Guide Rule #5

Minimize all noise:

At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.

After a stressful day of commuting and working and being pulled in 10 different ways at all once it's nice to come home to a quiet home and have the feeling of peace and tranquility. 

I honestly don't know any sane person that wants to have chaos and noise surrounding them all day, wherever they go. There's something about coming home to a relaxing lit house with hardly any noise. 

A few things to have turned off or quieted by the time your husband comes home from work would be:

1. The Television- However, set the remote next to his chair or spot in the sofa so that he can turn it on when he's ready. You're not sure what show he may be feeling like watching, if any. This will also remind him that you've been working hard all day. If he comes home and the TV is on he might wonder if you were watching TV most of the day and then popped up when you heard him pulling up the driveway.
2. Dish Washer- Even though we have whisper quiet dishwasher's now, it's still nice to have it as quiet as possible. The smell of the dish detergent may be an annoyance to him. After a hard day anything could put anyone in a foul mood. Hand wash whatever needs to be taken care of and place them on the dishwasher's rack to drip dry so they're out of sight out of mind. 
3. Radio- Have you ever been so overworked or irritated that even the radio in the car was bugging you? This could be true for him on any given day so play it safe and turn whatever tunes you had playing for you throughout the day off when it gets close to his arrival.
4. Hang Up The Phone- If you happen to be gabbing with a friend or perhaps someone just called make sure to end the call before he gets home so that he can have all your attention as you greet him by the door. The most annoying thing in the world is to be happy to see someone and then have a finger placed in front of your face telling you to wait a second while they're on the phone.
5. Children- If you have kids, particularly small ones, you may want to train them that quiet play time has to happen at least 30 minutes before dads arrival. Have them read a book, play a quiet educational game (that doesn't create a mess). I say 30 minutes before he gets home that way it'll give them time to get use to bringing their energy level down plus you never know when hubby might be coming home early!
6. Pets- If you have a dog or dogs you might want to put them outside or crate them before hubby comes home. Some people don't mind being greeted by their beloved furry family members, but others don't want to have their dog(s) jump up on them as soon as they walk in the door. Use your judgement on this one. This one will truly depend on what your husband wants. 

I want to add that on top of the noise reduction I also think the house should have relaxing lighting. If you have dimmers then dim the light to a soft glow. If no dimmers then just turn on lamps instead of the fixtures overhead. You can also just turn on certain lights that will light up the house without being overbearing. I personally like to put on the lamp in the living room and then the kitchen light is usually on since I'm in there preparing dinner. 

Sometimes nightlights are a good thing too. They can be pretty bright, light up a room fairly good and give off a soft glow. The ultimate would be to have candles burning! Soft ample light, romantic and relaxing, just make sure they're high enough away from the dog or kids. Candle wall sconces are great too.

Hopefully these all help you continue on your path to being a perfect 1950's housewife and remember, You get what you give.

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers,

 be compassionate and humble. 1 Peter 3:8