The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1916-09-21
LESS SWASHINGSODA
EXPERT WRITES OF MISTAKE
MADE IN THE KITCHEN.
Constant Use Of Strong AlkslI Bound
70 Destroy Llnlnas Of Pots and
Pans, to Say Nothing Of Ruin
Ing the Hands.

II had my way l would 70 into
the kitchen OF every woman in the
land and confiscate her entire supply
OF washing soda, writes Mrs. Christine
Frederick in the Chicago Daily News.
That one misuseG article is RESPONSE
BILE for more sore, red hands, more
pots with worn-out Innings, than any
other one thing. do not exaggerate
when l say that in many kitchens
washing soda is put into the pots af-
ter every meal. Then how can we ex-
pect to have utensils that are bright
and shiny II we subject them constant
ly TO so strong a chemical2
Washing soda is the crystal OF soda
ash, very strong alknli. Washing
soda should never be used in a solid
form, but should be dissolved sepa-
rately and the solution be used spar
ingly. When say that two table
spoonfuls Of dry soda are sufficient for
large tub Of water, you can readily
see why "a handful Of soda" is abb
surdly too much to use in poor,
harmless kitchen utensil.
II foods are cooked with care there
need be no scorching. If no scorching
then the particles which adhere to the
bottom and sides should be easily
scraped Off with a round-pointed fiat
wooden paddle, and not a metal instru-
ment. II one is so careless as to
scorch a utensil, plain water will dis
solve the food as well as any water
with soda.
Now as to actual cleaning: Our
modern pots are made either Of en-
amel, aluminium or retinned ware. Iii
any case, the outside should never be
secured with an alkali. Enamel is the
easiest to keep clean of the three be-
cause Of it's chlnalike surface. The
worst thing we can do to enamel ware
is to let soda solution soak into II, as
this eats Off the porcelain and lessons
the life of our pot.
So many say to me: "Oh, aluminium
ware is SO hard to keep cleanw In
mum for three years and II is still
bright and silvery looking outside. The
inside of some pots has become dis
colored through cooking certain foods.
All we ever use on aluminium is white
sonp and water daily, and then we
polish 1t weekly with good silver pol
ish. No alkali or powders such as are
on the market and commonly used
should ever be allowed to touch alumi-
mum, as 1t is the aliali in the water
that turns the aluminium dark.
Never rub an entire cake of cleanser
on a pan or utensil, as this makes
scratched and streaky places. Scrape
or use very fine powder with as little
sand as possible in its composition, and
apply preferably with a soft brush
rather than a rag, which is an unsani
tary procedure. There are special
pot brushes" on the market with
bristles that look like lamp chimney
brush, also a very good kind made OF
&C fiber in compact, sQuatty shape
which could be easily secured on the
inside of the pot. 1t is a great mis-
take to use metal pieces and scraper'
on any kind of pot, except frying
pan, which is iron and can stand 1t.
Dump heaps with monuments. of en-
amel pans, and rubbish piles with dis
carded utensils would be smaller II
more housewives exercised nttls
common sense in the cleaning of poti
and kitchen utensils,