Definition of Good Housekeeping

Turn of the Century

Five years after the launch of “Good Housekeeping” magazine, the Good Housekeeping Experiment Station (later named the Good Housekeeping Institute) was founded in 1900. By testing washing machines, iceboxes and other mass-marketed household appliances, the organization and its magazine became renowned for its “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.”

Applied to the Workplace

Good housekeeping goes beyond the home. Governments such as Canada’s Centre for Occupational Health and Safety advocate good housekeeping rules in the workplace. Such rules go beyond cleanliness.

Ongoing Maintenance

Heeding the law of entropy (which states that nature tends from order to disorder in isolated systems), good housekeeping requires ongoing maintenance throughout the workday, rather than sporadic cleaning.

Preventing Hazards

By removing objects, debris and clutter that people could trip over or quickly cleaning up slippery surfaces, the practice of good housekeeping can help prevent accidents. Removing paper, cardboard and other combustible waste can prevent fire hazards.

Employee Training

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety states that workers should be trained to work safely with the tools and products they use and how to protect other workers.