Points about the Furnace Fire.
The furnace fire should be shaken down and raked perfectly clear in the morning. A few shovelfuls of coal should be put on, and all the draughts opened. The ashes should then be taken up. As soon as the coal begins to burn well and the fire looks clear at the bottom, put in enough coal to come almost to the top of the fire-pot. Keep the draughts open until all the gas has burned off; then close them, and later, if the fire be too hot, open the checks. Except in extremely cold weather, this is all the attention that ought to be necessary through the day. The fire must be raked down and fresh coal or cinders put on in the evening, but a small amount of coal will answer for the night, unless the draughts have been open the greater part of the day.
On an extremely cold day it may be necessary to have the draughts open a part of the time, and some coal put on at noon.
All the clinkers should be removed when the fire is raked down in the morning. The water pan should be replenished at least once a day. Some careless people leave the ashes for a day at a time at the bottom of the furnace, where they absorb the heat, robbing the house of its share.
If the furnace fire be allowed to burn to a white heat it will be ruined for that day, unless more coal be put on a little later. The cold-air boxes must admit enough air to drive the hot air through the house, but not more than can be heated.
Heating stoves and open grates are to be managed as far as possible the same as a furnace. With the stove there is no trouble, there being plenty of checks and draughts. The open grate is not so well provided.
Keeping the Refrigerator Sweet.
Few duties are more important than that of keeping the refrigerator in perfect condition. If the lining be broken in any part, so that the water soaks into the wood, attend to the relining at once; or, if the refrigerator be not worth that, discard it wholly. Never have the waste-pipe connected with the plumbing in the house.
Have the refrigerator placed where it can be flooded with air and light whenever necessary, but, of course, in as cool a place as possible. Once a week have everything removed from it. Take out the shelves and wash them in hot soap-suds; then pour boiling water over them. Place them in the sun; or, if that fails, by the range, that they may be perfectly dried. Now take out the ice rack and wash and scald in the same way, except that, as there are grooves or wires in this, the greatest care must be used to get out every particle of dirt that may have lodged there. Next wash out the ice compartment, running a flexible wire rod down the waste-pipe, that nothing shall lodge there. Put two tablespoonfuls of washing soda into a quart of boiling water and set on the fire. When this boils, pour it into the ice compartment; follow this with a kettleful of boiling water, and wipe dry. Now wash the other parts of the refrigerator with hot soap-suds, and wipe perfectly dry. Be careful to get the doors and ledges clean and dry. Leave the refrigerator open for an hour, and then return the ice and food to it. Plan this work for a day when the iceman is due. The work should be done immediately after breakfast, so that the refrigerator shall be ready when the ice comes.
Should you, after this care, still have trouble, do not use the refrigerator. It will be far better to get along without the comfort it affords than to endanger health and life by using a contaminated article. Food never should be put in a refrigerator while warm, because it absorbs the flavors of other food and also heats the refrigerator.