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I used to keep my teacup collection on top of the kitchen cupboards. I don\u2019t anymore. I used to have to thoroughly wash each teacup before I used it\u2014now I dust them out with a towel.<\/p>\nI used to keep my teacup collection on top of the kitchen cupboards. I don\u2019t anymore. I used to have to thoroughly wash each teacup before I used it\u2014now I dust them out with a towel.<\/p>\n
These statements may sound somewhat disconnected, but they really aren\u2019t. The reason that I don\u2019t keep my teacups on top of the kitchen cupboards is because when I did they all got covered in a layer of sticky dust that was both annoying and unappetizing. So, when we moved a couple of years ago, we made room for the teacup collection inside one of the cupboards instead. And I haven\u2019t had to wash sticky dust off of my teacups since.<\/p>\n
But even though I solved the problem, I never answered the question. Why do things in the kitchen get covered in sticky dust?<\/p>\n
The perplexing side about this whole problem, is that stickiness is not the usual nature of dust\u2014the dust in my bedroom hasn\u2019t the slightest residue of stickiness. On the contrary, it\u2019s very dry. But there are several differences between dust in the kitchen and dust in the rest of the house:<\/p>\n
The dust<\/em> of the kitchen is different from the rest of the house, and so are the functions<\/em> of the kitchen:<\/p>\n So, we have a difference in conditions and a difference in results, which makes sense when we think about it. The question becomes, what is it about these conditions which are producing these results?<\/p>\n The answer to this question comes from Olive Hyde Foster in her book, Housekeeping for Little Girls<\/em><\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cIn the kitchen you will probably notice that a layer of greasy dust collects very quickly on everything. This is because in cooking part of the solid matter is carried off with the steam and settles everywhere, catching and holding the dust.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n So there it is. It is actually a residue of our food during cooking that lands on things in the kitchen and traps the dust in its stickiness! Kind of gross, isn\u2019t it? The sticky dust in our kitchen is the by-product of breakfast, lunch and supper 365 days a year.<\/p>\n But, maybe, on second thought, that statement isn\u2019t true. There\u2019s nothing we can do to prevent sticky dust, I grant you, but there are two things that we can do to remove it after it settles.<\/p>\n 1) Use the Right Tools.<\/strong><\/em> Trying to solve a problem with the wrong solution only creates extra work and unnecessary frustration. Cleaning sticky dust with a duster will only make the duster sticky, without getting the grease off of the article being dusted. Fortunately, Olive Hyde Foster gives instructions for how to treat this kind of dust in a more effective way:<\/p>\n \u201cThis [dust] is hard to get off, and will probably require scrubbing with warm water, good soap, and a little borax or ammonia to cut the grease. Wash only a small surface at a time, so that the alkali in the soap will not injure the paint or varnish, rinse with clear water, and wipe perfectly dry.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n 2) Use the Right Attitude.<\/strong><\/em> A bad attitude isn\u2019t something adults struggle with, right? Well, maybe we all feel a little temptation to grumble when we find out there isn\u2019t an \u201ceasy\u201d solution. But rather than focusing on the disappointing news that sticky dust in the kitchen will pretty much always call for the administration of some elbow-grease, let\u2019s look on this challenge which we all face as an opportunity to tackle an ongoing job in the best way. As the author of Housekeeping for Little Girls<\/em> states:<\/p>\n \u201cEven a child, I believe, feels the pleasure of going into a fresh, clean kitchen, and I want all my . . .\u00a0 housekeepers to learn how to keep things nice.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n After all, the dust in the other rooms of the house doesn\u2019t clean itself either. Nor does the laundry fold itself, or the dishes magically get washed at the wave of a hand. Keeping our homes nice takes work, but it\u2019s a whole lot easier when we know what to do for each problem.<\/p>\n We have the opportunity, the resources, and the privilege of being industrious homemakers.\u00a0 Let\u2019s embrace that calling with joy!<\/p>\n I used to think that the layer of sticky dust coating all my teacups was mostly because I didn\u2019t clean above the cupboards often enough. I blamed myself, looked for no solution (except storing the teacups elsewhere) and had no way of coping with the stickiness I so disliked.<\/p>\n Aren\u2019t we all like that sometimes? Instead of looking for the reason why things happen, we blame ourselves and\u2014do nothing at all about it!<\/p>\n Even if you haven\u2019t been particularly bothered by the question of sticky dust in your kitchen, the principle of noticing and asking questions about the problems we encounter in our daily homemaking can help us to cultivate an interest in our homes. The best homemakers are those who have their head and heart invested in their work, in addition to their hands.<\/p>\n Not every homemaking job will be \u201cfun\u201d to every homemaker, but we owe it to ourselves and our families to make homemaking our interest as well as our duty.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;\u201d \u2013 Colossians 3:23<\/p>\n Are you looking for further encouragement to be a godly keeper at home? Our Timeless Tips from Homemakers of the Past series is a wonderful resource for tips and tricks discovered by previous generations for fulfilling home duties.<\/p>\n You might also enjoy:<\/p>\n Isaac Watts\u2019 four reasons to teach your children hymns challenge you to make use of his powerful tool for training the next generation.<\/p><\/div>\n\n
Why Does the Dust Get Sticky?<\/strong><\/h5>\n
What Can You Do About It?<\/strong><\/h5>\n
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It may be kind of frustrating to realize that there is really nothing we can do to solve this problem. (Even while the homeschooler in some of you may be meditating an impromptu science lesson!) We could stop cooking, of course, or maybe switch to \u201cmicrowave only,\u201d and see if that helps, but the reality of the matter is that we aren\u2019t going to do that. We\u2019re going to keep cooking in our kitchen, and as long as we do that, there\u2019s going to be sticky dust. There really isn\u2019t anything we can do about that.<\/p>\nKeeping Your Eyes Open<\/strong><\/h5>\n
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