Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-24
KITCHEN ECONOMY

Initial expense is not always the main
thing to be considered from the eco
nomical standpoint. Any thing that
will save the strength and time of the
homemaker should be considered an
economy.
Economy of anything is relative,
not an absolute, thing. And economy
does not mean a saving but a right
spending A saving of money may be
a waste Of life, the most precious of all
possessions.
The aim of housekeeping is the health
and comfort of the family, an end only
gained through the expenditure of some
ones time strength and money Wise
expenditure means the use of these
factors in the right place and time to
produce a certain result. Every device
which properly saves time and strength
may therefore be considered an econ
omy. 1t is not, then, proper to define
labor-saving device as one which saves
time or strength in such a way as to
enhance the result; or, conversely, so as
not to lessen the value of the result or
product?
For instance, an egg beater which
beats the whites of eggs to stiff, dry
froth in half the time taken in doing
the same thing with fork is labor
saving device. But one which beats the
eggs without producing as good result
as that accomplished with the fork
cannot be called labor saving device.
Any device which saves time, steps or
strength, yet does the work as we'll,
may be considered as saving labor.
Cooking utensile made of lighter
more easily cleaned and cared for ware
than iron, can be considered labor saw
ing devices. With each perfected
saucepan, seamless, smooth and hard
finished, labor is lessened. Each new
device which actually reduces the time
and strength taken in the difficult
kinds of housework means eventual
economy, even with little consideration
of first cost.
But that device which demands the
same amount of time and strength,
merely putting it in another place, can
not be considered a labor saver. The
truth is we should consider the ends
to be attained in all this work, and
put the means in their proper relation
to these ends. The great trouble is that
the housekeepers do not balance es-
sentials and nonessentials, and they
ask for methods when they should be
discussing the ends to be attained.
The washing of the dishes takes
about half the time and strength that
lIle WlplHS lHNOlNGS' " Hy NiPS ihS
dishes every time? Utensils can be
dried in or on the stove, and dishes
can be drained and dried without wip-
ing if rinsed with sufficiently hot
water.
Dishes cannot be successfully dried
by draining in this way unless they
are absolutely clean and thoroughly
rinsed in clean, hot water. The pre-
v,ous washing of the dishes in plenty
of clean. soapy water and thorough
rinsing should leave them without the
greasy film which soon forms on dishes
not wiped, if there is the least chance
left for it, Occasional wiping is neces-
sary.
Of course glasses and silveo must
always be wiped.
Again the Fireless Cooker is an
economy not only of fuel but of time
and strength, when they are desired to
be used in some other direction. The
gas stove is a great labor saver and
now we have the electric appliances
which make the cooking of meal al
most play.
The vacuum cleaner not only does
cleaning more easily but much better
than the old methods, and will save its
origna cost in sparing wear and tear
in the home as well as in labor bills.
A farmer will insist on having the best
of implements to work with, so Will
the carpenter. The business man must
have typewriters and adding machines.
So while the servant problem looms
large for some of us, let the others
have the best tools obtainable and save
strength, time and worry.