SPRING CLEANING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 October 1939, Page 10

SPRING CLEANING

HINTS FOR HOUSEWIVES.

CARDINAL RULES TO FOLLOW.

Spring cleaning, which should now be in full swing in many Masterton homes, can bring a spirit of adventure to the home, new ideas in design and decoration, and fresh touches of beauty in ordinary things. Or spring cleaning can make martyrs of all and leave the house much as it was beforehand. The wise housewife will tour her home beforehand, accompanied by the person most interested in each room, husband, maids, and children. This takes time but brings results. The top will be taken first, the outside, in fact, where all tiles or slates should be fixed and firm. Gutters may neted clearing, and locks, frames, and panes of skylights must be in order. Some high houses have trapdoors and ladders- leading to them. Are the rungs of these in good repair and does the trapdoor open easily and shut securely? Chimney sweeping ps an essential part of spring cleaning, and the sweep must also look to outside cowls and consider the possibility of loose bricks in the chamneys. Experience of smoking fires in winter will guide him over this. IN THE NURSERY. Nurseries come next. Dawning colour sense may find expression in this spring inspection.' Nursery floors and nursery lighting are of major importance. Cork lino is best cleansed by washing in warm water to which a tablespoon of borax has been dissolved in each gallon. It then needs carefully rinsing, drying, and wax polishing. > Nurse should be able to work and read in comfort at the end of her day. All nursery lamps should be easily shaded in case of illness. This is indeed a good moment to overhaul the entire lighting system of the. house. The main scheme in each room should be soft and -restful with easily adjusted' bright standard or table lamps to be used as required. A wise maxim is to bring the light to the work, not the work to the light. BEDS AND BEDDING. If there have been uneasy sleepers in the house, .bedrooms ought to be considered with special care. Draughts, rattling windows, too much or too little light, ill-fitting curtains or sagging mattresses may have contributed to the cause. Bedroom curtains must be washed or cleaned, and a change from green to blue blinds or vice versa can often help bad sleepers. Bedding may have to be remade, but blankets can be washed at home. They need soaking for a quarter of an hour in warm soft soap lather with no soda. Rinsing water must be changed several times, the last rinse being in blue water. Blankets should be dried out of doors, and frequently taken down and shaken to raise the nap. Stairs are important. Loose treads rods, and banisters can cause serious accidents. Wooden banisters are often breeding places for dry rot. Dry rot is infectious, and,particles carried on duster or shoes may spread it to other woodwork. Stair carpets respond to sponging with a solution of water and ammonia, one teaspoonful to a quart. During this inspection those who go up and down most should be asked whether a stool or table on the half landing would ease their burdens. Or it may be that pieces of furniture already there as ornaments are also obstacles. BATHROOM NEEDS. .Everybody should confer over the bathroom. We all have our ideal bathroom, but few of us have attained it. A small rubber mat on the bottom of the bath will make bathing safer for tiny children, and a rubber cup device which “sucks” on and holds soap will help hurried grown-ups. Tap washers will probably need renewing, and if the cork on stool or. chair or weighing machine is wearing thin it can be replaced by a new bit, bought in the piece. Is the shaving mirror at the right height and light? Has the water system any idiosyncrasies, taps that will not turn on.when others are running, uneven heating, and so on? In any case, boilers and tanks needs inspection and probably scaling. VANQUISHING MOTHS. All cupboards should be emptied, bui especially those of the man of the house. Suits and woollens must be shaken, brushed, and, if . possible, sunned. Wall cupboards often need repapering or repainting. Where there has been any trace of moth, cupboards and shelves should be sprayed with weak paraffin. Every chair, particularly those in smoking room or library, should have its springs tested and .renewed if need be. Where new colour schemes would be liked, but cannot be afforded, fresh and lovely effects can be obtained with different cushion covers differently placed. The putting away of surplus ornaments, the rearranging of small tables and wall mirrors give the feeling of space and novelty.