housekeeping, most of the time you live comfortably." Cheryl Mendelsohn makes the point well that keeping house is a way to health, safey, and comfort. While the book is encyclopedic in its comprehensiveness, she also clarifies, "If you can still cook simple meals and food preparation areas are safe and sanitary, if everyone has clean clothes, if the bedrooms are dusted, vacuumed, and aired and the bedding is fresh, you are doing well." I find this book a veritable treasure trove of housekeeping information. I went away to boarding school when I was only 14, where everything was provided for me except keeping my own room neat. After college I found myself at a loss as far as basic housekeeping. This book is teaching me the basics as well as advanced skills in a friendly way, and I often curl up with it at night before I go to sleep. I found particularly interesting the idea that certain tasks belong to certain days of the week, and I made a little list which I posted above my sink. I'm fairly flexible with my interpretation of it, but it serves as a gentle reminder to me. "A tired working person is often able to do things that are routine and habitual." A suggested weekly routine runs something like this: washing on Monday, marketing on Tuesday, minicleaning on Wednesday, odd jobs on Thursday, housecleaning Saturday morning. My own schedule is different to suit my own needs, but I find the routine comforting and automatic. Might not work for everyone, but helps keep me from procrastinating due to fatigue from work or other pressures. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the basics of keeping a home. "But because it is true that whoever loves the end also loves the means, all of us who really do enjoy living in a well-kept home can come to enjoy the rituals of its care."
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