Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-12-16
THELINEN-CLOSET.

THE LrNEN-CLosET.
One Of the chief advantages connected with
living IN rOOmy houses lies in the facility with
which arrange nents may be made for keeping
each article required for household purposes in a
separate place People who enjoy this comfort
are enabled to effect the very considerable.
albeit di-ect, economy which results from the
careful storing OF, goods. MOS mouse Keepers are
tain articles Of consumption in large quantities,
aud making such purchases accordingly, but
comparatively few take into consideration an
equally profitable outlay in the purchase AMI
preservation of household linen. Yet both arti-
Giles yield q corresponding profit, provided they
be judiciOusly selected and economically used.
The first requisite is a chJset, or press, in which
10 store linen. With little management, most
houses, even the least CONSIDERABLY planned.
NAV be made 20 afford the desired space. If it
should happen that any choice in the matter
exists, lineD-clOset should be cOntrived aims
wall in connection with a chimney where fire
n daily burning. Any apartment OF which ths
wall is built against the fiues of kitchen fire il
the best for the desired purpose. The gentls
warmth which the bricks retain is the best means
Of preserving linen from midew, 80 Troublesome
TO prevent in damp situations The worst place
for . Gnen-clo>et is, for the same reason,
against an Outside wall especially if the wall b
exposed 10 a sOuthwesteTly aspect, or shaded by
trees. In most modern villas there some
snail rooms OF q EOBdessript kind that may be
advaUtag ously employed as linen closets All
that l. usually needed i 10 partition off the de-
sired space by means of doors, and to fit in
shelves The shelves should not be too deep, As
things that are out OF sight apt to be forgot
ten, in which case one NAV be Just as we'll with
out them IL the dimensionsOf the closet should
he IN excess of the quantity of linen to be sto wed
away, china and glass may be put aside in the
same place. No articles. however, liable 10 de-
cay, should be put IN the hnen-cOset. All clean
linen not in should be kept in the linen
closet. including blankets, counterpanes, and,
il there be sufficient room, family bOdy-linen
not in wear. At the end of summer, a good
manager puts away her best white quilts, mus
lin curtains, thick blankets. and the light cotton
carefully puts aside on their respective shelves,
and at the same time gives out more sea>onable
coverings and garments Previously t. putting
aside such articles, necessary repairs should be
made; OF, il there be not time at the moment to
undertake the work, description of the in
tended alterations should be written on slips Of
paper attached to each article of goods.
No linen or muslin articles should be placed
in the linen-flOset, if they be likely to remain
there any length Of time, without the starch
having been previously removed and the things
"reugh dried" The airing OF sheets and coun-
tsrpanes especially should be thorough, and, il
possible, they should be put away straight from
the fire. IL Is owing To the imperfect manner
in which such work Is usually performed that
nildew constantly affects linen.
Ii is very difficult to remove mildew when it
has taken firm hold of linen. The following
compound is sometimes found successful Take
equal parts Of soft soap and powdered starch,
and half the quantity of table salt, add as much
lemon juice As will convert the Ingredients into
. thick paste, cover the spots with the mixture,
and leave the linen exposed in the open air till
ulliUtW u IcHONcu- As preventive OF
Eildew alter damp weather, the linen-closet
should be occasionally opened, and free air suf
fered 10 circulate in IL through an open window.
The conte nts OF the closet should also be aired
before good fire, or in the sun.
Next to mildew, moth is the most troublesome
matter to deal with connected with the preserva-
tion Of wOOllen stores. Numberless remedies
are recommended for the prevention OF moth in
woollens andfurs, Spices of all kinds-pepper,
camphor, turpentine, and Of late, parafine-
have been amongst the most Often-tTied RENE
haV
proved successful, inasmuch moths particu-
larry dislike strong sdors of any kind, and
rarely attack scented materials in preference TO
those which are devoid of smell. The only true
preventive of moth, however, lies in the use Of
oiEm- The keeper of some large and valuable
voollen and fur stores lately informed the writer
that no means are equally eficacious in pre-
venting the attack OF moth as the application of
hnely- powdered alum to all article which do
not admit Of being saturated, and soaking
those articles which do not suffer D. Immersion
in a solution Of alum and water. With regard
20 the treatment OF furs, IL Is not sufficient to
dust the powdered alum on the surface; IL should
be well worked in at the roots of the hair, the
portion nearest the skin being the part which
moths begin first To devouI-
Soiored wooden materials require the same
Kind Of treatment. There is one exception ia
favor of red CLOTH II is not within the expert
ehee of the gentlemen mentioned that mo h.
destroy dyed woolens- This probably arises
from the circumstance that alum is used in the
process Of dyeing red. All shades OF gray, on
The contrary, are particularly enticing 10 moths,
vooens and blankets may be safely left, even
in exposed places, If, after having been washed,
they are dipped in a solution Of alum and water.
The time at which people generally examine
their stores Of wOOienS i not the most fayOrab!e
for the purpose. Surprising, for instance that
such articles are put aside in the spring, they
should be lett untouched till October. By that
time moths are no longer about, and there is NJ
danger OF any SecTeting the m selves in the m ate
rials. BY October, il any eggs have been depos-
it'd, the ma COTS VIII TALL cat the materials
being beaten. Airing blankets and furs in the
summeT sunsni ne l. liable 10 be attended with
greater damage than the act /, intended to pra.
vent, OWING tO the prevalence OF moths in all
places az that season.
IL j. almost unnecessary to mention that in a
weil-aTrahgsd linen closet every article should
BE- kept ia IT. appointed place. When articles
are put AWAY from the wash, those of the past
weeks washing should be placed at the bottom
Of the pile 20 which they belong and not laid on
che top BY this means the same articles are
kept ia wear IN turn, and thereby even a linn
tied stock NAV b. made TO last longer without
extensive renewal. than when only two or three
things are in constant Use. Articles that are
kePt apart from the rest. Inside the door of the
linen closet. press, should be pasted list of
all the linen kept in the closet. II the family be
Ia &c, and the beds numerous, the order in
which The sheets should be changed should be
noted In a separate list IL is hardly poslble
for the head OF q family to Dear all these details
in nind without such assistance, and the COM
amount of regularity that is observed in such
nstteTs--GOdey's LGdy's Book.
A Suspicious Affair.
The Szicid. at Eastoa, Ed.-Psrther Develop-
ntSafx-SaxDtrs0ax 0fA ard>r-