Martha's simplistic and realistic approach to caring for your home, shines through in this wonderful book. It is stuffed with useful and informative solutions to homekeeping. This book would make the perfect house warming or newly wed gift or tell-all reference guide for the bachelor too!

I purchased this book for recently married friends who are renovated a historic home in upstate New York. Along with this book, I also purchased Your Home A Living Canvas: Create Stunning Faux Finishes & Murals with Paint, by Curtis Heuser, which follows the author/artist's entire 1890's historic home creative re-birth. Where Martha's book guides the reader to keeping up the household, Heuser's shares the secrets to reinventing the interior of your home with breathtaking faux finishes and mural detailing. My friends loved the combination of these two books, as they offer "inspiring" home care and designing solutions, that are easily adaptable to any household! If you are looking for a gift to be remembered (Heuser's YOUR HOME...is hardback and filled with beautiful photography worthy of being displayed on your coffe table ) and referred back to again and again (as Martha's HOMEKEEPING...is the only home reference volume you will ever need) - these books are highly reccommended! In my opinion, the diverse domestic value in both can't be beat!

Being that I now own my own home, after apartment living for so long, when it comes to home care I'm a little clueless in many areas. I've got the basics down like doing laundry, washing dishes etc. but there's always this nagging feeling that there are tricks I'm missing that would make taking care of my home so much easier. This book answered many questions, especially in the laundry chapter, and brought forward many things I never thought of like how to better organize my crazy sock drawer. Some of the ideas in this book bother me a bit in that I can't believe I'm really reading sections titled "How to clean a sink" or "How to fold a sweater". BUT after I read those sections I find that I've found some new ways to do things and I think "Why didn't I think of that?". Great book for anyone who wants to care for their home in a more organized and simpler way. Also this is, in my opinion, a great book for new home owners and young newlyweds.

This book has everything and every home should have one. Its a great reference guide and also teaching tool for young brides. Would make an excellent shower gift.

Wow. Martha Stewart has outdone herself this time with a tome that is really worth every page. I enjoy reading her magazine, although sometimes I feel like some of the ideas are either common sense or not practical. In this book, though, everything is useful. It is organized with a chapter for each type of household room first, followed by chapters on specific cleaning techniques and equipment, and charts at the front to organize all the tasks she recommends performing daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonally. She stresses HIGHLY to avoid commercial, harsh cleaning products and in every instance gives milder, more natural alternatives such as vinegar, baking soda, diluted dish soap, etc. and tells you which one to use for which purpose. A lot of "preventative" cleaning tips are given, which will ensure that your cleaning situation never gets dire enough to need harsh products and/or elbow grease. All in all, I was very impressed with the quality of the presentation and the information alike in this most useful of books.

It does help me a lot with homecare but many things there are about old stuff.

I bought this book for myself, ...and I've been married over forty years. I try to read on it every day, and I'm learning lots of new things, but its huge with over 700 pages! I wish it had been around when I first got married. It covers nearly everything you need to know whether you own or rent a home. I will be giving this book as a wedding gift from now on or to anyone moving into their first place. Perhaps there should be one just for the outside of a home.

This could have been such a wonderful book, but Ms. Stewart doesn't go into enough detail on how to trade cigarettes for protection or learning to deal with an unruly bunk mate. I'll give it 3 stars because it's great to see that a convicted felon can lie, cheat, and steal...but then continue to rise in success after being released from prison!! You have to love America don't you. I am going to be the first person to pre-order her newest book, to be released in 2010. I hear rumors she's co-producing it with Mike Vick. We are in for such a treat!! You might not find it on this site, but some forums are saying the title with be along the lines of "How to Decorate a 5 X 5 space and not block the sink." Stay strong Martha, just because you're a criminal doesn't mean I don't love you!

Wow, I'll never make it through this entire book! Tells you everything you need to know about homekeeping and more! So many helpful tips. Great explanations. Every family should own this manual! Very well written and easy to follow!

