Part 2

=A Bandage Jar=: Tear old linen into strips two to four inches wide, lap ends two inches, and sew together. Make many lengths—half a yard to five. Pull away ravelings, roll smoothly, and fasten. Put a few clean pebbles in the bottom of a glass jar, lay paper over them, pack in rolled bandages till half full, then fill with absorbent cotton, and stand on a plate in a kettle of cold water, which is set over the fire. The water ought to reach the neck of the jar and be kept at a temperature of a hundred and eighty degrees for three hours or more. Take from fire then, screw on jar top, let cool in water, wipe, and set away.

Finger stalls in variety, with narrow tapes for tying, thus sterilized, are a help to mothers. Teach children to suck wounds or bites or stings instantly—it abates pain and takes out dirt and poison. Wash the hurt clean, unless a blood clot has formed—it is nature’s own remedy, respect it. Put on a stall, hold the hurt finger up, and pour upon it either arnica, witch hazel, or turpentine. Draw the edges of a cut together, clap on adhesive plaster, and hold until the plaster sets.

=Stanching Blood=: Blood spurting in bright-red jets means a severed artery—and great danger. A steady, dark-red stream means a cut vein. For either, knot two handkerchiefs hard together, trace the course of the blood vessel, put the biggest knot over it, thrust in a stick, and twist until the knot presses deep into the flesh. In case of an artery, put the knot between the hurt and the trunk. For a vein set it between the wound and the extremities. Work fast—a minute may mean life or death.

=Clothes for Nursing=: Wear nothing that cannot be washed; this is the first commandment. Wear nothing that rattles, rustles, or clings; this is the second, even greater. Light colors are refreshing to sick eyes, violent figures distressing. Have sleeves that can be pushed easily above the elbow, self collars, and trim fastenings. A single pin may scratch your patient. Eschew hard, starchy edges even on an apron. Wear a cap—a sweeping-cap is excellent—and change it daily. A long kimono apron slipping on over the head is useful for such work as bathing, giving alcohol spongings, or massage. One-piece frocks are imperative. The simpler and easier the better all round.

II

INSIDE A ROOM

=As to Floors—Scrubbing=: Sweep clean, take out grease spots and smudges (see section Spots and Stains). Have a light knee pad, clean brush, a bucket of warm water with a clean, soft cloth in it, and plenty of either sand soap or a good soap powder at hand. Scrub well with a wet brush, putting soap or powder before it. Do not slop—too much water swells boards and warps them. Scrub a strip, rinse with a cloth moderately wet, then wipe with the cloth wrung as dry as possible. Wiping thus quickly takes up the wet dirt clean. Work from each side toward the center, finishing at the door. Never use a wiping-cloth after it sheds lint.

=Staining=: Sweep twice—the last time with a damp cloth pinned over your broom. Give new boards a coat of filler (see section Renovators). Let it dry, sandpaper rough spots, then give one or two coats of oil stain, using a soft brush and working with the grain of the wood. Keep both filler and stain well stirred while applying, otherwise neither filling nor color will be even. Finish with shellac.

=Shellac Floors=: Sweep, dust with a cloth-wrapped broom, moving it the way of the grain. Fill any cracks or crevices; then give a coat of filler, and when it is full dry two coats of shellac. Let the first coat dry for twenty-four hours before adding the second.

=Waxing Hardwood Floors=: Sweep and dust, rub rough spots with sandpaper, take out spots or smears—if faded spaces are left, rub them with sandpaper till a new surface appears, or touch with stain, and let dry. Go over in long strips, working from opposite sides with whatever wax you like, then rub until hot with a wooden floor pad (see section Equipment). A coat of very thin shellac makes cleaning easier, but does not rub to so handsome a surface. Put on the shellac after the wax has stood a day.

=Removing Stain or Varnish=: Use very strong lye, either from wood ashes or commercial potash, with a lump of washing-soda in it. Grease the hands well, so the caustic liquor may not eat them. Apply with a big sponge or coarse soft cloth, following with a damp cloth wrung hard out of warm water.

