Towels for drying dishes should be of three different
grades, — fine ones without lint for glass, silver, and
fine china; coarser ones for the ordinary tableware;
and still another quality for pans, kettles, and other
kitchen-ware. A convenient size is a yard in length
and half as wide, with the ends hemmed. As to ma-
terial, fine-checked linen is usually employed for glass
and silver towels, and crash for ordinary dishes, while
for iron and tinware, towels which have become some-
what worn, or a coarse bag opened and hemmed, may
be used. Old half-worn table-cloths may be made into
excellent dish-towels.
It is of the greatest importance that all dish-cloths,
mops, and towels be kept perfectly sweet and clean.
Greasy dish-cloths or sour towels are neither neat nor
wholesome, and are a most fertile source of germs,
often breeding disease and death.
After each dish-washing, the dish-cloth, towels, and
mops should be thoroughly washed in hot water with
plenty of soap, well rinsed, and hung to dry either
upon a line out of doors, or a rack made for the pur-
pose near the kitchen range. If care is taken to scrape
the dishes clean before washing, and to change the suds
as often as it becomes dirty, the towels will not be hard
to keep clean. Those used during the week should go
into the wash as regularly as other household articles.
Cleaning Silver. — If special cleaning is neces-
sary, try the following : Place the silver in a pan of
170 EVERY-DAY WOEK.
hot water, then with a soft cloth, soaped and sprinkled
with powdered borax, scour the silver well ; afterwards
rinse with clear cold water, and dry with a clean cloth.
If a more thorough cleaning is needed, apply moistened
Spanish whiting with a silver brush and soft flannel,
afterward polishing with dry whiting and chamois
skin. Frequent scouring should be avoided by careful
washing, as too much rubbing wears out plated ware,
and dulls the best of silver.
Tinware which has become blackened may be made
bright again by rubbing with a damp cloth dipped in
sal-soda. Afterward wipe dry. Sand soap or sapolio
may be used for the same purpose.
Brass faucets and copper articles may be cleaned by
rubbing with whiting wet with aqua ammonia.
Yellowed ivory handles may be restored to their
original whiteness by rubbing with sandpaper and
emery ; mineral soap or pumice-stone may be used for
the same purpose.
Trays and japanned goods should never have boiling
water poured over them, as it will cause the varnish to
crack and peel. If a tray is badly soiled, wet with a
sponge moistened in warm water and soap, and rub
with a dry cloth ; if it looks at all smeary, dust on a
little flour and rub again. Marks and scratches may
sometimes be removed by rubbing with a flannel cloth
dipped in sweet-oil.
Care of Table Linen. — Stains upon table linen
made by acids and vinegar may be removed by simply
washing in clear water ; berry stains are easily taken
out by pouring boiling water over them ; peach stains
are best removed by soaking for some time in cold
ECONOMICAL HOUSEWORK. lYl
Page 105
Presented as published in 1897. 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
Towels for drying dishes should be of three different grades, — fine ones without lint for glass, silver, and fine china; coarser ones for the ordinary tableware; and still another quality for pans, kettles, and other kitchen-ware. A convenient size is a yard in length and half as wide, with the ends hemmed. As to material, fine-checked linen is usually employed for glass and silver towels, and crash for ordinary dishes, while for iron and tinware, towels which have become somewhat worn, or a coarse bag opened and hemmed, may be used. Old half-worn table-cloths may be made into excellent dish-towels.
It is of the greatest importance that all dish-cloths, mops, and towels be kept perfectly sweet and clean. Greasy dish-cloths or sour towels are neither neat nor wholesome, and are a most fertile source of germs, often breeding disease and death.
After each dish-washing, the dish-cloth, towels, and mops should be thoroughly washed in hot water with plenty of soap, well rinsed, and hung to dry either upon a line out of doors, or a rack made for the purpose near the kitchen range. If care is taken to scrape the dishes clean before washing, and to change the suds as often as it becomes dirty, the towels will not be hard to keep clean. Those used during the week should go into the wash as regularly as other household articles. Cleaning Silver. — If special cleaning is necessary, try the following : Place the silver in a pan of
hot water, then with a soft cloth, soaped and sprinkled with powdered borax, scour the silver well ; afterwards rinse with clear cold water, and dry with a clean cloth. If a more thorough cleaning is needed, apply moistened Spanish whiting with a silver brush and soft flannel, afterward polishing with dry whiting and chamois skin. Frequent scouring should be avoided by careful washing, as too much rubbing wears out plated ware, and dulls the best of silver.
Tinware which has become blackened may be made bright again by rubbing with a damp cloth dipped in sal-soda. Afterward wipe dry. Sand soap or sapolio may be used for the same purpose.
Brass faucets and copper articles may be cleaned by rubbing with whiting wet with aqua ammonia.
Yellowed ivory handles may be restored to their original whiteness by rubbing with sandpaper and emery ; mineral soap or pumice-stone may be used for the same purpose.
Trays and japanned goods should never have boiling water poured over them, as it will cause the varnish to crack and peel. If a tray is badly soiled, wet with a sponge moistened in warm water and soap, and rub with a dry cloth ; if it looks at all smeary, dust on a little flour and rub again. Marks and scratches may sometimes be removed by rubbing with a flannel cloth dipped in sweet-oil.
Care of Table Linen. — Stains upon table linen made by acids and vinegar may be removed by simply washing in clear water ; berry stains are easily taken out by pouring boiling water over them ; peach stains are best removed by soaking for some time in cold
ECONOMICAL HOUSEWORK. lYl