In her prologue, Martha discusses her interest and admiration for old books on household management from several countries. Lo and behold, Martha has created this country's home management encyclopedia herself. All joking aside (SNL sketches, anyone?), you gotta hand it to her: she has indeed created this country and this generation's home care encyclopedia. As a city girl who suddenly found herself in a suburban house with a family to care for, I needed a clue about how I could run my home (instead of it running me). I poured over this book. It doesn't go into deep detail on anything, but that is its strength. It is comprehensive, modern and useful. I was anticipating uptight and obsolete practices. (Well ok, just skip the page on devoting a closet to roll and store your antique linens.) Here are just a few sample topics I picked randomly: sealing your limestone floors, different types of heating systems and their care, recommended quantities of linens, seasonal cleaning and maintenance schedules, setting up a WiFi network, take care of cut flowers, fix squeaky stairs, babyproof a home, the different quilting approaches for comforters and which will keep the feathers from migrating to the edges, outfitting a fireplace, different sheet materials and their qualities, how to make your home more energy efficient. It is a great resource for anyone with a house, an apartment, or any space of their own to maintain.

I bought this for a friend a year ago and put it on my Christmas list for this year. Santa was a good boy and now I have my very own copy. I've been a home-maker and careerist for 42 years and think I know a lot about running a home, but this book has things to teach everyone, whether you are a new bride or apartment dweller or an experienced home maker. Everything is addressed here, including how to set the table and serve dinner for a formal party, and then how to clean your china, crystal and silver afterward your guests have departed. My own hint, which I don't think Martha included: always count your flatware right after a party so you can retrieve any that inadvertently ended up in the trash. It happens.

I really love her checklists- everyone makes them, but Martha's are a good guide for starting out. I was really impressed with her cleaning schedules- OK,Martha cleans more than I do, but you can look at her lists for daily, weekly, quarterly and so on, and use them as great reminders of tasks that you might overlook.

I'm also pleased to see how 'green' and multi-functional her recommended cleaning products are. Despite heavy marketing by the manufacturers of home toxics, you don't need a separate poisonous product for every finish and surface.

I hope someday to leave this book, along with The Joy of Cooking, to my niece, with perhaps a few notes of my own added.

MarthaStewart's Book is like an encyclopedia for caring for your home. However I wish she woould have devoted some tips on cleaning things that can be difficult, like the calcium and lime deposits in your toilet. She does get away from "Abrasive" cleaners. The book is very informative

I originally purchased this book for a friend as a birthday gift (she is a Martha fiend!) but after I flipped through it ordered another for myself. As is everything "Martha" the steps imply that you have no other life than "good things" but as everyone knows, you can take parts from it and adapt them easily.

Much like everyone else has stated, this is more like an encyclopeida than "handbook" but tells you everything you'd ever want to know. A must for every home. A excellent gift for first time homeowners, brides, etc.

Last Christmas my wife received this book for a gift. She was very impressed that my daughter asked for this gift for this Christmas. A very useful book to have in the house. Buying from Amazon is the way to go. We ordered the book and in 3 days it was delivered to our door. We purchase from Amazon frequently.

Wow, this book has it all! I wish it was around years ago when I first started keeping a home for my family....I plan to give a copy to every bride and groom as a wedding present.

Let me start by saying that this is the first Martha Stewart product of any kind I have purchased. I don't like Martha Stewart. But I needed a homekeeping handbook, and this got great reveiws. I must admit, the book is wonderful. Exactly what I was looking for. It would make a great wedding or housewarming gift.

I actually bought this for my husband, he is a big Martha fan and even if he wasn't he still would have wanted this book!! It covers everything you could ever want to know about Homekeeping!! We both love it!!

This book is most diffently worth the money. I am not in no means " a new" housekeeper. But I learned many things and tricks that I didn't know. I would highly recommend this book.

Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook is, as she says, meant to be a modern version of Mrs. Beaton's book of Housekeeping which was published in 1861, and she does a good job of it. I found out I have been folding my towels up wrong, but I am open to improvement. I think this is a good "standard" book for any woman to have in her kitchen, right next to "the Joy of Cooking". She tells how to get just about every stain out of material, be it clothes or a tablecloth. She even tells how to sweep the floor. Martha seems to be such a perfect housekeeper, it is a little intimidating, but it's a good book. If you have any domestic leanings, this belongs in your library.

I bought this book - half thinking it would be one of those stuck at the back of my bookshelf - well I was wrong!!

I have learned so much from this book! It is easy to look up certain things when you are having a crisis (like a stain on your carpet you need to lift), but it is an easy read when you just want to sit down and review a chapter for future crisis, lol. This book provided me with answers to things that I didn't even know I had questions for!!

I grew up in the 80's and 90's in a two parent working home. It probably never occured to my mother to do half of the things in here, let alone teach them to me. As a stay at home mom this book provides many ways to accomplish money saving tasks as well as provide insight into ways to better manage my home.

It is a little expensive as far as homekeeping books go, however its already saved me way more money than it cost, as well as time in the tricks I have learned!!

Overall, this is my best book purchase of 2007!

This is a fantastic resource! When I got married 3 1/2 months ago I had so many questions about simple things around the house. I had let a lot of tasks pass as "fine" when I was single, but I was ready to improve my skills and make my house a true home with my hew husband. I bought this book shortly after our honeymoon, and I've been extremely satisfied with it. Martha answers even the smallest of household care questions and makes it easy to understand. The organization of the book is very clear and the pictures are helpful. I plan to use the book as a quick reference for years to come.

This is an incredible book, I have no words, love it, love it, love it
Great resource for everything house and home related.
Must have for anyone with a home.

The book is fantastic, I give it for housewarming gifts and use it myself for info on how to clean and take care of all kinds of things in my home. BUT - This is the second time I've had an issue with Amazon's books. Yes, it was a little bit less expensive than the other online booksellers, but it is a lower-end version of the book. The little fabric bookmark is not on this copy and the dust jacket is made of cheap clear plastic. I will not buy any more books from Amazon unless they are soft covers and I don't care what they look like. The other book I purchased from this site was missing the dust jacket completely and they never figured out how to order one for me You get what you pay for I suppose. Disappointed.

I refer to this book often for ideas on how to take care of my home. We use it to settle a lot of disputes in our house. If my husband and I argue on how to do something in the house, we can refer to this. A few examples would be: how much laudry detergent to use, how long to run the washer, how to do dishes, how to keep floors clean & the frequency that things need to be washed/cleaned. It gives lists on what chores to do and when & how to do many other things. It's like a bible of housekeeping.

I enjoy it. It motivates you to be a little less domestically challenged & to take care of your home.

There are many hidden costs to owning your home and preserving its value. Proper maintenance and care is key to protecting this investment. This book is the ultimate guide in caring for every aspect of your home from room to room. Detailed instructions on routine cleaning, periodic maintenance to providing comfort and saftey are included in typical Martha fashion of simple articulation and common sense logic. Easy to read, easy to find information. This really is not a handbook however, it is more encyclopedic in portion and size. Worth having in every home. Also makes a nice gift for new home owners.

An excellent resource to have on hand. I wish I had it twenty years ago. A definite good gift for newly weds of any age.

This book is virtually an encyclopedia of how to keep a home.
Martha is the Mother I always wished I had! I have no more lingering homekeeping questions on what to do, or how to do it.

My daughter-in-law had this on her Christmas list and loves the book. Very well put together as only Martha can do it.

Martha thought of it all. I can honestly say that I can't think of one single subject or item that is related to keeping a home that is not covered in this book. From how and how often to clean every aspect of a house, to how to maintain possessions, to organizing, to common repairs. Anything I could have a question about pertaining to keeping my home has been addressed. This book is packed full of neat little ideas that anyone can implement. Don't plan to implement them all -- one would definitely be overwhelmed by that! Rather, view this book as an encyclopedia and reference book. I've not seen any other book comparable to this one.

