The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-10-06
SYSTEM SCORES.
Suggestions About Planning Work
to Avoid Drudgery.
CERTAIN HOUSEHOLD TRICKS.

The Principles Don't DawdIe" and
"Let Your Head Save Your Heels"
Applied to Housework Establishes
Routine Without Lessening Comfort.
How best to arrange ones work that
the minimum of time and strength may
produce the maximum of comfort is a
problem solvable only by system. All
work becomes much easier If it follows
a routine enabling one to turn from
duty to duty without stopping to think
what comes next or how to do it. The
two rules of the old New England
housekeeper who thought of little else
but housekeeping are as good today as
they were fifty years ago-"Don't daw-
de- Let your head save your heels"
Certain tasks must be done every
washed, busting done, beds made, and
so on. By going about these always in
the same order they will soon be dis
patched, and then there is time for the
special task assigned to that day.
Breakfast should be a simple meal, and
any housekeeper with a gas stove
should have it ready in half an hour;
with other fuel more time must be
given.
Each member of the family leaves
beds airing when he or she goes to
breakfast. When the meal is eaten
food is set away, dishes are piled for
washing, set into the pan with hot wa
ter over them to wait until front of
house is in order.
Daily sofa pillows are shaken, pol
ished floors busted with dry mop.
carpet sweeper run over rugs, finger
marks wiped from doors and the furni-
ture and floor boards wiped superficial
ly. The thorough cleaning comes on
its appointed day. Less than ten min
utes given regularly to a room will
keep 1t neat.
The hall should be early attended to,
and If one has time it is well to do 1t
before breakfast. The order of work
should be hall, living room, upstairs.
dining room, kitchen. 1t will not take
over an hour for all to the kitchen If it
goes steadily on and one loses no steps
or motions.
There is an old prejudice In favor of
Monday as wash day, but the house
keeper who will devote Monday to
cleaning up the extra confusion from
Sunday, when every one is at home,
will find herself in better trim at the
end of the week.
AS she goes through the rooms she
collects articles for the wash, taking
out stains, taking the stitch or two
that will be ten If left untaken. Then
she sorts the clothes for the wash and
puts them to soak, the very soiled by
themselves.
Tuesday she draws the dirty water
from the tubs first of all and replaces
it with clean, soapy, hot water. Gen
orally she rises a little earlier to get
things well started. She hangs her
clothes to dry smoothly and puts things
of the same kind together. She folds
them as she takes them from the line.
Wednesday she irons, and as she does
she puts on the same rod of the clothes
horse all the things that need a stitch;
she sorts as she irons.
Thursday is reserved for any odd
Jobs about the house like cleaning sill
yer, mirrors, globes, windows, finish
ing the left over ironing, If any, taking
the stitches needed for hosiery or other
things and putting away the clothes
from the laundry. Friday is a genuine
cleaning day.
Saturday Is day of preparation for
the Sunday, which in many families is
the hardest day of the week. The wise
housekeeper plans for her rest on that
day. She prepares her soup, roast, des-
serl, on Saturday; the vegetable Is
salad or.c bir,cr
roast'may be finished on Sunday, but
should be partly cooked the day before.
With her Sunday rest and change of
thought tie housekeeper can begin her
week serele and happy.