Applying Practical Wisdom Around the Home

WISE King Solomon wrote: “When the axe is blunt . . . one must use more force; the wise man has a better chance of success.” No question about it, this is practical wisdom. Applying such wisdom around the home will mean saving time, effort and expense and will assure better results.​—Eccl. 10:10, The New English Bible.

To save time and effort, give thought to saving steps and movement in whatever you happen to be doing. If you make beds thoroughly one day, tucking the sheets firmly under the mattress, you may have less to do the next day. Try it.

Doing your daily chores in a practical order also saves time. First, make beds and clean the blinds (when needed), and then do your dusting. If you dust first, you may have to do it over again.

If there are children, particularly boys, in the family, you may find it wise to use the principle of “preventive maintenance” by training them in housework.

Do you have a schedule for certain tasks, and do you stick to it? It is practical to make a chart listing housekeeping chores and how frequently they should be done. Then mark the date each time you do them. Included in such a schedule might be vacuuming your furniture and your rugs; dusting thoroughly; cleaning venetian blinds; scrubbing and polishing floors; cleaning windows, sink drains, drawers and closets, also cleaning the refrigerator; washing blankets and having drapes cleaned. Doing all such chores systematically instead of haphazardly will save you both time and energy and keep your home always looking presentable.

Cleaning Hints

The accumulated experience of millions of housewives has resulted in much practical wisdom. You can benefit from it. Here are a few ideas that others have shared.

● Use a damp (not wet) cloth when dusting and so catch all the dust specks more easily.

● Do you have trouble with lint when washing windows? Wipe them dry with newspaper.

● Has someone’s carelessness caused white spots or rings on wood furniture? Get rid of them by rubbing oily nutmeats on them, or Vaseline or even toothpaste.

● Has a liquid been spilled on the rug, staining it? Immediately absorb all the moisture with a cloth or a blotter. If the stain is water soluble, clean with suds from a detergent; if it has an oil base, use some solvent, such as naphtha.

● Do you have spots on the walls? Sometimes just a soft art-gum or pencil eraser will do the job. If not, use hand soap and sponge; with one side of the sponge apply the soap; with the other side, rinse it off.

● After washing window frames and ledges, use a hard wax for a shiny finish. They will look nicer and stay clean longer.

● Use a vacuum-cleaner brush to clean venetian blinds and the inside of window screens. Afterward wash the brush with soap and water and let it dry before using it on drapes.

● Wash vinyl, formica and suchlike surfaces with hand soap and warm water, not very sudsy, and dry with a soft towel or cloth.

● Use a vacuum cleaner rather than a carpet sweeper on your rug; go over each portion of the rug again and again and again. Only in this way can you get up the sharp sand particles that rest at the bottom of the rug and that cut the pile when walked on.

● To keep any room smelling fresh, pour oil of peppermint on cotton and place it in a small jar or covered dish. Uncover it when needed.

Some Thrift Hints

You can double the life of your bed sheets by washing them only every other week; have a clean sheet on top for one week; the next week put the top sheet on the bottom, with a fresh sheet on top. When they begin to show signs of wear, cut them down the middle and sew the outside edges together.

If you are able to do so, turn your rugs around yearly so that the wear is distributed.

In all such ways and many others, you can show practical wisdom and be the kind of housewife who is a source of pride and joy both to her husband and to her children.