Good Housekeeping

Good housekeeping is more than just a magazine, lifestyle, and thing on your to-do list. It’s also the backbone of many beloved television sitcoms of many moons ago. Here are some tips to help you tidy up your abode in the style of these favorite characters. Transform yourself into the total package for yourself and your family and be Nell Harper in the bedroom, Mrs. Garrett in the kitchen, and Tony Micelli in the parlor.

NELL HARPER

Bring some of Nell’s sass into your life and give yourself a break. Whether she was vacuuming out the fish tank, answering the phone “Carnegie Hall” (even though it was the Kanisky residence – ha!!), or just there as a throwback comedic foil to the white family she worked for, Nell frequently saved the day with her fresh, take-no-prisoners attitude.

If you revisit “Gimme a Break,” it really is not what one could call “timeless.” It’s way too serious to the point of being abysmal. They really dialed down the comedy in these situations, and everything I thought I loved about this show must have only been in my mind because it’s barely watchable.  (But I wouldn’t mind seeing a “Spotlight On…” Dolph Sweet sometime in the near future. What do you say, me?)

Housekeeper Rating: 2 Feather Dusters

EDNA GARRETT

From posh upper Manhattan to bucolic Peekskill, Mrs. Garrett brings extensive experience to her households. She was equally deft at problem-solving the woes of two urban boys who have nothing but the jeans, genes, and/or dreams, as well as the troubles of female prep-school students.

“The Facts of Life” is another one of these shows that doesn’t stand the test of time and its’ life lessons are dismal.

Housekeeper Rating: 3 Cans of Kaboom!

TONY MICELLI

Tony could do it all. He was a powerhouse dad, a dynamo cook, and the envy of Fairfield. His sense of team spirit came from his days on the St. Louis Cards – and is a real boon to running a household. His Italian dishes are a must for busy days, and his attention to detail, like vacuuming the curtains, is really what makes the Bower household run so smoothly.

“Who’s the Boss?” stands the test of time. We see a positive male role model making a brand new life around the bend and being a skillful homemaker, while Angela “leans in” as the president of the 12^th largest advertising company, and later at Tony’s encouragement, opens her own namesake agency.

Housekeeping Rating: 1 Variety Pack of Magic Erasers

So next time your housekeeping reality is a dark vortex of disgusting filth, there’s no food in the house, and the children are wearing torn, tattered clothing, step back, take a deep breath, and turn on the television for the answers, provided these shows are in syndication. Otherwise, bookmark this post!