The Maintenance and Preservation of Houses in the Traditional Residential Areas (Part1): Regarding Domestic Cleaning

The folloeing results were revealed regarding the current status and changes in domestic cleaning, from the interviews conducted in the four traditional residential areas surveyed during 1985 through 1987. (1) Daily cleaning was carried out mainly on daily used rooms, and the span of the daily cleaned area tended to decrease. Except for "kado-haki" (house-front cleaning) in Kyoto, such cleaningjobs were carried out after breakfast. (2) Domestic cleaning was considered to be a duty and the concept of contracting progessionals from outside the household was unthinkable. (3) Since the residences built in the conventional construction method were surveyed, continuous cleaning habits generated luster in lumber used in the flooring, pillars and lattices, which made it easier to remove stains. The residents lived in the houses with loving care.