Chapter 12. WE'RE IN THE KITCHEN

This is where we spent so much time, bouncing back and forth between refrigerator, range, and sink-juggling pots and pans of various sizes, contours, and materials.

The major items of equipment that involve us here are the refrigerator and range and, of the two, the range perhaps poses the most exacting cleaning problem. It calls for rubber gloves, if you are fastidious, and know-how. The cleaning method is essentially the same whether power is supplied by electricity, oil, or gas.

MODERN KITCHEN RANGES have a fine porcelain enamel finish. It is durable and tough, and resistant to heat, stains, acids, and alkalies. A wipe with a damp cloth usually leaves the outside clean and shining if you attend to spilled foods promptly. If the surface is very hot when something spills, use a dry cloth rather than a wet one; you will be less likely to burn yourself or to crack the finish. For a thorough cleanup of the exterior use a cloth or sponge wrung out of detergent suds; rinse, and wipe dry. You should never need an abrasive on a fine enameled finish but, if you do, use whiting or the finest you can find. Try to avoid sharp blows and overheating. Keep strong acids and alkalies away from it. Remember that you are dealing with glass-glass fused on steel.

WHEN YOU USE THE BROILER, remove the pan and the rack with your steak so that the grease will not be cooked on harder by the remaining heat. Wash them thoroughly later and, before putting them back, wipe grease-spatters off the walls and the inside of the door of the broiler compartment which has now probably cooled sufficiently. Use hot water and a detergent or soapsuds containing ammonia. For stubborn spots use steel wool with ammonia or a mild scouring powder.

OVENS SHOULD BE CLEANED REGULARLY. If long neglected they become coated with burned-on grease and food and are very difficult to clean. For routine cleaning use the same materials and methods described for the broiler compartment. When it has cooled, after use, always wipe up any spatters of grease or food from the oven so that they will not have a chance to burn on hard the next time the oven is heated.

AMMONIA IS A GREAT AID in cleaning a grease-spattered oven. The General Electric Company suggests that on the night before you plan a thorough cleaning, you place a small bowl containing about half a cup of ammonia in the oven, and close the door tight. The fumes loosen grease and burned-on food so that it will wash off quite easily in the morning.

FOR SPECIAL CLEANING take the racks out and then clean the bottom, sides, and the inside of the door with hot water and a detergent or soapsuds and ammonia. Use steel wool, with a mild scouring powder if needed. Stubborn stains on the bottom of the oven can be rubbed with a cloth dipped in ammonia. If necessary, leave the ammonia-saturated cloth on the stain for several hours to loosen it.

COMMERCIAL CLEANERS such as Easy-Off and Oven-Aid are available for cleaning neglected ovens. If you select such a cleaner be sure to read the directions carefully and to follow them exactly.

OVEN RACKS. If the racks from the oven do not come clean with a thorough washing in the sink with hot suds, put them on a thick layer of newspaper and scrub them with steel wool. Use scouring powder with the steel wool, or ammonia, or both.

THE GLASS WINDOW OF THE OVEN should be kept clean by rubbing it frequently with a damp cloth that has been dipped in baking soda. If the glass gums up badly it is very difficult to clean.

A REMOVABLE OVEN VENT, that can be taken out and washed in the dishpan is found on some electric ranges. Vents which are not removable should be washed now and then with a cloth wrung out of hot suds.

BEFORE CLEANING AN ELECTRIC STOVE check to make sure that all switches are in the OFF position. The rims of the heating units should be wiped clean with a damp cloth when you have finished cooking and the stove has cooled. Food that has spilled on open units can be burned off. Put a saucepan of water on the burner and heat it until the food has been completely charred, then when the unit has been switched off and has cooled, lift the unit out and brush off the charred material. A mild scouring powder or steel wool can be used to clean the rim on which the unit rests. Wash it, after scouring, with a cloth wrung out of hot suds, rinse it, and wipe dry. Enclosed units are washed with a cloth wrung out of soapsuds. Particles that have burned on can be removed with steel wool or a mild scouring powder. It is important to keep the reflector pans under the electrical units clean and bright because they are designed to increase the heat output of the unit.

