Beds and Bedding.—The ideal bed for`health and comfort is of metal, either white enameled iron or brass, with a box spiral shelf spring or woven wire spring having enough spi ral springs through the middle so that it will not sag. Iron and brass beds are now so cheap that they are being rapidly substituted for wooden bed steads in all parts of the country. In choosing enamel beds see that the brass fittings are of good quality and well put on. The brass parts are the first to show wear, especially if they are loosely adjusted; and if they come off, the loss will spoil the appearance of the bed.
Enameled beds may be renovated by going over them with white or black enamel paint; to make them look like brass use gilt enamel. Any of these can be washed with soap and water. Thus a metal bed can be easily kept in perfect sanitary condition, free from dust, dirt, or vermin. Hap pily, the old-fashioned slat and cord bedsteads are rapidly becoming things of the past.
Mattresses.—The bed should not be softer than is necessary for comfort, and the surface should be smooth and nearly level. Feather beds are advisa ble for healthy adults only in ex tremely cold weather or cold climates, and in unheated rooms. They may be used for children or the aged in ordi nary temperatures, but they should rather be packed tightly in thin ticks than loosely in large masses. Mat tresses with suitable springs and bed coverings are to be preferred in most cases. The best material for mat tresses is curled hair, although the much-advertised modern mattresses of felted cotton are also good and cheap er. Mattresses of excelsior and husks with cotton tops and ticks filled with clean hay or straw, or even beach-tree and other leaves are still used in many parts of the country. Any of these are hygienic and comfortable, and are to be preferred for adults in good health to feather beds.
The best material for pillows is curled hair, but if feathers are used the pillows should be tightly packed so that they will not allow the head to sink into them. The use of thick pillows is inadvisable. The pillow should be of just about the right thickness to support the head in its natural position when lying on the side, or to allow it to incline slightly backward.
Bed Springs.—The upholstered or box springs are the best. Make a cover of heavy unbleached drilling slightly larger than the springs, or cover them with a worn sheet or faded quilt. Fasten brass rings in the cor ners of the cover and attach them to brass-headed tacks or nails driven into the under side of the spring. This prevents the cover from slipping, but makes it removable for dusting. Or with a darning needle and cord tack the cover neatly and firmly in place.
This prevents the springs from ing the mattress with rust.
Bed Covers.—As the muscles are entirely quiescent during sleep the body generates much less heat than in waking hours. Hence the bedclothes should furnish greater warmth than the ordinary clothing. On the other hand, the bed should not be warm enough to interfere with normal evap oration or overheat the body so as to cause undue perspiration.
Light bed covers of a suitable non conducting material, as wool or eider down, are much better than heavy or numerous covers of cotton, as home made quilts and comforters. Wool blankets are perhaps the best of all bed covers, and nothing else except a suitable coverlet for the purpose of decoration should be used if blankets can be afforded. Linen sheets are preferable to cotton for the reason that they are more absorbent. Hence they take up more readily the per spiration of the body. For the same reason they are much cooler in sum mer. They are more durable and it will be found a wise economy in the long run to purchase sheeting of un bleached linen rather than of cotton material.
Bedspreads.—Net, with lace inser tion and edges, over an inexpensive lining of any color to match the other furnishings, makes an attractive bed spread.
Or dimity or dotted muslin may be used.
Or an old pair of lace curtains may be utilized by sewing the scalloped edges together to form the middle of the spread, and lining with any suit able colored fabric.
Valances.—The use of a valance is much less customary than formerly, as it is now thought more sanitary to allow the sunlight to penetrate to all parts of the room and the air to cir culate freely. But if a valance is used, it should not be fastened to the frame of the bed, but so adjusted as to be easily removable for the laundry. Hence, to make a valance, cut a sheet to the size of the top of the mattress; make the valance in four sections, one for each side and for the top and bot tom of the bed, and just long enough, allowing for the hem, to reach from the bottom of the mattress to the floor. Baste these sections to the edge of the sheet like a ruffle. Do not join the top and bottom to the sides, but leave the corners open. Try this on to see that it fits exactly before stitching. When completed, spread the sheet over the springs, and put the mattress on over it, so that the val ance will hang down on all sides like a ruffle. Thus the valance always stays in place, but can easily be removed for washing, and the old sheet to which it is attached serves to protect the mattress from the springs. Deli cate swiss or other light washable fabrics are more suitable for this pur pose than cretonne or other heavy figured material.