60. Light, air, and water. — Light promotes cleanness
by revealing the visible dirt and destroying the invis-
ible. Direct sunlight is a better disinfectant than mere
daylight. A draft of air removes dust, smoke, and
watery or greasy vapors, which combine with air to coat
surfaces with an unclean film. It is impossible to live
in a cleanly manner without a liberal use of water.
Water is useful for cleaning on account of its power as
a solvent (§ 42).
Friction is required to remove soil closely attached to
a surface or ingrained in the material.
Artificial Aids to Cleanness (Plate II).
61. Implements and materials for cleaning. — The im-
plements for cleaning include brooms, brushes, cloths,
pails, etc. Cleansing materials are of two sorts, those
34 THEORY AND PRACTICE OF COOKERY
that act mechanically by friction, and those that act
chemically upon dirt removed with difficulty or not at
all by water ; for example, grease and stains. Care
must be taken to use implements and materials that will
remove the soil without injuring the surface beneath it.
Cleaning^ powders. — For additional friction mineral
powders are employed. White sand is used for scouring
iron and wood ; bath brick for steel knives ; tripoli or
rottenstone for copper, brass, or tin; whiting for silver,
aluminum, and brass.
62. Bath brick is made from earth containing lime.
Tripoli is impure decayed limestone. Rottenstone is a fine
kind of tripoli. Whiting is powdered English chalk made
very fine by sifting it through muslin, or by floating it on
water so that the heavier particles may sink.
63. Alkalies; the removal of grease. — Most important
of chemical cleaning materials are certain alkalies, those,
most commonly used being soda (also called sal-soda and
washing-soda) and ammonia. The former is much the
stronger. Potash, or lye, an alkali similar to soda, was
much used before soda became cheap enough to drive it
out of the market. 1 By means of these, grease can be
removed, since any alkali unites with grease to form a
compound soluble in water.
64. How soap cleans. — Soap is a preparation of alkali
in a convenient form. It is a compound of soda or
potash with acids found in fat. Potash makes soft soap ;
1 A compound sold in round cans labelled " potash " is simply com-
mercial caustic soda.
PLATE II.
Materials used ix Cleaning.
Implements and Materials used in Cleaning.
PREPARATORY LESSONS 35
soda, or potash to which salt has been added, hard soap.
Water decomposes the soap, and the alkali thus set free
attacks any grease it touches. Any dust mixed with
this grease can then be washed away. Soap and water
is effective for almost all cleaning purposes.
65. Sal-soda ; care in using it. — If a stronger form
of alkali is needed, sal-soda is the best for general use.
Being cheap, it forms the basis of most washing-powders
and compounds. As these are often sold for many
times their value, it is more economical to buy the soda
itself. On account of its powerful action upon the
skin it must be used with care. Do not add soda directly
to the washing -water ^ hut dissolve one pound of it in one
quart of ivater^ in a saucepan over the fire. When it is
cool put it in a bottle labelled " Sal-soda Solution," and
pour in a little when needed.
Page 19
Presented as published in 1901. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
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60. Light, air, and water. — Light promotes cleanness
by revealing the visible dirt and destroying the invis-
ible. Direct sunlight is a better disinfectant than mere
daylight. A draft of air removes dust, smoke, and
watery or greasy vapors, which combine with air to coat
surfaces with an unclean film. It is impossible to live
in a cleanly manner without a liberal use of water.
Water is useful for cleaning on account of its power as
a solvent (§ 42).
Friction is required to remove soil closely attached to
a surface or ingrained in the material.
Artificial Aids to Cleanness (Plate II).
61. Implements and materials for cleaning. — The im-
plements for cleaning include brooms, brushes, cloths,
pails, etc. Cleansing materials are of two sorts, those
34 THEORY AND PRACTICE OF COOKERY
that act mechanically by friction, and those that act
chemically upon dirt removed with difficulty or not at
all by water ; for example, grease and stains. Care
must be taken to use implements and materials that will
remove the soil without injuring the surface beneath it.
Cleaning^ powders. — For additional friction mineral
powders are employed. White sand is used for scouring
iron and wood ; bath brick for steel knives ; tripoli or
rottenstone for copper, brass, or tin; whiting for silver,
aluminum, and brass.
62. Bath brick is made from earth containing lime.
Tripoli is impure decayed limestone. Rottenstone is a fine
kind of tripoli. Whiting is powdered English chalk made
very fine by sifting it through muslin, or by floating it on
water so that the heavier particles may sink.
63. Alkalies; the removal of grease. — Most important
of chemical cleaning materials are certain alkalies, those,
most commonly used being soda (also called sal-soda and
washing-soda) and ammonia. The former is much the
stronger. Potash, or lye, an alkali similar to soda, was
much used before soda became cheap enough to drive it
out of the market. 1 By means of these, grease can be
removed, since any alkali unites with grease to form a
compound soluble in water.
64. How soap cleans. — Soap is a preparation of alkali
in a convenient form. It is a compound of soda or
potash with acids found in fat. Potash makes soft soap ;
1 A compound sold in round cans labelled " potash " is simply com-
mercial caustic soda.
PLATE II.
Materials used ix Cleaning.
Implements and Materials used in Cleaning.
PREPARATORY LESSONS 35
soda, or potash to which salt has been added, hard soap.
Water decomposes the soap, and the alkali thus set free
attacks any grease it touches. Any dust mixed with
this grease can then be washed away. Soap and water
is effective for almost all cleaning purposes.
65. Sal-soda ; care in using it. — If a stronger form
of alkali is needed, sal-soda is the best for general use.
Being cheap, it forms the basis of most washing-powders
and compounds. As these are often sold for many
times their value, it is more economical to buy the soda
itself. On account of its powerful action upon the
skin it must be used with care. Do not add soda directly
to the washing -water ^ hut dissolve one pound of it in one
quart of ivater^ in a saucepan over the fire. When it is
cool put it in a bottle labelled " Sal-soda Solution," and
pour in a little when needed.