REMOVABLE DRIP PANS under the burners of kitchen ranges should be taken out and washed regularly along with other stove parts. Lining them with aluminum foil saves work here. And if you have a range without a drip pan do use aluminum foil because the area under the heating units is often very difficult to reach for cleaning.

TO CLEAN A GAS RANGE thoroughly the burners must be taken out and scrubbed with a stiff brush in hot suds made with an all-purpose detergent or soap and ammonia. If the burners are made of cast iron you can clean them easily by boiling them for several minutes with water containing a few tablespoonfuls of washing soda. (Don't use an aluminum pan for this.) In scrubbing the burners be particularly attentive to the little openings in the turn-on end through which the gas flows to the burners. If any of the little holes (called ports) in the burners are clogged, push out the soot accumulation with a wire or hairpin. Rinse the burners thoroughly, shake out the water, and wipe the outside dry. Then replace them, making sure that they are in the right position. Light each burner to complete the drying and to make sure it is functioning correctly.

GAS BURNERS are functioning correctly and with maximum efficiency when the flame is blue and even. A ragged yellow flame indicates that the burner is not getting enough air along with the gas. Such a flame blackens the bottoms of pans and gives poor heat. Sometimes this flame is due to clogged ports; if any are not burning properly, clean them with a wire. If cleaning the ports fails to correct the trouble and to produce an all-blue flame, see if the little air shutter at the turn-on end is open far enough to admit the proper amount of air.

PILOT LIGHT. Sometimes the pilot light on an automatic gas range goes out due to its tiny ports being clogged.

Checkups / Gas Refrigerators

Clean them out with a fine wire and relight the pilot with a match. Sometimes a puff of air can blow out a pilot light. Make the flame a little stronger by turning the screw at the end of the tube connecting it-to the left for a stronger flame.

PERIODIC CHECKUPS. It is a good idea to have both gas and electric ranges checked periodically by a competent service man to make sure that they set level and operate properly and safely. Ask your gas or electric company if this service can be arranged.

DEFROST AUTOMATIC REFRIGERATORS. Whether operated by electricity, gas, or kerosene, they should be defrosted and cleaned before the frost on the evaporator is a quarter of an inch thick, if they are to function at peak efficiency. Some models defrost automatically, others need defrosting every week or ten days-oftener if fluids are left uncovered in the food compartment. A thick accumulation of frost retards the cooling of foods and at the same time may increase the temperature of the food storage compartment even though the refrigerating system is working overtime.

REMOVE ICE TRAYS BEFORE DEFROSTING; this speeds the operation. Then make sure that the drip tray is empty and in place. Turn the control to "off" or "defrost" Never try to chip ice from the coils with a sharp instrument that might damage them, or pry ice trays loose with a knife. If the manufacturer recommends it, you can speed defrosting by keeping the ice trays filled with hot water. When all the frost has melted, empty the drip tray and remove the food, shelves, and glass or plastic accessories. Wrap frozen foods thickly with newspapers.

WASH THE COOLING UNIT inside and out, making sure that all the frost is gone. For this use a sponge squeezed out of warm water containing one tablespoon of baking soda for each quart of water. Using the same solution, wash all surfaces of the interior, including the inside of the door. If stains do not yield to the baking soda solution, squeeze out your sponge, dip it into dry baking soda, and rub the stain off. Wash the gasket (rubber or plastic seal) around the door with soap and water. Rubber gaskets especially must be kept clean and free of grease, which damages them. Rinse the cooling unit and all surfaces with clear warm water and wipe them dry.

WASH THE SHELVES, ice trays, and fruit and vegetable containers in hot suds in your sink; rinse, dry, and replace them. Ice trays of some models are coated at the factory with a special wax to facilitate the removal of ice cubes. Such trays should be washed with warm water so that the wax will remain. Never fill ice cube trays completely full; allow about a quarter of an inch for expansion.

