The Jersey City news., 1890-04-18
HOUSEKEEPING SEASON.
The Happy Period When Home,
Sweet Home Is Not So
Very Sweet.

I Who does not dread the inevitable
house -cleaningg And yet the coming
of the troublesome fly warns us that
the time is at hand when the house
needs renovation.
AS the fly comes in stoves go out,
and we almost forget the summer
annoyance in the charm of putting
them up and the rest we gain thereby.
Everybody knows, OF ought to
know, that if stoves are blackened
when entirely cold the operation does
not need repetition for a long time,
and if the zinc under them is cleaned
before It is put down, instead of after
ward, the work is easier. This is
done by washing with q hand mop
dipped in diluted sulphuric acid, one
part of acid to five parts OF water,
then rinsing them and polishing with
polishing powder of most any sort II
the zines are painted they can De
wiped off easily and last much longer
in fresh condition, which is better,
and a great deal of work saved.
Unless rooms are very much used
carpets need not be taken up oftener
than once year. A thorough sweep
ing, followed by wiping them with a
cloth wrung from clear water, viii
remove the dust quite thoroughly.
Ammonia and water brighten the coli
ors and take out spots. Moist saw
dust or pieces of wet newspaper scat
tered over the carpet will gather the
dust. Many housekeepers sprinkle
fine salt or tea leaves on their carpets
and then sweep them 1t is q much
better plan than to do all at once, TO
take up some carpets in the fall and
the rest in the spring, and so divide
the work, unless you want to feel tnab
it is all out of the way at once.
If you have painting and kalsomln-
ing to be done, the spring is decidedly
vour best time. Hard finished walls
NAV be washed with soapsuds and
wiped dry. A bit OF pumice stone will
remove stains from them. White
paint may be washed with ammonia
or with whiting and water, which is
not so trying to the hands as the am
1nonia. All grained work should be
washed with cold tea and wiped with a
soft flannel cloth. For. windows and
picture frames soft flannel cloths with
soapsuds, and, after wiping dry, polish
with chafnois leather, is far better
than anything else. They leave no
| lint, and better than paper, which
often scratches glass-and il you
would best rid your walls of dust,
wrap cloth around broom-while
a solution of hot salt water, or hot
alum water will drive away insects of
all sorts.
| Furniture covered with rep, or SIM
| liar goods, should be first whipped;
| then carefully brushed. and all dust
! wiped away with a damp cloth. A
| soft cloth is best for satin covered
| furniture. Black walnut or mahogany
| furniture may be washed quickly
with soapy water and a soft brush,
then wiped dry and rubbed with an
| oily cloth. Rotten stone and sweet
oil are used to polish, and are
excellent. Then all that can be
rubbed off is removed, and a
| chamois skin makes it as good as
new. A fine polish is made by the use
| of the following recipe:--Alcohol, half
pint; resin, half an ounce; gum shell
| lac, half an ounce; few drops of
analine brown. Let stand over night
| and add three gills of raw linseed oil
and half a pint of spirits OF turpen-
| tine. Shake well before using. Put
on with cotton flannel and rub dry
! with another cloth. There are many
new tangled ways, but as house
keeper for nearly fifty years / can
| sneak of the long tried practices,
| which have stood the test of time and
change and always proved salts
! factory.
Let me suggest that the top of the
house is the place to begin the house
| cleaning, and in each room, closets
| and drawers should first be put in
| order. If the work needs any repairs
they should be made before the clean.
| ing begins. IT one or two rooms at a
| time are put in order the discomfort
experienced by the family during
| the renovation will be comparatively
| little. 1t is rarely necessary to turn
| the whole house upside down. all at
once: but when this must be done lei
| am army of workers shorten the agony
as much as possible. Yet it pays to &c
through it all. if done as it ought to
| be. The contrast is SO blissful! Fol
| this never grndge the misery, for 1t II
only temporary.
But while this upturning is going
on there should always be kept as {
/ refuge one room in a harmonious con
/ dition; q place where the tired work
ers may find rest, and where the heac
of the house may go without molesta
| tion. If this were so, there would bt
less grumbling at the necessary evils
and the time less dreaded as the sea
son rolls around. Ladies' Home jour
| nal.
Beauty Beaten by Grace.
There are thousands of pretty, en-
gaging little ways which every persoI
may put on without running the risl
OF being affected or foppish--th
sweet smile; the quiet, cordial bow
the earnest movement in addressing
friend. or more especially strange
whom one may recommend to ou
/ good regards; the inquiring glance
which is so captivating when united
with self possession, that will insur
us the good regards of even a churl
Above all there il a certain delicac,
OF manner which should be cultivated
and which, in either man or woman
adds charm that compensates TO
lack OF beauty.
Thinking Out Loud.