One of the most important duties is dish-washing.  A few simple rules may help to make this duty less objectionable. 1.  Collect knives, forks and spoons by themselves.  Scrape the dishes, empty the cups, and arrange neatly in the order in which they are to be washed. 2.  Never pile dishes indiscriminately in a dish pan, as each kind requires separate treatment. 3.  Have two pans half full of water; one with soapy water, the other with clear hot water for rinsing. 4.  Wash the glassware first, in moderately hot water, slip the glasses in sideways so that the hot water may strike inside and outside at once, which will prevent breaking.  Rinse and wipe at once, as they will be much brighter and clearer than if allowed to drain. 5.  If the glass is cut, use a brush to cleanse out all the grooves.  As it is difficult to dry such glassware, it should be dipped in clear cold water after washing, and allowed to drain. 6.  Always keep the towel between the hands and the glass so as to avoid finger marks.  Rinse glasses which have contained milk in cold water before washing. 7.  Next wash the silver and wipe at once; then the china, first in the hot suds, then rinse in the clear hot water; wipe while warm. 8.  Change dish water often, especially if the dishes are greasy; and do not leave the soap in the water to waste and stick to the dishes. 9.  Use fresh water for the kitchen crockery, and pots and pans.  After wiping tinware, place it on the hearth to dry, as it rusts very easily. 10.  Polish the knives with bathbrick, wood ashes or sandsoap.  Wash, and wipe perfectly dry; hold in the hand and wash with the dish cloth; do not under any circumstances allow knives and forks to lie in hot water.  Next wash the tray, the rinsing pan, the table and the sink.  Finally, the dish towels, dish cloth and dish pan.

Pans in which fish or onions have been cooked should be washed and scalded, then filled with water, in which put a tsp. of soda.  Place them on the top of the stove for 1/2 hour; this will remove the flavor of fish or onions.  If the steel of knives or forks should become rusted, dip them in sweet oil and let stand for twenty-four hours, then rub with powdered quick-lime and the stain will be removed.  Rub the ivory handles which have become stained, with whiting and spirits of turpentine.

VENTILATION AND SANITATION.

As pure air is one of the essentials of good health, it follows that one of the chief duties of a housekeeper is to see that the family supply of this necessary element is properly regulated.  Very few housekeepers realize the importance of ventilation in promoting the general health and comfort of the family.  As the scope of this book prevents anything further than a few suggestions or a brief outline of the principles underlying these important questions, we will adopt the rule followed in the preceding chapter, beginning with the cellar:  1.  See that surface water