There is no part of the house in which cleanliness is of
greater importance than in the cellar. Odors arising from
decayed vegetables or other causes are not only disagree-
able but are a menace to health. There should be enough
windows in the cellar to secure plenty of light and air,
and they should be opened every day. The floor should
be thoroughly swept, and if made of cement should be
washed occasionally. Every corner should be cleaned.
The walls should be whitewashed once or twice a year.
See that all the shelves, tables, etc., are washed at least
two or three times during the year. A box or barrel of
unslaked lime is an excellent thing to keep in a cellar,
especially if it is at all damp.
Care of Sink.
A neglected sink may be a fruitful source of disease
in addition to attracting water-bugs and other pests.
Never leave ficrapa in the sink after washing the dishes,
but wash carefully, using small scrubbing brush and
sapolio. Clean brass faucets with flannel dipped in
vinegar or lemon juice, rub thorouglily with rottenstone
and oil, then polish with a dry cloth. Any preparation
for cleaning brass may be used. If the faucets are
gnjasy wa8h them with warm soap-suds before using
anything else. Nickel faucets may be washed with hot
THE HOUSE AND ITS CARE. 125
soap-suds, wiped dry and polished with a soft flannel or
chamois.
The waste-pipe must be kept free from grease. After
pouring down greasy water, immediately pour down
boiling water so as to prevent the grease from sticking
to the pipes. Two or three times a week pour down a
strong solution of sal-soda — about a half cupful of soda
to two quarts of hot water.
Garbage Pail.
Scrub and scald the garbage pail every day. If dried
in the sunshine no other disinfectant is required.
Care of Refrigerator.
The refrigerator should be thoroughly cleaned once
a week.
1. Remove all food and ice.
2. Take out ice-rack and wash with hot water and sal-
soda, and rinse with clear hot water.
3. Wash out the ice-box in same way.
4. Wash the food-chambers with hot water without
soap, using sal-soda if necessary.
5. Run a wire with a cloth tied on the end down the
waste-pipe.
6. Pour boiling water, in which sal-soda has been
dissolved, down the waste-pipe.
7. Clean all corners and grooves with a cloth and
skewer.
8. Wipe the refrigerator dry, and leave the doors open
for at least an hour.
126 DOMESTIC SCIENCE.
The waste-pipe should empty into a pan or have
a pipe connected with a well-trapped drain-pipe and
finished with a funnel under the waste-pipe of the
refrigerator. This is better than having the two pipes
connect closely, as the refrigerator may be moved for
cleaning purposes if necessary.
Do not keep food with a strong odor, such as fish or
onions, in a refrigerator with butter, milk, etc.
Care of Towels.
One of the most important, yet most frequently
neglected, details of kitchen work is the care of towels
and dish-cloths. A dirty dish-cloth breeds disease, as it
is a hotbed for bacteria, and, as it comes in contact with
the dishes from which food is eaten, it will be readily
seen how it may transfer disease germs to those who eat
from them ; the wiping only changes the evil from the
dish-cloth to the towel. Always wash the dish-cloth,
after using, with soapy hot water, then scald, rinse and
hang out in the sun if possible.
Page 55
Presented as published in 1905. 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
There is no part of the house in which cleanliness is of greater importance than in the cellar. Odors arising from decayed vegetables or other causes are not only disagreeable but are a menace to health. There should be enough windows in the cellar to secure plenty of light and air, and they should be opened every day. The floor should be thoroughly swept, and if made of cement should be washed occasionally. Every corner should be cleaned. The walls should be whitewashed once or twice a year. See that all the shelves, tables, etc., are washed at least two or three times during the year. A box or barrel of unslaked lime is an excellent thing to keep in a cellar, especially if it is at all damp.
Care of Sink.
A neglected sink may be a fruitful source of disease in addition to attracting water-bugs and other pests. Never leave scraps in the sink after washing the dishes, but wash carefully, using small scrubbing brush and sapolio. Clean brass faucets with flannel dipped in vinegar or lemon juice, rub thoroughly with rottenstone and oil, then polish with a dry cloth. Any preparation for cleaning brass may be used. If the faucets are greasy wash them with warm soap-suds before using anything else. Nickel faucets may be washed with hot
soap-suds, wiped dry and polished with a soft flannel or chamois.
The waste-pipe must be kept free from grease. After pouring down greasy water, immediately pour down boiling water so as to prevent the grease from sticking to the pipes. Two or three times a week pour down a strong solution of sal-soda — about a half cupful of soda to two quarts of hot water.
Garbage Pail.
Scrub and scald the garbage pail every day. If dried in the sunshine no other disinfectant is required.
Care of Refrigerator.
The refrigerator should be thoroughly cleaned once a week.
1. Remove all food and ice.
2. Take out ice-rack and wash with hot water and salsoda, and rinse with clear hot water.
3. Wash out the ice-box in same way.
4. Wash the food-chambers with hot water without soap, using sal-soda if necessary.
5. Run a wire with a cloth tied on the end down the waste-pipe.
6. Pour boiling water, in which sal-soda has been dissolved, down the waste-pipe.
7. Clean all corners and grooves with a cloth and skewer.
8. Wipe the refrigerator dry, and leave the doors open for at least an hour.
The waste-pipe should empty into a pan or have a pipe connected with a well-trapped drain-pipe and finished with a funnel under the waste-pipe of the refrigerator. This is better than having the two pipes connect closely, as the refrigerator may be moved for cleaning purposes if necessary.
Do not keep food with a strong odor, such as fish or onions, in a refrigerator with butter, milk, etc.
Care of Towels.
One of the most important, yet most frequently neglected, details of kitchen work is the care of towels and dish-cloths. A dirty dish-cloth breeds disease, as it is a hotbed for bacteria, and, as it comes in contact with the dishes from which food is eaten, it will be readily seen how it may transfer disease germs to those who eat from them ; the wiping only changes the evil from the dish-cloth to the towel. Always wash the dish-cloth, after using, with soapy hot water, then scald, rinse and hang out in the sun if possible.