Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1920-02-06
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING.
By Laura A. kirkmsn.
AN OPEN MIND IN HOUSEwORK.

Every experienced housekecpcr has her
own way Of doing her Individual house
hold tasks, and most Of us are 10th to risk
clogging the machinery on busy day by
attempting new methods. But II we make
An effort from time to time to think out
changes, it would surprise us to think
how many new ideas could be adapted TO
our own use. a change in routine or IN
method that would be real help to one
housekeepcr. might, of course, prove most
unsatisfactory to her neighbor, and vice
versa; but, on the whole, almost any pos
siblc shortcut in the work of the home is
worth trying out, Mt least.
In the first place, women who own
their share of work A cleaner is used
faithfully on the carpets and rugs, dra-
pcries and upholstcries, andto remove the
dust from wall paper and picture mold
ings, and then is usually stood in its own
corner of the cleaning closet while it's
mistress laboriously wipes rolls of dust
from the tops and backs of book shelves,
brushes the dust from the mattress tufts
with stiff whisk broom; beats bed pill
lows and sofa cushions on the line, or
shakes heavy coats and old hats to re-
move the dust -while the vacuum cleaner
might do all of these things for heri
Another short cut may be made on
wash day when the clothes are taken in
from the line. Instead of folding and
placing everything in one basket TO be
sorted in the laundry later, the house
keeper can have another basket for such
things as turkish towels, stockings. woven
underwear those pieces upon which tho
efficient housewife refuses to use her
strength in ironing. This second basket
is taken upstairs and the pieces put away
without confusion and loss of time.
Many women IRON only the upper hens
of sheets, prcferring the fresh odor of the
5 q WI q 70 the effects of n hot iron.
This is another real $ ort-cut in labor and
usually meets with the heart approval
of the entire family.
The woman who docs her own washing
escapes the havoc that is often the result
Of the carclesSnCss of hired laundresses.
She hangs her clothes so that enough of
the piece lies over the line To prevent the
strain of the entire weight falling on the
corners, which are otherwise weakened,
il not torn The express cart support for
the clothes basket; the tea cart or tray
wagon for use in setting and unsetting
the table; the oven thermometer; the
silver cleaning pan-these things have all
been advocated so often that we are tired
of hearing Of them but have we tried
them ourselves?
Let us not only keep our cars open for
better ways of dong things, but endcavor
to give rs many innovations rs possible
fair trial 81 see whether they are worthy
of being made our own.
In the last 20 NeArS h. usckeepors have
broadened out an shown a willingness
to admit that the old ways are not neces-
sariy the best WAYS If the next 20 years
show as speedy progress. We shall have
efficienc developed to the
highest degree and shall have the salts
faction of knowing that the ncxt genera
tion Of women viii be spared the drudgery
which We have horne during the process
Df evolution
omorrow Using Your Stale Bread.