In cleaning forks, spoons, or cups which have been employed in eating or beating eggs, rinse them in cold water before putting them into hot suds, as hot water cooks the egg, and causes it to adhere. Common table salt is said to be excellent for removing the tar- nish from silver. Clean Dover egg-beaters by beating in a dish of cold water or by holding under a stream of cold water from the faucet, then carefully rinse and wipe perfectly dry. Do not put the upper part of the beater into hot water, as it will remove the oil from the wheels so that they will not work easily. Grain-boilers and mush-kettles should be allowed to cool, then filled with cold water and left to soak dur- ing the meal hour, when they can be easily cleaned. Tin dishes should be washed with hot suds as soon as possible after using. All tin and iron dishes should be thoroughly dried before putting away, to prevent rusting. For cleansing iron pots, use soft water and soap or washing soda, with a wire dish-cloth or kettle-scraper. If the food adheres to the sides, fill with cold water and soak. Kettles and all dishes placed over a fire should be cleaned on the outside as well as the inside. To re- move the soot, rub first with pieces of dry paper, and afterwards with damp paper, then wash with hot suds and a cloth. Kettles and saucepans burned on the inside may be cleaned by putting a little cold water and ashes in 168 EVEBY-DAY WORK. them and allowing them to soak on the range imtil the water is warm. Porcelain and granite ware utensils stained from food burning on may be cleaned after soaking for a time in a solution of sal-soda, which may be prepared by pouring boiling water over the soda in the propor- tion of two pints of water to one pound of sal-soda, and stirring until dissolved. It may be prepared in quan- tity, and stored in a stone jar until needed. Wash woodenware and bread-boards with cold water and sand soap. In scraping dough from the bread- board, always scrape parallel with the grain of the wood, and be careful not to roughen the surface. Steel knives and forks with ivory or wooden handles should not be put into dish-water. Hot water will expand the steel, and cause the handles to crack. Wipe them thoroughly with the moist dish-cloth, scour with Bath brick, and wipe with a dry towel. Dish-cloth and Towels. — No dishes or utensils can be well cared for without good, clean dish-cloths and towels, and plenty of them. An excellent dish- cloth may be either knit or crocheted in some solid stitch from coarse cotton yarn. Ten or twelve inches square is a good size. Several thicknesses of cheese- cloth basted together also makes a good dish-cloth, as do also pieces of old knitted garments and Turkish toweling. If a dish-mop is preferred, it may be made as follows : Cut a groove an inch from the end of a stick about a foot in length, and of suitable shape for a handle; cut a ball of coarse twine into nine-inch lengths, and lay around the stick with the middle of the strands against the groove ; wind a fine wire or ECONOMICAL HOUSEWOEK. 169 cord around the twine to fasten it in the groove ; then shake down the twine, so it will lie all one way like a mop, and fasten to the handle by tying a second cord around it on the outside.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

In cleaning forks, spoons, or cups which have been employed in eating or beating eggs, rinse them in cold water before putting them into hot suds, as hot water cooks the egg, and causes it to adhere. Common table salt is said to be excellent for removing the tarnish from silver. Clean Dover egg-beaters by beating in a dish of cold water or by holding under a stream of cold water from the faucet, then carefully rinse and wipe perfectly dry. Do not put the upper part of the beater into hot water, as it will remove the oil from the wheels so that they will not work easily. Grain-boilers and mush-kettles should be allowed to cool, then filled with cold water and left to soak during the meal hour, when they can be easily cleaned. Tin dishes should be washed with hot suds as soon as possible after using. All tin and iron dishes should be thoroughly dried before putting away, to prevent rusting. For cleansing iron pots, use soft water and soap or washing soda, with a wire dish-cloth or kettle-scraper. If the food adheres to the sides, fill with cold water and soak. Kettles and all dishes placed over a fire should be cleaned on the outside as well as the inside. To remove the soot, rub first with pieces of dry paper, and afterwards with damp paper, then wash with hot suds and a cloth. Kettles and saucepans burned on the inside may be cleaned by putting a little cold water and ashes in them and allowing them to soak on the range imtil the water is warm. Porcelain and granite ware utensils stained from food burning on may be cleaned after soaking for a time in a solution of sal-soda, which may be prepared by pouring boiling water over the soda in the proportion of two pints of water to one pound of sal-soda, and stirring until dissolved. It may be prepared in quantity, and stored in a stone jar until needed. Wash woodenware and bread-boards with cold water and sand soap. In scraping dough from the breadboard, always scrape parallel with the grain of the wood, and be careful not to roughen the surface. Steel knives and forks with ivory or wooden handles should not be put into dish-water. Hot water will expand the steel, and cause the handles to crack. Wipe them thoroughly with the moist dish-cloth, scour with Bath brick, and wipe with a dry towel. Dish-cloth and Towels. — No dishes or utensils can be well cared for without good, clean dish-cloths and towels, and plenty of them. An excellent dishcloth may be either knit or crocheted in some solid stitch from coarse cotton yarn. Ten or twelve inches square is a good size. Several thicknesses of cheesecloth basted together also makes a good dish-cloth, as do also pieces of old knitted garments and Turkish toweling. If a dish-mop is preferred, it may be made as follows : Cut a groove an inch from the end of a stick about a foot in length, and of suitable shape for a handle; cut a ball of coarse twine into nine-inch lengths, and lay around the stick with the middle of the strands against the groove ; wind a fine wire or ECONOMICAL HOUSEWOEK. 169 cord around the twine to fasten it in the groove ; then shake down the twine, so it will lie all one way like a mop, and fasten to the handle by tying a second cord around it on the outside.

Every-day dishes and every-day work