But when the first breath of Spring hints at warmer days to come, the typical Amish homemaker feels the urge to throw open windows, tear up a new supply of rags, and stock up on Murphy's Oil Soap and Ajax. But in Amish homes, where wood-burners and kerosene cook stoves have caused a film to build up inside sealed windows, Spring cleaning is a welcome refresher. Everyone is the family is put to work. Dad and the older boys carry furniture out to the porch to be wiped and aired. Amish homes, lacking the electricity to power vacuum cleaners, do not have much upholstered furniture.
Sofas tend to have oak frames, with only the seat and back padded and covered with fabric.
Other seating in the living room is supplied by hickory rockers, some with removable padded covers that can go into the washing machine, and vinyl-covered recliners and footstools. The walls and ceilings of every room in the house are washed down. Since all of the walls have been finished with semi-gloss paint in a pastel color, cleaning is relatively easy. In very literal obedience to the Biblical commandment against worshipping 'graven images', the Amish do not have photos or family portraits hanging on the walls. They seldom have much in the way of decoration, except for calendars and embroidered mottoes or framed Bible texts.