Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-15
A LESSON IN SANITATION
KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON ALL
THE PIPES AND TRAPS.
The Family Health Depends on 1t
Grease is Their Greatest Foe; Hut
Sticks. Strings and Hair Are, Too
Soda the Household Friend.


NOWADAYS the plumber and his bill are
YOUR true household specters. Like other
specters, careful common sense Will put
them to rout and confusion nine times III
ten. Wise men have been studying TINS
subject ever SO long to devise PLUMBING
that would take care of Itself, out theS
have not vet succeeded. Neither are they
likely to, without revolution In mechah-
les, whereby the tendency of fluids always
to seek their own level may be eliminated
and other things as wonderful brought to
pass So long as knowledge remains nearly
static, so long will it behoove every house
mistress to look well to the usage of her
pipes and her traps.
A bit of rag, or even string, purnt
match, a wisp of hair, seems a very htue
thing-one that the pipes can carry on with
no possible hurt. But the rag, by hanging
over the bend of the trap, may serve as a
siphon to take away the water seal, which
is all that stands between the household
and unlimited sewer gas. And the rag may
keep on doing ii for weeks ana weeks, un-
til deadly disease is rampant. A string
snarled and twisted may work the same ILL.,
The match end, of course, ought to noat
away harmless, but are very much likelier
to be caught in some eddy of the nush
water, damned into creVice and there TO
take to themselves other solid particles
until they form decaying clot, both oHen-
sive and dangerous. AS for hair, there Is
no end to the harm it harborS. A wisp
quickly forms itself into a sort of strainer,
catching and holding all that passes. ASIDE
from that, it has a trick of lodging in the
most inconvenient places, catching upon the
least roughness inside the pipe and staying
there until by accretion it has clogged the
whole space. Hair has special affinity for
bits of soap. Solid soap, by the way, should
never be sent down the pipes. Very strong
soap suds even is Objectionable, unless
you follow it with flood of clean water,
preferably hot water.
Things to Avoid.
Coffee grounds and tea leaves either clog
a pipe very soon, or else, If the flush water
prevents that, wear it through quickly,
partly by mechanical action, partly by
chemical. Neither should ever be permitted
in a sink. Even If you are wise enough to
keep out all grease, and thus make sure
that the grounds shall get safe away from
your own pipes. in the sewer they may
come in contact with grease from pipes less
carefully kept and cake and clog your whole
pipe system, making necessary costly and
inconvenient unclogging.
Every kitchen ought to have it's grease
can, emptied once a week in winter; in
summer every three days. All sorts of re-
fuse-fat should go into it-even the scrap
ingS from plates and dishes. Greasy water,
from boiling hams or corned beef, should
be allowed to cool thoroughly; then have
the grease carefully taken off before II
goes GOWN the pipes. SklllelS ana IRVING
pans ought to be filled with very hot soda
water and let stand half an hour before
washing. This gives time for the soda to
partly saponify the grease and keep it from
sticking to the pipe or caking on top of the
trap.
Every closet in daily use should be
flushed once a week with at least two gall
Ions of boiling water. Every other week
it ought to have a gallon of copperas wa
ter poured into it, and alternate weeks a
gallon of chloride of lime solution. Use
plain lime water if nothing else is at hand
Then monthly, but oftener dissolve a
pound of washing soda in a gallon of boil
ing water, pour 1t into the closet, let It
stand fifteen minutes, then flush the closet
from its own cistern and follow the flush
ing with gallon of clear hot water. The
soda water should stand in the trap Just
long enough to clean the sides, and be
washed away and rinsed after, so it may
not attack and eat the lead and solder of
pipes and joints
Use Soda PIentifulIy.
Treat sinks the same way, only use the
soda fortnightly and let it stand longer in
the trap. But always wash it out thor
oughly. Plain lime water is better for a
sink than the chloride. which smells to
heaven especially in a small room. For
cleaning the traps beneath set bowls use
the soda solution with half pint Of am
monia to the gallon. Twice year at least |
put in the plug, fill the bowl to the brim
with the ammoniated soda and let 1t stand |
until as much as possible runs out through |
the waste vent. Tie small swab of cot |
ton strongly upon the ends of a coarse |
crochet hook. and with it wash out the
vent holes as far as possible. Use the |
same sort of swab to clean the drain vents |
of the bowls, bath tubs and so on. The |
freer and cleaner the vents the better the |
sanitation.
In securing faucets be careful to keep
the securing grit out of-the joints. Even
the finest particles quickly cut away screw
threads turning many times a day. After
securing also take care to let the water
run at least a minute before catching any
for use. In washing sandy vegetables, as
spinach, turnips, potatoes, use big pan
and drain off the dirty water, SO the sand
may be caught and supplied separate.
Even spoonful of sand going down a pipe
will cut and wear it more than a hogshead
of water
Milky Water Bad, Too.
Milky water is one OF the hardest things
to manage Even a small quantity daily
fouls pipes and sets up a most evil smell
unless the milky water is followed by a
flushing of soda water moderately strong
with lime water flush about every three
days The lime water is made more eff
fective by adding salt to 1t. Sea salt is
best Put a lump as big as the fist in an
earthen or wooden vessel along with twice
it's bulk of Quicklime, and cover with four
gallons of hot water. Stir well and let
settle. Pour the clear liquid down the
pipes and follow 1t in half an hour with a
flush of clear water boiling hot. Thus
every kind of sink may be kept sweet
and fresh. EMILY HOLT.
The friend-"Her face is her fortune
The enemy-"How Interestingly Made Il |
herself, too, didn't she?'-Harlem Life.