This would be perfect for a bridal shower or housewarming gift.

I purchased this book as a gift for my daughter. I have one and refer to it occasionally. It is a good reference book.

I love Martha Stewart. I watch her show. I am OVERWHELMED by her book - I had to put it away. If you watch Martha's show, you know Martha is a bit anal about everything and good at it - heck, she has a staff to do what needs to be done - so for me, all the fuss and bother to clean something is truly Martha but it isn't truly me. Give me a roll of papertowels, some spray cleaner and step out of the way. The book is too over-the-top for me.

We have finally reached the stage where many of our mothers and even grandmothers were professional women, not homemakers passing their skills to their daughters (and maybe sons). The shadows of the Depression and WWII rationing are gone. We are a convenience society, using everything from prepackaged salad to throw away mops. This is not a Good Thing. But how many of us know the tricks of keeping a cozy, tidy house, without all those conveniences and products, and how to protect the things we own and love from wear and tear?

Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook is the answer, a wonderful encyclopedia of everything you need to know about keeping a house. Covering a wide range of topics, from how to remove stains to how to buy a sofa, this well illustrated volume offers clear instructions and suggestions for all aspects of home care. Well organized, there are sections for each room in the house, for cleaning and maintenance, and for home safety. Granted, there are parts that are a little "over the top" for most of us, for example, how to sort your children's toys, compete with labeling. Good luck! But there are invaluable things, like how to iron that shirt (saving money on a professional cleaner, to boot), and how to fold those impossible fitted sheets into neat bundles. There are even sections on how to fix a lamp, unclog a sink, and start a compost heap. Some things are just touched on, flower arranging, for example, while others are fully treated, such as how to restore a metal lawn chair or what constitutes the basic equipment for a kitchen. And there are pages of resource materials. If you haven't a clue what that stray funny-looking sterling fork you inherited was for, you will find your answer here.

What impressed me the most was that this was not an exercise in product placement. Wherever possible, natural, simple solutions were suggested, like using rubbing alcohol to remove ballpoint pen stains and using lemon juice and salt to clean your good copper pots.

Not everything in this book is for everybody. It is, after all, an encyclopedia. My tool shop is far more complete than Martha's suggested basic tool set. My library is totally organized, but many parts of my home are an exercise in memory retention, and that is enough organization for me. And I didn't need to be told how to set the dials on my washer and drying, but I'll bet somebody who is on their own for the first time (some young man entering college, let's say) needs this sort of information. On the other hand, laundry stains are my Nemesis, and I went staight to Martha for help. And I needed all the basic housecleaning help I could get. I think this book is wonderful, and I expect to make good use of it for years to come.

This book is AMAZING! Martha knows it all when it comes to making a home. I received this as a gift from my mom when I moved into my house, and now I pass on this great book to my friends who are buying new homes! This book is a definite essential in makinf a house a home.

I'm really enjoying all the information of basic homekeeping methods, and I keep finding little "surprising facts" or techniques that don't require unusual supplies or materials. This is a very "hands-on," user-friendly book of ideas and methods.
I've given several books as gifts, and everyone has been delighted to have this large volume of information for all kinds of usual or rather obscure questions of "how do I do . . ." and "what are the benefits of . . ." I am impressed with the many informational charts that compare diffent materials so thoroughly. This is a packed handbook!

It's still a good book. I have used this book to look up several household questions lately and have not found the answer ONCE. Among other things, I believe I wanted to look up what you can use to clean up a certain type of spill (can't remember which, now) and what is the best way to defrost frozen chicken, and there was nothing on either topic. I scoured the glossary, index, chapter info, paged through the humongous book (which just is not practical) and came up with nothing.
With that said, there is a LOT of useful info in this book. I do like it and I'm sure I will get some use out of it eventually. I would highly recommend taking a gander for yourself at a bookstore to see if this is for you. It does cost a lot of money, so you really need to be sure this is going to be of use to you! I don't think this is necessarily a book for everyone.

