The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-07-05
THE HOUSE DRAINS.
HOW TO KEEP THEM ALWAYS IN
GOOD SANITARY CONDITION.


Nowadays the plumber and his bill are
your true household specters. Like other
specters, common sense will put them to
rout and confusion nine times in ten.
Wise men have been studying this sub
iect ever so long to devise plumbing that
would take care of itself, but they have
not vet succeeded. Neither are they like
ly to without a revolution in mechanics
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, burned
match, wisp Of hair, seems very lit
tie thng-one that the pipes can carry off
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 it for weeks
and weeks, until deadly disease is ram
pant A string snarled and twisted may
work the same ILL., The match ends of
course ought to float away harmless, but
are very much likelier to be caught in
some eddy of the flush water iammed
into a crevice, and there to take to them
selves other solid particles until they form
a decaying clot both offensive and dan
gerous. As for hair, there is no end to
the harm it harbors. A wisp quickly
forms into a sort of strainer, catching and
holding all that passes. Aside from that
it has trick Of lodging in the most in
convenient 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 soft soapsuds even are Objectionable
unless you follow them with a flood of
clean water, preferably hot water.
Coffee grounds and tea leaves either
clog 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
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 its grease
can emptied once a week in winter, in
summer every three days. All sorts of
refuse fat should go into it-even the
scrapings from plates and dishes. Greasy
IniloI bop
beef, should be allowed to cool thorough
Iy, then have the grease carefully taken
off before it goes down the pipes Skill
let's and frying pans ought to be filed
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 calling on top of the trap.
Every closet in daily use should be
flushed once a week with at least two
gallons of boiling water, Every other
week it ought to have a gallon of cop
peras water poured into it and alternate
weeks a gallon of chloride of lime solu-
ton. Use plain limewater, if nothing
else is at hand Then monthly, but not
oftener, dissolve a pound OF washing
soda in gallon of boiling water pour it
INTO lut NIOSSls ltl IL SlduQ III AulliulGSs
then flush the closet from its own cistern
and follow the flushing with a 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 that it may not attack
and eat the lead and solder of pipes and
joints.
Treat sinks the same way, only use the
60, Ia L.,
the trap But always wash it out thor
oughly. Plain limewater is better for
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 a 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
it stand until as much as possible runs
out through the waste vent Tie small
swab of cotton strongly upon the ends of
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 bowls, bathtubs and so on. The
,freer and cleaner the vents the better the
sanitation.
In securing faucets be careful to keep
tHe securing grit out VI 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 catch
ing any for use. In washing sandy vege-
tables, as spinach turnlps, potatoes, use
big pan and drain off the dirty water so
the sand may be caught and supplied
separate. Even a spoonful Of sand going
down a pipe will cut and wear 1t more
than hogshead Of water.
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 q
flushing of soda water moderately strong,
with limewater flush about every three
days. The limewater Is made more eff
fective by adding salt to IT, Sea salt Is
best. Put a lump as big as the fist in an
earthen or wooden vessel, along with
twice a bulk of quicklime and cover with
four gallons of hot water, Stir we'll aud
let it settle. Pour the clear LIQUID down
the pipes and follow it In half an hour
with flush of clear water boiling hot,
Thus every kind of sink may be kept
sweet and fresh Emily Holt In Chicago
Record Herald.
Good Advice to Girls who Travel.
The young girl who Is travelling by her,
self should seek information from the