Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-14
The Hall Floors

Ilt 11dll L
OF rented houses are often in too bad
condition and of too poor wood to stain and
cover with rugs. a carpet is necessary, and
In homes where children are running in and
out constantly the carpet must be shaken
at least once a week. Little is more objec-
.ionable in house than vel -trodden
floor covering seldom aired.
Halls need scrubbing at frequent inter
walls, and when In country houses a bare
floor of wood or marble is impossible, oil
cloth is excellent when chosen darker in
tone than the walls and unobtrusive in
color, In the oilcloth avoid all large pat
terms, squares and all designs initiating
marble. With oi!cloth or lnOleums, I'M
carpeted stairs are recommended if the con-
dition of the wood renders this possible
The straight up and down staircase gives
the effect of wall which you face, so plain
surfaces or unobtrusive figures harmonic
ing with the walls are in order.
1t is an attractive fashion to line the wall
at the side of the stairs with pictures, par
ticularly with interesting etchngs. photo
graphs and engravings. The idea is to
make pleasant the passage way which is
provided in and out and up and down the
house. Sometimes the pictures express a
special line of interest. One bare hall was
made alive with interest by photographs
of celebrated people. with inscriptions by
the originals, which gave the portraits more
than a fleeing interest and made them
worthy of being framed and given so con-
spicuous a place.
A piece of brass on the newell post lends
a distinctive touch to the most modest
stairway.
Washing Day.
Have the soiled clothing collected and
carefully looked over the night before the
wash, laying finer articles like table linen
handkerchiefs, baby clothes etc. in one
pile, bed and body linen in another, coarser
pieces like kitchen and bath towels in
third and the hannels, stockings and cali
Goes In a fourth.
Put the cotton and linen clothes in warm
suds to soak overnight, adding to the water
in which the coarse towels are soaked two
or three tablespoons liquid ammonia, which
assists in removing grease. In the morning
begin the wash in q tub one-third full of
hot suds. changing the water it becomes
soiled. Wash the finest small pieces first
rubbing the more delicate with the hands
only ana as they finished put them in
an old pillow case to keep them together
while IN the boiler.
Rub the other articles on the board pay
ing especial attention to seams and hens
and giving them final rub of soap as you
leave them. Fill the boiler one-f fourth full
OF tepid water, lay in the clothes, cover
with tepid soapsuds, taking care not to fill
the boiler too full lest II run over Let the
water come TO scald and boil just ten
minutes in order to steriiZe any disease
germs. Then remove at once, long boil
ing yellows the fabric. Take the clothes
from the boiler into tub of clear, tepid
water. Cold water Is often used, but
there may be some soap adhering to the
clothes, and this in solution unites with the
soil, II put in cold water it will make q
dirty, gummy solution that adheres to the
clothes and requires much extra effort TO
remove
Having then clear tepid water rinse the
clothes thoroughly piece by piece, wiring
and throw in another tub in which mod
crate amount of ultramarine bluing has