Milford chronicle., 1929-04-12
SPRING CLEANING WITH
PAINT AND VARNISH
Shy Helen Martin T.

Why is it that the annual reno
walton of our homes often means
such an upheaval that the whole
family is in a state of irritation un-
til it is over? In spite of our yearly
resolution to take it calmly, it is
always the same old story. The trou-
BILE is that most of us don't go at it
early enough. However backward
the season, it always seems to get
ahead of us. We act as if it were
an unexpected guest and begin to
make hurried preparations for its
coming when we get the first an
nouncement. But the first robin is
not herald of Spring-he is Spring
itself.
Many housekeepers take him as a
signal to call up the painter, but by
this time the painter is usually a
busy man. The forehanded have al
ready placed their orders and the
,dilatory have to wait their turn. Of
ten, the house is in a dismantled
condition until the season is well
advanced.
How much better it is to take
time by the forelock and begin your
preparations before the weather
changes. Then you are not only
ready to match the world outside
with an equally fresh interior, but
have more leisure to go out and en-
joy it.
There would probably be less pro-
crastination if we went about it in
the right way. 1t is not the painting
we dread, but what leads UP to it.
If, however, we look upon paint not
only as a renovator but as an actual
time saver, our tasks will be less
laborious. 1t should be chosen to
prevent dinginess as well as to COW
er it. White walls and woodwork
that never look white no matter how
much we scrub them may be treated
to a coat of cheerful color that does
not require constant washing.
Housemaid's knee may be ellm1nat-
ed from our list of complaints, for
the dingy kitchen floor may be COW
cred with paint, or with vanished
linoleum, whic his easily wiped OFF
with a damp cloth. Even old limo
leum may be improved in this way,
if it has not been waxed.
The furniture too will be much
easier to take care of If 1t is fresh
ened up with paint. There is scarce
ly a room in the house that does not
contain some article on which a
coat of bright paint will prove
time-saver for the busy housewife,
not to speak of it's improved appear
ance. Hanging shelves that collect
the dust, porch furniture that will
soon be out in all sorts of weather,
kitchen chairs and tables that are
subjected to grease and smoke, are
only few of the things that Will
require less attention if they are
given a colorful hue.
And varnish does more for the
cause of aching backs and stiff
joints than warding off dirt from
the linoleum. Every housewife
knows, of course, that its use on the
furniture saves constant polishing, |
but there are many other places
where she does not consider the pos
sibilities. Closet shelves and the
interior of cabinet drawers are al
ways difficult to keep clean and
they may be made more readily
washable if they are vanished over.
If repapering the nursery is part
of your Spring plans, try coating the
fresh paper with varnish. Then the
marks of grubby little hands may
easily be washed off.
Looked at from this point of view,
Spring cleaning takes on an entire
ly different aspect. 1t becomes
more and more a matter of head
work and less time of muscular
labor.