Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 309, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 December 1913 — NEW WAY WITH DISHES [ARTICLE]

NEW WAY WITH DISHES

WILL BE FOUND TO LIGHTEN HOUSEHOLD DUTIES. ■ ________ * Once a Day Sufficient, With Proper Management—After Breakfast the Best Time to Perforin the Necessary Work. It is astonishing to think that after centuries of housekeeping women should continue to wash dishes in the same old way. The mother of a girl who finished her college course last spring sends in this excellent plan by which she* and her daughter contrived to lighten their household duties very greatly. In the first place, it is a small- family of four, and they wash dishes only once a day —in the morning. Does that sound slovenly to you? No, it is merely good management. After each meal the dishes are held under a spigot—the hot one if* they are very greasy— £ and that takes care of the “horrid"' part. They are then stacked carefully in a large wooden box which stands on the table conveniently near the sink. The lid is closed, the rest of the kitchen put in order, the pots put to coak in an inconspicuous place and the “co-opera-tive housekepers” are to spend the afternoon or evening pleasantly. After breakfast, however, when plenty of hot water is at hand, they begin washing £he glass and silver in a big dishpan of sudsy water. These are rinsed and dried; the rest of the dishes are washed, set in wire racks that one can get for that purpose and thoroughly scalded with hot water that comes directly from the spigot through a short length of hose, one end of which is slipped OVer the spigot and the other end of which carries a bathroom spray nozzle. This hose, by the way, is a home-made arrangement. Most of the wqter having now run off, the dish rack is lifted on the newspapered top of a sort of butler’s tray on wheels. This was also made by the college ‘girl, who had had a bit of manual training. The wagon was then pushed Into the pantry and by the time the second rack of dishes was ready the first was dry and ready to be packed onjthe shelves. It certainly is a pleasure to see and eat from those beautiful shiny dishes. Of course, there were left the pots and pans, which had to be scrubbed and dried. But that isn’t a bad job if one is not already tired out with drying and packing, away numerous small lots of dishes. To be sure, it takes a great many dishes, but then no one thinks of washing the clothes every day because it takes a lot to keep going all week, After all if with proper organization one can get well done, all at once, whatever work is really necessary, why stick to an antiquated method?