Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-13
IN HOUSEKEEPING TIME
Hints to Make the Campaign Against Dirt
Less Arduous.
The Virtues of Warm Water, Soft
clothes and Soap-Stain Remov-
ers-New Sun Blinds.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written l"i ne fFeluDg star.
The labor of housekeeping can nova
days be fairly reduced to a science. First,
no sensible woman thinks of beginning the
oVerhauiins until warm weather has come.
Before opening the campaign against dirt
there are some small preliminary hints
that. if needed. will DO much toward less
ening the work
For instance, the housekeeper should be-
torehand go over every room with s. note
book and pencil, jotting down A list or the
Things which are to be done in each place
When the list has been finished all the
mend1ng and small repairs in each room
should be gone overall the torn ernbroid-
cry curtains or linen should be put in or
der broken vases or china mended or re-
placed and chairs that need an extra screw
be fixed.
In the linen cupboard the linen that is to
De used IN each room should be systematic
cal!y laid out, each piece on its particular
shelf This array should include clean cur
tains, towels. bed spreads, cushion covers
and doi}ieS. When this has been done the
housecleaner will know just where to ind
each clean article il is needed
GA furniture can with little care be
MADE TO look as good as new by ripping Off
the old covering and putting on some new
upholstering material. The new covering
Is tackled on with a border of upholsterer's
braid along the edge.
Good Furniture Polish.
When the furniture has been renovated,
it may be polished up to look as bright as
one pleases with furniture polish. TO buv
furniture polish Is a trife extrayagant but
a very good quality can he made by follow
ing this formula: Dissolve Il dime tablet Of
whlte paraftln wax in turpentine, and mix
them well together. Beeswax with the t1Ir-
Pehtlhe may be used instead of the paraffin
Another polish is made by mixing equal
parts OF turpentue, spirits Of wine, vinegar
ana inseed oil. This should always be well
shaken before using
Before applying the polish the furniture
II soiIed, should be washed with soap and
warm water and allowed to dry. then
rubbed on with silk handkerchief or other
soft cloth on which is some of the polish
ne wood should again be rubbed with a
soft cloth when dry.
Furniture should by rights be polished
every week, and for this purpose it is a
good plan to keep a soft rag which has
been mOistened in equal parts of vinegar
and oil. A few drops of ammonia in the
water with which furniture is washed will
remove grease.
1t is well to carbolic acid soap as a
disnfectant with the spring scrubbing The
bed frames and other hooks and corners
too. are better for being Sprinkled with a
disinfectant.
TO Clean Piano Keys.
Lemon juice is a good thing for removing
SNSA'Ato tioAit 'tic VI Tue piduU, IL serves
to whiten the ivory. Grease stains can be
removed from anything if a little brown or
blotting paper is placed between the stain
and hot iron. The iron must not touch
the paper. however, a white mark will
be left behind. Ii the white mark is left
by accident, a shoveful of hot Goals should
be held over it while it is rubbed with
hannel cloth Iron stains on marble may be
ohliierated by placing the stain for about
nfteen minutes little oil of vitrol and
tlen rubbing it off with a soft cloth. Nitriol
is a deadly poison and should be handled
with care and locked up or the remainder
thrown away when what is needed has
been used. OXalic acid will take ink stains
from colored tablecloth. A teaspoonful
dissolved in a cup of hot water and then
rubbed well over the stain will take out the
ink.
For those who can afford to send their
carpets away to be cleaned half of the
labor of housekeeping is lightened. but in
many families this is not possible. To
brighten and renew the youth of a much
worn carpet II is best TO have it well beat
en- before any further labor is expended.
Carpets are usually hung out of doors on
the line and thrashed with old broorns
which will remove the dust quite as well
as the wicker carpet heaters.
Old Carpets Freshened Up.
When the carpets have been beaten and
rearranged so that the worn spots can be
hidden under pieces of large furniture or
come well in the shadow, where they will
be little noticed each carpet should be gone
over with special cleaning preparation.
Some housewives buy half a pound of
soap tree bark and dissolve il in a bucket of
hot water. In another bucket they have
clear, warm water. With soft cloth they
apply the bark diluted in hot water to a
section of the carpet to be cleaned. Then
they quickly wash this off with the clear
water and dry quickly with rags in order
that the moisture may not penetrate the
carpet In this way they go over the en-
tire surface. AZ result the carpet pre-