=Removing Paint=: Metallic paint whose bases are white lead, zinc white, and oxides of chromium, iron, and copper mixed in oil hardens to a very adherent surface, hence differs from water colors, and has to be either burned off with a special torch or planed off. Both processes demand skilled workmen. It is better to bring old paint to a taking surface by wetting it first very well with turpentine, then, after an hour, going over it with wood alcohol and a thick, crumpled cloth. Follow the alcohol by washing with lye or strong soda water. Let dry, sandpaper rough places, then put on new paint—which it will be the part of wisdom to have at least as dark as the old.

=Filling Cracks:= Cracks large or small must be filled before either painting or staining, knotholes likewise. If a crack can be seen through either, fit into it a sliver of wood before filling, or drive in fine brads, leaving the heads projecting across the opening. Bend the heads below floor level, and set the brads alternately, several inches apart. Make putty or paper dough (see section Renovators). Fill small to medium cracks with putty mixed soft enough to squeeze through a paper tube. Make the tube by rolling cornerwise a square of tough waterproof paper, fastening it, and snipping off the pointed end a very little. Use the same as a pastry bag. Else roll lumps of putty between the palms to form rather fat worms, lay the worms end to end along the crack, press them down with a putty knife, or any blunt, broad-bladed one, making the surface smooth and level. If the putty is very soft, sift a little dry whiting upon it and press it lightly. Put in paper dough with a knife or a blunt chisel or screw-driver; smooth the surface by laying on a board and beating it with a hammer. If the dough smears under the hammering, scrape away before it hardens. Plug knotholes with the dough, then drive brads through it, bend down the heads, and put a thin layer over them.

=Cleaning Waxed Hardwood:= Dust daily with a soft old silk duster, sweep with a soft broom in a clean bag once a week, following by hard rubbing with the weighted brush. Every three months go over with a flannel wet in turpentine, working very quickly, and following with a very little boiled linseed oil, applied with a clean, hot cloth. Once a year—not oftener—wash clean with weak warm borax soapsuds, wetting only a yard or so at a time and wiping dry immediately. Wax or oil afresh after the washing, and rub till very hot with a clean pad.

=Cleaning Stained Floors:= Wipe over hard and quickly with soft cloths wrung very dry out of hot borax soapsuds. Wipe dry and rub with a flannel slightly moistened with crude kerosene. Beware of using too much—it will streak the stain.

=Tile Floors:= Tile, the same as brick, stone, and mosaic floors, should be washed in warm soapsuds, taking pains not to slop, rinsed well, and rubbed dry with a thick cloth fastened firmly over a flat mop. Be sure no water is left standing—it will destroy the setting.

=A Matted Floor:= Sweep twice, the last time with a bagged broom. Then wipe quickly with salt water, and as quickly rinse with fresh. Both waters should be tepid. If there is grime, use borax water instead of salt. A yearly wiping with fresh, sweet milk, followed by a tepid rinsing, makes matting last longer by keeping the straw pliant. Rinsing is, however, imperative; without it the milk draws a pest of flies.

=Carpeted Floors:= Damp with a fine sprinkler before using a sweeper, or dip the broom tip in warm water and shake very dry. Then wipe with a thick towel pinned tight over a stubby broom, washing it out if it gets very dirty. A little borax dissolved in the sprinkling-water brightens the carpet. So does fine, dry snow sprinkled on and swept off so quickly it has not time to melt. But the best thing to renew color and freshness is clarified ox gall dissolved in blood-warm water. Wash the carpet with it, after sweeping as clean as possible, using the solution the same as suds and taking pains against slopping.

=Rugs=: When possible, sun rugs before sweeping, beating, or vacuum-cleaning them. Spread smooth and wipe over with warm, weak borax soapsuds, followed by a tepid rinsing. Go over both sides, and let dry well before putting down. Half yearly wipe them over either with the ox-gall solution or fresh sweet milk. Rinse after either, but wait an hour to do it. The animal matter makes the wool more alive. Beware of stretching rugs cornerwise. Hang them always with the warp threads across the line or the pole.

