Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-26
Making the Spring
H0uSecIeaninq Easy

spring cleaning may be an evil but il
Is a very difficult one for many house,
keepers to escape, for it is really essential
from the hysienic point of view that car
pets should be taken up and beaten and
cleaned, heavy curtains taken down and
cleaned before being put away for the
summer; repapering. painting and white
washing done where necessary, floors
stained and repolished, etc, only to men,
ton a few items to which attention must
be paid.
The work should be arranged IN a me-
thodical fashion, also arrangements should
be made to have the cleaning carried out
while the family is from home, for it is
manifestly unfair to expect the servants
to get through the work of housekeeping
and have their ordinary work to do at the
same time.
If. however, it is impossible for all the
members of the family to be away, the
rooms should be done Systematically, so
that the whole house shall not be in
state Of upheaval for although a man
may appreciate the fact that his house is
dainty and attractive in appearance, he
usually fails to realize that a certain
amount OF work and trouble is essential
to keep it up to the height of perfection
to which he has grown accustomed.
There is one great advantage of a spring
cleaning, and that is the necessity for
going through all the drawers and MAX
ing clearance Every member of the
household should make a point of dis
carding everything for which he has no
use for there is nothing more inimical
to real tidiness than the boarding of
quantities of unnecessary and often utter
ly useless garments OR knickknacks 1t
is we'll to remember. in this connection.
that many charitable organizations are
glad to have and are prepared to collect
unconsidered tribes in the way of cloth
ing. etc.
There should be a sufficient supply of
rubbers busters, house flannel, busting
sheets. scrubbing brushes, brooms. am
mOnia (Which is simply invaluable for all
kinds of cleaning, soap. metal and furni-
ture polish, etc. SO that everything will
be on hand with which to do the work.
Remember to procure the requisite outside
help if there is more work than one wom-
an can reasonably get through with. Last.
but by no means least. provide those who
are working with kneelers for use when
Scrubbing
All the blankets should be washed and
those that are not required put away in
tin lined boxes. with camphor strewn be-
tween the folds The mattresses, pillows
and holsters, failing more thorough clean
ing, must be well beaten and brushed in
the open air, while the mattress covers.
etc. should be washed before being put
back on the beds. The bedsteads must be
thoroughly scrubbed. and the ironwork
rubbed over with paraffin.
All pictures, ETC.. must be taken from
the walls The walls should be brushed
down with a soft broom. round which has
been tied a clean buster, and where nee
essary they should be rubbed down with
a stiff dough of -four and water. All the
furniture, of course. should, if possible. be
removed from the room, being we'll busted
and washed with vinegar and water.
The carpets should be lifted and beaten,
and the floors we'll scrubbed. First brush
the floors we'll to remove all dust and
have ready two pals of warm water.
| Make a mixture with one part of lime,
| two parts of soft soap and three parts of
silver sand, and scrub the floor with this.
| Place a little Of the mixture on the
! boards, rub thoroughly with a wet scrub
bling brush, rinse with clean water and
| wipe dry. This is particularly good for
| whitening the boards.