The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1906-09-21
KITCHEN CLEANING.
SIMPLE WAYS OF KEEPING THE
COMMON THINGS CLEANLY.
Means of Tightening Many Disagree.
able Duty for the Housewife
Brick Dust, Soap and Soda
Essentials.

What is usually designated as kitch-
en- work is gone through by the con-
scientious woman as necessary, II
somewhat disagreeable duty.
1t is shirked, whenever possible, by
the careless and incompetent, and rele-
gated altogether to the hired help
whenever chance or fortune allows.
So long as there are women who so
stigmatize the work of making the
house beautiful" so long may We ex-
pect the unsatisfactory hired help
which we at present experience or
hear so much about. Domestic WORK
must first be held in higher honor be-
fore we can hope that woman work
ing for wage will take it up with her
whole heart, or as other than last
resource.
The great thing is to prevent the
work from accommodating, and unless
under special or unusual household
conditions, it need not accumulate.
Cleaning a saucepan thoroughly in
side and outside every time it is used
may seem superfluous, but it is the
only way to avoid that big turn up"
which is the best thing know for up
setting the comfortable routine OF
household for the whole day.
Brick dust, soap and soda are all
necessary for perfectly clean pots and
saucepans.
Keep the brick dust, plenty of it, in
a can along with a soft cloth. Melt
the washing soda in hot water, and
after you have removed every particle
of food from the inside of the sauce
pan proceed to dip the cloth into the
hot water. Then soap it thoroughly,
dip into the brick dust, and apply it
vigorously inside and out. The soap
and soda remove grease. the brick
dust removes SCOT and roughness.
Next wash off with plenty Of hot water
and soda, finally rinsing with clean
water. The saucepan can now be dried
if properly done with cloth. This
may be pretty hard work if the pan
is in a very bad state to begin with.
but once right in is easily kept right.
A very short time will do the worh
each day, and it will be found pleas.
ure instead of a hardship. Of course,
where gas is used this work is much
easier, but even with a range much
unnecessary work can be saved by
care and resolution. Do not once put
a pan away without cleaning it. The
habit once formed the routine be
comes easy.
Another common little domestic
matter is one seldom noticed by the
majority of inexperienced people, and
the neglect of which causes a good
deal of extra work. I allude to the
cleaning of brush handles, also the
handles of the coal shovel and chop
ping ak. A maid will finish cleaning
a range and then, without removing
her gloves by washing her hands, will
take the brush and sweep, or lift the
AK and begin to chop wood. She then
leaves these things just as they are.
The next time she uses these articles
she dirties her hands again, and I'M
consciously leaves her mark" on
everything she touches.
chairs and doors are the hallmark"
of the inexperienced, incompetent and
careless cleaner. To remove apply
little paraffin on flannel cloth.
The use of ammonia is a great say
ing of labor. When scrubbing tables,
chairs and floors little ammonia in
the water will whiten them in a very
short time. Silver and polished ar
ticles can easily be cleaned if washed
in warm water, to which has been add
ed one teaspoonful of ammonia to each
cupful of water. If the kitchen is tiled
in any part, wipe over with skinned
milk once week after washing.
Another method is to rub the tiles
every month or two with linseed oil
and then polish with a soft cloth. To
clean the kitchen sink, wash it thor
oughly with ammonia and warm water.
If common sulphate of iron be dis.
solved in the proportion of one pound
to four gallons of water and poured
over the sink three or four times of,
fensive smells will be completely de
stroyed.
Brass, copper and tinTare should
be cleaned with turpentine. Wood
ashes and soap are sometimes used for
frightening zinc articles. Turpentine
gives a fine polish to tinware and is
eff1cacious in cleaning bath enamel
which has been discolored. Dip
cloth in the turpentine, rub the stained
parts and polish with a soft buster.
The cleaning of brooms is rarely
thought necessary, but they require
cleaning as much as anything else, and
if washed occasionally will be found
to last far longer than otherwise.
About once week prepare a good
lather of hot water and soap and into
it dip the broom, shake it until it is
nearly dry and hang it up with the