The Washington times., 1920-06-25
SaUing Moneyin the Home;
Little Tricks For Women
in Household Economics
Rv Elxaheth I.affun.r
BY Elizabeth Lattimer.

wv among the regular house
w hold tasks, and ways or
lessening the work are much needed
in many homes. The ideal OF every
housekeeper would be a separate
room for her laundry. with running
water and modern lsbor-saving de-
vices. These can not be provided In
every home, but even where the ar
rangement and equipment are ne
cessarily very simple IL is often pos
sible TO make minor changes or TO
plan the work In such q way that
II will take less time and strength.
In olden days. tubs and wash
benches were brought into the
kitchen because water could be
heated there most conveniently. and
from this seems to have developed
the idea that the kitchen ID the
place for the laundry. The odors
and steam from laundry work, how
ever, are disagreeable in a kitchen.
and the handing of soiled clothing
In any room In which food is pre-
pared is highly Objectionable. II
clothes must be washed In the
kitchen, the preliminary sorting
should be done elsewhere.
In some sections. II Is considered
preferable to have the washing
done out OF doors or in a room out
side OF the house. Otherwise the
best place for laundry is usually
either in a room next to the kitchen
or in a basement room directly be-
lew IL, because this makes IL possi-
BILE to use the same chimney, and.
IL the house is equipped with rum
ming water, the same water pipes
for both rooms. A basement laun-
stairs for the housewife. while a
room adjoining the kitchen may
enable her much more easily to car
ry on or oversee the work in both
rooms at the same time.
Good equipment is as important
as right methods in laundry work.
Both decrease the labor shorten the
time, and assist in producing bet
ter results. Equipment need not
be expensive, but 1t should be
chosen and plavd from the point of
view OF service and for the comfort
Of the worker.
The working surface OF nearly
all laundry equipment Is usual
ly set too low. and the woman
operating 1t is so out Of BALANCE
that she Is soon fatigued. Little Of
the washing process Is done in the
bottom of the tub. and the working
height is about halfway up the side.
For the average worker the top rim
OF the tub should be SO inches from
the floor; in all cases the tubs
should be placed so that the worker
does not stoop from the shoulders
but bends at the hips. A portable
washtub may be easily raised or
lowered to the right height. II the
top Of the washboard is too high, II
may be lowered by cutting Off part
of the legs. The ironing table or
board should be so low that force
easily; 81 inches is a good average
height.
Where no special room is provided
for the laundry and there are no set
tubs, a portable bench of the cor
rect height and size Is convenient
A wooden tub is difficult to keep
in good condition. II kept dry 1t is
likely to shrink and fall apart II;
kept moist enough to prevent
shrinking, IL is likely to become
water-soaked and Shiny, and may
have a disagreeable odor. A port
able, galvanized-iron tub Is fairly
light, durable and easy to keep
clean. but may corrode. A fiber tub
is stilI lighter. is easily kept clean,
and is durable If left dry. but is
more expensive than an iron tub.
Any portable tub may have a hole
bored in it and a plug inserted 30
that water may be drained from it
without lifting the tub. Hot and
cold water can be piped to a port
able tub as well as to a more ex-
pensive stationary one.
Wood. which is now little used,
has the same qualities for set tubs,
as for portable ones. Soapstone and
similar materials are cheaper than
porcelain, but their dark color
makes 1t more difficult to be sure
that they are clean. Porcelain or