Do not allow dogs, cats, or birds to be where they can touch your food or your cooking utensils; animals have diseases too. Flies, gnats, and fleas are most dangerous pests; they feed on decayed and diseased things, and may carry poison on their feet and leave it on your food. Keep them out of your house, and especially chase them out of your kitchen and larder. Any bad smell in a house is a danger signal; find out its cause, and get rid of it.
S.T.
Be sure your drinking water is pure. If you are at all doubtful about it, boil it well—that is, for not less than fifteen minutes. Water cisterns should be often cleaned out. See that all drains, sinks, and closets are in good order. A very poisonous gas called sewer gas comes from bad drains, and typhoid, diphtheria, etc., are caused by drinking bad water and bad drainage. The gas does not come up if there is a “trap” full of water in the pipe; that is a curve in the pipe where water collects. Let water run down all sinks once or twice a day to rinse the pipes. To sum up, “Remember that nearly all the dangers to health in a house or room begin with a D, and these dangers or destroyers are:
- “Darkness.
- “Damp.
- “Dust.
- “Dirt.
- “Doubtful drinking water.
- “Defective drains.”
Against these destroyers, which bring debility, disease and even death, the Scouts’ defences are:
- “Sunlight.
- “Fresh air.
- “Cleanliness.”
Housewifery.—Every Scout is as much a “housewife” as she is a girl. She is sure to have to “keep house” some day, and whatever house she finds herself in, it is certain that that place is the better for her being there.
Too many odds and ends and draperies about a room are only dust-traps, and rugs or carpet squares, which can be taken up easily, are better than nailed down carpets. Keep all the furniture clean and bright. Fresh air, soap, and water are the good housewife’s best allies. Bars of soap should be cut up in squares and kept for six weeks before being used. This hardens it and makes it last longer.
In scrubbing boarded floors, the secret is not to deluge the floor; change the water in the pail frequently.
In the work of cleaning think out your plan beforehand, so as not to dirty what has been cleaned. Plan out certain times for each kind of work and have your regular days for doing each thing.