THE OUTSIDE OF THE REFRIGERATOR should be kept clean at all times with suds made with a mild detergent or soap, or with one of the special cleaning waxes made for enameled surfaces. (See "Wax.") No harsh cleaning or scouring powders should be used on the outside-or any part- of a refrigerator.

CONDENSERS. About once every six months, sometimes oftener, depending upon the model, the condenser of an automatic refrigerator needs a little special attention. Disconnect the refrigerator before you attend to this. The condenser is located either in the motor compartment or at the back of the refrigerator, in which case you may need help. Its job is to release into the outside air heat taken from the food compartment, and it should be kept free of dust and lint to operate efficiently. Clean the fins with the dusting brush of your vacuum cleaner or with a stiff brush.

REFRIGERATORS WITH SEALED UNITS never need oiling; others do. If you do not have your manufacturer's instructions for such details you should write for them, giving the model number; or ask your dealer for advice.

GAS REFRIGERATORS. The burner compartment of a gas refrigerator, located at the base of the cabinet, should be dusted out occasionally too. Open the door of the refrigerator, then lift off the panel. Remove the dust and fuzz with a vacuum cleaner dusting brush or a stiff hand brush. On the top of gas refrigerators, toward the back, there is a louver assembly that should be cleaned at least twice a year, because dust accumulates rather heavily there and cuts down the circulation of air. You can clean the louver with your vacuum cleaner dust brush or with a damp cloth, but it is best to unscrew it and lift it out for a thorough cleaning. You are likely to find more gummy dust underneath.

While you have the louver out, take a peek at the compartment it covers. You will find a finned section that may be dusty too and you might as well clean it with your vacuum brush as long as you are already up there on your stepladder. The top louver assembly of gas refrigerators should always be unobstructed. The direction of air flow is from underneath the refrigerator, through the burner section, up the back, and out at the top where the louver, or grating, is located.

Gaskets/Heat Marks

GASKETS. If the motor of your automatic refrigerator seems to be running too constantly (about one third of the time is normal for electric models), test the gasket around the door to see if it is tight enough. To do this shut the door on a piece of wrapping paper about the size of a dollar bill. If the paper pulls out easily the door needs tightening. Adjust the screws that hold the hinges and latch, if you can, then repeat the test. If it is still easy to pull out, ask your service man for help. A new gasket may be needed.

FREEZERS. The deep-freeze compartments of refrigerators and home freezers require the same basic care. Follow the instructions for your make and model in operating them.

FREEZERS SHOULD BE DEFROSTED before there is more than half an inch of frost over a large area of the refrigerated surface. Usually this will be once or twice a year, but if the weather is extremely humid or if the freezer is frequently opened, one or two additional defrostings may be necessary. If possible, plan to defrost when the contents are low.

About twelve hours before you plan to defrost, turn the temperature control of your freezer to its coldest position. The foods will then be less likely to thaw while you are working. If frost is all you have to cope with and the food compartments are not too full, the freezer can remain in operation. Using a special tool made for this job-or a broad spatula, putty knife, or sharpened wooden paddle-scrape down the frost from the walls onto a cloth or newspaper arranged to catch it Scrape the partitions and shelves too.

IF ICE HAS FORMED, or if a thorough cleaning is desired, the freezer must be disconnected and the food packages removed. Chill trays or baskets in the freezer and stack the packages in these so that the least possible surface is exposed. Now wrap the containers of food with chilled blankets or newspapers to insulate them.

WORKING AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE, first scrape out as much frost as possible. Cold water can then be ran over the refrigerated surfaces to speed melting, but hot water should never be used because refrigerant pressure would be built up in the evaporator and cause difficulty in starting the compressor. Remove ice from the freezer surfaces as it is loosened, but do not try to chip it off with any sharp tool that might cause damage. An electric fan, so placed as to blow warm room air into the freezer or cold air out of it, helps defrosting.

When ice and frost have been removed and water sponged out, clean the freezer inside and out, following the instructions that have been given for refrigerators. Reconnect the freezer and let it run for about half an hour to lower the temperature, then put the frozen foods back. This entire operation usually takes about an hour.

