Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-05-28
DAINTY TABLE APPOINTMENTS.
How to Take Care of China and Silvss
Belonyinrs.


Belongings.
Ambitious young housewives often
"set up housekeeping" with the idea
that the delicate china and dainty APP
pointments for the dining-table are
quite matter of course and do not
require any special care. Perhaps in
their mothers home the China and sil-
verware always appeared in the same
immaculate condition without any
housekeeper, and it is taken for grant
ed that the same state of affairs will
exist in the new home. But how soon
are the eyes opened, especially If the
beautiful wedding gifts and the treas
ured belongings that have accumulated
during the interesting shopping tours
are intrusted to the servant. Aside
from the actual destruction of many
treasured dishes, the "newness" of the
remaining articles will be sadly ephem-
eral. But IL the housewife early
acquires the habit of overseeing the
care of the fine table appointments
their beauty may be made permanent
to great extent.
If there is n sideboard in the dining
room it will supply the necessary COM
partments for napery and cutlery;
otherwise 1t is convenient to have a
set of drawers arranged beneath or at
one side of shelf in the china closet.
These may be easily hung by means Of
cleats and grooves. All plates of a
certain kind should be piled together,
or those who still hold the opinions Of
our mothers, that they should not be
stacked, should have Stats arranged
The cups and saucers may be grouped
in any way you may fancy for conven-
;ence and pretty effect. twill be con-
venient to have shelf arranged in
steps for glasses. This not only pro-
duces good effect, but renders easy
the selection of required size or style,
does not disturb the others and there
Ia less likelihood of breakage.
Some people think that in order to
preserve handsome china without be-
| ing nicked it is necessary to use "keel-
ers" in which to wash it, but unless
| great care is exercised these soon be-
come foul, and with careful handling
| two dishpans do quite as well. First fill
| the pan with hot but not boiling water,
in which little soap has been dissolved.
| Wash the glasses in this and rinse them
| In the other pan, which contains clean
hot water. Then lay them on drainer
| of perforated tin that fits into q pan
| TO catch the water. Wipe them quick
| ly with cloth that is not linty. 1t is
| scarcely necessary to add here that
every housekeeper is supposed to have
q convenient receptacle for dish tow
els, glass napkins, polishing powder,
etc. AS soon as the glasses are wiped,
wash and dry the silver, polishing
| whatever should require 1t. While at.
| tending to the silver the cups, saucers
and dessert dishes may be soaking in
| the water, and as they are taken out
| and rinsed the plates and vegetable
dishes should be washed and rinsed,
leaving the meat platters and all greasy
dishes until the last. All grease and
particles of food should be carefully
scraped from the dishes before put
ting them in the dishpan. A wooden
scraper should be used for this, as fine
| decorations are often scratched and in
| jured even on the china that has been
perfectly ''fired" Do not put many
dishes in the pan at once, as there is
danger of chipping the edges. If the
knives and forks have pearl or bone
handles, only the blades should be wet.
The silver powder should be applied
with damp cloth or silver brush, and
the articles polished with chamois skin.
If there is any engraving or repousse
work on the silver soft dry brush
should be used TO remove all the white
dust, leaving every tiny crevice bright
and shining and free from the objec-
tionable accumulation of dirt and pow
| der -phi1a1aIphioT irnac