Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-24
Health and Thrift i'm the Home
A CAMPAIGN OF EFFICIENCY
CONDUCTED BY THE HOUSEWIFE

may seem trifling in itself. but it can
have far-reaching effects. To dust inn
mediately after sweeping is sheer waste
of time. for dust is still flying in the
air of room an hour after it has been
swept and the task must always be re-
peated, or should be. The use Of a dry
cloth or bunch of feathers in busting
is another useless practice; a cloth that
has been oiled or dampened is the best
thing to use If you have no vacuum
cleaner
There are numberless little ways
whereby the hours in the laundry can be
shortened. If the clothes are heaped in
basket as they are taken from the line
extra wrinkles If. instead. they are
folded neatly and smoothly. the IRON
ing can be done in half the time. A
little experimenting will show several
ways in which the size of the weekly
wash can be reduced. Using doilies in
meal is one example: another is wear
ing dark Bingham dresses with short
sleeves for Homework.
1t should be part of an efficient house
keepers education to learn to adapt her
self to new and better methods Of do
ventions for tightening household work
can be had at a moderate cost, such as
clothes wringers bread mixers and dish
washing machines. There are usually
numerous small improvements. too, that
a housekeeper can carry out for her
self with no other tools than her own
hands and a little thought. 1t is sur
prising how much strength can be saw
ed through such an appar ently ins1gnin-
cant change as lowering the Kitchen
sink an inch or two or slightly raising
the ironing board. or attaching a hinged
seat to the kitchen table.
1t is a mistake to think that every
form Of work except needlework must
be done standing. A sitting position re-
lieves the strain on the spinal column
when you draw up a chair to peel the
vegetables or to prepare the dessert
you are merely using common-sense
method of preserving your energy.
Organizing the Units.
After you have learned to reduce
the time required for individual units
of work, you will be ready to or
ganize several units into series and
to prove by experiments how much
week or a month. In the booking
series, for instance. several hours a
week can be saved by preparing every
day some dish that will make two
or three meals. Againaif the articles
needed for every meal are left on
the table, protected from dust. house
keeper will save at least half day
a month in setting the table.
When trying to avoid wasting time,
care should be taken not to fall into
the opposite error of sQuandering 1t
through undue haste and zeal. To
use too much speed is as bad as to
use too little. After a month or two
of careful practice young house,
keeper should find the pace that IS
most efficient
improved methods, said: "One of the
first things I did in making reform
was to 20 straight through my house
and say to each piece of furniture on
adornment: Are you useful enough
or beautiful enough to justify the
had finished my work Of elimination,
my HUSBAND md / went around the
house and I'll, htened every loose nail
or screw, repaired dripping faucet.
planed sagging door. and put up
some extra hooks and shelves. had
make it into n rud kind Of tea wagon
to be used for setting and. funsetting'
the table. and for bringing in food
and taking it out. and for carrying
of waste baskets and faded flowers.
/ bought a dishwasller and a small
vacuum cleaner, both of which the
boys. like to run.
I'VE have a system of partitions in
all Of our bureau drawers. and we
tack little pockets for odds and ends
to the inside OF the front Of the top
drawer Each of US has always had
a shoe bag. but now I've added
good sized rack in the hall closet for
rubbers. I've cured Dick of coming
into the house with muddy feet. fon
he finds it takes less time to wipe
them on the door mat than 1t does
to get a dustpan and a brush and
clean up the dirt he tracks in.
"Neatness and orderliness and sys-
tenn are good old words. but il you
put grown up dress on them and call
them by a new name, they seem like
new. acquaintances. and you find
new zest in them. Dan and the
children and I don't feel that we are
on the Sc me dusty old turnpike at all
We are tramping along with the
cleverest men of the day in their
efficiency campaign. and we don't
mean to be left behind"