COOKING UTENSILS of various materials differ in the care they require but have a few traits in common. Here are some suggestions applicable to all. If food is badly stuck on a pot or pan, or has been scorched or burned in the bottom, put hot water in the pan and boil it for a few minutes. The food will be softened and can then be removed easily. Wooden spoons are good for stirring foods while they are cooking because they minimize the chance of scratches and dents. And never dunk very hot pans in cold water; such treatment is disastrous to some kinds and scarcely helpful to any. Plastic sponges are good "scrapers" and harmless to all cooking utensils. In washing pots and pans mild detergents are effective. They deal more competently with kitchen grease than soap and are kinder to your hands than heavy duty detergents. Now for specific materials.

NEW ALUMINUM WARE remains bright and shining for a long time with ordinary washing and rinsing. If the finish becomes dark or dull, rub it up with a soaped steel wool pad. For best results rub in one direction, using straight even strokes rather than a circular motion. After this treatment aluminum emerges from a hot rinse bright and clean.

Spinach, potatoes, and other alkaline foods tend to darken aluminum and so do strong soaps and detergents. Acid foods like apples and tomatoes brighten it. Neither reaction affects the food in any way. However, food should not be stored in an aluminum pan because chemicals in the foods sometimes cause pit marks. There is no danger of food poisoning involved, but the marks make the utensil unattractive in appearance and difficult to clean. Never use metal sponges or scouring powders on aluminum; they are too harsh for it.

STAINLESS STEEL needs only hot suds; it never rusts and is damaged only by long contact with foods containing salts and acids. Pit marks, when they occur, are practically impossible to scour off, but you can try steel wool and a scouring powder.

BLUISH GRAY HEAT MARKS sometimes appear on the sides of stainless steel vessels. If they are light they can be removed with copper polish or scouring powder on a cloth.

Glass, Enamelware / Copper (Keep the flame low, if you use a gas range, to avoid heat marks on stainless steel.) Samae, made by the Revere Company, cleans effectively both steel and copper and is made especially for their copperclad stainless steel vessels. Other copper polishes (Twinkle, Copper-Brite) perform a similar job. Follow the directions on the containers of these products.

GLASS AND ENAMELWARE cooking utensils share a number of traits, since enamelware consists of glass over steel. You can avoid scorching food in them by applying heat cautiously at the outset. Glass heats quickly but the heat is spread unevenly. Since glass is sensitive to sudden temperature changes be careful not to put hot glass or enamelware into cool water or to place it on a cold surface.

GLASS COOKING VESSELS CAN BE CLEANED with any material you select and no chemical found in food damages them. For burned-on food and hard-to-clean spatters use a plastic sponge or steel wooL Steel wool cuts more sharply. You can also use scouring powder, or if food has burned on, let them soak in water and baking soda.

THE CLEANING OF ENAMELWARE is usually accomplished easily with detergent suds. Use a plastic sponge for stuck-on foods, or put water into the pan and let it soak until the food is soft. Then scrape out the stuck food with a wooden spoon or plastic pot scraper. Metal sponges and steel wool leave dark lines which have to be scoured away afterwards with a mild abrasive powder. To remove burned food from enamelware put water into the pan when it has cooled, add a few teaspoons of baking soda, and bring the solution to a boil. Stains on enamelware usually can be removed by rubbing them with a damp cloth dipped in baking soda. Ordinary household bleach on a cloth is effective too. For a very stubborn stain put more bleach on your cloth, cover the stain with it, and let it stand.

The newest enamelware is a staunch product, resistant to acids and chemicals. But as a precaution, never let acids remain on its surface and do not store acid foods in it Some enamels contain a chemical called antimony which acids could break down to form poisonous compounds. Strong acids, such as lemon juice, can damage the finish of most enamelware if they remain on its surface too long; they leave a rough etched spot.

