The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-03-17

A woman walked into the Office of


A woman walked into the Office of
a large art school day or so ago.
''Do you know of any young wo-
men who would like to earn So day
cleaning white woodwork in houses
for me?" she asked.
mo, l didn't mistake this for an
employment agency. I'm not look
ing for scrubwomen," she continued
in response to the clerks surprised
interrogations. II make a business
of opening and closing residence for
wealthy families, and just now is one
of my busy times.
"This week have one house on
hand the enterior Of which is finished
in white trim, and next week l shall
have two more to get ready in which
most of the woodwork is white also.
want refined young women to clean
and polish all that woodwork for
''It isn't a work which requires
strength they can sit down to a great
deal of it, and light, even move
ment of the hand is necessary rather
than muscle. They must be con-
scientious and thorough that's the
only requirement. l thought the
work would just suit needy art stu
dents"
Later the woman explained more
about tine work. "It is calling in
which there is steady employment for
those who wants it, she said, for
every bit of such woodwork has to be
thoroughly cleaned and polished at
least once month to keepit in prop
er order. Several young women who
trained under me have now regular
employment going from one to an
other OF number of houses to wash
the paint each month.
why don't the ordinary cleaning
woman dofor such work? !? She hasn't
the patience or an appreciation of the
perfection necessary in it.
white woodwork must be clean
ed little by little, single panel or
small portion rubbed gently and per-
sistently until every stain has vanish
ed, then rinscd and afterward polish
ed with soft, dry cloth. You may
explain that twenty times over to the
ordinary cleaning woman, and as
soon as your back is turned she will
begin to scrub whole door or large
surface at once, splashing the water
over the walls and floor.
"For some unknown reason she al
ways insists on scrubbing with cir
cular motion instead of following the
grain of the wood, as is necessary. /
have known her to discard the cloths
l had provided and scrub away vigor-
ously with sandsoap and brush
and that, you know. cuts into the
smooth polish of the surface and
makes new coat of paint necessary
before long.
''Then all corners in the panels
and patterns of the woodwork, where
dust is sure to accumulate, must be
carefully cleaned out, using skewer
or small stick inside the cloth. 1t is
impossible to impress the uneducated
woman with sense of the impor-
tance Of this, even though the dirty
crevices may ruin the appearance of
the entire work.
"After several seasons Of trying to
train the ordinary cleaning woman
up to the standard necessary for white
woodwork, now go to art schools
and working girls homes and clubs
in search of women TO help me. !
have found that the more refined and
superior girl is the more real pride
she seems to take in that humble
work, and the more anxiousShe is to
make the woodwork as immaculate
and shining as woodwork can be.
eyes, white woodwork is an ex-
pensive item in a home, but true
economy is to have it e an ID con-
stantly. remember supervising the
cleaning of one house in which the
white paint had been neglected for
six months. l paid out $500 in
wages to have it washed and polish
ed, and even then it could not be
brought back to its first freshness.
The next season the family had the
painting all redone, when the dining
room alone cost over $500.
| In my grandfather's house up in
Massachusetts, where / was raised,
the white paint lasted for years and
always shone like new. Whenever
the least soil appeared on it we rubbed
it with little bicarbonate of soda at
once that is an old fashioned meth
cd of cleaning, and good one.
"For cleaning white enamel paint
one should use good white soap and
warm water. If the water is hard
put tablespoonful of ammonia in
each bucketful. For plain white
paint whiting in water is the best
thing with which to wash. IN. n
Ex6hange.