hened by practical experience, that
it is better to extend the weekly sweeping and cleaning over two days
than to condense it all into one; and so Phyllis takes the bedroom
cleaning as her special Thursday work, and armed with broom, dustpan,
pail, and cleaning cloths, she ascends to the upper regions as soon as
she has reduced the lower to their everyday nicety. The daily brushing
up with broom or carpet sweeper removes the surface dirt, but sweeping
day means a good "digging out." She commences operations by sweeping
out the closet and wiping off the floor with a cloth wrung out of hot
borax water. Then she brushes down, rolls or folds all curtains and
draperies, and fastens them up as near the pole as possible, perhaps
slipping a case over each as a protection from the dust. If the bed is
hung with a valance, that, too, is pinned up. All small toilet
articles and knicknacks are dusted and placed on the bed, and covered
with a dust sheet of coarse unbleached muslin, or calico; bowl,
pitcher, and other crockery are washed and dried, inside and out, and
placed in the closet, with dresser and stand covers, which have been
shaken out of the window. These, if soiled, are relegated to the
clothes hamper, to be replaced by fresh ones. Chairs and easily moved
articles of furniture are dusted and set outside of the room. If there
is a fire the ashes are carefully removed and brushed from the stove;
the windows are opened unless there is a strong wind, when they are
opened a little after the cleaning is done, and the sweeping begins.

The broom should be of about medium weight, held almost perpendicularly
and passed over the carpet with a long, light stroke and steady
pressure which will not scatter the dirt, and turned every few strokes
that both sides may receive equal wear. Steps can be saved by sweeping
to a central point, going with the nap of the carpet, never against it,
taking special care to dislodge the dust which gathers between the
edges of the carpet and the baseboard. Shreds of dampened paper, or
damp bran scattered over the carpet facilitate its cleaning; or in lieu
of these the broom may be wet and shaken as free from water as possible
before using. Any method of keeping down the dust saves much cleaning
of woodwork, walls, and pictures. Rugs are swept in the same way as
carpets. After they are cleaned the edges are turned up and the bare
floor gone over with a long-handled hair brush, or with a broo