GLAZED EARTHENWARE, so prized by fastidious cooks for recipes that call for long slow heating, must be handled gently to avoid chipping. Earthenware that is designed for use on the top of a stove should never be placed on a burner empty. Put the contents in first, apply the heat very slowly and then, when food and pan have been well warmed, use full heat if you like. For frying foods in earthenware, put the butter or oil into the cold pan and heat it very slowly to the proper temperature. Earthenware cracks and chips more easily than either glass or enamelware. It washes like a dish.

CLEANING CAST IRON. There is no trick to washing and scouring cast iron frying pans, Dutch ovens, etc., and you can use steel wool and scouring powders on them with abandon. Soaking them too long in detergent suds, however, tends to remove the penetrating pretreatment they are given which makes them cook well and minimizes the chance of rust. Wash iron pots and pans with detergent and hot water, rinse, and wipe them carefully and thoroughly dry. Do not store covered pans with their lids on or they may accumulate moisture and odors.

IRONWARE FOR COOKING provides a very even heat and is cherished for this characteristic in spite of its weight If it is not pretreated at the factory it is likely to be coated with lacquer to prevent rust. If you buy an iron pot or pan that is not labeled "pretreated" you will have to scour off the lacquer with steel wool or an abrasive powder, wash it in hot suds, dry it, and season it yourself.

TO SEASON AN IRON PAN coat it inside and out, including the lid, with an unsalted shortening or cooking oil, and heat it for several hours in a slow oven, or on a top burner turned as low as possible. It is a good idea to wipe on a little more oil from time to time during the heating period. Use a wadded paper towel for this. Last of all, when the pan has cooled, wipe off any excess oil. You should never have to repeat this operation, but for the first few weeks rub a little more oil on before and after use. Should spots of rust appear, scour them off promptly.

COPPER USED FOR COOKING must be kept very clean. It is a super conductor of heat, but the green rust that sometimes results from neglect is poisonous, like all copper compounds, so use your polish regularly if you cook in copper. Green rust, should it form, can be rubbed off with a mild abrasive powder or with copper polish. Sometimes soapsuds with ammonia will remove it. Wash copper utensils thoroughly in hot suds after polishing. Good polishes may be found in your grocery or hardware store. To avoid the hazards of green rust, copper cooking vessels are sometimes lined with tin or chromium.

Copper Pans / Garbage Grinders

LACQUERED COPPER PANS. New copper pans are often coated with lacquer which must be removed before they are used. Unless they have handles that would be damaged you can do this by covering the pots with boiling water and letting them remain in it until the water has cooled. The lacquer will then peel off.

GRIDDLES MADE OF MAGNESIUM, a metal lighter than aluminum, are a bright silver color when they are new. Remove the protective coating of wax, usually given them at the factory, with medium hot water and a mild scouring powder. After they have been rinsed and dried, condition them by rubbing the entire cooking area with a vegetable fat or oil before you use them for cooking. A slow heat is best for these utensils; properly used they are ideal for pancakes and toasted sandwiches. Magnesium darkens to a gunmetal color with use and when it has attained this finish it does its best work, so don't try to scour it bright again. Just wash it and give it a light brush with steel wool or a mild cleansing powder.

TINWARE used in the kitchen is actually tin plate. There is only a very thin coating of tin over a base of steel. Tin pans are favored for breads, pies, muffins and tarts. They are a bright silver color when they are new but darken gradually to black with use. When they are really black they are not at their baking best. Ordinary washing will usually clean tinware, but always dry it carefully or it will rust. Remove burned food from a tin vessel by boiling it briefly, no longer than five minutes, in water containing a little baking soda. To remove rust, use a cut piece of raw potato that has been dipped into a mild scouring powder. Hard scrubbing with steel wool and strong powders will remove the tin plating. Accumulations of grease that do not yield to ordinary detergents, can usually be removed by washing it in a solution made by adding a quarter cup of washing soda to a quart of hot water.

WOODENWARE - pastry boards, rolling pins, cutting boards and salad bowls-should be washed, rinsed, dried, and aired promptly after being used. They should not be put into an automatic dishwasher or soaked in water. For garlic or onion odors on cutting boards use water and baking soda.

