The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-08-29
SYSTEM HELPS
WOMEN KEEP
HOUSES CLEAN
Proper Equipment and Good
Management Enable the
Housewife to Tighten the
Work in Home.

must women spend much OF .nelr time
each day with the mop, the broom and
the dust cloth? There is a woman
on record that boasted that she was
never without a dust cloth in her
apron pocket and that every spare
moment. wherever she was she dust
ed, busted, busted. She became a
slave to her house and though it was
always in apple-pie order. it was too
stiff. too Just so" to suggest comfort.
That kind of housekeeping is not
necessary; not that she cleaned too
much, for that is impossible, but that
she made life a burden for her family
and herself by her foolish pride 1t
has been said that too much cleaning
Is not enough. That is true as re-
CARDS the house itself but has many
Disadvantages to the woman and the
rest of the household.
The man of the house can never
understand why his wife must be per-
petually tearing things up just to put
them straight again but she knows
that it is only by continual vigilance
that she can keep up with the dust
and dirt and that when they once get
the upper hand it means much harder
work to catch up again. Women
clean because it makes the house
more sanitary and for the aesthetic
reason that it makes the home more
attractive.
Needs to Use System.
Things that will help to make clean
ing less of a bug-bear are proper equip
ment, system and the cooperation Of
the other members of the family. The
family's help is perhaps the most i'm
portant as the housekeeper may do
her best and if the other members of
the household are not in sympathy,
her efforts are wasted. Every person
in the family should take care of his
or her own personal belongings, He
should remember that someone must
pick up what he has carelessly mis-
placed. Even the small children can
be taught to put their playthinss in
a certain place when they are through
with them for that day and as they get
older there are many small tasks they
can help with.
Too much stress cannot be laid on
the value of system about the clean
ing but so much is being said and
written every day on this phase of the
subject that il seems rather super
fluous to dwell long on it. There
should be daily cleaning of the most
used parts of the house and a weekly
cleaning of the entire house. Then
the occasional cleaning will not be a
dreaded ordeal and mean a complete
revolution while it lasts A system
that is infleXible and allows no adjust
ing to circumstances is as bad as be-
ing without system altogether.
over Specialization.
To miss a social gathering or to fail
TO enjoy it because it falls on the day
for cleaning the west bedroom is not
wise use of system. But to have the
daily routine systematized saves
thought and steps. For instance, hav-
ing the occupant of each bed see that
the bedclothing is thrown back to air
will save the housekeeper a trip up
stairs and the beds will be ready to
make when she is ready to make them.
Have a day week in which TO look
over the clothes and remove the
stains. Turn the mattress at least
once a week but better yet. every day,
alternating from right to left and the
next day from top to bottom. Regu-
lar steps in cleaning become habtual
and are worth forming. First air the
room and If there is not too much
wind do all the cleaning with the
room open. Take out the rugs and
if there is fireplace attend to it next.
Straighten the drawers and cupboards
and put away every article that has
a place. Dust and remove any bric-a-
brac. chairs and small tables. Now
clean the walls. the floor. the wood
work and windows After allowing
the dust to settle. dust the room with
a slightly damp dustcloth and replace
the busted articles.
Good Equipment Essential.
Proper equipment will make the
work much easier of course. heavy
broom for carpet and lighter one for
mating; dustless mop for bare floors
and a weighted one for hard wood:
carpet sweeper vacuum cleaner;
long handled wall brush and dust
pan; sheets for covering the station
airy furniture; chamois skin for glass
and any amount of dust clothes and
window cloths-these are just few of
the labor savers in cleaning. The life
of broom is heightened by soaking
in soapy water over night when it is
new being careful to not let the water
reach above the stitching to rot it. A
broom bag in which the broom can
be suspended instead Of resting on the
floor to become crooked is another
help.
The refrigerator requires constant
attention as 1t is a splendid place for
bacteria if not kept perfectly clean.
1t should be daily inspected that no
deCdylng 1000 De lett any time ana
should be washed once a week with
hot soapy water or soda water. No
odorOus food should be placed in the
refrigerator without tight cover.
The cellar is another place that re-
quires attention Experiments have
proven that one half the air in the
cellar gets to the first and one sixth
to the second floor A foul-smeling
and damp cellar is menace to the
health Of the family.