=Walls, Windows, Ceilings—Walls=: The first thing is to make them sound and firm. Fill breaks great or small with plaster (see section Renovators). Fasten loose trim neatly in place, spread tarpaulin or paper well over the floor, then with a broom or long-handled stiff brush go over everything—walls, ceiling, woodwork, and molding. Painted walls must be washed clean before repainting. Whitewashed ones need to have as much as possible of the old whitewash swept off. Old paper must be sprayed with boiling water, let stand till soft, then scraped off. Paper will not stick to either hard-finished or whitewashed surfaces unless they are washed over with strong vinegar or strong alum water, and let dry, then sized either with glue or vegetable size (see section Renovators). Put windows in repair before touching the walls, and, of course, freshen the ceilings. Remove all the litter before beginning on the walls—the less dust there is under your new coverings, the longer they stay fresh.

=Wall Hangings=: Paper-hanging is so simple and easy it needs few directions. Strike a plumb line before beginning it. Suspend a compact weight by a chalked cord from the ceiling to the floor, hold it taut there, pull out the cord and let it strike back on the wall. With a beginning absolutely perpendicular you can make your figures run straight. Have the paper trimmed in the shop, cutting the left-hand selvage. Measure in generous lengths, taking care, if there are figures, that they match exactly. Lay the lengths, face down, a dozen or so together, flat upon a table or scaffold, and cover thickly on the wrong side with paper-hanger’s paste (see section Renovators). Beware of pasting too many at once—lying makes paper tender. Fold back each length on itself, pasted sides together. Open up as you apply to the wall, with the edge true with the plumb line. Smooth the middle first, taking care to leave no blisters, then work toward the edges, using a soft, clean cloth in each hand. Put on three or four lengths, then trim along the baseboard. With a border, the top is not a matter of concern, but with a molding finish it must be extra neat and firm in place. Make door and window casing serve as their own patterns, by pressing wet paper around them on the wall. If a corner out of plumb starts your paper askew, strike a new plumb line beyond it, about half a foot, split a length of paper, trimming it so the figures shall fit those in the length already on the corner, lap it from the plumb line over the skewed length, then go on keeping the seams straight.

=Choice of Paper=: Here dogmatism is worse than idle. But, in a general way, remember blue in all its tones, blue-gray, and granite-gray are cool, that yellow warms a north light and goes beautifully with oak finish, that red should be eschewed except for rooms used mostly by artificial light and furnished in very dark wood, that green in all save most vivid shades is restful, that soft wood-browns are excellent indeed to soften a glaring light, that white-enameled papers, with the faintest relief of gilt in the picture moldings, make the finest possible backgrounds for old prints and etchings, and, most important, that only plain papers will bear having pictures hung upon them, unless indeed the pattern is so soft as to be indistinguishable. Bedroom papers ought to be light and cheerful, but not staring. A plain ground with a border, deep or shallow, makes a wall that does war with furnishings. A painted wall with a cut-out border matching the ground tone is a very excellent choice for bedrooms. It gives the color value of paper, and is more sanitary and more secure against invasion.

=Burlaps, Cretonne, Linen, and Silk=: All are easily and quickly applied to walls, but the fitting which goes before may be a bit bothersome. Strike a plumb line same as for paper. Measure lengths, cutting so as to match figures. Aim to have the cutting, top and bottom, strike exactly in the middle of the pattern—this obviates any waste. Allow an inch for turning under top and bottom, unless the finish is to be molding—for that tack single. Have your gimp on reels so it will not snarl, and provide a great plenty of tacks. Sew lengths together on the machine, using flax thread, but not too coarse, a moderately long stitch and tension that does not draw. Take pains to match figures and fit the lengths to the wall as several are sewn together. This is trouble that may save worse, as a boggle discovered quickly is half remedied. Burlaps can be pasted on, the same as paper. Other things must be tacked on, and the edges covered with molding or narrow gimp matching their colors. Tack loosely at first, holding the cloth smooth but taking care not to stretch it. The threads in it must run true. At inequalities of wall, as in corners, take a tuck on the wrong side, press it flat, and put a line of fine tacks in the seam. Use barely enough tacks in the wall cover to hold it firmly in place—those in the gimp, which must be set evenly and not too far apart, will secure it. Burlap, even when pasted, looks better with a line of brass tacks at top and bottom. Cloth is a fine wall covering for halls, parlors, dining-rooms, even living-rooms, if they are never slept in. But in bedrooms, no matter how careful the housekeeping, it is not desirable.

