WOMAN'S WORLD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17012, 20 November 1918, Page 8

WOMAN'S WORLD.

SPBIITO OLEAimrO.

Divide your spring-cleaning up bo that only two rooms, at most* are upset at one time, and finish them to the last rob of the duster before yon begin anything else.

Begin at the top d the house and work downwards, ending with kitchen, scullery and yard. If you begin downstairs, tho part you do first will be ready for another spring-clean before the tip of the house is done.

Choose dry weather. If a spell of wet weather sets in just when you had meant ts start, put, off your cleaning, sine* yon can't change the weather. All floors, drawers, cupboards, and so on, need ] roper airing, which you can only give them by opening windows wide, and putting everything movable, such as drawers, out of doors.

Nowadays very few people hare heavy carpets or curtains in bedrooms. If you happen to have them now, take them up, and don't put them down again. Stain the floors with a good dark ktain, and have one or two ©mall light rugs. Begin the bedrooms by taking down the curtains, blinds and pictures, and picking up the nigs. Put the curtains aside for v.ashing: dust the blinds thoroughly (of course you won't remove them if they are Venetians), and dust the pictures.

Turn out the drawers and cupboards; if you have heavy clothing, blankets or linen stored &wav, air them thoroughly in fresh air ana sunsh.me._ Wipe all drawers (inside and out) with * cjean cloth and hot water to which a little disinfectant has been added, rub 'with a clean, dry cloth, and dry in the open air. Wipe all the ledges in the chest of drawers, and the inside -woodwork of cupboards in the same way. Now sweep the floor thoroughly, before you start the walls, first patting oat of the room any furniture you can, find all bedding. Tie a soft clean cloth over a long hair-broom, and carefully dust down the walls, working from ceiling to floor, and frequently changing the surface of the cloth, to avoid moving the dust from one part of the wall to another. Clean all the windows, inside and out?.

If the bed is of iron, wipe every part carefully with a damp clow, and then dry it ; if of polished wood, clean in the usual way. Get the dust well out of the springs. Nest attack the paint. Usa warm water, soft and very clean cloths, and a wry little ammonia in the water. Never use soda on any account, or soap that is likely to contain soda. White paint may ha cleaned with whitening, mixed to a cream with' cold water. Rinse it off with tepid water, and dry with a clean cloth. Don't use more water than you can help when cleaning paint. Finish up by scrubbing the floor. If the floor is large, use several lots of water. Rinse the soap off thoroughly, ' and wipe the boards with a dry cloth. Then open, all the windows wide, prop often the door, sad leave the room alone till the floor is quite dry. Whenever possible, arrange that the room shall not ho slept in the same night, sc that everything may be thoroughly dry before you put the things back into it- If the floor is a stained one, the scrubbing is not v necessary; simply wash it well with plenty of warm, soapy water, and polish it again when quite dry.

. WHAT TLBS DISLIKE. A eucalyptus plant will help to keep sway files. The smell of the growing foliage is not very obvious to the occupants of the room, yet the insects Ave the apartment a wide berth. The best "way is to stand the plant (which should be 'one of those small ones largely sold in pots) in the window. Such a specimen may even be placed on the sill outside, where it will very much discourage the * visits of flies. . Perhaps few people know how all kinds of flies dislike the bracken fern. Many ; country folk are well aware of th« T&lua of the' fronds in keeping away the winged " yisjtorf. -TJ»e fern is very pretty, and might «i used freely in the decoration of the room, mixing the bright green fronds up with flowers. In a general way it has " been sho-sm that all the aromatic herbs are distasteful to flies: A few bunches of lavender, rosemary, thyme, etc,, in a rctp JKH' prdTß flclpfiu.

£ WASETTJB BUTTS. ] How to Wash Blankets.—Dissolve loz of glue in a pint of water, standing it on 'the stove in a jug. Meanwhile, fill a bath with .hot water, and stir in the f' lae-water. Then put the blanket in the ath, and leave for half an hour, stirring .'.» occasionally. All the dirt will then have gone out. Wring, then rinse in hot •water, and wring again. Hang on the 'line, and- when dry it will be beautifully .'dean- and fluffy. 7 An Ironing and Goffering Hint. —In "* ironing lace or embroidery press on the wrong side with a hot iron, over a pad of flannel, to raise the pattern. When .goffering fine materials do net heat the iron in the fire, but dip it in boiling water for a few minutes. -' This will prevent scorching, The water should be kept at boiling point, and tho iron dipped in as required. To Remove Stains.— stains under

the arms of white garments may be removed by soaking for half an hour in water to which .i little ammonia has been added— soap should be used. If the mark has not gone when the garment has been wrung, squeeze a little lemon juice .over it, and wash in warm water. Wash afterwards in the ordinary way. ;~ Coffee stains can he removed by pour•ing boiling water over them. Fcr tea stains, wash in cold water, then in boiling water. For grass stains, wet in cold water, and cover with cream of tartar, and nut in the sun. For fruit stains, pour boiling water over them. The Mangle. — Always unscrew the mangle after using, and dry the rollers. A good way of doing this is to mangle an old piece of blanket two or three tunes.

TEE GAB STOVE. Now,_ the fact is many housewives economise in one direction only to waste in another. For instance, there are .people who will cook greens in one saucepan and potatoes in another. We hear a pood deal about boiling potatoes in their skins, but, apart from the fact that steamed potatoes are far nicer, as well as more nourishing, than boiled, just think of the gas saved when potatoes (in their skins) are cooked in a steair.er over the % greens, for in this way only one gas jet is,used. Often, indeed, three things can be cooked over one gas Jet without the aid of a special cooler, for instance, instead of the lid a greased plate can be placed over the steamer containing fillets of fish, and covered with another plate. This is a specially dainty way of cooking fish, and to cook so economises wonderfully. t Another way of saving gas is to turn thejet down eU«htly when once the water gods. So long \g it does boil there is no ! need for it to "cobble" all the time.' inen, sometimes, owinp to an awkwardlyplaced stove, there will be a door near, a.:d, if, this is kept onen, a draught is caused, with the result "that the gas flume biows about everywhere but under the paa or saucepan. Tnis should be prevented. Care should dso be taken that the gas is naver lighted till the kettle is filled, or the pan ready to go on, A good deal of gas is need up while kettles are being filled, etc. Perhaps most gas is wasted through the oven. It will be found that, if thought is exercised oror it, the oven and the top of the stove need hardly ever be used at the same lime. If you have adinnetdish to cook in the oven, bake the potatoes instead of' boiling them, and cook other vegetables m the oven in earthen jars, &-id choose that day a sweet which can bo cooked without using the top of the stove. It is care and thought, which saves.