The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-10-28

ldIe VI tuCh houoShoiu '" '~'-~ S~
profit by it.
One woman, says the article, I'M
pressed by the facts of typhoid few
er peidemic, proceeded to make care
full study of dishwashing and dish
wiping in the home from bacteria
logical standpoint. The results of her
investigation we're interestlying and
startling. The article says:
"She found that an ordinary dinner
plate, as 1t leaves the table in the Cr-
binary household, has on 1t any
where from 10000 to 10000 bacteria,
the average number being about co..
900. Most of these were harmless
bacteria; still, il the plate were such
fertile ground for harmless bacteria,
It would make rich culture for dan
gerous disease germs.
Next a long series of experiments
were carried on, to learn how many
bacteria were left on these plates af-
ter they had been washed, and rinsed
in lukewarm water, and hot water,
and boiling water, and then the bac-
terra were counted under micro
scope.
From the standpoint of the house.
wife the astonishing and significant
fact disclosed is this:
The average dinner plate, when
washed in lukewarm water and dried
without rinsing, was found to have
on its surface 100000 bacteria, or al.
most five times as many as it had
when brought soiled from the dinner
table!
This statement may seem amazing
! and improbable; but little thought
will show that it is logical and the
result what might have been expect
! ed What are the necessities for
rapid bacterial growth? Warmth and
food And what does the housewife
give to those bacteria when she puts
a lot Of dinner dishes in lukewarm
dish water? Warmth and food!
Thousands of housewives are still
washing dishes in water not hotter
than they can bear their hands in.
1t is not enough to kill bacteria; in
fact, it encourages them.
so they multiply and increase and
the dishes that are taken out of this
water have on them five times as
many germs as they had when put
into it.
"This source of danger can be elm.
mated from the household by the use
OF hotter dish water and the careful
rinsing of dishes in boiling water.
Look at the diagram moment
1t shows exactly the relation of the
temperature of your dishwater to the
number of bacteria left on plates,
and cups and sourcers, and silver.
ware. 1t shows that the hotter the
water, the fewer the bacteria left
alive, and hence the smaller the dan.
ger of the spread of disease in your
family.
J 1T is not enough that your dishes
merely look clean. The dishes used
in these experiments came out look
ing bright and shiny and clean.
The diagram shows that the only
way to have sterile dishes is to use
boiling dishwater, and boiling rinsing
water. In large institutions where q
dishwashing machine can be used
this sterilization can be attained
easily. In the ordinary household II
is less convenient to use boiling wa
ter.
But the housewife should take
every precaution to have clean dish
es on which to serve her meals
There are six rules by which one NAV
achieve the maximum of cleanliness
in dishwashing.
First: Carefully scrape all plates
and platters before washing.
Second: Do not allow anyone re-
covering from any form of contagious
disease to handle dishes during wash.
ing.
! Third: Do not cough or sneezte
while working with the dishes.
Fourth: Have the dishwater hot
Use dish-mop.
Sixth: Use clean dish-cloths and
dish-towels.-Miami Metropolis.