A guide for old Lancaster houses: why about half of the city's homes predate 1940, how to treat aged finishes gently, and what the lead paint rules mean for you.
Lancaster was settled in the 1720s and is described as one of the oldest inland cities in the United States. Age is not a side note in this housing market. About 53.8 percent of the city's housing units were built in 1939 or earlier, compared with about 19.5 percent across Lancaster County.
Keeping an old house clean takes a slightly different mindset from caring for a new one. The surfaces are often irreplaceable, and the first rule is to do no harm.
Named neighborhoods in the city include Cabbage Hill, Chestnut Hill, the Historic East Side, Gallery Row, Musser Park, Prospect Heights, Woodward Hill and the West End. About 51.8 percent of city housing units are attached homes such as rowhouses, so shared walls, narrow staircases and stacked rooms are ordinary here.
Outside the city there are old cores too. Lititz was founded by Moravians in 1756, and the Lititz Moravian Historic District preserves that center. Columbia has its own historic district in the old river town. Wherever the address is, the cleaning questions tend to look alike.
Most damage in an old home comes from products that are too strong or tools that are too rough. These general habits protect what is there.
The U.S. EPA says homes built before 1978 are more likely to have lead-based paint, and that settled lead dust can re-enter the air when a home is vacuumed or swept. Given how old Lancaster's housing is, it makes sense to assume that this applies to a house unless testing shows otherwise.
A house cleaning can remove dust from surfaces, and it does not scrape, sand or strip paint. If paint is chipping or peeling, especially on windows and door frames where surfaces rub together, have it evaluated by a lead professional before you schedule cleaning. Damp dusting makes more sense than dry sweeping in the meantime.
The city has its own rule for rentals. Lancaster's lead ordinance requires rentals and childcare facilities built before 1978 to meet lead safety requirements, covering about 12,000 older rentals on a four-year inspection cycle. If you rent an older unit, ask the owner about the status of that inspection.
Hard water treats old fixtures harshly. The city's 2024 analysis lists its Conestoga plant at 16 grains per gallon of hardness and its Susquehanna plant at 7. On old chrome, plated brass and porcelain, scale should come off slowly with mild products, because a strong acid can take the finish along with the mineral.
The city also keeps an online service line inventory so residents can check the pipe material serving their home, and it treats the water with zinc orthophosphate to limit lead leaching. Looking up your own address takes little effort and tells you something worth knowing if you own an older house.
Old wooden sashes, storm windows and loose frames collect a lot of grit in their tracks. Those small gaps also invite visitors. Penn State Extension says stink bugs can enter houses in large numbers from September through October, and old frames do nothing to keep them out. Clean the tracks after the rush and the sills will stay clearer through winter.
Stairs carry most of the traffic in a rowhouse. Vacuum worn treads gently and pay attention to the edges, where finish is thinnest. A One-Time Deep Clean, described in the deep cleaning guide, is often the sensible first visit for a home like this, followed by a plan from the recurring cleaning guide.
The questions Lancaster homeowners ask most often about this topic, answered plainly.
TotalCare Cleaning will service Lancaster and surrounding areas with background-checked cleaners and is insured up to $1 million. Re-clean guarantee: if we missed something, tell us by the end of the next day and we come back to fix it. Beyond Clean. TotalCare.
