WASHING-UP.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 150, 19 March 1908, Page 3

WASHING-UP.

The made by various speakers at Lady./Pliuikefc's'.Monday- afternoon trieeting with regard, to.,.'t>li6■ necessity ;of a/p'ure milk- : supply really raised tho whole question :of the cleanly': supply,;and preparation tof ■ food,' and might,-;wejl,..liavo. made many a,-house-, wife -, review -'! the •.. traditional-'-: housewifely •methods. .Of - course/it without- saying, -that" the,/'methods:.:of.,'every .housewifo,, aro scrupulously;.-' clean, as,. she. •' understands clcianliness,', and^t : must also be understood . : that;i,tße ideal cleanliness of ' the siirgery is ' not. witliiri-. reach'of- the'. busy - liome-maker; She. cannot have,everything'antiseptic/ ; . But still there; is'perhaps too much carelessness about; many household operations where ab-. solute cleanliness, is ; -much-..;t0./:bo.-": •desired. Take dish-washing, .'for'/iristanco. ,

/ The. usual method", is "to • scrape the" dishes more or less,, and .wash the''whole: lot in" a basin\ containijig: at : ithe' most ;three'. and a hilf ; ..'inchos, : -'o.f v jsoapy, water—'water which begins, ;by ; ; :b'eing .fresh, and* clean,: and .ends by . having ;thp : : consistency, :of pea-soup:: '.At the end of j .tho' .performance the last .of tho dishes _;are ; lifted /from 'this, drained,' and; with a'/moro or less- damp ajid : discoloured.;.,'towel, /f Why?. Opiate's , .which require, to .be washed, simply because they have .Sad;.-bread -and/.butter.-, on ,! thrall ;ard;.- 'considercd. to "be' : clean after. ;imm'crsioii'.intliis horrible.' .dish-^ater.'is-;a /'not .to"'be easily : ) .-".splvdd:' ; .'':Thb- tradition, is',;that / thqy . are clean, andvth'ai is.moro'thari enough for the; ordinary' maid, and even quite' enough for the. ordinary; housewife. -The "only-rreally ple'asarit way to wash clislies is. to first • scrape,'thom thoroughly -'ahd.ithon: put', them through . ':two •; wators, 'a; washing '. and a.' rinsing water/' but :it/ ; must ;bo::j acknowledged, , that'/this'takes'a-good deal', mor'o time, than tho ordinary woman '.can - spare. .Failing that;;/there''-should -..be':; several '-.changes:-,. of wator iih '.the; course' of/washing-up, arid, the g'reasy,Vthirigs' , should'■.i3e' ; ',rmsed.,.. . A,, plate rack; is a ;groat. 'convenience, and when the dishes have been/perfectly washed it is nice to know they have: not; beeiv touched by a towel. There are.. .really :ai number of thoughtless .methods.. apt ,'to 'find, their • -way. i into the'kitchen, arid one, .is not surprised. a , busy; .'housewife .takes,". ad-_ vantage'/of.'.'tho copper, full, of ..boiling" water' . on' washing .day ; .' to" hive -'a up, 'never'•reflecting, '/apparently,.' 'that ; the .:water: , in ; 'wliich' elothfe's 1 havo 'boen/ boiling, is not'. fit - for wasbing"_dishesi!;; . ; An.other,''matter, that ia too pften;o'vprloblied'is tho washing ■ of dishes .that-have'•bee'n by'animals.' ■Dr. Mason in-his/last: report to the Health , dealing l with • the spread of hydatids among, human; beingsin New Zealand, * says that, among; l pth'er precautions which ; should be,.taken to preventthe'.in-creas'o:-of this horriblo. disease, is tjie^'careful ■ sdaldirig and' .cleansing of dishes .out ■ of ' wfiichy ; jdogs. :: been'ValiQired'. to', He .was"probably..:n'ot referring 'to .the"washing of household, "dishes, but,'.to', the .animals' own tin .'•platas.^';'H6 v ! m^tjVhoireTiM ; j use-' fully' haye ( ' made reforence.'to'/tlie :cat which ; eats .'out'/of.'tho^'/jorridge'Tplatcj"' and to'; tbe dinner;* plate !'oir which^'''':'the.."ddg!s''^scraps'.are'' .placed, both of/,ivhieh' sre: in .many, homes washci/up with'.', the/family .'dishes.' There is ; a 'strange;:idea;;ambng; most; people .that' a. ißpecial:, charin, /and' immunity,attaches ,'to. belongings,' and ' that ; , no/:' harm . ca.n their; own cat/.or tHeir. own ; dog, - though. .the,'next-door.neighbour's ,' ahi- ' malsjyery. .probably suffer.' from . strange "diseases.; ; arid. "so, . with .loyalty., and, lovo they plunge:their doggy and, catty, dishes straight into washing-up. '.basin with tlieir. own --plates; and:,cups... I ■ knew; one; family' where a; whole retinuo of cats , and dogs used to walk into/ the dining-room ■ when the family, took/their; meals, and. whilo' the family ate at tho table,, .tlio .'animals 'ato. from■ dishes placed aroundtho,; side "of- : . the' room.': t With one accord'every.;.member/ of that family would-have;.de'clared,that the. animals'' dishes' were as clean /;as'> their . own, though .truth . would have.forced them tho animals ; did-.' not;/use spoons -, and /forks: