Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-10-27
Waitsfeld, VT
Coal Oil as a Detergent.

There is a world of comfort to be deriv-
ed from the use of coal oil as cleanser to
the working woman's stained hands.
Household work naturally causes the skin
to roughen and crack. Into these nters-
tees the smut and discolored greasy mix
lures inseparable from housework) insinu-
ate themselves, the result being the grimy
look that hard worked hands often have.
No woman likes this, and almost all
women object to the injury to the cuticle
of the hand far more than doing the work
itself
There are many ways of preventing nine
tenths of these evils. One, and the best,
method is to have small bowl with about
half pint of the very best kerosene in 1t.
This can be obtained of the druggist, almost
free from smell. Add to The oil about an
equal quantity of water, which will of
course remain at the bottom of the vessel,
and the coal oil will rise to the surface of
the water When the hands are soiled and
grimy, and before washing them, dip the
fingers into the bowl; they will come in
contact with the oil before reaching the
water. Then wash them in the ordinary
way, of course without soap (by rubbing
them. with each other for some minutes),
with the mixture of oil and water, and
the darkened skin will be more cleansed
than by any other method.
Acids and alkalis, salt and soap, are bad,
as they tend to harden the skin, and
although the pores of the skin will receive
alkaIis, and acids will-from their affinity
fly to combine with the alkalis, and
result in relieving the skin of an immense
a.. g ut tha,,
leave the cuticle in a comparatively in
iured stale ready to receive fresh stains,
bv the increased roughness that invariably
results from the use of these detergents.
Coal oil does not have this effect.
have used it for years, and recommend it
to millwrights aud others whose avoca-
tions cause their hands to be continually
messed with mixture of grease and
iron wear. Nothing is more difficult to
remove from the hands, or a dress, than
axle grease, and this is the combination of
iron and oil that men whose business
compels them to repair old machinery are
working amongst from day to day When
work is over, or at intervals through the
day while it progresses, little coal oil
and water will remove all the mess that
otherwise would spoil the wolkman's
tools or clothes.
Moisten the hands, rub the stuff in
both oil and waler-and your hands will
wine clean on Il rag or cloth, and be COM
parativelv white even without washing
| OF course soap and water will remove the
oil, and must be used in cases where the
hands would otherwise soil any article to
he hereafter handled, and more especially
in cooking, as anything that is to be eaten,
if touched by an oily hand. will taste, no
matter how carefully they are wiped.
Another use for coal oil as detergent
is in cleaning recently paint brushes.
The paint readily mixes and washes out
of the brush, and after being freely used
and the brush well rubbed about, when
saturated with oil, little strong soap and
hot water will entirely cleanse the brush
Coal oil in the workshop is most useful
Paint brushes never dry when Immersed
in it, and a small quantity forms no serious
impeachment to painting, if only Il reason
: able proportion remains in the brusf
, before commencing to use it.
/ Perhaps the most valuable use that thi
oil can be applied to in the workshop is b,
, mixing it with sweet lard or goose oil, il
fact almost any oily fat. The oil should b.
about double the bulk Of the fat used, ant
after being mixed together the vessel con
tanning it shonld be placed in warm place
say about 1909 of heat, and occasionally
stirred. In few days the stearine viii
settle and soon the olene will combine wit
b the coal oil and produce the best lubrican
= for machinery. 1t will never gum" o
| thicken in the journals In summer tn
e clear oil should be decanted off in abou
1909 of heat, and the stearine Can he USE
n for coarser purposes. But in winter th
v oil will thicken with frost and not FLOW
!, readily, consequently decantation shoul
v be made at lower temperature, if the o
e be required to be used from an oil can, 70
i fine purposes. 1t will, however, lubricat
: Just as well even if it be almost like sol
= lard, in very cold weather; the action c
the machinery produces little warmth
e which liquefies the oil as fast as it is requi'
y ed by the journal to which it is applied
!. A B. c., Toronto, Canada, in The Amert
can CuItiUdtOr.