It is a mistake to suppose that
any room, however small and unpleasantly situated, is "good enough"
for a kitchen. This is the room where housekeepers pass a great portion of
their time, and it should be one of the brightest and most convenient rooms in
the house; for upon the results of no other department depend so greatly the
health and comfort of the family as upon those involved in this 'household
workshop'.
A Nigerian proverb says, “The way
to the heart of a man, is through his belly.” The kitchen equation is therefore
very important to every wife.
Every kitchen should have windows
on two sides of the room, and the sun should have free entrance through them;
the windows should open from the top to allow a complete change of air, for
light and fresh air are among the chief essentials to success in all
departments of the household.
Good drainage should also be
provided, and the ventilation of the kitchen ought to be even more carefully
attended to than that of a sleeping room. The ventilation of the kitchen should
be so ample as to thoroughly remove all gases and odors, which, together with
steam from boiling and other cooking processes, generally invade and render to
some degree unhealthful every other portion of the house.
There should be ample space for
tables, chairs, range, sink, and cupboards, yet the room should not be so large
as to necessitate too many steps. Undoubtedly much of the distaste for, and
neglect of, "housework," so often deplored, arises from unpleasant
surroundings.
If the kitchen be light, airy,
and tidy, and the utensils bright and clean, the work of compounding those
articles of food which grace the table and satisfy the appetite will be a
pleasant task.
It is desirable, from a sanitary
standpoint, that the kitchen floor be made impervious to moisture; hence,
concrete or tile floors are better than wooden floors. Cleanliness is of great
essence, and this can be best attained by having all woodwork in and about the
kitchen coated with polish. Note that substances which cause stain and grease
spots, do not penetrate the wood when polished, and can be easily removed with
a damp cloth.
The elements of beauty should not
be lacking in the kitchen. Pictures and fancy articles are inappropriate; but a
few pots of easily cultivated flowers on the window ledge or arranged upon
brackets about the window in winter, and a window box arranged as a jardinière,
with vines and blooming plants in summer, will greatly brighten the room, and
thus serve to lighten the task of those whose daily labour confines them to the
precincts of the kitchen.
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