This book is a must for new brides. It has everything you need to know to take care of the home. This woman is a genius in covering everything.

I am only 1/2 way through the book and so far so good. I need all the help I can get being efficient with housework and organizing. I highly rec. this book.

This book has amazing household tips and makes a great gift! I recommend it for every home, and specifically for the following:
*Wedding Gift
*Housewarming Gift
*Book Club Gift
*College Graduation Gift
*Christmas Gift for Grown Kids
*All iMommies!!

Absolutely complete guide to home care. Great gift for a new bride and groom. Every minute detail of home care is covered in this book.

This book is so excellent. While it might seem overwhelming...you just take the info you need to apply to your life and there you go! I loved this book. The cleaning schedules have made my life so much easier. Also, the info on how long things stay good in fridge/freezer is great. Thank you Martha Stewart!

What a great book to get you organized. It includes common sense tips in a very easy to use manner. I wish I would of had it years ago.

Got this for my sister for her Bridal Shower. She loved it! I want one for myself. From countertops to the septic system, this book tells you how to care for your entire home. We are building a house and I found it so helpful in choosing everything from flooring to cleaning supplies. What I loved the most about the book was the cleaning schedules, organized by daily, weekly, monthly and seasonally. If you've ever wondered how often your supposed to clean your dryer vent this is the book for you. I think this book is an investment that will pay for itself. The money we will save on choosing the right products for our home, cleaning them with the correct cleaners, and performing the correct maintenence on them is sure to pay off.

Reminds me of "Home Comforts" by Cheryl Mendelson but, differs enough to make this a reference that you must have. Martha has her own unique view and I appreciate the research and thoughtfulness she tries to make clear in this world of 10,000 products to do the same thing, just what we are trying to accomplish in our own lifestyle. It gives you focus on what is really important to your family.

This is a house cleaning bible! Extremely informative. Makes a great gift.

I will give this book as a wedding gift. (Keeping my own copy, of course.) Everything from stain removal to how to properly dispose of computer hardware! The modern family's how-to book of home care, and much more!! Martha Stewart has done it again.

I give this book as a regular shower gift --- and it's not a bad gift no matter what the age of the couple. I've been taking care of my own home for the last 40 years. I thought I knew everything until I read through this book. Martha, you've done it again! Pamela D. Blair, Author The Next Fifty Years: A Guide for Women at Mid-Life And Beyond

This book is packed full of helpful ideas, how to's and checklists. I bought one for a wedding gift, then bought one for myself because I liked it so well. Even though I have been doing things around the home for 35+ years I still found ideas that will help me better organize my time and get things done more efficiently and with better overall results. I can see it being one of those wedding gifts that keeps on giving for years and years - I think it is destined to stay on the bookshelf and be used as a reference for a long long time.

Written and organized in typical Martha style, this book will help you add organization and etiquette back to your busy lifestyle.

When it became apparent that my eleven year old granddaughter couldn't properly set a table, and her mother (my daughter) was ignoring table manners she learned as a child, the solution was obvious to me. When Martha's Homemaking Handbook arrived I handed it to my granddaughter who installed it as a family shrine to settle all disputes and questions in a house with five kids, four dogs, two cats and three parrots. I have not read it so the five star rating is based on my daughter's enthusiatic response and regard for Marth Stewart who has replaced Emily Post in the pantheon of gurus.

This is it, folks. She's organized, economical, up-to-date, and eco-friendly. Martha at her best she tells you everything you probably never learned about keeping house no matter the size or locale. If you want it done right look no further.

`Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook' might be entitled `A Guide to Living Well'. It is authored by the magazine staff of Martha Stewart Omnimedia Incorporated, and edited by Stewart herself, is the second major book, to come from Miss Martha and Company since she got out of the slammer, the first being her excellent `Baking Handbook'.

