Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-05-17
MAKING THE BED.
A Household Art Which is Not U ndcl
stood by All Women.


MAKING THE BED.
A Household Art Which is Not Under
stood by All Women.
A smooth. clean. well-made bed is
an attractive sight to most people, and
all good housewives take pride in see
ing that this work is done as we'll as
possible. No matter how poor or
cheap the furniture of chamber may
be. if the bed is clean and smoothly
made, it will go a great way toward
making the room attractive. Noroo
looks well. even though the furniture
be of the richest, with an ill-made bed
in it. 1t doesn't take any more time
to make bed neatly than it does to
do the work carelessly. Some women
are satisfied if the outside coverlet is
put on nice and smooth, and give very
little thought to the rest, throwing the
inside covers on any way. thinking
that the outside spread will conceal
any deficiency. 1t is impossible to
have the top coverlet smooth when the
inside clothes are put on carelessly.
for there are sure to be hills and hol-
lows in some part of the bed. 1t
doesn't take a housewife of much
experience to see at a glance that
the spread on the outside of
the bed is used as a cover for good
deal of shiftless work No woman
likes 10 be thought shiftless in her
Homework. and usually when bed
is made in this way it is owing to be-
ing in a hurry to finish up the work.
Sometimes. to be sure. this may be ex-
cusable owing to the housewife being
crowded with work, but generally, if
something must be sighted, let it be
any thing but the bed.
In the first place. if there are springs
on the bed these should be covered
with some stout. unbleached cotton to
prevent their rusting or wearing the
mattress. This may be removed at
any time, washed and replaced on the
springs. 1t should be made in the
form of large sheet. to cover all the
springs, and fastened at the sides and
top of the bedstead. The mattress
should be turned frequently so that
the wear of the springs may not come
all on one side. If there are two mat
tresses change them about often, SO
that one may not become hard and
lumpy from being always at the bot
tom. 1t is good plan when making
the bed to turn the III attress over from
side to side one time, and from head to
foot the next, so that it will wear even.
Before leaving the room in the
morning take all the coverings from
the bed, shake out each one and put
them on chairs near the windows to
air. Remove the pillows in the same
way, and if there is feather-bed
shake it up we'll. but do not turn;
open the window, go out and close the
door, and let air an hour at the least
Do not, as many do. put the bed-cloth-
ing out on the window sill; it doesn't
look nice, and will not air as we'll as
though placed on the chairs. Never
put feather-bed at a window to air.
for it will not air as we'll in any way as
though left on the bedstead. If the
bed is in such position that the sun
shines on it, move it from the window
or draw the shade down while the sun
is on that part of the house. for never
on any account should feather bed
be put in the sun. The sun draws the
oil out of the feathers. making them
soggy, so that they mat together. A
bed put out in the sun will soon lose
any lightness it may possess, and be-
come hard and l1mpy. Go into the
room once or twice while it is airing.
| and turn the covering so that every
part of it may get the air.
When ready to make the bed, turn
over the feather bed, afterward work
ing the feathers back aud forth. up
| and down, until the bed is even. Now
mooth all over with the hand. If the
| bolster has not a case. for some wom-
en- do not think it necessary, place it
at the head of the bed, but if encased
it does not need to 60 on until after
the first sheet. Put OH the under sheet.
with the deep hem at he ad. right side
up. tuck all around smoothly under
the mattress. Pat on the upper sheet,
deep hem at top. wrong side up, so
that when turned down ut the top the
right ide of the hem will be seen.
Put on the blank It's if double with
open end at top. The quilts and COM
forters put on next, and last of all the
spread Tuck all the coverings in
neatly around the bed, smooth the top
of the bed with the hand until it is
level, turn down the top sheet the
depth desired, tuck it in at both sides.
shake and smooth the pillows. put them
on. and the task is completed Boston
Budget
| An Omaha couple had to be mar
| ried away from home because the
| groom was the one person in the