Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-04-30
HOMEMAKERS COLUMN.
Correspondence on topics of interest tothe ladie.
COLUMN, Oxford Democrat. Paris. Maine.
HousE-clEAhlNe HINTS.

hOUSe-CIeRNiN6 f1INios
April and May are the months when
all good housekeepers consider it nee
essary to make both themselves and
their families suprcmely uncomfortable
by tearing up carpets and .outing out
ancienG dust and dirt from its hiding
places in daik corners, on tops of cup
boards and shelves and other incon-
spicuous places. It is necessary to
suffer-not as as the French proverb has
it ''to be beautiful but in more utili-
tartan American-to be clean.
Well, as somebody once said, every
thing is easy if you know just how to do
it," so even housekeeping loses its
terrors when one goes about it systemat-
locally and theoretically knowing "just
how"
The paint and woodwork of rooms
should of course, be cleaned before the
carpets are re-laid. Soft soap and luke
warm water, sapolio, or even little
kerosene oil, are all good to use.
Bedsteads, too, demand a good deal
of thought and care, which, if properly
exercised, will save much subsequent
trouble: they are so apt to be forgotten,
and more than any other article they &C
cumulate a quantity of dust which is
detrimental to health as we'll as objec-
tionable in general way. To obv'vte
this, remove the bedding, and then care
fully beat and brush out all the corn rs,
buttons, etc., of the mattress. The bed
stead and springs should, of course, be
well busted with soft brush wherever
the laths join, and can be painted with
little petroleum, which is beneficial as a
preventive of insects, etc. BY the way,
do not keep mattress in use till it is
absolutely uncomfortable and out OF
shape; if regular and judicious turning
does not suffice, take the opportunity
offered by housekeeping to have the
hair picked out, combed, and put back
again.
Mahogany and all polished furniture
of any kind, is also apt to become very
dull and furnished, and should be rubbed
till it shines. The best and easiest way
of polishing wood, is to make dolly"
of rags, finally tying it up tightly in
piece of soft flannel; this should be
slightly sprinkled with linseed oil; over
it tie cloth rag on which put few
drops of alcohol; rub all the woodwork
quickly with this prepared material, and
polish qrickly as you proceed with a
soft silk or flannel rag. Both the oil
and the spirit should be very sparingly
applied, as they would otherwise moist
en- the wood too much and produce
smears; but if the operation is bIiskly
done, according to these instructions, nc
polish, iowever elaborate, will bring
about the same brightness.
To clean gas globes, scrub them with
a soft firm brush dipped in soap dis
solved in hot water, or with soft soap
If they are badly stained, put them into
a large saucepan in lukewarm water, in
which soda and soap powder should pre-,
viously have been dissolved; stand them
near, but not over, the fire for three OF
four hours; then place the saucepan
with its contents in cool place, and do
not remove the globes until the liquid is
quite cold. Rinse in lukewarm water
containing a few drops of ammonia
after this wipe each globe with a soft
glass cloth, and stand it to dry thor.
oughly, either in the sun or on the plate
rack at tie back of the stove; without
attention to these latter precautions, the
glass will probably crack. If the stains
do not give way to this treatment, they
will possibly have been caused by grease
in which case fuller's earth made into q
paste with little spirits of turpentine
and applied with a rag, will remove
them effectually.
The next item for consideration is
window-cleaning, and very important
one it is. AS to the washing materials
to be used, they are best CHOSEN accord
ing to personal experience. The OBJ
lection to water, as far as some places
are concerned, is it's hardness, which
often renders it very difficult to really
clean the panes, and more frequently
still quite ruins the cha nois. Where
soft water is available, this inconven'
fence is avoided. With regard to the
M. ny polishes on sale, whitening is I'M
Idoubtedly the best as well as the cheap
est and the simplest, only it must be ap
piled carefully and we'll rubbed off; lei
lit be applied with flannel, rub it of
with the same material, then polish witt
a soft dry chamois; if two persons can bt
lspared to clean the same window at one
time Inside and out) the labor will be
greatly reduced, and the result will also
be much more s~tisfs Glory. Anyhow
the corners are the crucial test of goOC
window cleaning, and must be carefully
done. Keep the same chamois fol-
windows only, and put them away wei
stretched and free from creases. An
other way is to sprinkle clean leather
well wrung out of hot water, with few
drops of strong ammonia or alcohol
then dry and polish with soft clear
feathers, or old dusters.-McCalrs Maya