Wooden salad bowls and plates should be stored flat, not on edge, to avoid warping and should be kept away from any source of heat. If your salad bowl has lost its finish, smooth it with very fine sandpaper when it is thoroughly dry, then rub it with a little Unseed oil. Wipe off any surplus and let it air until the odor has disappeared. Do not use wax or shellac.

PLASTIC UTENSILS. A safe rule for all plastics is to wash them with warm suds made of soap or detergent. Bread and spice boxes may need only to be wiped with a soapy sponge and rinsed with a sponge wrung out of clear warm water. Plastic utensils made for storing or serving food are made of rigid plastics that will not be damaged by washing in suds as hot as the hands can stand. Do not soak them, however, and do not use steel wool or any other abrasive on any kind of plastic. If you have plastic dinnerware check the manufacturer's instructions before washing it in an automatic dishwasher.

CLEANING YOUR SINK. Synthetic detergents used for dishwashing leave the sinks clean and free of incrustations of grease, so that they rarely need scouring. If you do need an abrasive, select the finest. Coarse scouring powders scratch the finish, making it harder and harder to keep clean. Always rinse away carefully any powders you use. Stains can be removed easily from a kitchen sink with household bleach. Just fill the sink with warm water, add a quarter of a cup of bleach, more or less, and let it remain until the stains are gone and the sink is uniformly white. Sponges and dish mops can be bleached at the same time. The removal of iron and copper rust stains from porcelain enamel are discussed in relation to bathrooms.

FLUSH THE DRAIN of you kitchen sink with plenty of hot water after using it. This cleans the drain and leaves the trap filled with fresh water. To keep the drain from becoming sluggish put a little washing soda down it about once a month and follow it with hot water. The soda will cut out light accumulations of grease and sweeten the drain.

GARBAGE GRINDERS. If you sink is equipped with an electric garbage grinder, operate it according to the directions given by the firm that made it It will dispose of vegetables and fruit refuse, including pits and rinds, and shells of crabs and lobsters. It cannot manage bits of metal, including tin foil, splinters of glass or china, string, rubber, clam shells, or paper.

Garbage grinders have sealed motors and do not need to be oiled; the inside is scoured clean by their own action. Usually recommended, however, is a special flushing about once a week. To do this, close the drain opening and run two or three inches of cold water into the sink. Then, with cold water still running, turn the top of the unit to the "on" position and let the grinder run until the sink is empty. Do not use chemical drain openers if you have a garbage grinder. They are not needed and might be harmful.

If a bottle cap or other forbidden item accidentally gets into a garbage grinder, the gadget will protest by emitting strange noises. Turn the motor to "off," remove the top, and take out the obstruction. The motor cannot operate when the top is off.

IF YOU DEPEND UPON A GARBAGE PAIL, use one with a pedal-lifter for the lid, and try to select a model that is rustproof-the inside of the lid as well as the container. Use leakproof garbage bags, or wrap refuse in newspapers, and keep the pail clean and odor-free by washing it frequently, inside and out, with hot water and soap or detergent.

ELECTRIC DISHWASHERS should be operated and cared for according to the manufacturer's instructions for different models. The following directions are general, applicable to most. After finishing the dishes, these aids rinse themselves thoroughly and require special cleaning only occasionally.

Use the proper amount of detergent of the special type made for dishwashers. If too much is used, heavy suds will be produced which interfere with proper cleaning action. Directions are usually given about the placing of various articles and utensils to be washed. Aluminum ware usually is placed toward the outer rim of the basket so that it will not be spattered with undiluted detergent. After it has dissolved the detergent will not spot aluminum. Dishes and pans should be completely free of food particles before being placed in the dishwasher. Do not wash woodenware, including knives with wooden handles, in an automatic dishwasher. Follow the directions given by the manufacturer of the plastic dishes and utensils you may have.

For a special cleaning of the tub take out the removable parts-trays, valve, impeller-and wipe the inside and the cover with a damp cloth. If necessary a little mild cleansing powder can be used.

