SPRING CLEANING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20041, 2 September 1920, Page 9

SPRING CLEANING.

•—: —4 home economics association. (Contributed.). In his lecture on “ Pood Values ” to the H-E.A., Mr Page paid his hearers the compliment of showing that ho considers them capable of being interested in the principles as well as the practice of domestic science; and the intelligent attention with which his large audience listened to his remarks proved that this good opinion was not undeserved. The lantern slides illustrating the lecture were especially interesting and valuable, and a number of specimens oi various foods, such as white and brown bread, beefsteak, oatmeal, split peas, carrots, rice, etc., etc., each with a card attached explaining its value as an article of diet, were most carefully examined by many of those present. The next lecture of the series will be given by a doctor of dentistry on “ The Hygiene of the Mouth.’’ The annual meeting of the H.E.A. will be held early in November, when it is hoped that as many members as possible will be present, bringing with them helpful suggestions for the work of the coming year. The activities of this year have been attended with most gratifying success, but we do not propose to rest upon our oars. On the contrary, we hope that our scheme of.work for next year will be even more useful and interesting than this year’s has-been. Will our readers help us to realise this hope by sending along suggestions for the improvement of our syllabus of work for next year. It is pleasant to learn that Auckland is following in our steps, and has already arranged for a Thrift Exhibition on similar lines to the one recently given in Christchurch. We wish to ex - press our hearty thanks to “Experience,” “Shamrock” and- “A Mere Man ” for the hints on spring cleaning which we give below. “Experience” writes:—“lf a woman 'mows her business, i.e., has method and system in her housekeeping, there is no need lor spring denning. Renovations, of course, have to be made, but should be made as required, from time to time, and replacements should be managed in the same vtay. Most of-us : have- far too much ornamentation in our houses. , Half a dozen good ornaments, quite j apart from the fact that they are much • easier to keep clean, are much more ar 1 fistic than crowds of trashy ones, li you have the whole of the floor space i covered with the same patterned lino- < leum it will fit much more easily into I the different rooms in case you i have to change it from one to i another. Have carpets or mats that 1 can be easily lifted weekly or fortnightly. < These can be kept in place by brass- i headed nails, sold especially for the 1 purpose of being easily removed 1 when ' necessary. High, lofty windows are 1 much more difficult to clean than lory, ‘ broad ones, which are much better ’n f every way. Mats and doyleys do not ( really add to the beauty of the home, ; but add very materially to the work of keeping it clean. Beautiful chma plates are often hidden by common doyleys. Furniture should .always be chosen with a view to keeping it clean : with as little trouble as possible, and, j fpr this reason, chairs and 1 tables with | intricately carved backs and legs, should , ho carefully avoided. ( “ Shamrock ” 1 gives the following excellent advice:—“As winter is past, that bugbear of all housewives, spring cleaning, as it it carried out in many < homes, is a time of misery for everyone concerned. Yet we cannot do without this time of yearly -* turning out' the house Our houses need it more than did those of our mothers and grandmothers: in their day domestic help was more plentiful, and the daily and weekly cleaning more thorough. No woman nowadays, without domestic' help, has so much time to spend on daily cleaning as in days gone by. If cleanliness is then necessary for purity, i high morality and spirituality, we must 4 strive to attain it under our altered conditions. In practical spring cleaning there are a few ‘ don’ts ’ to be consider- . ed. Begin early, and don’t go on after midday, for there is always the daily routine of every house that must be done as well. Don’t have a dinner that; requires much attention. Fall back on preserves or ready-mad© soups. . This requires forethought and preparation, but is well worth the time it saves on a busy day. Don’t start on more than one room at a time. Remember there are Miree months of spring. Don’t spring clean a room and then slujt it up n.f if it were not meant to be used. Don’t be guilty of the folly of ceasing . to have fires in the living rooms after > spring cleaning. The sociable home j fireside must not ho sacrificed for fear of any little extra dust. Don’t accumu- [ late, stuff. If a. thing is too old to ho used, or too good to be used, it is no use in the homo. Finally, spring dean yourself after each day’s spring cleaning. Put on your ‘company’ frock, etc., and a time of physical recuperation, so will yon be fresh and sympathetic for all home-comers at the end of a busy clay.” Wo welcome our first contribution I from a man so heartily that we refrain from ranking any comments on its highly satirical character : "A FEW HINTS ON SPRING CLEANING, BY A MERE ULAN.” - “ Do not seek by cowardly subterfuges, sudi as pretended illness, or proposing prolonged visits t 0 the seaside, to postpone it. Face it as the soldier faces the amputation of a limb; ; until the operation is over you will suffer from the horrors of anticipationBravely prepare for it by taking the precaution to bury in the back yard any personal possessions you particular- | iy prize; you may thus save them from' S being burned as useless rubbish. Also S purchase, and carry constantly on your I person, a reliable book on first aid. S This little precaution may enable you S to rescue precious lives when the acd- | dents incidental to this period (such as J falling into a bucket of boiling suds, | being poisoned with brasso, or burnt * with caustic soda) occur. Do not make the fatal mistake of trying to persuade “ your wife to refrain from immolating herself on the shrine of Domestic Clean- } liness. Sire will only despise you for i your ignoble love of ease, and refuse i

to lose the character for model housewifery that she has so hardly won in the past. Rather keep constantly belore. your mind the probability that typhoid, _ cancer or tuberculosis germs are lurking in some obscure crack in your walls, or ripening in the few grains -of dust on the most inaccessible part of the ceiling. Refrain from offermg.advice.. Do not indulge in carping criticisms. Self-control and tactful appreciation are what are really required of you. When led to that usually forbidden ■■sanctuary, tho front parlour, and shown, your own particular armchair, now clad in rosebud chintz, you can at least hide vour feelings under a;:cheerfuL smile, and say, with perfect truth, ‘ My word! it looks quite a different thing!’ And, if you should also chance, during this visit, to spy your long lost pipe rack, now transformed into a gold and white bracket, it would be well to express admiration for the wonderful ingenuity that thought of putting it to such a useful purpose. If, whilst eating a few cold scraps in the coal shed, your wife should call you, run instantly, without even storming to put Town the bone you are gnawing, or you may find the beloved partner of your_ home lying bleeding amongst a pile of broken ornaments, with only strength to gasp out that it was your dilatoriness in not rushing to lvold the shaking ladder that caused ‘his disaster. If you can snatch a few momen,ls from beating carpets and other such menial occupations as reunite only brute strength, do not waste them in gardening: or fowl feedingmake your wife a nice cup of tea. She will tell you that tou have increased her work tenfold hv bringing dirt in on your shoes; but the refreshment may save her from sinking from exhaustion, or, should Fate decree otherwise, it will be some consolation, when you are a lonely widower, to be able to feel that you did all you could to support and comfort vour martyr wife even until the sorrowful end.”