If for any reason the dishes must wait for a time before being washed, the best plan is to pack them carefully into large pans, cover with warm water, and let them soak.  When ready to wash them, prepare hot suds and clear water for rinsing in additional pans.  Do not use too hot water, as a high temperature will break glass and “check” the enamel of ordinary ware.  The law of expansion holds good with both china and glassware, and all glass and glazed wares should be dipped into hot water in such a manner that all its surfaces may receive the heat and expand together.

All dishes used for milk should be first thoroughly rinsed in cold water before being washed in hot water or suds.

Be sure that the inside of all cups and pitchers is thoroughly clean.  It is a good plan to have a mop made by fastening finger-lengths of coarse cotton twin to a suitable handle, for washing the inside of pitchers.

In cleaning forks, spoons, or cups, which have been employed in beating or eating eggs, rinse them in cold water before putting them into hot suds, as hot water cooks the egg and causes it to adhere.  Common table salt is said to be excellent for removing the egg tarnish from silver.  Clean Dover egg beaters by beating a dish of cold water, or by holding under a stream of cold water from the faucet, then carefully rinse and wipe perfectly dry.  Do not put the upper part of the beater into hot water, as it will remove the oil from the wheels so that they will not work easily.

Grain-boilers and mush-kettles should be allowed to cool, then filled with cold water and allowed to soak during the meal hour, when they can be easily cleaned.

Tin dishes should be washed with hot suds as soon as possible after using.

[Illustration:  Wire Dishcloth]

For cleaning; iron pots, use soft water and soap or washing-soda with a wire dishcloth or kettle scraper.  If the food adheres to the sides, fill with cold water and soak.  Kettles and all dishes placed over a fire should be cleaned on the outside as well as the inside.  To remove the soot, rub first with pieces of dry paper and afterward with damp paper; then wash with hot suds and a cloth.  Kettles and saucepans burned on the inside may he cleaned by putting a little cold water and ashes in them and allowing them to soak on the range until the water is warm.  Porcelain-lined and granite-ware utensils stained from food burning on, may be cleaned after soaking for a time in a solution of sal-soda, which may be prepared by pouring boiling water over the soda in the proportion of two pints of water to one pound of sal-soda, and stirring until dissolved.  It may be prepared in quantity and stored in a stone jar until needed.

Wash wooden ware and bread boards with cold water and sand soap.  In scraping dough from the bread board, always scrape with the grain of the wood and be careful not to roughen the surface.

Steel knives and forks with ivory or wooden handles should not be put into dishwater.  Hot water will expand the steel and cause the handles to crack.  Wash them thoroughly with the dishcloth, scour with bath brick, and wipe dry.