Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-17
Relief for Many Household Grievances.

h6LeI LOT many hOusSnOiu grievances.
The most skillful housekeepers are not
always exempt from many annoyances,
which at times reach over to almost every
department that comes under their super
vision and control. Keeping before their
minds high standard, by which they de-
sire to be guided, they are naturally more
perplexed and disturbed at defects, mis-
takes, or willful neglect than less conscien-
tious women are. Among the many Lions
in the way" that meet young housekeepers
in unexpected corners, there are but few be-
fore which they are so inclined to retreat
as the injuries and defacements of their
household possessions by accidental or care
less stains or injuries. Rich glass or choice
china discolored, stains on marble, rust on
silver, or steel-mildew, fruit stains, or iron
mold on bedding, table-linen, or any
cherished article, disgust and dishearten
them, when aftermany trials and exact add
herence to directions they find they have
made no progress in renovating the ar
ticles. Hoping to be of some assistance,
we have endeavored to collect and bring
into as small q compass as possible some
remedies for these grievances, but only Of
fer those which we have successfully tried
in similar cases.
l. Before any spot or stain can be erased,
it is important that one should learn the
nature of whatever produced the blemish,
and also that of the material injured.
Anything which, if applied, might erase
a stain from wood or metal, might be in
furious if applied to cloth. That which
would remove the defect from linen might
increase the trouble if used on woolens, or
have no effect at all.
2. Oils, grease, wax, tar, vegetable or
animal juices, resinous matter such as
pitch or tar, iron and ink spots, are diff
cult to remove completely, but ink and
ron-mold the most so OF all. Whenever
much writing is done in house and cnil-
dren have free access to the writing
desk, books, papers and carpet are
most likely to bear the marks Of misrule,
but the injury is not irreparable.
5. \ weak solution of oxalic acid applied !
with brush with great care will remove
the ink from books or papers, and in no
wise iniure them, or if ink is spilled on
linen, cotton, or any white goods, oxalic |
acid will remove it, unless dried in and of
long standing. In that case, equal quanti-
ties of muriatic acid and tin-salt will re-
move it, but both these preparations are
poisonous, and should be carefully labeled
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 pyro-
phosphate of soda, dip brush in it and
carefully wet the ink spot, and after
several trials it will remove ink from del
icate colors without injuring the goods.
Wash or sponge with clear water.
d. But none of these things can be used
safely on carpets or wooden goods. If ink
is spilled on a carpet or wooden article it
should be attended to at once, while still
wet if possible, and then is very easily re-
moved. Take clean blotting- paper or cot
ton 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 the spot will disappear.
Then wash the spot with clean soapsuds,
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.
3. Bronzes require no cleaning, if kept |
uniniured, except careful busting, so that |
no dust 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 ac-
cident or carelessness the bronze is rusted |
and defaced beyond the power of soap and
water to remove, the only safe way is to |
have it rebronzed, which, near city, is |
not difficult thing.
6. If marble is smoked or soiled, either |
by bituminious coal or too free use of |
kindling wood, Spanish whiting, with
piece of washing soda, rubbed together,
and wet with only enough water to moisten
and make it 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
it and renew with fresh paste. When the
spots disappear, wash the place with clean
hot soap-suds, wipe dry, and polish with
chamois-skin.
A17. If oil or grease has been spilled on
marble or stone, get fuller's-earth, or pipe
clay, well dried and finely pulverized,
make it into thin paste with strong lye,
put it quite thick over the spot, and place
a aoarm-not too hot-fiat-iron on the
paste until quite dry. then wash it of and
If tie stain has not entirely disappeared, |
apply the paste and the warm iron once or
twice more. One application, washed of |
with strong soap.suds quite hot, is usually |
sufficient, unless the stain Is of long stand