The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1888-01-07
THE HOUSEKEEPER.


nicely polished, well-kept stove is an
attractive piece of furniture in any house
1t may not be of the latest style or pat.
tern; indeed, it may be as fashioned as
it will, yet. if cared for properly, it will
present a much better appearance than an
ill-kept, neglected range of the latest
style. To be sure, ii is not expected that
the stove or range should be without speck
or spot on its surface ali the time, for that
would be very foolish expectation, as the
neatest housewife with much cooking to
do could not keep 1t in this condition.
There Is an Old saying TO the effect that III
a house where the stove is kept highly
polished at all times there is very little
cooking done. However true this may be,
certain ii is that where there is much cook
ing to do a stove cannot be kept as bright
and clean as where it is less used for this
purpose, although it can be kept looking
nice enough for anybody by a little care
each day.
Once a week is often enough to give it a
thorough cleaning, and this, with a little
attention during the week, viii keep it
looking as clean and nice as any person
could wish. The first thing to be done be-
fore applying the polish is to see that the
stove is clean. With an old knife scrape
OFF all superluous matter from the stove,
and brush off into the dustpan. Scrape
by the running over of pies and buildings,
and brush it thoroughly out. If the top
of the stove is very greasy it should be
washed thoroughly in warm sOapsuds, and
wiped with dry cloth. Il the time can
be given to ii, it is much better 10 wipe
both top and hearth of the stove, or any
part of it that needs Ii, and 1t viii polish
much easier. The next thing to be done is
TO put on the hands pair of old, loose
81
polish a stove without them. No matter
how carefully you may handle brush and
backing, it is sure to make the hands
rough and grimy, and it is next TO i'm
possible to remove it when it gets under
the finger nails Nix a sufficient quantity
of the powdered polish with soapsuls TO
the consistency of cream, and apply TO the
stove with brush. Some backing adj
mits going all over the stove first, when it
is wet, and polishes better when thor
oughly dry, while other kinds must be
rubbed when slightly damp, for if left
until thoroughly dry it will not polish at
all, and will have to be reblacked. With
the latter kind of backing only a small
part of the stove should be gone over at
one time, so that it may not get too dry.
If brush Is to be used in polishing, cover
mouth and nose so as not to inhale the
dust that is sure TO arise from the vigorous
use of the brush. brush does, to be
sure, give nice gloss to the stove. but
most women do not care for this, claiming
that spots show much quicker on such
glossy surface than on dUller one. 4
wooden cloth is much better to use than
brush to polish the stove, for 1t makes but
very little dust and gives a softer gloss to
the surface of the iron, which is much
nicer than a high polish. A person with
weak lungs should never use q brush for
this work, on any account After polish
ing, rub the nickel plating with cloth
dampened with ammonia and whiting.
Mix whiting and ammonia to the con-
sistency of cream, and dip the cloth in it.
Wipe off with & dry cloth. and polish.
Around some ranges are bands of polished
iron, which many think are nickel. These
can be cleaned with both brick and soap.
Dampen a cloth, and rub it on a piece Of
soap until there is a good lather, then dip
it into some powdered bath brick, and rub
the iron briskly. Polish with dry cloth.
Some women, when backing a stove,
blacken the inside as well as the outside of
the oven, claiming that it is very little
trouble, and it is kept in better order than
if merely brushed. Others will not DO
this work, not on account of the trouble,
but they claim that whatever is cooked in
it might taste or smell of the lead dust.
4 stove cleaned once a week IL this way
may be kept looking nice all the week by
wiping it over after dinner each day, first
with brown paper, then with dry WOODEN
cloth kept for this purpose. If there are
many grease spots, which is usually the
case where frying has been done, rub
them over, when the stove is cool, with
little backing, and polish with the dry
cloth.