Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-05-17
NO. 121.
Mistellaneous.
HINTS TO HOT SEkEEPERS.
TIMELY REMARKS UpoN THE SUBJECT of
IiOu>E CLEANING.


If the carpet is to be taken up and beat
en- the job had better be intrusted to some
man who makes it his business. If this
cannot he done, lay it on the grass or hang
it on the clothes-line and beat it onD the
wrong side with canes-taking care that
the canes have no sharp points. Then
spread the carpet out and sweep well on
the right side. There is more art in sweep
ing carpet than novice is apt to sup
pose. An old broom should never be used
and new one should be kept especially
for the carpets. With BRUSSELS and vel
vet carpeting there are two ways to the
pile-iust rs III velvet-and they should al
ways be swept with the pile. If a carpet
is swept against the gram, it soon looks
rough and scratched up. After being
swept and laid down on the floor the car
pet should be wiped. Have two pals, one
of clean soap-suds, the other with luke
warm water: Il clean flannel cloth and two
coarse clean towels. Take the carpet by
breadthS. wiring the flannel out of the
luke warm water and fold it so you can
turn and use it up and down three or four
times on the same place. Rub both with
and against the grain as hard as if you
We're scrubbing a floor, then throw your
flannel into your soap-suds and scrub the
carpet dry with one of your dry towels.
If YOU leave the carpet wet the dust will
stick to it, and it will smell sour and musty.
Wash your flannel clean in the soapsuds,
wiring it out of the warm water, and pro-
ceed as before. II the carpet is very dirty
or has much green in it, use fresh oX-gall
in the luke warm water in the proportion
of a quart of gall to three quarts of water,
rinse the lather off with cold water and
rub the carpet dry as already directed.
This rubbing carpet raises the pile and
frcshens the colors. Choose for long wear
Il Brussels carpet where the pattern is
small, as the carrying of the threads of
the different colors to the back of the car
pet strengthens the material and makes it
wear better, Ingram carpets need to be
shaken oitener than Brussels, as from their
open texture the dnst percolates through
them. 1t is rarely necessary to take up
Brussels carpet more than every two or
three years, and not so often, even when
the room is not in constant use. Sweep
ing on the floor answers every purpose for
removing the dust 1t is mis-
taken idea to cover a carpet with
lrugget in the belief that it saves it,
What wears out carpets is the grinding
on the floor. and the protection should
come from beneath. Moth-proof carpet
lining is best, but several thickness OF
newspaper comes next as carpet preserv-
cr The printers ink is an excellent moth
preventive, and the newspapers keep the
carpet from rubbing on the boards. On
stairs use stair pads and have half yard
more carpeting than you need in order that
1, L.. . la
down and change the positions of the
a mark When your carpet is new, leave
it uncovered and put down your stair oil
cloth after it begins to show wear Linen
over carpet in the summer is both cool and
pleasant; besides it helps to keep away
moths. These little pests must be looked
for behind furniture and in out of-the-way
corners. Loosen the edges OF the carpet
and give them plentiful sprinkling of in
sect power. If you find a moth-nest kill
all YOU can, and then press the spot with a
hot IRON this will destroy the eggs. Oil
cloth should be we'll scrubbed with a brush.
Many people are afraid to use a brush to
it, thinking that it scrubs off the paint but
a. there is always an uneven surface on
oil-cloth, nothing but brush gets out the
'IIi. iit NIil'i tiliS w ithhNhioNi 10 W
dry it bit by bit, and not to leave large
portion of it wet. because it stands to rea-
son that, as oil-cloth is made of cloth. or
canvas or old carpets as a foundation and
the pattern painted on it, it will blister if
left wet. Use hot water and yellow soap
-no soda. Have half yard of clean fan
mel to wash oft the soap after it has been
scrubbed. Scrub about a yard ut time
! and then wash it off, and dry thoroughly
with clean coarse cloth. Change the
water three times in cleaning long hall.
1t takes two dry cloths to rub it dry. AZ
ter the whole surface is cleaned, polish
with beeswaX and turpentine with piece
of flannel to rub it on with, and another
clean piece to rub after. Or little lin
sccd-oil is a good thing instead of the bees
wax and turpentine. Never cover a board
ed floor entirely with oil-cloth, because it
rots the boards and causes dry rot. New
er use it in Il nursery; it is the coolest
thing and most unhealthy for children to
sit on--worse than stone would be.
Whitening, used for cleaning windows
with flannel or chamois skin, is better
for cleaning paint than either soap or soda
1t is good plan to keep pot of paint OF
the prevailing tint of the woodwork in
the house on hand and use whenever the
paint is knocked off, as it often is by ex-
pressmen handling trunks, or by careless
servants and children.-Ph Phiiadelphia Press.