=Painted Walls=: To paint a clean wall requires nothing beyond a brush, a step ladder, a can of ready-mixed paint, and a right good will. Stir the paint well before taking out any, and keep it stirred well to the end. Otherwise your wall will be like Joseph’s coat of many colors—earth paints have a trick of settling, no matter what they are mixed in. Begin at the top, use steady strokes of the brush, join them well, and rub back and forth to an even, smooth surface. Paint as far as you can reach handily, then step down a rung, paint below, and repeat. A new wall will take two coats; one already painted, unless very much defaced, needs but one. The paint can be varnished after it is dry; but the self-finish is pleasanter. Calcimine is put on exactly the same as paint, but the first coat must be very thin, the second thicker than cream, and the color if any, stirred well through the last coat. Remember, with either paint or calcimine, the dry wall will show much lighter than the paint in the pot.

=Whitewashed Walls=: Brush off loose particles, wash grimy spots clean, take out grease spots (see section Spots and Stains), have your whitewash ready, keep it hot, do the work, if possible, in dry, sunny weather, hot or cold, and provide several brushes—long-handled, short, and medium. Have a bucket of water to stand them in when not in use. In whitewashing above your head, wear glasses and stand upon something stable. Wear also a light hat with a narrow brim, and loose, soft, wash-leather gloves. Save strain by having the whitewash pot of handy size, refilling from the main supply at need. Use either milk whitewash or indoor whitewash (see section Renovators). Wood takes up less whitewash than other things—two-thirds as much as plaster, half as much as brick or stone. Whitewash well dashed with carbolic acid is the best and most sanitary finish for the inside of cellars, stables, and outhouses generally.

=Window Glazing=: Take out sash, break away panes, and remove old putty. If there are whole panes guiltless of putty, take them out carefully and scrape the sash clean, the same as with a broken pane. Lay the sash face down, and fit in new panes. Set a tiny tack on each of the four sides so as to hold the panes. Then put in glazier’s points—to be had at any shop. Small tacks will serve instead. Press in the points, letting them lie flat on the glass. Then lay a worm of putty over glass and points, and smooth it in place with a blunt knife. Dip the knife now and then in cold water—and keep it wiped clean of adherent putty. Smear the glass as little as possible, and wipe away smears as quickly as made. Let lie until the putty hardens a trifle. Paint it as soon as it is firm. Otherwise it will weather and crumble. Indeed, it is the part of wisdom to paint putty over once a year.

=Ceilings=: Papering a ceiling it not easy, still not impossible to amateurs. It demands a tall stable scaffold almost the length of the room—boxes set upon an extension table will answer very well. Cut lengths of paper, matching the figures, paste, fold, and apply quickly. Begin work in the middle of the ceiling—thus it is easier to keep the seams true. Fasten an end lightly to the ceiling, then press lightly along the middle till you come to the other end. Sight, and if this first length is bias or crooked, loosen it and put it on straight. Press on very hard and be sure there are no blisters. Small blisters can be pin-pricked and patted down, but big ones require to have the paper lifted bodily, the air pressed out, then the paper patted back. Ceiling paper ought to have very small figures and delicate tones, much lighter than those of the walls.

Fabrics of any sort are best applied to ceilings in separate lengths and the joins covered with heavy moldings put on with brass-headed nails. This gives much the effect of a beamed ceiling at lower cost. A ceiling that crumbles badly should have strips of smooth deal nailed fast to it at even distances. The fabric can then be tacked to these with no fear of falling.

If a ceiling is too high, never put anything striped on the wall. A heavy border apparently lowers a ceiling—all the more if it is put on several inches below the ceiling proper, and the wall space finished to match overhead.

=Calcimine and Whitewash=: Both are applied the same way—with soft, broad brushes slapped back and forth until no grain shows. The surface must be clean and free of loose particles. Wash off old calcimine with strong soda water and let dry before applying fresh. Put on three coats, the same as for walls. The prepared cakes are cheap and handy, but there is more certainty and more satisfaction in home-mixing (see section Renovators).

III

EQUIPMENT AND RENOVATORS

=Equipment=: These things will make house-work easier by saving strength and temper. Being neither costly nor cumbersome, the simplest home may well find room for them or such part of them as it needs.

