HINTS ON BOUSE CLEANING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 28, 28 October 1907, Page 3

HINTS ON BOUSE CLEANING.

Though the New Zealand housowif6 does not go. in for such wholesale spring-cleaning ss, delights tho-heart of ail 'American wot man, , to do it in , sections tho year arbiind, '■-; the. following 'to spririg cleaners will be 'found as useful liore ks in' , -the •States. I '.".'' '- ,; ■ , ; '-. .. The, careful'housewife will begin her. housedoaning" some weeks before it is time to call in the scrubwoman.to assist. 1 Her first move-iwill beito go ; over allrher piece-bags, ribbon-boxes, /and ,what American women, call I'' trash. ..ih : general. During, this : sort? ing process she will come on much 'that, is of no use'to her, and.yet ,she'is. puzzled what'tojdp.with ity-scraps of ; the children's wash;,dresses.\small bits of, woollen.material, J etc.,',.Jf-..she' lives .near an orphan,asyluni all the hits of coloured cottons' will ,'.bd :niuch appreciated .there, as they are.used.in. teaoh; ing the childreri,.to. sew. .../TheWoollen hits, are always welcome to any one who makes rag rugs. ; ••',-.■,■■•':.■; .-- '/.•■■ ':'-,' : '* -.■.-- .- :■ V '■■'•'Before the <rea'l cleaning begins:go,all: over the house some day, note-book 'in hand, and put;.dpwn.- anything-7and' everything to be done whicli requires, a carpenter or,a painter. The carpenter swprk 'should'be done-before the. cleaning, the painter's after,, unless; indeexl, a .whole- room •is to be , which should vbe accomplished while the carpet' is n P'' ; "..~ v i ; ;r/- i - >; --'"'-:"-- ; v-,: :-'.{i : -■"'■ ; ;.-..',■;-;;'■-■. ■■ \\ Clean'one.room'.at a."time. , 'If ppssible begjh'i with ythp ! ■guest-rodm,' as: that : ; method will,;bei least.: likely to disturb;..the family. Take'all the .pictures irom the walls, .Brush down' the,, walls either.; with a long-handled, broom; or'with 'an .pr.dinary broom over' which;a cotton flannel bag has been slipped. If the room has; a picture-moulding mount high steps and wipe off the.top of,the.moulding carefully with a damp cloth.'or,sponge. If; .the: carpet .'has been taken up, sweep ~the floor' thoroughly' first and:.thenJiayp it scfub r bed .with;'hot soft soap ..and ...water./: By. " scnibbingi!.'l.jnean:'.' scrubbing "rrthat is, getting down .on; one's hands and 'knees and. bedi■<with ■•'.hot:-' soft:-:soap;-: : and. : water... -. ■By hard;'brush.-, -The'siilsing, of, the,flopr may be done with ; a long-handled' mop, but thor: . oughness -.demands,- the handrscrubjiing first. If the '.carpet, is flot to be.rpmdved. sweep it well,', using r several ~hai\dfnls of coarse salt. Then ..wipe,- it. lightly with, water, containing ammonia;in the propprtion of. a tablespopriful of ammonia to a.'.quart: bf,. : ,waterl-'.- :This'.will be-fo'uhd.to-be,an-excellent freshener., ~'■..-.'

-While ;tho object of house cleaning is ; not qnly;t~pi.eradicate dirt,,but to .destroy, germs, and,, every, room .if cleaned as thoroughly as, may.,bp..with..these,.onds. : iri view, still any rdom .in which there has .been illness/,calls for special treatment./ ;Nor. is only contagious illness. meant in'this. connection. , .It is taken for .granted that in; the case' qf scarlet fe.ver,. diphtheria, etc., V.all ..the, ; precautions of : disinfection have been observed. The- illnesses meant, here' are' ■;the colds,, rheurriatisins, gastric:'attacks, and.'such afflictions which >are',not infectious. While .these . ills and.ails, may not;have left.any germs behind them, '.it is a. : faqt.'-that'-,the. room swa's .shut tip more Hha'n usual' ancl .'probably kept at a.^pretty high temneratu.ro , on account of th'e invalid.': All these reaions- mhlie. it advisable Jtb. take,extra pains;; If it. can .be done, the best thing is tti; ropaper.the wills, first scraping/off all-the}old paper.'-, When-it does not seenvbest-to;do. this the.next.best-plan is, to 'fumigate 'the room thoroughly. -."When the- , furniture; is put of the room arid the carpet ,*up, ipaste.. narrow ...strips... of 'paper over-all the' pracks about the window, '.and plug" the keyholes ' with, cotton. Then burn, sbriie :•■ rock sulphur , in '■[ h shovel, close, the room tightly, ajid: leave it closed, for several hour's to let the; fumes be absorbed.. Fbrmalinjmrned iriia room isah even better disinfeqtarit,; but :it- requires to' ,be burned over i specially, constructed lamp. i,. .„ ,It..;is;.pne of the. 'effects .of the law of compensation: that we'-.cannpt hayo : piir modern confeniencee without:•:encountering dangers from : "which'our/ancestors were free. They. had_(no ; bathrooms'and no, toilet datibns; and.'theyjh'a'd,7l6.sewer, gas: ■'Who of-iis,;; however, would give up our comforts to avoid dangers; which. can bo. avoided with pare.?. Ceaseless .vigilance sfioiild' bb the watehwpfdof'.'eVery housewife' as far a.s her Tho smallest -stop- , page',-;the;'most; trifling leak, should be. attended^tb; at' - once. ;Whon house-cleaning tim'6 '; comes ,'giye .'special attention' to''this important -rbomi If you have open plumbing -!and;,ti je- floors and, walls your task: is a sjniple; one. : If you have, the old plumbing with shuWn cupboards, 1 liayo'overy corrier'bf- them-scrubbed out with hot soapsuds .(and: then-treated with a , good rinsing: of-claridc-'of linie. " The tin bath-tubs will look dingy, clean them as you may. A good substitute for the .expensive enamel bathtub is to paint your tin one. . Any housewifefcan do this for, herself. Take, a small P a . n v °f ,/brdinary". prepared white.' paint; arid large , brush ,giye your bath-tub , a good coat/ Let it .dry overnight. Give an-ln-.the morriingi' In the evening paint.-,jt..,bver with, a : ,coat of white enamel paint.;,. Let it stand twentyifour hours. Then fill.lyoiir tub with, cold water; leave this water'ln. r tho-tub, two hours. Draw it'-off',- , ;.,: the tub "dry,, and give it a final: coat of bnamel, which; should be allowed another cwenty-four.: hours' to harden; . A bath-tub-so, treated will (with .ordinary use) keep nice tooking;f,or.,'at..least.a"year. . Never have on »;,bathrbom floor y any boyering. which caiinot "]p, ; washcd.. "•.: . . \,".'::.;'''"' If. a hoHsowifo has managed well. up to ihis , point _she may; have carried on her house-cleaning with, practically' no' discomfort to her.family, but when the turn of the kitchen arrives, then, indeed, ;for. one day at least, , the family must be'patient. If the walls, of the kitchen are painted (they should be), havaitheso .washed one morning, and givien; a fresh coat of'.-paint the next morn-1 ing.- ■.:'Every closet should be. entirely cleared , nut'.and .the shelves well-scrubbed. If a leaking pipo has caused a bit of flooring to dccay_.(as under a sink for instance) have the'.piece of board-so a"ffectcd taken out and replaced,by a.new piece. It.is most important that there should be nothing like vegetAble: decay about a kitchen.