Care Of The Kitchen Floor

A linoleum covered floor is the most easily kept clean. The hardwood floor is the next best. Anything spilled should be wiped up at once. Grease-spots on wood or stone should be covered with flour, starch, or powdered chalk to absorb the grease. Or if you pour cold water on the grease as soon as it is spilled, to harden it, the greater part may then be scraped off. Sweep the floor thoroughly once a day. With care it will not need washing or scrubbing oftener than once a week.

Sweeping

In sweeping a kitchen, be sure to see that no food is left uncovered in the room. Sweep from the edge of the room toward the center. Sweep with short strokes, and keep the broom close to the floor. Turn it edgewise to clean cracks. Gather the dust in one spot and take it up with a short broom and a dust-pan. If possible, burn the dust at once. Never sweep from one room to another.

Dusting

After sweeping a room, dust the woodwork, furniture, and movable articles with a soft cotton cloth. Spread the cloth out and gather the dust into it, folding it in as you work. Shake it frequently out of the window. In the kitchen where there are no delicate articles to be injured by moisture, use a damp cloth. When the room has been dusted, wash the cloth and hang it to dry.

Scrubbing A Floor

Always sweep a floor before washing or scrubbing it. Provide two pails of cold or lukewarm water, a stiff scrubbing brush, a large soft (but not linty) cloth and any good scouring soap. Dip the brush in water, and then rub it with sapolio. Look for grease spots and take them out first. After the floor has become wet you cannot see where they are. Scrub with the grain of the wood, doing a few square feet at a time. Dip the cloth in clean water, and wash the part that has been scrubbed. Use no more water than you need. Wet the cloth again, wring it as dry as you can, and wipe the floor. Proceed in this way until the whole floor has been changed.

Care Of Hardwood Floor

Never use water on a hardwood floor. Wipe it with a cloth moistened with a very little kerosene - a teaspoonful or two to begin, with, and as much more when that has evaporated. Rub hard with another cloth until the wood is perfectly dry. Window sills and all hardwood finish should be cleaned in the same way.

Care Of Oil-Cloth

Wash oil-cloth with warm water and milk. Use one cupful of skim milk to one gallon of water. Wipe dry with a clean cloth.

Cleaning Paint

Take a little whiting on a clean, damp cloth, and rub it on the surface to be cleaned. Take care not to let drops of water trickle down the paint. Wash off with a second cloth and clean water. Wipe dry with a third cloth. Clean a little at a time, leaving the cleaned part dry before going on.

Care Of Sink

Neglect of sink causes bad odors and attracts water-bugs and roaches. Keep it at all times free from scraps. When the dishes have been washed, scour it with a good scouring soap. Wipe the woodwork and tiling. Wash strainer, soap-dish, and other sink utensils. Wash the cloth. Scrub the draining-board and rinse the sink. If it is of iron and is to be left for several hours, wipe it dry. If rusty, use kerosene, or grease it with mutton-fat or lard, sprinkle with lime, and leave over night.

Care Of Faucets

Clean brass faucets with flannel dipped in vinegar or lemon juice and rub thoroughly with rottenstone and oil, then polish with a dry cloth, or apply putz pomade or some similar preparation; rub it off with another cloth, and polish with a third one. If the faucets are greasy, wash them with soap-suds or sal-soda solution before using anything else. Nickel faucets and trimmings need only to be wiped.