How often do you hire cleaning services for your home in Queens, NY? Once a week or more? You’re probably too busy to deal with the mess yourself, and you’d rather let experts do what they do best.
But did you know that by doing this, you actually follow an old tradition of letting maids take charge of your home hygiene? Housekeeping has a long and vibrant history. People have always depended on professionals for the maintenance of their households. Eager to learn more? Keep reading the article below!
What is the history of housekeeping?
Throughout history, middle and upper-class families have always employed servants to assist them with various tasks. Maids were one of them. Since the Middle Ages, the term maid has meant all kinds of female servants.
This term originates from the word maiden, which denotes a young, virginal, or single woman. Housemaids of that era were mostly conscripted into domestic service and not allowed to marry. They were provided with food, clothing, and lodging in the homes where they worked.
Maids were considered essential to the management of grand palaces, castles, and estates. They handled household maintenance, including cleaning attics, scrubbing kitchen floors, washing windows, etc.
The Industrial Revolution, the First World War, and women’s suffrage introduced a huge change to the housekeeping profession. Many women continued their education, looked for other kinds of jobs, or opted for working in factories.
The housekeeping industry has recently started booming again. However, it isn’t a duty exclusively carried out by single women anymore, and it’s definitely no longer a luxury reserved for the richest classes.
Today, modern women and men seek to realize their professional ambitions and want to spend more time with their families. That’s why they outsource their household chores to experts who usually work for cleaning agencies or companies.
What was the first cleaning product?
Historically, the first cleaning product humans used was found in nature. It was clean water. After some time, soap was developed. Babylonians first started using it around 2800 B.C.E. They heated a mixture of oil and wood ash and used it to wash woolen clothes.
Then, the ancient Egyptians combined animal and vegetable oils with alkaline salts to create soap. The use of soap was not limited to bathing and washing. It was also used to treat skin diseases.
The origin of the word soap is closely connected to the fictional Mount Sapo. This mountain was believed to be somewhere near Rome, the capital of Italy. The legend says that Romans sacrificed animals and burned their offerings on this sacred mountain.
After their rituals, animal fat and ash left there would react, creating a kind of primitive soap. Then, when it rained, water would flow down the mountain, taking this mixture to nearby streams, and after some time, clay-like deposits emerged. The local people discovered this newly formed substance, tried it out, and started using it to wash their laundry.
Hire trustworthy house cleaning services in Queens, NY, today
Did you know all these facts about house cleaning? Housekeeping is an essential industry indeed. It provides people with top services and makes their lives more enjoyable. Would you like to play baseball with your kids at Queensbridge park instead of mopping your floors? What are you waiting for? Call Checklist Maids to your rescue.
We are a locally-owned eco-friendly company that can do everything for your house in Queens. Professionals we cooperate with are experts at cleaning your grimy bathrooms, dusting your furniture, making your kitchen floor sparkle, and much more. Give us a call, and see it yourself!
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