In these days when human labor is in great demand and can command high wages, it is more necessary than ever to conserve effort in every possible way. If the home-maker is paying somebody else to do her necessary housework, she should see that the conditions are such that it can be done with no waste of time or energy; while if she is doing her own work, she should plan so that she will still have time to devote to the enjoyment of her children and to share in activities outside her home, of which there are so many nowadays of interest to wideawake women. The time has passed when the mother of the family is the household drudge working hard from six or before in the morning until eight or nine at night, often too tired to take any part in the family recreations, and too absorbed within her own narrow horizon to be interested in what is going on in the world around her.

Many of our business concerns are employing efficiency experts to come into the factory or the store or the office, to study the methods used and to make recommendations for the saving of time here, the simplification of books there, or the use of more modern machinery or equipment in another place. Why should we not do the same in our business of home-making? It is easier to go on day after day doing the same thing over and over in the same way. Yet if we stop to think about it, the saving of one trip across the kitchen here or of two minutes in the washing of the dishes there, each time, would count up to six minutes saved each day, forty-two minutes each week, and in a month to enough time to have amounted to much value if put into good reading.

Skilled labor in the kitchen

The old-fashioned kitchen was an attractive place to look at, large and airy, often opening directly out of doors on two sides, with its spotless pine floor and its numerous pantries and closets especially interesting to curious and ever-hungry youngsters. But what a slave the woman was who ruled in such a place, and how hard her work was made for her! For years and years she had to pump, often at some distance from the house, all the water she used, carry it in by bucket and heat it on the stove. Dishwashing then was indeed an undertaking compared with dishwashing today in our modern apartments where we have only to turn the faucet to have scalding water at all hours of the day and night. Then, too, the distances were so great between closet and stove, and stove and sink, that even if the family ate their meals in the kitchen, the cook must necessarily walk miles in preparing a meal. No wonder she was often too weary to eat any of it herself when she finally had it ready for the family.

In planning a kitchen there are two aims which should be kept in mind. The first is to secure cleanliness as easily as possible; the other, to make sure of the comfort and convenience of the worker. Thus the small kitchen has a great advantage over the large one. Where utensils are near at hand, many steps are saved and hence much energy. In these times of economy it is well not to overlook the fact that in order to have enough energy we must burn up food in the body; hence by avoiding waste of energy, we have an effective method of saving food.

Plan of kitchen

It should be kept in mind that a kitchen is a place for work, with a definite job to be accomplished - those three meals a day. A carpenter does not keep his hammer and his saw in one closet off at one side of his shop, his nails and screws in another, and his lumber in a third. He has everything close at hand, grouped conveniently about his work-bench. He can stand still and yet reach all his tools. A place for everything and everything in its place. So should it be in the kitchen. To be sure, it does not look as attractive between meals, when everything is cleared away, as does the one that has pretty muslin curtains and pots of flowers in the windows, a rocking-chair in the corner, and blue-and-white portieres in all the closet doors, and not a pot or pan, knife, spoon, or brush in sight. But that is a sitting-room, not a workshop.

Everything about the kitchen should if possible be easily washable. Tiled walls are ideal but expensive, and an enamel paint that can be easily wiped off with a damp cloth is very satisfactory. Linoleum on the floor is more easily washed than wood and is softer under foot than tile or concrete. Oilcloth makes a good covering for closet shelves, and so does enamel paint. Tables can now be bought having enamel or a white composition top; they are very easily cleaned and look well also.

If one is fortunate enough to be building a house or can make suggestions at the time of building, it is well to put much thought into the arrangement of the kitchen so as to have it convenient. Plans of model kitchens can be found in books on Household Management ; but there are a few points to be especially noted. The sink should be well lighted both by day and night, so it should be just under or beside a window. Steps are saved by having the stove within easy reach of the sink, for much of the food to be cooked is prepared at the sink and kettles must be filled with water there. A kitchen-cabinet on the wall opposite the sink is far more convenient than pantries. Here the housekeeper can keep all the utensils as well as the materials needed in making breadstuff's, cake, pastry, etc., and has at hand the pastry-board and space for mixing. With an easily moved table on which hot pots can be placed, and the dishes after washing, and with shelves for china, the equipment is complete.

There should be a shelf over or near the stove for salt, pepper, sauces, and flavors used at the stove. There should also be plenty of hooks over or beside the sink for utensils used at the sink, such as soap-shaker, sink-brush and shovel, egg-beater, meat-forks and skewers, vegetable-brush, potato-masher, whisks, etc. Each should have its own hook and should always be returned to that hook. No article should be there that is not in constant use. Also they should hang sufficiently high so as not to interfere with the cleaning of the sink. Articles to be used together should be kept together, such as teapot and tea canister, coffee, coffee-pot and coffee-grinder.

It is best, if possible, not to have the refrigerator in the kitchen itself because of the heat; but it should be easily accessible both for the iceman and the cook. If it can stand in an entry, the iceman does not tramp through the kitchen bringing in dirt from the street.