104 HOUSEHOLD BACTERIOLOGY 



should elapse after bed-making before the dusting is 

 done. 



Removing To have a clean house, great attention must be paid 

 to the removal of dust, or dusting. In houses where this 

 is done with a feather duster, bed-making gives up 

 its second place to this dust-spreading, never a com- 

 plete dust-removing process. Dusting should always 

 be done by wiping up the dust into a cloth. When- 

 ever possible to do so without harm, the cloth should 

 be slightly dampened or oiled. Dust-plants are held by 

 damp or oiled surfaces. 



If, then, the bacteria do settle from the air on floor 

 and furniture, and in still places about two hours is 

 necessary to effect this comparative clearing of the 

 air, these facts are surely indicated : 



FIRST. Sweeping should be done in such a way as 

 to raise as little dust as possible into the air. 



SECOND. Dusting should never follow immediately 

 after sweeping. 



THIRD. Dusting should be a process whereby dust 

 is taken out of the room, not stirred up and thrown 

 again into the air. . Cleanness does not result unless 

 the dust is removed from the house. 



Bum All collections of dirt from sweeping should be 



8we wlsh 8 burned, and all dusters should be washed. "Burn the 



Dusters swe epings" and "wash the dusters" are two orders 



which the intelligent housewife will obey, 

 cover Dust in the air settles on food and thus produces 

 decomposition. Food then should be kept covered as 



