Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-24
Relief for Many Household Gricv.
anCRSs
BY MRS. HENRY WARD BEECHER.



BY MRS. HENRY WARD BEBCHER.
IHarper's BaZar.1
The most skillful housekeepers are not always
exempt from many annOyances, which at times
reach over to almost every department that
comes under their supervision and control.
Keeping before their minds high standard, by
" More dn az
takes, or w1llful neglect than less conscientious
women are. Among the many 'honS In the
way" that meet young housekeepers In uneX-
they are so inclined to retreat as the injuries
and defacements of their household possessions
by accidental or careless stains or injuries.
Rich glass or choice china discolOred, stains on
marble, rust on silver, or stee[mildew, fruit
stains, or iron-mould on bedding, table-linen, or
any cherished article, disgust and dishearten
adherence to directions they find they have
made no progress in renovating the articles
Hoping TO be OF some assistance, we have en-
deavored to collect and bring into as small a
compass as possible some remedies for these
grievances, but only offer those which we have
successfully tried in similar cases.
Before any spot or stain can be erased it is
important that one should learn the nature of
whatever produced the blemsh, and also that
OF the material injured. Anything which, if
applied might erase stain from wood or
metal, might be injurious If applied to cloth.
That which would remove the defect from linen
might increase the trouble II used on wOollens
or have no effect at all.
Oils, grease, wax, tar, vegetable or animal
juices. reSinOuS matter such as pitch or tar,
iron and ink spots, are difficult to remove COM
pletely, but ink and iron-mould the most so of
ALL Whenever much writing is done In a house,
and children have free access to the writing
desk, books. papers, and the carpet are most
likely to bear the marks of misrule, but the in
jury is not irreparable.
brush with great care will remove the i,lE from
books or papers, and in no wise fnjure them,
or II ink is spilled on linen, cotton, or any
white goods, oxalic acid will remove it. unless
that
equal quantities of muriatic acid and tin-salt
will remove it. but both these preparations are
poisonous and should be carefully labelled and
kept out Of the reach of children or careless
servants. Delicate colors would be destroyed
by these preparations. Ask the druggist for
weak solution OF pyrophosphate of soda, dip
after several trials it will remove ink from deli
cate colors without injurlng the goods, Wash
or sponge with clear water.
But none OF these things can be used safely
On carpet or woollen article it should be at
tended to at once, While still wet If possible,
and then Is very easily removed. Take clean
blotting- paper or cotton batting and gently sop
up all the ink that has not soaked in. Then
pour little sweet milk on the spot and soak it
up from the carpet with fresh cotton batting. 1t
will need to be renewed two or three times,
fresh milk and cotton being used each time, and
with clean soap-suds and rub dry with clean
cloth. If the ink has been allowed to dry in
the milk must remain longer and be repeated
many times.
Br0,azes require no cleaning If kept uninjured,
except careful busting, so that no dirt shall
settle to mar the beauty OF the design. But If
they unfortunately are creased or spotted, wash
With warm Soap-SudS made quite strong with
soap; then gently rub, and thoroughly dry. If
by accident or careleSSneSS the bronze is ruSted
and defaced beyond the power of soap and
water to remove, the only safe way is to have 1t
rebronzed, which, near city, is not a difficult
thing.
If marble is smoked or soiled, either by btu
minous coal or too free use of kindliug wood,
Spanish whiting, with piece of washing soda,
rubbed together, and wet with only enough
water to molsten and make 1t into paste, will
remove the grease and smoke. Dip piece of
flannel in this preparation, and rub the spots
while the paste is quite moist. Leave the paste
on for hours and, If need be, remove 1t ana re-
new with fresh paste. When the spots dsap-
pear, wash the place with clean hot soap-suds,
wipe dry, and polish with chamoiS-skin.
II oil or grease has been spilled on marble or
stone, get fullers-earth, or pipe-clay, well dried
with Ve nn d h l'o INN fbe paste snot
and place a raTnl-not too hot-fat-iron on the
paste until quite dry, tnen wash it off and If the
stain has not entirely disappeared, apply the
paste and the warm iron once or twice more.
One application, washed Off with strong soap
suds quite hot, is usually sufficient, unless the
stain Is OF long standing and has soaked in.
In that case it may require to be applied two or
three times.
Oil marks on wall paper, or the marks where
inconsiderate people rest their heads, are a sore
grief to good housekeepers, but they can be re-
moved without much trouble, Take pipe-clay
or fuller's earth, and make into paste, about
as thick as rich cream, with cold water; lay it on
the stain gently, without rubbing it in leave it
on all night. 1t will be dry by morning, when
it can be brushed off, and unless an old stain.
the greeSe spot will have disappeared, II old
renew the application.
can be readily disposed of by washing the spot
with hot soap-suds and boraX-half an ounce of
boraX to gallon OF water. Use clean cloth to
wash 1t with, rinse in warm water, and wipe
dry.
II sDclmacpH is dropped On any garment OF
furniture first carefully scrape of all that can be
removed without injury to the material; then
lay brown paper over the spot, or piece of blot
ting-paper, and put warm iron on the paper
until the Oil shows through. Continue to re-
new tue paper and apply The warm iron until
the paper shows no more Oil.
Spots on furniture, from anything hot or
1r0m alcohol. can be removed by rubbing hard
with eetoil and turpentine. When the spots
disappear, wash in milk-warm Soap-sudS, dry
quickly, ana polish by rubbing briSkly with
chamoiS-Skin.
When re!ret has been wet and becomes spot
ted, hold the wrong side over steam, and while
damp draw the wrong side quickly over a warm
iron. 1t takes two to do this weil-one to hold
the bottom Of the iron upward, and the second
to draw the velvet across.
Paint, pitch, or tar can be removed from cloth
or wood by rubbing 1t with turpentine. Ii the
paint has become dry, put few drops OF tur-
pent1ne on the spot. and let 1t stand short
time; then rub the spot, and If all the paint Is
not removed, repeat the work. When entirely
gone, rub Off with alcohol
Paint and putty can be taken off glass by wet
ting the glass several times with strong S0lu-
ton OF soda. Wet the glass often with 1t till the
spots soften and can be washed OFF, and then
polish with alcohol.
IroID that has been spotted, or has grown vel
low, can be made as clear and fresh as new by
rubbing with fine sand-paper and then polish
ing with timely powdered pllmfce stone
MAJ Die can be nicely cleaned in the following
manner: pulveriZe a little bluestone. aud mix
with four ounces of whiting; add to these four
ounces OF soft soap and one ounce of soda dis
solved in very little water Boil this prepara-
ton over a Slow fire fifteen minutes stirring all
the time. Lay 1t on the marble while hot with
clean brush. Let IL remain half an hour: then
wash OFF in clean suds, wipe dry, and polish by
quick rubbing.
Grease can be removed from stone steps or
passages by pouring on 1t strong soda water
boiling hot; then make fuller'S-earth into thin
paste with boiling water; spread it over the
stain or spot and let it remain all night. II the
grease has soaked and dried In, it may be neceS-
sary to repeat this for two or three nigats,
scrubbing it off each morning with strong Soap
and being painted, ii is important that one
should keep watch for such Oil spots, as pain
tiers are not overcareful in handling their oils
and such spots are very annoying.
II tn6 has been spilled over rosewood or ma
hogany furniture half tea-SpoOnful OF Oil of
vitrfol in a tablespoonful of water applied with
feather, will quickly remove it.
Wouldn't be BulldOzed.