Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-05-06
A Cha1aer on CARPETS.

best of its kind is always the cheapest.
In the various Brussels and velyets the
back should be firm and the pile close
and thick. For three-plies, ingrains,
ETC., the entire weave should be close,
with no lOosely-drawn threads on top, as
is often the case in large figures. AL
raised figures wear off first, and extreme
/ ly brilliant colors show fade and sol
quicker than subdued colors or neutral
tints. Now that we have patent exhib.
itors that seem to display thousand
| yards at once, no one need remain in
| doubt one minute as to how pattern
will look when on the floor. 1t is al
ways best to know the exact size of the
room to be fitted, and have the figures
matched where purchased.
| Be certain it lies smooth and even on
the floor, as ever SO small a bulk will
soon show wear. Always place some
thing under to lessen the friction, par
| ticularly under stair carpets. Paper will
answer if nothing better is at hand, but
for rooms and halls straw is much SUI
perior, as the dust passes through it and
| lies on the floor. With velvets, Brus-
sells, ETC., make it a rule to sweep but
! little. Pick everything off that can be
gathered in that way, and use dust-pan
and brush, brushing the dust right into
| the pan. and meyer sweeping it the
| length of the room as is common with
| other carpets.
Give plenty of air without allowing the
sun to strike constantly on one spot, as
through a door or window. Stained
spots may be greatly benefited by the
judicious use of analine dyes, and it will
brighten faded colors to dampen them
with water in which small quantity of
spirits of ammonia and borax has been
mixed. A new broom should be kept
for the use of carpets that are to be
swept, as wooden carpets wear Off very
fast if swept with old. stiff, short brooms,
and pieces of oil cloth or Oil cloth mats
should be used in front of the CRATE or
stove.
On festive occasions, when dancing
and promenading are the 60 order of the
day." cover of unbleached muslin
stretched tightly over the carpet will
preserve it unsullied. 1t has always been
our custom to change the strip s of carpet
as they become worn, ripping them apart
and putting the outside strips in the
center, changing again and again as
long as there is any beauty or wear in
it, and finally cutting across the middle
and turning the ends together. The
strips need not all be cut one length and
the seams will not all come in a line
then it can be renovated with border.
Of course such carpet descends in the
social scale, from parlor to bedroom and
dining-room, and finally finishes off in
the kitchen, where it can be pieced out
to proper size with oil cloth.
The most common insect we have to
contend with is the moth, and after hav-
ing the binding eaten off from several
carpets have learned that slight dust
of Scotch snuff around where the carpets
are tackled will keep them away. Salt
is good but draws dampness. Strips of
paper dipped in turpentine or carbolic
acid and placed under the edges are also
good, but scent a room so strongly that
It is very unpleasant. A wet towel
spread over a suspected harbor of the
insects and pressed with hot f1at-iron
is sure death, but needs to be repeated
often.
To cleanse carpet on the floor, clean,
damp sawdust is very, good swept back
and forth. 1t catches the dust, and will
not soil even delicate'colors. A broom
dipped in large pan or pail of water
and drawn across few feet at time
dipping the broom afresh in the water
and not having it too vets a good
method. The water m~y need chang
ing and a piece of oilcloth should be
placed under the vessel of water. When
carpet is lifted from the floor, give
thorough shaking, then hang across a
line, and whip with long withes. This
is all that most carpets need. If there
is grease on 1t, spread on a clean floor,
use brush, hot water, soap, and plenty
of spirits of ammonia, rub both sides and
rinse.
Rag carpets may be scrubbed with
broom to very good advantage, after
ward hanging to dry. If very dirty soak
first. To disinfect carpets from the sick
room of contagious diseases, should never
be neglected, as their properties Of abb
sorbing moisture make them grand
receptacles of disease.
After taking them from the floor and
cleansing them, if they cannot be washed,
the entire surface should be wiped off
with cloth dipped in water strongly inn
pregnated with carbolic acid, after which
they should be hung in the air in some
out-building, until all danger is past.
Another plan is to smoke them over sui
phur, but this is sometimes injurious to
the colofs.
Not uncommonly we hear the COM
plant of feas harboring in carpets, and
when once lodged in soft carpet, it is
some task to get rid of them. Plenty of
salt, swept back and forth over the sur
face is sure remedy, as they will not
stay anywhere where salt comes in con-
tact with them.
Somebody has discovered that old rag
carpets may be rejuvenated by coat Of
paint, and it is asserted they both look
and wear well. The carpet is stretched
tightly and tackled, then coat of paint
of the same kind as applied to the out
side of the building, is brushed heavily
generally buff or orange, and may be
striped. barred or left plain. Old car
pets, unlike many things, never cease to
be useful. After they can no longer be
used as a COVERING for the floor. they