Kitchen Table.—A bench or table, homemade if necessary, at the left of the kitchen sink and as large as the room will admit, is indispensable to saving steps in the kitchen. Have this overlap the edge of the sink and cover with zinc, which will not rust. Turn up the zinc over a molding around the sides of the table, except at the end over the sink, so that water will drain back from it into the latter. Carry the zinc, if possible, eighteen inches or two feet up the kitchen wall be hind the table and the sink. This is lasting, easily kept clean, and is not injured by hot pans or kettles. If scrubbed clean it can be used as a molding board. Particles of dough which adhere to it can easily be scraped off with a knife. Zinc that has done duty under a stove may be used for a kitchen table. Cut a V out of the corners, lap over the edges, and nail closely with long, sharp steel tacks.
Or cover the kitchen table with oil cloth. This will last a long time if the table is padded with sheet wad ding or several thicknesses of news paper covered with an old sheet. Draw the padding smooth and tack it under the edge of the table.
Kitchen Rack for trtensils.—Cover the wall back of the kitchen table and sink with zinc or oilcloth about two feet in height, tacking a strip of inch thick pine or other soft wood about three inches wide along the top. Along the middle of this fasten a narrow strip of leather or a strip of doubled oilcloth, with tacks at intervals of one and a half or two inches, making loops through which cooking spoons, knives, forks, can openers, etc., may be thrust. Thus these articles are always in sight and ready for use. Above put up a number of six- or eight-inch shelves to any desired height to hold breakfast foods, coffee, salt, pepper and other spices, glass jars or tin cans containing nuts, rice, beans, sugar, and various dry groceries. On the upper shelves can be stored soap, canned goods, and the like. Insert hooks on the under side of the lower shelf to hold measuring cups, tin pails, or anything that can be hung up out of the way. Cover the shelves with oilcloth so that they can be kept clean. Hang from the cleat against the wall a board of any desired size, say 16 by 24, which may be of weathered oak or any hard-wood stuff cleated to pre vent warping. In this screw small brass hooks on which to hang the strainer, baking spoon, egg whip, roasting fork, meat cleaver, bread toaster, etc. These shelves and the rack save thousands of steps to the pantry and take the place of a costly kitchen cabinet.
Blotters in the Kitchen.—Obtain a supply of ordinary desk blotters and have a place for them on the rack above the kitchen table. If fruit juice or grease spatters or spills on cloth ing or table linen apply the edge or corner of a clean blotter, and most of the liquid will be taken up.
Or, if grease is spilled on the floor, a blotter will take it up quickly while warm and save the labor of removing a grease spot that has soaked into the boards.
Tin Rack.—Hang near the range a plate rack, which may be homemade, or fasten a cleat against the wall for tin lids, kettle covers, pie tins, and the like. Thus these are always dry and convenient.
Pantry Shelves.—Paint the pantry shelves white, or cover them with a coat of white enamel. Wash the shelves with cold water as soon as the enamel dries, and it will harden quickly. Such shelves will not require oilcloth or paper, can be easily wiped oft with a damp cloth, and always show when perfectly dean.
Or cover the shelves with white oil cloth. Cut the oilcloth to exactly fit the shelf, turn down over the edge, and paste on. While somewhat ex pensive, this lasts for years, cleans easily, and always looks well.
Or use ordinary building paper, which is better than newspaper and by the roll is very cheap. It can be wiped off with a damp cloth almost as easily as paint.
Or use washable paper, the same as kitchen walls are hung with, pasting it to the shelves.
Or, if newspapers are used, fold a whole newspaper the longest way of the full sheets and place the fold in the front of the shelf. Then when cleaning the pantry it is only neces sary to slip a paper cutter in the fold of the outer sheet, cut it dear across, and take off the soiled upper part.
Tack a narrow strip of wood (any left-over pieces of picture molding will do) along the back of the pantry shelves, about three inches from the wall. To save space, stand platters and large plates with their edges rest ing against this.
Run a one-inch strip of wood against the wall, held away from it by wooden brackets; in this put kettle lids and covers of all sizes.
Screw suitable hooks on the under side of the shelves for dishes having handles, as pitchers, cups, and the like.
Dampness in Closets.—Place a bowl of quicklime in a damp pantry, cup board, or closet. This not only re moves dampness, but kills all odors.