The Baltimore County union., 1881-07-09
HOUSE-C CLEANING TO BEST
WRESTLE WITH THE CARPETS.

IdTptt-CleanlnS Is always more or less
of a bugbear and conundrum to ordi-
nary, work-a-day people. Those who
can afford to hire professional carpet
litter need no suggestions on the subject
and they have but little comprehension
of the outlay of strength and patience
required to obtain satisfactory results by
their poorer but equally godly neighbors.
Outside of cities or towns, it is often
impossible to find any one to do such
work, and the burden falls on weary
shoulders which can hardly bear the
daily routine of houSework. when the
time of house-cleaning is yet afar off.
Those old-fashioned housekeepers who
delight in hard work, and who make it
for the pleasure of doing it, likewise
need no suggestions.
In the first place, don't be slave to
housework and tear up carpets because
it is "house-cleaning time" in your vi
cinity, but wait until convenient sea-
Son"-until the weather, and health,
and work, are most favorable, such days
come sooner or later-and then begin
gently. Some people charge a room as
if it were fort, and the noise and dust
thereof remind one of the accounts of
battles recorded in the Old Testament.
If one pair of hands must perform the
usual and extra work as we'll, it is al
most always best to do the lamp-flling,
dish washing, etc., at the customary
time, rather than leave them to be done
when one is tired out. After removing
everything movable in the room, begin
tack-lifting, which need not be long
job if the tacks have been properly driv-
en-, viz, not quite as far as they will go.
Then begin at one side and lay each
breadth over on the next one to it, till
the middle of the room is reached, and
then begin at the opposite side of the
room and proceed in the same way until
both halves can be folded together
Then begin at each end of the strip and
fold toward the middle until it is small
enough to carry out. When taken up
in this way less dust is raised to be tax
en- into the lungs and skin of the one in
the room, and the carpet is easier to
handle when out Of doors.
When once out of the house there are
various ways of diSposing of it. One
little neighborhood l know of used to
put all its carpets (rag) into the mill
race for a day or two. And a certain
hygienic lady who ordered her ingram
carpet to be taken up and cleaned caused
her servant to put it in a washtub and
rub it out, much to the poor girls sor-
row and disgust. Thoroughly shaking
and summing carpet is usually enough,
and if it isn't the carpet should either
be steamed by machinery or sold to the
ragman.
Commonly carpets are hung upon a
line and beaten-sometimes with barrel
slaves or boards or poles, which should
never be allowed, as the stiff end, COM
bined with the ''snap' of the fabric, is
sure to injure it if it does not make
hole. A carriage whip is very good for
beating carpets provided one does not
mind the wear on the whip. Peabush
is the best of anything to whip with, as
it can do no harm and covers large
surfact at once. A much better way
than to hang the carpet upon the line,
and one quite as easy in the country, is
to prepare a good bed of peabush and
spread the carpet upon it and whip it.
The dust falls directly out instead of
merely dropping few inches. Laying
it upon clean grass and sweeping it Con
both Sides is another very good way to
clean a'carpet when one has not the
strength to hang it up. When the car
pet is we'll beaten it should be folded
again and laid in the room so that it
shall fit when opened breadth by
breadth.
There are different opinions as to
what should be placed under carpet
to prevent its wearing. Katherine Beech
er recommends strawmatting because it
is fiat and the dust Sits through it in
stead of wearing the wrong side of the
carpet. She also cautions against the
use of hay, because it wears the car
pet in spots. Besides this it has to most
people an unpleasant odor, especially in
damp weather. Many people use news
papers, partly because they do away
with much hard scrubbing of the floor,
and partly because they make the floor
warmer in winter. This, however, has
the disadvantage of keeping the dust
next 20 the carpet. Partly worn mating
with newspapers beneath make an excel
lent protection for both floor and carpet.
Paper for this purpose can be obtained
where carpets are sold. The carpet pad
ding which can also be had is liable to
gather dampness and is long in drying
when anything is spilled on the carpet.
A good floor of contrasting woods can
be put down in any room that has three
quarter inch thresholds at about the
same cost as a good carpet, and with
warmish clear water and a selfwringing
mop can easily be kept clean, and sur
plus energy can be worked off by rug
making, in which is displayed SO much
taste, not to say high art, nowadays
In the good time coming when tackled
carpets are as much thing of the past
as sanded floors are to us, perhaps our
descendants will be able to strengthen
the weak backs and stomachs bequeath
ed to them from the over-taxed powers
of the present generation of house-keep-
ers. But just as long as the custom
prevails of heavy carpets fitted and nail
ed into place SO long will the love OF
| cleanliness cause women to sacrifice
their strength-which signifies health
to their floors.
B9Two persons were once disputing
SO loudly on the subject of religion that
they awoke big dog which had been
sleeping on the hearth before them, and
he forthwith barked most furiouSly.-