Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-07
FLOORS IN SUM INFER
SUGGESTIONS AS TO WHAT rs
COOLEST AND CLEANFST.
Some Like Bare Boards, but Others
Want Either Mattings
or Rugs.

Written for The Evening Star.
ALAS" cried the exponent of scientific
domestic methods NOW comes the problem
of summer foprs!''
Eyes, we took up all our carpets and
beat EN- last week. echoed the lady who
cffngs to tirne-tried theories in housekeep-
ing. 1--WE beat all our carpets once year;
that the way | was brought up I've no
patience with folks who will wear a carpet
| upon the floor year after year without more
than a touch of hot water and ammonia to
wipe the dirt off,
We'll, l send my rugs to the cleaners
when they need attention. 1 think it is very
unwholesome to have the grounds and
house filed with floating dust. We think
rugs are much more convenient and more
hygienic than carpets replied the lady
of advanced ideas.
81 couldn't live in house which had bare
floors protected by nothing more than little
rugs" shifted the old-fashioned neighbor.
Come to see us when we get our floors
in shape for the summef.' the hostess
urged. Il think you will be interested in
what We have done"
All the next week the disciple of the new
household cult spent in shopping. She
wanted to buy floor coverings for the din
ing room and one of the bed rooms. Be
sides, she had to find something for the
floors of the porches.
For the dining room she selected one of
the lnQldn mOOJl rugs lfldl are an the rage
this year. The material, which is al least
half an inch thick, is composed of some
sort of woven grass. The rug she selected
dark red, with a border of black, and
had a design of crescents scattered over the
center For this, which was little less
than by II feet, she paid 50. A smaller
rug was sold for So, but it would merely
serve for tiny bed room or reception hall.
The mooji rugs are made in soft dark blue,
green and red. They can be sponged off
when soiled and are so thick that they are
certain to wear well. They look like very
heavy mating.
Rugs Come High.
A fairly large size genuine mating rug
may be bought for about $40. AS practi-
caliy the same mating is sold for forty
cents yard, the rugs are expensive. Beau
tiful shades of green and delft blue and
deep red are preferred this season by dis
eliminating buyers of mating. Walls and
floor should match in color, or at least har-
monize in tone as much possible.
In the ordinary self-colored mattings the
old-fashioned patterns are still shown; there
is practically nothing novel in the figured
varieties.
There Is not so great demand for this
stuff as there was formerly. The general
public prefers polished floors, over which
they lay handsome oriental rugs in the
winter and lighter summer ones when the
spring comes back" say the statesmen
An inspection of the so-ealled Light sum-
mer goods" shows them to be cotton and
jute, or cotton Chinese and Japanese rugs.
There is this season greater demand for
them than there has ever been. Practically
the only color scheme in which they can be
obtained is cream and dark blue, the colors
popularized in porcelains. The dhurries and
mooji rugs alone divide interest with the
Chinese and japanese fabrics.
Although to the unsophisticated eye all
mating looks very much alike. there are
really two kinds. Chinese and Japanese,
the former made entirely of straw, the lat
ter of straw with cotton warp. The Jap
anese prepare more artistic designs than
the Chinese, at least say the experts.
This season geometrical patterns are In
vogue in mattings, dark greens and dark
blues and dark reds being favored for pat
tern Outlinings.
The Touching Up.
Ingram rugs, as they are called in this
country, are popular for summer; ingrains
are of wool or wool and cotton, and there
fore afford better feeding ground for
moths and more secure retreat for sand
Than the cotton or cotton and jute rugs.
When she had acquired this store of in
formation and made her purchases with an
eye to both good taste and thrift the fol-
| lower Of the new thought in housefurnish-
ing began to look over her floors. Those
that required fresh coioring were touched
up with prepared stain. After the stain
dried coat of yarnish was put on and
over this coat of wax was polished Then
l
The wood-green mating which she had
bought for one Of the bed rooms was put
down with much ceremony. The material
was cut into lengths to suit the floor and
bound at the cut places with strips Of
| green muslin matching the color of the
mating. Some persons sew mating to-
gether like carpets, but this is needless
task. On the floor was laid a thickness of
| paper lining. and then the edges of the
breadths were Joined and tackled in place
with the two-pronged mating lacks. Small
rugs were laid beside the bed. the wash
stand and the dressing case. These were
| intended to protect the mating where
there is most wear and to afford soft. warm
resting places for unshod feet The smaller
rugs were inexpensive fancy ones of white
and wood green. =
In the parlor handsome Japanese rugs
of various sizes were employed, and very
| pretty they looked. They could be washed
any time their delicate white background
became soiled.
Cleaning Mating.
On. the servants bed room was laid some
| mating discarded from another apartment.
When secured on the floor. it was cleaned
as follows: After the mating had been