Rooms which are in constant use should be swept and dusted every day. A
thorough cleaning of each room in the house will be necessary every week
or two, even though the room is swept and kept in order daily. First,
all cupboards, drawers, and other receptacles in which articles collect
should be cleaned; then all large movable articles should be dusted and
moved out of the room; those that are not readily movable should be
dusted and covered. The floor should be swept with the windows open; the
ceiling and walls should be brushed with a covered broom, and the dust
allowed to settle. The floor should then be wiped with a damp cloth on
the broom.[A] The woodwork should be cleaned with a damp cloth and a
soap that is not too strong. Soda or sapolio should not be used. The
furniture should be carefully uncovered, and everything arranged in
perfect order.
[A] If the floor is of unfinished-wood, it will require a
thorough scrubbing. After sweeping the floor and allowing
the dust to settle, a small portion at a time should be
scrubbed with a floor-brush and soap. When scrubbing, the
grain of the wood should be followed. The scrubbing-water
should be changed frequently. For rinsing and drying the
floor, a cloth should be wrung out of clear water.
The things that are highest should be dusted first, and care should be
taken to collect all the dust in the dust-cloth. After collecting the
dust, the cloth should be shaken out-of-doors, washed thoroughly, and
boiled. The dust-cloth should be dampened before using on all surfaces
except the polished furniture and windows.
Sweeping should be done with short strokes and the broom should be kept
close to the floor, so that the dust will not be scattered. The corners
of the room should be swept first, the dust gathered in the centre, and
then swept into the dust-pan. The dust should be burned, for it may
contain disease germs. Loose hairs and fluff should be removed from the
broom after using, and it should also be washed periodically.
Small rugs should be cleaned out-of-doors. They should be swept, beaten,
and re-swept, then rolled until ready to be put on the floor. If the rug
is a large one and cannot be removed, it should be wiped over with a
damp cloth, rolled, and the under side of the rug and the floor beneath
it should be wiped.
After the room has been cleaned, the windows should be arranged so that
a supply of fresh, clean air can come constantly into it. This is
essential to every room in the house, if perfect health is to be
maintained.