p. 12 | Culinary Cleanliness by Anna L. Colcord

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 21, 1903

Culinary Cleanliness

By Anna L. Colcord

MRS. ANNA L. COLCORD

IN no department of the household is there more need of scrupulous cleanliness than in the kitchen. This is where the food is prepared upon which the family depends for the maintenance of physical life. Because the kitchen is usually located at the back part of the house, and is not generally supposed to be open to the inspection of visitors, as is the parlor or drawing room, is no reason why uncleanliness or disorder should be tolerated in it.

Many who take delight in doing other household duties, do not enjoy the work needed to be done in the kitchen. They regard this as a sort of drudgery, and consequently frequently slight it. They have not been taught to keep a kitchen properly,—the importance of observing order and cleanliness in all departments of domestic life,—and so disorder, confusion, untidiness, and uncleanliness characterize their kitchens and their kitchen work.

There can be order in a kitchen as well as in any other part of a house. “A place for everything, and everything in its place,” is as applicable here as elsewhere. We know of an orderly housekeeper who has a place for every dish and pan in the house, and she always puts each in its place. The result is she can go to her cupboard in the dark, if necessary, and get what she wants.

A much respected man once said, “Let me see inside a woman’s cupboard, and I will tell you what kind of a housekeeper she is.” He regarded the state of a woman’s cupboard as an index to her general housekeeping. And such indeed it really is.

There should be thought, order, and arrangement applied to the routine of kitchen work as well as to other work. As soon as the meal is finished, put back the chairs, and brush up the crumbs from the floor. Then go to the cupboard and remove all unusable foods, and wipe out any scattered crumbs from the shelves. Collect the left-over or untouched food from the table, put into clean dishes, taking out the spoons, and set away.

When the crumbs have been brushed from the tablecloth, if removed it should be folded the same as when ironed. If the crumbs are removed from the cloth by shaking, care should be exercised not to crumple it in handling.

After the dishes are washed, attention should be given to the dishcloths and drying towels. Greasy dishcloths, and stiff or uncleanly towels which leave their odor and ill-smelling flavor on the dishes, should not be tolerated. They should be kept sweet and clean; otherwise they are a source of propagating disease germs. After each meal the dishcloths should be thoroughly washed in hot water and soap, rinsed, and hung up to dry. Never hang them on a nail, all in a bunch, unrinsed, and in some

dark place. The drying cloths should go through the regular wash each week.

A kitchen cabinet with compartments for flour and drawers for culinary utensils, is a very useful and convenient article of furniture for the kitchen; but where this can not be had, a box with two or three compartments may be provided at a very small expense, and used instead.

Every housekeeper should provide herself with a bread tin. The bread, however, should never be put into the tin while hot, and once or twice a week the tin should be emptied, and scalded out with hot water, to keep it fresh and sweet.

“Love lightens labor,” and by looking at the good results of thorough, conscientious work in the culinary department of the home, the housewife may take real delight in making it orderly, cleanly, and interesting.