Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1851-06-19
From the Scientific American,
To Remove Paint from Clothes.

To Remove Paint from Clothes.
Many persons by misfortune get pain on
their clothes, and from the want of proper
knowledge to remove it, their clothes are
spoiled for all decent purposes. This is a
great loss especially when fine clothes are
spotted or daubed with paint Many fine and
excellent coats have, to our knowledge, been
laid aside for common purposes, because of a
few spots of paint Paint can be very easily
removed from woollen clothes, although it
may be quite hardened. The way to do this
is to pour some alcohol on the cloth, satura-
ting the paint, and after it has remained on
it for about ten minutes, pour on little more,
and then rub the cloth with the paints spots
between the fingers This cracks up and
breaks the paint from the surface, after which
piece of clean sponge dipped in the alco-
hol, should be rubbed on the cloth, with the
grain. Paint can be taken out of silk in the
same way, only it is best to steep the part of
the silk with the paint on it, in a cup contain
ing the alcohol; and it will not do to rub the
silk between the fingers, for fear of breaking
and creasing its surface. This is true, as it
respects lnte string or any hard surfaced silk,
but figured soft silk, may be gently rubbed.
The way to treat the painted silk, is this; af-
ter it has been STEPPED for about Is minutes,
then it should be spread out on board, and
rubbed along the grain with the selvage, by
a sponge dipped in the alcohol. This sell
dom fails te remove all paint. Some use
camphene for removing paint, but alcohol is
more cleanly. Black paint on white sur
face, or even on any delicately coloured sur
face, always leaves stain, although the
paint, itself, strictly speaking, may be re-
moved. 1t is much easier to clean a white
surface, than one of light colour, like French
grey, lilac, pink, &c. For cleaning light
coloured cloths from paint, use only clean
sponge, or if sponge is not handy, use
piece of clean white flannel.
All the others are very effective, in remov-
ING pain, also grease spots, but fish oil al
always leaves stain, and is exceedingly diG-
ficult to remove. There are some who used
coloured oils for the hair, these always make
bad stain, especially those of red colour
The reason of this is that madder is used to
colour them, and this is a very permanent dye
drug. The best substance for removing
paint, grease, &C., from all kinds of clothes,
those of the darkest and lightcst colours, is
that beautiful ether discovered by Prof Simp-
son, in Scotland, few years ago, and by Mr..
Guthrie, of America, a few years before, un-
known to the Doctor,-we mean chloroform.
1t is employed in the same manner as the al
cohol, only care must be taken to work it
more rapidly, as it is more volatile, and care
must also be exercised so as not to inhale it
No one should use it but careful persons OF
mature years: it is of too high price to be
used in general, and young people, in no case,
should be allowed to tamper with it.
After what has been said about the remoy-
al of paint and grease, no person need be
much frightened at paint stain Oh a fine
cloth coat, but, at best, let us be candid and
say, that upon silk it is not possible to re-
move the paint and leave the silk as it was
before being injured. Prevention, in all Ca
ses, is better than cure, but misfortunes will
take place and seldom come singly, therefore
the above will be found useful and of great
benefit to many.