The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-07-21
SPRING HOUSE-CLEANlNG
Helpful Hints From Experience for the
Afflicted HOusekeeper.


Among the special trials of the house,
keeper and her family, the annual Wis
itation of house cleaning looms up with
forbidding menace. 1t suggests colds,
infiuenzas, possible pneumonia and
doctors bills and a general and some
what protracted term of rutfled temper,
WEAKNESS and irritation.
The old-time housekeeping, when
the entire establishment was, so to
speak, turned out of doors, has gone its
way in many families, and a much bet
ter, easier and more comfOrta BILE plan
has been tried. and proving eminently
satisfactory, has been adopted. Under
this new rule, cleaning is done on what
might be called the installment plan.
Instead of tearing the house all MP
at once, one or more rooms are cleaned
each day until all are finished. First,
put the attic in order and scrub the
floor. Remove all outside shutters and
have them cleaned and put away until
needed. Take up all hall and stair
carpets. or II this is not liked, leave the
lower hall and stairs and cover the car
pets with canvas or crash. 1t is well to
provide large bag of saw-dust, and
two or three quarts of this, made as
damp as posi- bic, without dripping,
should be scattered over the floor of
the upper hall and swept about over
the bare floor and stairs This will
take up all dust and leave the floor
quite clean. The furniture and all
other articles in one room may now be
wiped off and removed to another
apartment or if there is room put on
one side of the hall Do not place it so
that it will be in the way and may be
upset and broken or retard the progress
of the work. Above all. do not, unless
imperatively necessary, leave heavy ar
ticles in a room, TO be lifted or rolled
back and forth where carpets are to be
taken up and put down.
Begin work on the top floor. After
The tacks in the carpet are all out, be-
gin at one edge and fold it over as
nearly as possible in the half, fold
again and again. until it is one breadth
wide, fold over the ends until it makes
parcel as small as possible. tie with a
rope and carry it downstairs II you
have neighbors, do not throw it ont OF
the windows, as you may distribute
much unneighborly dust
Take up the carpet lining. placing
one length over another. roll from the
ends and tie up in the same way. This
saves great deal of dirt and dust that
would otherwise be scattered on the
hall and stairs sweep the floor with
damp saw-dust, gather this up and
carry II away. II may be thrown upon
the coal-bin and is just so much addi-
tiOnal fuel If there are cup0oards or
clothes presses they should have been
cleaned out before the furniture IS re
moved
Brush the ceiling. walls, windows and
woodwork A clean. soft cloth wound
around new broom Is one Of the very
best of ceiling and wall cleaners Clean
the painted wood work thoroughly.
Common baking soda. heaping table
spoonful TO three quarts OF water, IS
good for scrub0inc This should be
done very quickly and the paint should
be rinsed IN clear water ana wiped c.-y
At once. L there are no hnCer-mar1s
and only Z little dust, clean water with
little spirits OF Jurpentine VIII be
sufficient Afterward rub the wood
work with a wooden cloth wet n spirits
d turpentine, being careful not to
couch the paper. Clean the windows
with alcohol and wIter. half and hail,
and polish with tissue paper, or news
papers crumpicd in the hand until they
&c soft Some EoUsekeeDers 20 over
all the WOOD wo-s Ia the room win
a wooden cloth wet with turpentine ~
herosine oil Both leave an o1or that
j. offensive 20 sore persons; tne form -
i preferable ueoause II evaPorates
almost immediately. while the lattes
must ae carefully yrioel of or u IS III
accumulate and hold dust
When windows and WOodworz -
tlcau, throw more damp sardust cr.'
the floor and sweep tro-oughlv. taxing
care that ala cracks IN tne f0o- aI.c
under ih- edge % the base-bSard are
brushed free from dirt and Int >coa-
the presses and cupboa7ds, then scr7i1
tue hoo- gong over a snail portion a.
cce time. using a. little water Is pos-