Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-04-18


There are right ways and wrong ways
even for such common things as wash
ing and wiping dishes, busting, and
clearing and setting table. In the long
run it is just a. easy to follow the right
way as the wrong. Then, besides pleas
ing others, You have the personal salts
faction of a thing we'll done.
Do not pile up mussy dishes for wash
ing. Rinse out tea and coffee cups, and
carefully clean plates, meat and vege-
table dishes with timber knife and soft
or tissue paper II you have not ten
cent plate scraper (fst, stiff rubber ona
handle). Wash in plenty of hot water,
with soap, rinse in scalding water and
wipe dry and shiny with clean towel.
Be very sure that the dish mop or cloth
/ is clean. The mop, with Its long handle,
makes sterilization in scalding water
easy after each using, and most homes
cal, furnish q new disbcloth each day
without much or any expense.
In busting mere dry cloth should not
be used. It usually only removes the
dust from one article to let much of 1t
settle on another. A cloth wrung from
warm water is all right for some things
but Ia dulling for paint and varn'sh.
Some wiring the dust cloths from pint
| of kerosene in which has been mixed q
tablespoon of linseed oil, but the un-
pleasant kerosene odor lasts quite q
little while. Ours are wrung from par
ATTN oil, hung in the air for few min
utes, then used innumerable times with
only q shaking out after busting. They
gather up and hold all dust. Satistac'
tory and economical justices mops, for
use on floor border around rugs, halls,
stairs, etc, are made from pieces OF soft
old underwear wrung from paraffin oil
and put on a ten cent mop stick.
Rather especial care should be given
to the dining room and table. After
seeing that the room Is comfortable, tidy
and cheerful remember that half the en-.
joyment of q meal and much OF its actual
value depends on attractive serving and
daintily set table. A feast Is not palat-
able If it looks as though it has been
thrown on the table. "Daintily set" does
not presuppose linen straight from Da-
mascus, Haviland china and cut glass,
but it does mean fairly clean cloth Il
say 'fairly'' for none of Us can have q
fresh one each meaD and dishes that are
shining clean and carefully placed. The
cloth may be mercerized, the dishes
premiums with baking powder or break
fast food, and the glasses those that
were filled with dried beef, that Is really
secondary matter, much as We like
pretty and really good things.
We sometimes get so used to doing
thing after certain fashion that we are
blind to the fact that another way Is
more attractive and convenient. So a
lot of our tables are set carelessly, with
silverwars crooked, and dishes-just
anywhere, when we might just as we'll
use the conventional plan, which Is "the
style" only because 1t is the neatest,
most convenient way of having our uten-
sils placed. This is to have the knife
and what spoons are to be needed lie
straight at the right side Of the plate,
the water glass above the knife and the
fork and butter chip to the left. And
don't forget the centerpiece, few flow
ers, fern, or a small blooming plant. A
meal never tastes quite SO good II this is
omitted.