Home comforts : the art and science of keeping house / Cheryl Mendelson ; illustrations by Harry Bates.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [847]-855) and index.

My Secret Life -- Easing into a Routine -- Neatening -- The Whys and Wherefores of Home Cooking -- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner -- Serving Meals -- Stimulating Beverages -- The Center of a Dwelling -- Kitchen Culture -- To Market, to Market -- Cold Comfort -- Bread and Honey -- Safe Food -- The Fabric of Your Home -- Transformations -- The Natural Fibers -- The Man-Made Fibers and Blends -- Fabrics That Work -- Carefully Disregarding Care Labels -- Gathering, Storing, and Sorting Laundry -- Laundering -- Drying the Laundry -- Ironing -- Folding Clothes and Linens -- How to Launder -- Tricky Items -- Common Laundry Mishaps and Problems -- Sanitizing the Laundry -- Removing Stains from Fabrics -- The Air in Your Castle -- Peaceful Coexistence with Microbes -- The Chemistry of Household Cleaning -- Aprons, Rags, and Mops -- Dust and Dust Mites -- Vacuuming, Sweeping, and Dusting -- Textile Furnishings -- Floors and Furniture of Wood and Woodlike Materials -- Resilient Floors -- Ceramic Tile Stone -- Man-Made Solid Surfaces and Other Plastics -- Bathrooms -- Pipes and Drains -- Walls, Ceilings, Woodwork, and Windows -- China and Crystal -- Metals -- Caring for Jewelry -- Kindly Light -- Fireplaces -- Some Quiet Occupations -- Sewing -- Caring for Books -- Music -- Images and Recordings -- Home Offices and Computers -- Pets -- The Cave of Nakedness -- Beds and Bedding -- Closets for Clothes and Linens -- Being Prepared -- Fire -- Electrical Safety -- Slips and Falls -- Further Miscellaneous Safety Rules -- Poisons, Hazardous Substances, and Proper Disposal of Hazardous Household Wastes -- Additional Safety Measures for Children -- Understanding Your Castle -- Too Late to Say You're Sorry -- Promises, Promises -- Domestic Employment Laws -- Working with Household Help -- Insurance -- Fond Records. rc.