While much material in the book is probably reprinted from the magazine, the book is a far superior repository than 15 years worth of `Martha Stewart Living', since, like her cookbooks, it collects and organizes all the material in a far more useable form.

The first thing I noticed about the book is that it deals with more than simple cleaning and even more than keeping organized. The book is literally a guideline for the design of the most important rooms in the house in order that keeping them clean and organized is a manageable task. Its no surprise that Martha's first subject is the kitchen, as that is the venue for much of her magazine's other concerns. As an example of material for home design, the kitchen chapter includes sidebars on all the different kitchen counter materials with their pros, cons, cleaning, and repair instructions. A similar section follows this on the materials and designs of kitchen sinks, sink fixtures, and major kitchen appliances.

As you browse through the book, one gets the feeling that simply no subject has been overlooked. One may wonder whether any one person would use as much as 1/10 of the material in the book. But, as someone who considers a book valuable if it has but one important idea, Martha's book far exceeds my needs for a book to be valuable. My favorite item is the instruction on how to fold a fitted sheet. I have seen Martha do it on TV at least three times, and I simply can never remember how it's done when I actually get one in hand. Her authority on most matters is also reassuring. When Martha tells me to clean my dryer lint trap after every load, and gives good reasons, I'm ready to fall in line.

All this means that this is a perfect reference book. One problem with having the book is to take some simple task for granted and proceed on your own without consulting the book. An example is the task of scrubbing surfaces, which is a much differen than simply wiping clean of loose dirt. My instincts when I'm about to clean a difficult surface is to simply go to the store and look for the strongest cleaner I can find which seems remotely applicable to the surface. Martha advises exactly the opposite, and recommends a cautious approach, starting with the mildest cleaners. She even points out that before beginning, one must take into consideration that the surface you are about to attack may not even be suitable to standing up to a lot of water, which is a typical aspect of `scrubbing'.

I'm still finding things I needed (at least once in my life) but didn't now until now. I've gone through life seeing only twin, standard, queen, and king sized beds, and felt at a loss when I had to find a mattress smaller than twin. It turns out that there are actually nine (9) `U.S. Standard Sizes' for bed linens, with at least two smaller than the standard twin. Another major surprise was the amount of space in the book dedicated to cleaning, organizing, and maintaining outdoor spaces. While much of this tends to border on the subject of landscaping, it all fits into the overall scheme of the book and it's objective to cover simply everything.

Since Ms. Martha is known to have several dogs and cats, it was not surprising to find much on the care and comfort of both species, although there is nothing I could find regarding either pet fish, pet birds, aquariums or birdcages. This may be the sole oversight. I was delighted to find even instructions on how to correctly store vinyl records, with the surprising instruction to remove the plastic outer wrapping. I have been saving this plastic on my vinyl dating back to records acquired almost 40 years ago. I could find nothing under `allergens'; however there was much under the very similar topic of `biological pollutants'.

The most useful advice is the guidelines for when to do weekly, monthly, seasonal, and yearly tasks. On the other hand, these schedules also appear to be the impractical for the average working adult living alone or with only a working spouse. Those who are retired or who have one or more able adolescents in the house will probably be able to handle much of these things. The first advice in the book is `Six things to do every day!'. Since I'm retired, I have ample time to do all these things; except that I am in love with `living in the moment', and having imposed on me the tasks of making a bed, tidying up every time I leave a room, and sweeping the kitchen floor every day may seem to be a bit much. But then, the trick is to make these part of your routine, so that they become second nature, a matter of habit, and no longer a distraction. Still, there are items on these lists that may be excessively fussy for many people. One example is the advice to dust the top of books on a weekly basis. Now I suspect Miss Martha may do that in some of her rooms, but if, like me, she has a library of over 1000 volumes, she does NOT dust the tops of all THOSE books. In fact, I do virtually none of the weekly tasks more often than once every two weeks, and feel none the grimier for that fact.

Martha shares with Julia Child the fact that it is her books and not her TV presence which is her greatest work.