WORK SURFACES in today's kitchens usually are made of materials than can be cleaned with the wipe of a damp cloth or sponge. If they need more, use a cloth or sponge wrung out of suds made with your favorite detergent. Mild scouring powders can be used on porcelain, stainless steel and monel metal, but always rinse them off well after cleaning.

LINOLEUM SURFACES should be protected as carefully as possible from standing water and seepage around the edges. Water damages linoleum if it is in contact long, unless it is kept well waxed.

Garbage Pails / Insecticides

COMPOSITION SURFACES of various types are often waxed too, although they are not especially sensitive to damp* ness. Plastic surfaces need only to be wiped with a damp cloth or a cloth wrung out of suds made with soap or detergent They can be waxed if desired.

WOOD MAKES A DURABLE WORK SURFACE attractive and easily wiped clean if it is treated with boiled linseed oil. To give this finish to old wood, scrape and sand it down to clean wood then apply the linseed oil hot. The oil is highly flammable so heat a small amount in a double boiler, or in a small pan or cup set in a larger pan of hot water. Rub the oil into the wood with fine steel wool (not a soaped pad) and repeat the application on the following two days.

WALLS, WOODWORK AND FLOORS have been discussed in chapters two and three, and there is no need to repeat the instructions here. However, we have not quite finished in the kitchen; we have the pantry or the food shelves, and cabinets and drawers to consider. They require a special cleaning now and then.

SHELVES. Clean and put in order the shelves holding dishes and equipment, a few at a time if you prefer a piecemeal approach; but it probably will be simpler to attend to all the food shelves and cabinets on the same day. When cleaning these, sort your supplies over carefully, making note to use first the canned and packaged foods that have been there for a while and discarding those that are suspiciously old. Packages of dried peas, beans, and cereals that have stood around open invite insects. When cornmeal, cornstarch, and flour develop little lumps and cobwebby threads, the flour moths have been busy. You may have seen them flying around. Little holes in dried peas and lima beans show that the package has been invaded by weevils. Burn these infested cartons or throw them out and clean the shelf extra carefully. Dust up all crumbs and dried bits of food and scrub the shelves well, not neglecting the little supports that hold the shelves.

INSECTICIDE SPRAYS AND POWDERS - safely applied at points of invasion-usually enable a housekeeper to control infiltrating insects. Use them on window and door sills and around the water pipes under the sink, always, of course, following the directions on the container. If insects have become a serious problem, a full scale attack should be launched with the best weapons available.

"KNOW YOUR ENEMY" is a good motto for the war on pests. Insects are clever when it comes to a strategic retreat, hiding in crack and crevice to reappear when all is safe. They like certain foods and are fussy about living quarters. You may not believe it, but they can detect the odor of their favorite foods miles away and fly to it. They even have their favorite colors and wave lengths of light. So try to suit your lethal weapons to the type of invader.

"KNOW YOUR WEAPON." Insect sprays and powders, available under many trade names, contain such chemicals as DDT, chlordane, pyrethrum, lindane, and dieldrin, alone or in combination. The carrying agent of the killer may be oil or water. If it is oil, you must be careful not to use the spray near any open flame and this includes the pilot lights of gas stoves and refrigerators. Some sprays are available in pressurized cans, making a hand sprayer unnecessary.

Sprays using pyrethrum (from chrysanthemum petals) kill insects quickly, says the Department of Agriculture, but must be applied repeatedly because they do not leave long lasting traces that continue to kill pests. Those containing DDT, lindane, chlordane or dieldrin, applied to small areas where insects have been seen, give slower but longer lasting riddance. DDT sprays, to be effective, should contain at least 5 per cent DDT, and those containing chlordane 2 per cent of the killing agent. DDT, dieldrin, chlordane, diazinon, and malathion are good weapons against cockroaches. Chlordane leads the list for ants.

READ THE LABEL CAREFULLY before selecting an insecticide so that you will know just what it contains. Then follow exactly the directions for its use, given on the label. Most insecticides are toxic to people and animals if they are not applied correctly. Store them safely on a high shelf, out of reach of children and pets.

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