=A Knee Pad=: Make of stout cloth twenty inches by twelve, stuff two inches thick, tack in lines to hold flat, and sew oilcloth upon the under side.

=A Foot Pad=: Make two feet square, stuff an inch and a half thick, and tack flat. Stand on it when ironing, washing, or preparing food. It saves strength and prevents cold feet.

=A Floor Pad=: For rubbing waxed hardwood or stained floors. Get a block of wood, brick-shaped, hollow the upper edges on both sides so it can be grasped, put a strap across, then cover the lower face with many thicknesses of flannel and chamois skin. Alternate them and have leather outside. Keep dry and away from dust.

=A Water Wagon=: Screw castors to the corners of a board a foot square. A pail set on it can be pushed about much easier than lifted.

=Broom Bags=: Have a set of six—two each of crash, Turkish toweling, and outing flannel. Keep clean, and be sure the drawing-tapes are not left knotted or broken.

=Brooms=: Have at least two brooms—one stiff, one pliant. Choose fine straw of a greenish cast rather than yellow. Eschew painted handles; sandpaper is the remedy for rough places. Put a screw eye in the tip of the handles and hang the brooms from hooks. Wash before hanging up.

=Floor Brushes=: A weighted brush needs to be kept dry and clean and so set that the bristles do not crush. Choose it light rather than heavy. See that the handle is set at the angle to suit your height and that the bristles are of the very best quality.

=Dust Cloths=: Make of many sorts and sizes, from a foot square to half a yard. Cheesecloth, flannel, old silk, and crash—all answer well. Overcast edges loosely instead of hemming. Keep clean and dry in a box or drawer.

=Dust Swabs=: Tie a handful of cotton, excelsior, or even crumpled paper inside a soft cloth and about the end of a light rod. Use to dust walls, floors, and ceilings, changing the cloth as it gets dirty. Sprinkling the cloth with alcohol, turpentine, or gasolene makes it more effective where the dust is grimy.

=A Silk Duster=: Crumple soft old silk into a big floppy rosette and fasten to a rod. Use upon pictures and picture moldings, also on waxed floors newly polished.

=Ironing-boards=: Shape the blanket, sew up, and fit smoothly, letting the small end of the board project bare an inch or two. Draw taut over the wide end and sew with flax thread. Make shaped covers of unbleached cotton, open at the small end, rounded to fit the other and hemmed. Draw on a cover and pin tight at the broad end. Let the seams come along the edge of the board. Change covers after use. Have a smaller board, similarly covered, to use when sitting down—it is laid on the knees. Have also a covered bosom board if shirts are home-ironed, and a smooth straight board of handy size, covered with two thicknesses of flannel and one of clean cotton, for ironing embroidery or anything raised.

=Sprinklers=: Keep a tin sprinkler with a fine rose for dampening clean clothes or sprinkling floors or carpets. If ammonia or alcohol is put into the sprinkling-water, rinse the sprinkler well before putting it away.

=A Tool Box=: Fill cracks with putty to keep out dampness, hinge on a cover, and furnish with a padlock. Keep in it a sharp fine saw, a hatchet, tack hammer, brace and assorted bits, chisel, monkey wrench, screw-driver, and gimlets. Also assorted brads, tacks, wire nails, screw hooks, screw eyes, and picture wire. A putty knife is useful. A T-square and foot rule are indispensable. Keep the box stationary, and insist that whatever is taken from it shall be put back in good condition.

=A Wax Board=: Cover a small clean board with flannel, sewing it firmly, rub the flannel well over with softened—not melted—paraffine, and keep for smoothing irons.

=A Laundry Cabinet=: Have a laundry cabinet if it is no more than starch boxes set one on the other. Keep in it starch, soap, blueing, Javelle water for stains, soap powder, washing-soda, irons and holders, the wax board, and sandpaper, which is sovereign for roughened irons. Keep also a filled pin cushion and a bundle of clean rags. Close with a roller shade instead of door or curtain.

=A Clothes Drainer=: Tack coarse burlap over a big wooden hoop so loosely it sags smartly. Nail stout legs to the hoop, spreading them so a tub can be set underneath. Drop clothes sopping wet from the rinse into the hoop, and save time, strength, and wear.