Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1893-02-08
GETTING READY FOR WINTER.
How to Reduce the Trouble of uousa.
Cleaning to a Minimum

How to Reduce the Trouble of House.
Cleaning to a Minimum.
In almost all houses certain amount
OF fall cleaning is imperatively neces-
sary. Open windows and free access to
dust of all sorts always furnish excel
lent reason for thorough overhauling
OF the entire contents of the dwelling.
House-cleaning is by no means the
formidable undertaking that many peo-
pie fancy, provided, of course, that it is
gone about in systematic and intelli-
gent manner.
One of the important items in clean
ing Is to take every article of furniture
. out OF the room. 1t is the sheerest
folly to attempt to clean with a lot
OF furnishings piled up In the mid
die or corner of the place and to be
compelled to work around them. move
them and run the risk of upsettinp
or falling over them at every turn:
therefore clear the decks, first of all
things. Each piece as taken out should
be busted, beaten and made IS clean as
possible, then put somewhere where it
Will not again accumulate dust. Out
side blinds should be taken off and
scru bbed with light soapsuds in which
little ammonia is dissolved If thew
are carefully wiped dry and rubbed off
with cloth dipped in kerosene oil,
then placed out of the dust and allowed
to stand for day or two, they will be
wonderfully improved. This precau-
ton must. however, be observed-that
they must not be put up until the oil
has entirely evaporated, else they will
catch every particle of flying dirt and
look worse than before
Windows should be thoroughly
washed and rinsed, then dried with a
soft cloth. After this the glass NAV be
gone over with a rag dipped in spirits
of turpentine. then polished, when thew
will shine and be as clear as the nature
of material permits. 1t is great mis-
take to put cheap. poor glass into the
windows of dwelling-houses The cost
OF good glass is but little more. and
the difference in effect is really surpris-
ing.
Paint may be successfully cleaned
with spirits of turpentine and water.
If very dirty soap-suds NAV be neces-
sary, but ordinary spots are easily re-
moved with the turpentine and water.
Take care not to soil the paper; brush
the walls thoroughly, and sweep the
floor first of all with damp sawdust.
A second sweeping with sawdust helps
matters amazingly. If it is necessary
to return the carpet to the floor at
once, the boards need not be scrubbed
at all, asrepeated sweepings with damp
sawdust will remove every particle of
dust and dirt.
The carpets, if beaten in open air.
should be brought in before there is
any danger of dampness or falling
dew. After being put on the floor
with suitable lining, it is we'll to take
a dish of soap-suds, clean cloth and a
new brush and go over the en-
tire surface, carefully wrinoinp the
cloth so dry that it will not pene-
trate but merely wet the outside
OF the carpet, then with the brush
gently raise the nap. Wiring the cloth
again very dry and rub vigorously. Do
small portion at a time, carefully
going over the whole carpet If there
is no dust open the windows and leave
the room undisturbed over night if DOS
sible.
Under no circumstances should the
carpet be walked upon or have the fur.
niture set upon it until thoroughly dry,
as the surface will be crushed and in
denied, and can not be raised again
without wetting and a good deal of
hard work.
When the cleaning has reached this
stage 1T is the work of but a few mo-
ments to arrange the furniture, books,
pictures and ornaments which have
been carefully busted and cleaned. If
one or two rooms are done at a time
and the rest of the house left in COM
Portable condition, there should be none
OF the exposure which has from time
immemorial made housekeeping a
dread and an occasion of danger to the
health and temper Of the whole family.
IN. Y. Ledger.