The Portland daily press., 1892-03-01
THE HOME.
CARE OF BEDDING,

ue DdttllS ID SliC " NC Iupuctt Ill Ietilp
and the threads are almost certain to
break.
Many housekeepers may not know,
says writer in the New York Ledger,
that if comfortables are laid out on a
clean grass plot and permitted to stay
through long rain, then dried without
taking up, they will be almost entirely
clean and will have a delightful fresh
odor very different from the usual
stuffy smell of washed bedding.
Another way which may be resorted to
when there is no grass plot, is to spread
canvas on the roof and lay the com
foltables on that. Pieces Of wood of
any sort may be placed under the can
vas so as to allow of drainage. With
care and a little watching they may be
made almost as sweet and clean as new.
OF course. the colors may run, but that
can't be helped. If the edges are frayed,
it is well to put on new bindings, or, If
too much worn, q wide piece of cheese
cloth or print may be folded over the
edges for ten OF twelve inches on either
side and caught down with long hem
ming stitches. A few taekings like those
in the middle of the comfortable Will
hold this piece in place and make the
article as good as new.
1t is the sheerest folly to waste time
and strength in washing such things on
board, besides they are almost always
spoiled. If the first rain-storm does not
make them perfectly clean, leave them
out for another. or, with the watering
pot, drench them thoroughly two or
three times day with clean water. In
case the comfortables are very badly
soiled, it may be well, when first put out
to use the sprinkler, with very hot and
very strong soap-suds; indeed, by taking
a good deal of pains, they may be entire
ly cleaned by this sprinkling process.
Blankets and counterpanes may be clean
ed in the same way, with the exception
that for the blankets the water must be
entirely soapsuds and as nearly the same
temperature as possible. Ordinary blank
cts may be left out in the rain, as de-
scribed for comfortables; but in the case
of finer ones it is well to hang then up,
allow them to dry and take them in as
soon as possible.
RULES FOR SHOPPING.
The New ork Recorder in an article
on shopping gives the following advice
Read about styles and fashions, so as
not to be at the mercy of the salespeople.
Then, if possible, take day for looking
around before you set out on your buy
ing expedition. Betwixt any of the
great shops there is in the long run very
little to choose. There may be penny's
difference in the prices of some few
things, but take them all in all you will
get about as much for your money in one
as in the other. lJH9r es'
Make list Of all you need, setting OPP
IL 4l,a
want and the amount you can allow
yourself to spend for it. Then go di-
rectly about your purchasing. If you
want stockings and f1annels and napery |
don't fritter away an hour at the silk |
counter ON your way to them.
Ask for the thing you mean to buy as |
as you can. Do not say vague
ly, 'sShow me some stockings" and ,ex- |
pect the salesgirl to divine that you wear
No 10, and wouldn't for anybody's mon
ey put your foot in other than silk or
or else that you want the
stoutest ribbed hosiery that even a |
small boys knees demanded. Say, for |
s'Let me look at cashmere
dark red, olive, OF pale blue something
at abont 90 cents the yard SO on
specifically through the whole list.
Against each item on your list set the |
cost of it as it is bought Thus glance
will show you if you are over-running
your estimates, or have balance to the
good.
CLEANING COMPOUNDS.
1t is ON housekeeping days, not on
washing days, that washing preparations
of all kinds are especially valuable. Eve
ry good housekeeper should welcome any
Continuance that assists in removing the
dirt and purifying the crevices and cracks
of dwelling house from the impurities |
and germs of disease that may lurd in
any house long occupied. Abundance of
soda and hot water is one of the best
cleaning mixtures. An addition of am
monia to water used in cleaning metal,
glass OF marble is great help, and moth
ing is better to clean out an old iron sink
and corners of the kitchen than turpen-
tine and water. What is needed is not
that place shall merely look clean, but
that something shall be to some extent
clean. This means that it
shall be purified from microscopic germs
as far as possible, which simply soap and
water will not reach. Of course power
ful cleaning fluids cannot be used on
paint, or where they will destroy color or
fabric. but they are not often needed in
bare floors, for cleaning around plumb
ng, in cellars, and in all the out-of-way
places where it is necessary to use some
stronger disinfectant than mere soap and
water of medium temperature. The in
side of bedsteads and Stats should be
washed out with one of these powerful
cleansing preparations at least once a
year and fresh preventive of straying in
sects put in the crevices of the bedstead;
n this matter as i'll many others an
ounce of prevention is worth pound of
cure.
TOMATOES.
In an article on ''Healthful Food" in
5he New England Farmer the writer
strongly objects to the use of tomatoes.
While not daring to positively assert that
hey produce cancers, she inclines to that
belief, citing cases of several people hay
ng died of that disease who had been
consumers of tomatoes.
if she had extended her re-
searches she would have found many
more vino died of cancer having eaten
sparingly OF not at all of tomatoes.
confess to being inordinately fond of
hem, having eaten them three times
L T.. II