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Care of the Pantry

Neatness and order in your pantry will depend in great measure upon the way you clear your table. If you look upon the pantry as a dumping ground, then dirt and disorder will be inevitable, but if on the contrary you consider it a workshop to be kept shipshape you will avoid these dangers. Shipshape means a place for everything and everything in its place.

Make up your mind in the beginning where you want to lay your knives, where you want your silver, the best place for your heavy and delicate china, and when these places are well chosen, then stick to them. Keep the shelves well dusted and every drawer clean and in order.

You must be sure to have a bowl or pan large enough to hold all the broken bits of bone and scraps from each meal.

A large yellow bowl or agate pan is the most suitable for this. Do not use tin, as a piece of lemon or a spoonful of tomato will rust it and it will soon become disagreeable. Do not begin your work until the food is put away. Next, empty every glass, cup, bowl and pitcher. Rinse with cold water those which have been used for milk, cream or wine. Scrape dishes carefully and put those of one kind together. This saves time, it does not waste it. A bit of bread from the broken bits will wipe out a fine china bowl or a silver ladle without scratching it as a knife would do. Always remove at once any food that has dropped on the floor, then you will have one less grease spot to clean. When you have finished washing the dishes, always leave your pan or sink perfectly clean. You will find it very easy by using sapolio.

Once a week, you must wash down the pipes with a strong solution of salsoda and water that is actually boiling, not simply hot. Never leave soiled towels lying in the pantry. After each meal, wash out those you have used and hang them to dry. You may add a little diluted ammonia to the water and if you will provide yourself with a small sized washboard, which you can buy for 25 cents, you will find the work will be made very much easier. Once a week all towels that have been used should be thoroughly boiled and ironed. You need fresh ones each time for the glass and fine china, so do not let your supply of fresh ones get exhausted before you have other ones to take their place.

See that the knife cleaner and silver cleaning materials are in their proper place. Keep hand towels and dish towels separate. Keep salad cloths by themselves. Be sure that the broom and long duster are hung, not left standing on the floor, and choose a good place for keeping dusting cloths and small feather dusters.