Evening star., 1924-04-11
ow is the time to arrange for


any necessary improvements,
4 repairs or decorations inside
or outside the house It is the
time TO mend broken furniture, re-
enamel shabby painted sets and re-
uphoister worn furniture; the time to
re5taiu floors, to renovate mattresses
and pillows. and to begin the general
spring cleaning.
The dread OF housecleaninr disap-
psared for mos, women when old
Fashioned methods were dispensed
with. Taking the place of these are
improved methods in housecleaning
such as the use of vacuum cleaners,
chemically treated mops and dust
cloths, cleverly designed brushes
both hard and soft. which are waxed
or chemically treated and made to
reach and dt every out the-way
nook mad corner. with curved handle
or crooked back, to serve different
purposes, and cleaning agents for
every kind of material, which reduce
the work OF the housewife to mini
mum.
There are bathroom cleaning COM
nodities on the market that make
disagree BILE tasks insignificant. Aids
to kitchen cleanliness arc many. One
enables the busy woman to keep her
1inoleum looking fresh. another helps
her take pride in her aluminium or
tinware, with small effort. and third
will brighten her silverware- as il
by magic. Window cleaning may now
be done without wettinE the hands
or glass by the use Of a specially pre-
pared cloth, which is very inexpensive,
and furniture polishing is rendered
= satisfaction as vel as a service
when d wise choice is mde in the
polish or polishing fabric.
Condition OF Floors.
Floors help US to combat dust. ac-
less or not. Sec that your new floors
are laid tight and never deluge them
with water, which Warps the board
and develops cracks. If you have old
surface by using a crack filler and a
coat of liquid finish, such varnish
or shellac.
Carpets and rugs can be freed from
spots and light soil without removing
them from the floor. Rugs that are
badly soiled should be cleaned out
doors il possible, preferably on the
dry grass. They should be placed
right side down, beaten with a fiat
carpet beater, swept, then turned over
and swept again. Hanging rugs over
q line while they are being cleaned
or holding them by the corners and
7haking them strains them badly and
may break the threads or loosen the
bindings and cause the ends to ravel
Almost all rugs, after thorough
beating. may be cleaned with soap
and water. Rag rugs may be washed
like any other heavy material, but
they must be thoroughly rinsed.
Sometimes it is easier to rinse a heavy
vet rug with a garden hose than in
a tub ..-.
Brass fittings and mounts on fur
nitur 8 are often difficult to clean be-
cause it is desired to avoid the wood
surrounding them. 1t will be found
helpful TO ties q little salt in a thick
soft cloth and to moisten this slightly
brasswith it The brass should then
he polished with a dry flannel dipped
in fine wood ashes.
Papnpering and Decorating.
1t is a good plan to buy the very
best Tall paper that you can afford.
With the cleaning of wall paper as a
sure method Of keeping it fresh-look-
ing and sanitary, and with the pos
Sibility OF calcimining and the new
glaze process, you can make a good
paper last much longer.
Since cleaning is the simplest re-
viving process for wall paper, and the
least expensive, it is wise to think
about.it in regard to any wall paper
which; needs attention. Make study
Of your walls and decide which pa
pers need only cleaning and are, good
enough to save. and which ones must
be replaced. By cleaning one small
corner of the soiled paper you can
discover whether a cleaning will be
sufficient or not. Rough or fat pa
pers wildsrespond to cleaning with
equal success in most cases, but the
rough variety will be improved by an
additional calcinline finish, or = if the
paper is in a solid color, by coat of
paint. In some cases, of course, it
will be better economy to have the
work done by a professional cleaner,
but If the dirt has become imbedded
in the walls from constant wiping,
even a prof fessionaf can do little good.
The so-cafied washable papers used
in kitchens and bathrooms may be
u, - 10 pA4 nIn Inth hut