CHAMBER WORK To Air Beds.—Emanations from the body are absorbed by the sheets and through these contaminate the other bedding. Moreover, at times the air in unheated rooms contains a good deal of moisture, and this penetrates all parts of the bedding. When the weather changes, the surface of the bed will dry much more quickly than other parts; hence the object of air ing a bed is to purify it and to dry it by giving the moisture a good chance to evaporate. Open the bed the first thing in the morning, remove the cov ers, and expose the mattress and the sheets separately to the air. If the weather is clear, open the windows if possible, but not if the outer air is damp from fog or rain. Once a week on cleaning day brush the mattress with a clean broom or stiff whisk broom, turning up the tufts and free ing it of all dust. The ideal way, from a sanitary point of view, is to leave the bed stripped all day and spread it up just before retiring. But as this is not always convenient, the next best course is to put off bed mak ing imtil the last thing in the morning. A feather bed should be beaten and shaken up when it is stripped to air. In clear, dry weather it is a good plan to expose beds and bedding to outdoor air and sunshine, except the feather beds, which should be aired out of doors in a shady place. The direct rays of the sun may cause the animal oil in the feathers if new and if not properly cleaned to become rancid. But care must be taken not to air bedding out of doors when the air is damp from fog or mist.
To Make Beds.—Spread the lower sheet with the seam down, the wide heading at the top, tucking it in all around. Spread the upper sheet with the hem up and the broad heading 6 inches above the top edge of the mat tress. Tuck the lower end in , firmly under the foot of the mattress. Spread the blankets with the open edges evenly together 6 inches from the head of the bed. Smooth downward. Tuck the bottom double edge firmly under the foot of the mattress.
Add quilts, if any, in the same fash ion. If a white counterpane is used the bed need not be open. Or if not, turn back the upper sheet over the blankets at least 12 inches to cover them well. Do not tuck in metal beds at the sides. The spread should be long enough to hang over the mattress at the foot of the bed. A tuft or light comforter to match the furnishings of the room may be folded twice length wise, or square, with one edge turned over and placed across the foot of the bed. Or, if a wooden bedstead is used, the sheets and blankets may be tucked in at the sides before the spread is put on and tucked. Stand the pillows nearly erect.
In winter when the feet are so apt to be cold in unheated rooms an extra quilt or blanket spread over the lower half of the bed, and the other half folded under the mattress to prevent the clothes from pulling up, will help to keep the feet warm.
Bedroom Ware.—Clean all bedroom ware and the marble tops of wash stands and tables with a rag dipped in turpentine. This not only cleanses but disinfects them.
How to Cool Bedrooms.—In summer it is often more important to keep hot air out than to let cool air in. Hence if bedrooms are aired during the early part of the day and the cur tains then drawn and shutters closed until night, the bedrooms may be cooler than if they had been open to the outer air all day.
Or, when very important to cool a room quickly, wet a large cloth and suspend it over a line where, if pos sible, a draught will strike it. This will cool the air by evaporation ap proximately ten degrees according :o circumstances. This plan is frequently practiced in hot climates.
To Darken Rooms. — Bedrooms should be provided with dark-green shades in addition to the white shades, or if these are not present a strip of dark-green baize or glazed calico may be pinned inside the blind or attached to the white shades when it is neces sary to darken room.