Don't forget the indoor air pollution--a source of dirt and grime on surfaces and a source of health problems. Houses were shut up for months at a time (in the case of Hartfield, always!), while coal or wood fires burned and candles and lamps lit the rooms. The resulting smoke and soot were terrible, and bound to end up on dresses, noses, and everything else.

In the US, there's an old tradition of Spring Cleaning--when everything in the house is taken down and thoroughly cleaned after winter fires. Is/was this done in England, too?