I have been a lover of DIY and hacks for at least ten years and so naturally am also a collector of historical remedies and techniques. I imagine the Beau Monde household was full of homespun wisdoms and hacks, for who had more interest in working smarter than harder than the unsung servants?
In the wonderfully thorough reference The Universal Cook: And City and Country Housekeeper (1806) by Francis Collingwood, John Woollams, presumably the lady reader is offered some unique hacks to share with her staff. While most pertains to cooking, there are some gems of wisdom for cleaning. In particular, cleaning seemed to involve rubbing bread on everything from wallpaper to furniture. Here are some of my favorites (just imagine the smell!)
The Cook and Housekeeper’s Complete and Universal Dictionary by Mary Eaton (1822) also contains some useful tidbits:
