CLEANING METALS Pots and Pans. If the sink space be limited, and cooking utensils are in the way, wash these first. This method leaves the hands in better condition than when such dishes are washed last. Do not spend time scouring pans where food has burned on ; fill the pan with cold water, add a tablespoon of washing soda, and boil briskly for half an hour. If after a slight scraping with a brass scraper, the scorch does not come off, boil again in sal-soda-water, — soaking does not help, boiling seems to be necessary. Kettles that are used directly over a wood fire and black- ened with soot should be rubbed off with crumpled newspaper and then with an old cloth. DISH WASHING 25 Do not be afraid to use a clean, dry towel for wiping such dishes, for if they soil the towel they are not clean and need another scouring. It is less work to scald them well and wipe dry at once, than to half do it and depend on the stove heat to finish the drying. Do not burn gas to save a towel. Many persons who call themselves neat wipe a cooking pan out of greasy dish water with the dish cloth and dry it on the stove. Possibly because from lack of thought the dish water gives out, or they have the habit of leaving these things that need the hottest water until the last. Do not put anything on a hot stove to dry, for enamel will crack, rosin will ooze out from seams in tin ware, and wooden- ware will crack or burn. A sunny window is seldom available, but boiling water and dry towels are always at hand, if you plan wisely. Do not put kettles away until dry and cool ; leave them uncovered, with their covers near. Knives and Forks. Never put steel knives and forks, nor any with wooden handles, nor of ivory or pearl, into the dish water, nor pour hot water over the blades. It is the sudden expansion of the steel from the heat that causes the handles to crack or loosen at the rivet, even though the handles are not in the water. Keep the knife in the left hand and wash it with the cloth ; when all are washed, rub sand soap on a damp cloth and rub the blades and tines on each side until bright ; then wash as before and rinse in warm water and wipe dry. Rust spots may be removed with kerosene. SUver. Use whiting on a cloth dampened in water made soft with ammonia; or use any reliable preparation. Rub the chased portions with a small, soft brush. Let the whiting dry a few minutes ; rub briskly with a clean dry cloth and brush ; wash thoroughly in hot suds ; wipe dry, and polish with chamois. Occasionally give the silver a sal-soda cleansing, especially that having much chasing. Brass, Copper, Nickel Plate. Moisten a soft woolen cloth with Putz Pomade and rub briskly. With faucets or station- ary articles take an end of the cloth in each hand, bear down 26 SCHOOL KITCHEN TEXTBOOK hard and pull it briskly back and forth. The friction does the work more thoroughly than can be done by mere pressure of the hand. When bright, polish with a dry, clean flannel. Ironware that is not in constant use may be kept from rusting by rubbing all over with oil or lard. A new iron kettle is generally rusty ; grease it thoroughly inside and outside and let it stand two days ; then wash it in hot water softened by a teaspoon of washing soda.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

CLEANING METALS Pots and Pans. If the sink space be limited, and cooking utensils are in the way, wash these first. This method leaves the hands in better condition than when such dishes are washed last. Do not spend time scouring pans where food has burned on ; fill the pan with cold water, add a tablespoon of washing soda, and boil briskly for half an hour. If after a slight scraping with a brass scraper, the scorch does not come off, boil again in sal-soda-water, — soaking does not help, boiling seems to be necessary. Kettles that are used directly over a wood fire and blackened with soot should be rubbed off with crumpled newspaper and then with an old cloth. Do not be afraid to use a clean, dry towel for wiping such dishes, for if they soil the towel they are not clean and need another scouring. It is less work to scald them well and wipe dry at once, than to half do it and depend on the stove heat to finish the drying. Do not burn gas to save a towel. Many persons who call themselves neat wipe a cooking pan out of greasy dish water with the dish cloth and dry it on the stove. Possibly because from lack of thought the dish water gives out, or they have the habit of leaving these things that need the hottest water until the last. Do not put anything on a hot stove to dry, for enamel will crack, rosin will ooze out from seams in tin ware, and woodenware will crack or burn. A sunny window is seldom available, but boiling water and dry towels are always at hand, if you plan wisely. Do not put kettles away until dry and cool ; leave them uncovered, with their covers near. Knives and Forks. Never put steel knives and forks, nor any with wooden handles, nor of ivory or pearl, into the dish water, nor pour hot water over the blades. It is the sudden expansion of the steel from the heat that causes the handles to crack or loosen at the rivet, even though the handles are not in the water. Keep the knife in the left hand and wash it with the cloth ; when all are washed, rub sand soap on a damp cloth and rub the blades and tines on each side until bright ; then wash as before and rinse in warm water and wipe dry. Rust spots may be removed with kerosene. Silver. Use whiting on a cloth dampened in water made soft with ammonia; or use any reliable preparation. Rub the chased portions with a small, soft brush. Let the whiting dry a few minutes ; rub briskly with a clean dry cloth and brush ; wash thoroughly in hot suds ; wipe dry, and polish with chamois. Occasionally give the silver a sal-soda cleansing, especially that having much chasing. Brass, Copper, Nickel Plate. Moisten a soft woolen cloth with Putz Pomade and rub briskly. With faucets or stationary articles take an end of the cloth in each hand, bear down hard and pull it briskly back and forth. The friction does the work more thoroughly than can be done by mere pressure of the hand. When bright, polish with a dry, clean flannel. Ironware that is not in constant use may be kept from rusting by rubbing all over with oil or lard. A new iron kettle is generally rusty ; grease it thoroughly inside and outside and let it stand two days ; then wash it in hot water softened by a teaspoon of washing soda.

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