St. Landry democrat., 1888-09-01
CARE OF CUTLERY.
A Household Duty Which Requires Co
stant and Painstaking Watchfullness.

CARE OF CUTLERY.
A Household Duty Which Requires Con.
stant and Painstaking Watchfullness.
The care of the table cutlery is one
of the housewives especial duties.
To keep this part of the housekeeping
in good order, requires constant watch.
fullness. Where the articles are sill
ver-plated, it is not such difficult
matter to keep them looking nice, as a
very little care, if of the right kind, is
all that is needed. But to the majority
of middle-class people steel knives and
forks are much more satisfactory than
the plated ones, the latter usually be-
ing laid away until the advent OF visit
! ors, when they are then displayed to
the best advantage. Plated ware is
not serviceable every day, more par
ticularly where there is large family
for the plating is sure to wear off in
short while, and when this once starts
! it does not take long to wear off enough
to make it unfit for use until replated.
The steel ware will be found the most
durable for everyday use, although il
may need more care to keep it in or
der.
/ In clearing off the table the knives
and forks should be the first things re.
moved. Place them in a pitcher of hot
soapsuds, blades down, having just
enough water in the pitcher to reach
the tops of the handles. Let them re.
main in the pitcher until ready tc
wash them. Never allow them to lie
around without being soaked, or they
will be very hard to wash clean, as the
food is apt to dry on them, thereby
necessitating scraping to remove it.,
which if it does not injure and scratch
the blade, certainly makes the work
much harder to do. Never on any &C.
count allow the handles to lie in water,
! or, unless of very good quality, they
! will loosen and in a short while drop
off. Bath brick is an old-fashioned
but good cleanser for the blades OF
steel knives. Reduce to powder,
and with a dampened cork apply
briskly to the blades. When all
have been cleaned, wash them in
hot soapsuds and dry thoroughly.
Wait until all are cleaned before
putting them into the suds, for if al.
lowed to lie in the water for any length
of time, they will be streaked, and
another cleansing will have to be done.
Soft soap mixed with the powdered
brick is excellent for cleansing the
blades. Very many housewives prefer
powdered charcoal to any thing else
for this purpose, as it does not wear
out or scratch the steel. Fine coal
ashes are also good, and the white
cinders that can be crushed to pow
der between the fingers will be found
excellent for the same work.
Knives and forks that have grown
rusty through neglect may be brought
back to their original luster by rubbing
the blades and tines in sweet oil, and
allowing it to remain on them as long
as possible, day at least, then securing
with unslaked lime or pumice stone.
When putting them away for any length
of time, if the steel is rubbed in sweet
oil, and the whole wrapped in flannel
and put away in dry place, they may
be taken out when wanted as clean and
free from rust as when put away. A
nice case for this purpose is made OF
soft, white flannel. Take a strip q
yard long and two or three inches
wider than the length of the longest
knife to be put away. Double the strip
lengthwise and stitch up two sides.
one long and one short side. Form
compartments for the knives and forks
by stitching across the width, allowing
between the rows of stitching space
for each article, which must be large
enough to admit of folding. Before
stitching across hem the open edge all
around. When the knives and forks
are in place, turn up the open edge
roll all together, tie around with tapes
and lay away until wanted.
When the ivory handles become dis.
colored, if they are rubbed briskly
with soft cloth wet with alcohol, il
will generally remove the discolora
ton. When the handles OF knives and
forks drop off, they may be readjusted
oy filling the cavity in the handle with
powdered resin, then warm the small
parts of the knives and forks and in
.ert slowly in the cavity. Press dowr
1 firmly, and hold it in place until the
resin cools enough to set. Water viii
not loosen this, as resin is not soluble
! In water. Do not allow the table
knives to be used for whiting or cut
ting kindling, as it blunts the edges
and generally hicks the blades. KeeI
the knives ordinarily sharp, and fol
this purpose a small kitchen grind
stone should be in every house. 1t Ii
made to set upon the table, and In
proportion to its usefulness its cost /:
very reasonable.-Boston Budget.
/ Separating Oil and Water.