[Illustration: The laundry.]



LAUNDRY REQUISITES

The home laundry must be well ventilated and lighted, and in the
basement if possible, for obvious reasons, the chief being the relief
thus afforded to the otherwise congested kitchen and overburdened
kitchen stove, while at the same time one other menace to health--the
steam generated by the washing and drying--is removed from the main
part of the house. It is highly essential that the laundry be properly
and completely equipped for the work of washing, boiling, drying, and
ironing. Stationary tubs are much to be desired, those porcelain-lined
being more sanitary than either soapstone, which has a tendency to
absorb grease, or wood, which absorbs the uncleanness from the soiled
linen. It is especially necessary that the tubs be as impervious as
possible when the linen is soaked overnight. If tubs are to be bought,
the paper ones have a decided advantage over the more well-known cedar
ones in being much lighter and consequently more easily handled, with
only a slight difference in price. It seems so well worth while to
minimize the strain of heavy lifting when and wherever one can, since
washing at best involves much hard work and fatigue.



THE STOVE AND FURNISHINGS

The stove for laundry use may be either gas, oil, or coal, the latter
being considered the most economical of fuel, while it often comes in