GOING AWAY ON HOLIDAY

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 84, 7 January 1928, Page 22

GOING AWAY ON HOLIDAY

THE DESERTED HOUSE

If a few quite simple precautions are taken the house need not suffer in any way from being given a holiday, and the" housewife is able not only to effect a decided saving in expense but also in worry, if there are no maids or caretakers to trouble about, writes "E.L.” in the Manchester Guardian.” The complaint that beds get damp when the house is closed is one that is often heard. This can be avoided if the following plan is adopted. First air the beds well and then make them up in the usual way. When all the bedclothes are in place, cover the bed entirely with an old blanket, well tucked in. Over this a dust sheet may be spread to keep off any dust. When a return is made to the house, these top

blankets can be removed from the beds ,-nd aired They will hav.* taken up any damp that there may have been in the room and will not have allowed this to reach the bed itself, which is ready to be slept in when hot bottles have’ been put into it for an hour or two.

Eiderdowns and extra blankets are usually put <away into chests for the summer, and these will not take any harm whilst the house is closed. All cushions and spare pillows can be piled on to a couch and covered with a blanket : n the same way as the beds. This will answer two purposes, for it will protect the cushions and pillows from any damp, and will also prevent the cushion covers from damage by the sunshine, or from becoming soiled. In bedrooms all toilet covers should be put away when the house is to be closed. The upholstered chairs and sofas should be covered with dust sheets and windows must be closed and fastened. Because the windows have to be closed, the doors of all rooms should be left wide open so that the air may circulate as much as possible. There is always a certain amount of fresh air entering a house by way of open chimneys, between the sashes of. windows, and through the chinks round doors. It is a good plan to leave ajar the doors of all wardrobes and cupboards. This gives these places a chance to get aired, and the small quantity of dust which may enter will do little if.anv harm to their contents. When closing a house for a long or short period, it is most important to remember to turn off all gas, electricity, and water. Silver articles should

be cleaned and put away before the house is closed. Articles of value should never be left in a private house, but should be taken to a bank for storage during the owner’s absence from home. As knives rust easily in this climate, it is a wise precaution on the part of the housewife to have all steel articles cleaned and then carefully wiped with a greasy rag, before putting them away. A little vaseline on a rag does excellently for this, and prevents any rust from appearing on the cutlery, even if it is left unused for a long period. After greasing, the knives should be wrapped in a piece of flannel and put away. It is a common experience to find, on

a return after a holiday, that the familiar kettles and pans have become rusty. This is due to a want of care in leaving these things. All kettles ami pans should be left quite and well dried, with their lids off. Stoves should be 'Well blackened or done over with enamel to prevent them from rusting. The steps to front and back doors if these are stone, should be well cleaned and given a thick coating of hearth stone. This should not be wiped off in the usual way, but left to dry on, as it will prevent the stone from becoming green should the weather be wet. The domestic pet or pets are, of course, boarded k>ut during the absence of the family. The plants can sometimes be boarded out too, with friends who will look after them in their own homes. Failing this, it is usually easy to get a neighbour to pay the house a Weekly visit and water the plants and let a little fresh air into the closed dwelling. When leaving ferns and aspidistras, it is well to take the plants into the cellar, if there is one, or, if not, into the scullery,' and place them in a large pan containing a little water.

To draw or not to draw curtains or blinds during a period of absence from home is a vexed question which all have to decide for themselves. The adherents of the undrawn blind policy say that there is no sense in advertising the fact that the house is untenanted. ' The opposition claim, with some truth, that summer suns have a disastrous effect upon carpets and chair covers. In all cases of absence from h 'me, it is a wire precaution to arrange for a policeman to give the house a share in his watchful attention.