The Lost Art of House Cleaning: A Clean House Is a Happy Home Paperback – January 31, 2011

I’m glad I read the reviews prior to purchasing it because I generally hate typos, poor grammar, and bad spelling when I am reading. However, I had a purpose when bought the book which was to get my house sparklingly clean. And even the reviews that mentioned the errors still stated that the author accomplished that purpose, so I bought it prepared to cope. I soon found it wasn’t that bad, and Ms. Dougherty has a great sense of humor which makes reading the book enjoyable.I was overwhelmed after a bout of illness and couldn’t even figure out where to start. This book is like your favorite auntie takes you by the hand and explains it all so that it makes sense and you feel like you can actually do it. I’ve only just begun, but I’ve gotten together the recommended supplies and started and it feels good. I am so glad I bought this book

Loved her ideas for cleaning and how she wrote it. This was a great book. My mom had taught me some of it already, I'd learned some more of it on my own (I'm in my 50's), but Jan added even more things! Thank you Jan!!

I was skeptical, but I will never go back to cleaning the way I did before! Once I gave it a go I was sold and I will never buy all those cleaning products ever again. They didn’t work anyway, which is why I had so many and a closet full of the newest and latest promise.I’ve always been a clean freak, but my house has never been cleaner after reading this book.

It all starts with a plan. If you've never cooked before, a counter full of great ingredients, a knife, a pan and stove will likely yield mixed results. Edible perhaps, but great? Not likely. I never thought about house cleaning that way until I read Jan Dougherty's super book.We just bought a new house and after having been frustrated to the point of tears over our last place, I was determined to get a plan this time. As it happened, my "Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook," got packed up with most of our other books and lies somewhere in a box in the storage unit. At first I was dismayed, and then I decided to find another - less weighty - book to help me until those boxes were unpacked and I found the book again.Sorry Martha, but I'm glad you weren't available. Jan's book certainly includes how to clean certain items, but unlike Martha's book, there is a clear blueprint as to HOW. I can't imagine tackling housecleaning any other way now.Some of the best features of this book:A road map that in no uncertain terms, gives you a method to clean your home - really clean it - with as little fuss and unnecessary steps as possible.A list of three products that will clean every item in your house that are easily accessible and inexpensive and why and how these products do what they do so well.A small inventory of items to do the cleaning with the above mentioned products.I have never been so happy to clean my house. I see the results immediately. I spend way less time than I ever dreamed possible keeping a shiny, clean home. As an example - I now mop my kitchen floor every night after the dishes are done. It's not in the book, and it might not be on anyone else's daily to-do list. But I can manage it in under two minutes, so why not? I have all the materials to do it right at hand, and I know my kitchen floor is as clean as the counters, dishes and sink.One of the best things about the book is that with this system, even if you are interrupted, you always know where you left off and what's left to finish. And you can't help but do it correctly because it's so well thought out.Some other reviewers are a little put off by Jan's use of acronyms, but this is totally in keeping with her style ... why type the whole phrase when two or three letters convey the message ... work quickly and efficiently and get the task done. She heartily encourages a reward of a lovely beverage after you're finished, and you can sit, relax and enjoy a home that you just cleaned to perfection. Might not seem like a big deal to some, but if you're like me, you know exactly what I'm talking about.I can't recommend this book highly enough for those who are stymied by this seemingly simple task. If you've already got a sparkling home, you probably don't need it. But Jan mentions that even new hires to her professional cleaning company who think they know all there is to know about housecleaning are soon happily converted to her system. How this for perks? Jan makes up a team to clean a house for the first time so that everything - ceiling fans to floor vents - are totally clean in four hours. They start at eight a.m. and are rewarded with a delicious lunch just after noon. Talk about motivation! Thank you Jan! You are a gem!

The past few years in my life have been hectic, and I my house hasn't gotten a BJ in that time. (That's Big Job, not...Blue Jay.)I'm a writer, and work at home. I take frequent breaks to save my hands, and thanks to this book, I'm working on giving my house a BJ, 15 minutes at a time.First, I want to mention cleaning supplies. Don't ask questions, just get them all at once, and you will be glad you did. In the end, having the right supplies will save time and money. I'd like to emphasize a caddy for each room. No, that's not someone to carry your clubs, it's a container for keeping your supplies organized. I am going to make one for each type of room from cardboard boxes and duct tape. (That's the man coming out in me.)The PATH is miraculous. It keeps me organized, and I can pick up right where I left off.I could list all the hints, but it would be easier for you to buy the book and experience the satisfaction of a clean house for yourself. Besides, I need to get back to work.UPDATE:My house is getting cleaner by the day and I've discovered some things that might help.I was talking to a professional painter at a box store, and he recommended I go to a paint store like Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore and buy a box of cotton cloth. I bought 8 pounds of cotton rags for $26. It sounds expensive, but now I can have a rag for almost every wipe. The quality is similar to lightweight t-shirts. They clean as well as the microfiber rags and cost pennies apiece.Maybe it's in the book, but I use a soft paintbrush to brush the top of the baseboards and the crack between the floor and the baseboard. I also suck the dust out with the attachment on my vacuum cleaner. This keeps the dust from turning to mud when I mop.I bought a broom similar to the type used to sweep garages, but it is only about a foot wide. For washing floors, I spray the floor with cleaner, put a piece of the cotton cloth on the floor and push it around with the brush. The brush holds the cloth like Velcro. Since the cotton cloth hangs out the sides, it cleans the baseboards well. I use a new cloth for every few square feet. When I'm done, I toss them in the wash, and they come out clean. I like the solid wooden handle of the broom, and unlike a Swiffer, it will likely last many years.Instead of Krud Kutter, I use about 10 drops of Dr. Bronner's soap in a spray bottle. It costs only a few cents a bottle instead of $$$ for many of the popular cleaners. It works as well as the Krud Kutter except for very dirty areas.I made a cleaning caddy from a cardboard box with another small box inside for the bottles and other little things. I fill the big section with clean cloths.I use a second box to hold the dirty rags, and when I'm done, I toss them in the wash.This book is expensive, but this is one of those cases where it is worth it.

Firstly, thank you Ms Dougherty for giving us your knowledge without making us wade through 300 pages of fluff! It's short, sweet and just gives you the info you came looking for - how to clean your house. I'm excited to try out her approach. When I start cleaning, I'm disorganized and miss things. This seems a much more structured way to move around the room.

A simple, efficient, easy method to clean your home using just a few cleaners. Don't be put off by the cheap production of this slim book, it's the contents that matter and this method is so simple you'll hardly need to look at it once you're in the swing of things. Bought 'rags' in bulk on amazon and found a near identical uk replacement with 'Dirtbusters bio multi clean' which is 'eco' safe and very economical etc. I have to say I'm stunned at the results.

I realise now that I have never been taught to clean; but now I know. The Lost Art of Housecleaning describes exactly how to clean each room (top to bottom, back to front, right to left) in a humorous way; making the book a joy to read. The main product recommended is excellent and makes cleaning so much easier. All in all, a very good book.

What a fantastic book! Everyone knows how to do housework, but we don't all know how to really CLEAN!!! It has inspired me to spring clean the whole house. Jan's methods really do cut out all the "faf" and get the job done thoroughly in far less time.

Great read, useful facts