1940s Mining Life

Before people had electric cleaning appliances, they had to beat their rugs clean with a carpet beater. They did not have fully carpeted rooms like many people have now. They might have a square of carpet, or rugs over stone flags. Poor people might have only had a few rugs, including one in front of the fire. They would hang the rug up outside perhaps on the clothes line and beat it to get the dust and dirt out.

Many household had linoleum on their floors, which was easily washable. People even had this in their bedrooms, and remember how cold it felt underfoot when they got out of bed in the morning. Bedroom linoleum could be patterned to look like a bedroom carpet, perhaps with flowers.