The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-06-18
CARPET-cLEANlNo.
How Careful Housekeepers Can Keep q
carpet Clean without sveeping.

How Careful Housekeepers Can Keep q
Carpet Clean without Sweeping.
Not long since, visitor to a large
public institution commented on the
remarkable cleanliness and brightness
of the carpets throughout the building,
and to her surprise was informed that
they were not swept six times yearl
Moreover, as their excellent condition
testified, they had stood the wear and
tear of seven years use admirably,
proving the methods employed by the
house-keeper successful. Some of
these having been practically tested,
we can give them with that assurance
TO our readers, prefacing them, how
ever, by an injunction to follow any
receipts given with careful exactitude.
To begin with: before cleaning a
room remove the large articles of fur
niture, and then dust every thing as
though the room had been thoroughly
swept, if possible keeping the carpet
covered with sheeting or some coarse
material reserved for the purpose.
Now, then, have ready pail of clear
water in which is diluted one gill of
common ammonia, and with a large
soft cloth wet in the liquid go over the
entire surface of the carpet. 1t some
times happens that in the course Of
the cleansing a fresh pail of water and
ammonia is needed; but not always.
Every particle of dust will thus be re-
moved, and no injury done the pile or
nap of the carpet, as must be the case
if swept, however carefully. If you
prefer to sweep your carpet once
month, scatter Indian meal over the
surface, working it in lightly with the
broom before sweeping. This is even
better than tea leaves. which so many
house-keepers use.
To clean a carpet is a 1aborious but
really simple process, and we have re-
Gently seen some cleansed and ''re-
vived" by the following methods:
One very soiled and dingy although
not threadbare carpet was subjected to
the most severe treatment On GER
tain very bad-looking grease spots was
laid mixture equal parts) of magne-
STA and fuller s-earth, made into a
paste by boiling water. This was put
on hot and left to dry, being brushed
off the day following, when the
spots were no longer to be
seen. Other dirty places were
gone over with ox-gall nearly
pure. After this the carpet was thor
Oughly washed as follows: A pail of
hard soap and water was prepared, the
soap being well dissolved by boiling.
With a good brush Ca new one) dipped
in this preparation a small portion Of
the carpet was secured at time, care
being taken not to let it soak through.
Next a flannel was rubbed well over
the same spot, rinsed out each time in
pail of clear cold water. A third
IL L.
of water just soured by vinegar, and
the carpet finally rubbed hard with a
coarse cloth. Two people working at
carpet in this way can manage to dry
it very evenly, and we would recon-
mend their keeping strictly to their
work until finished. A carpet, of
course, can be cleaned advantageously
by taking up and laying it in breadths
on boards or a large kitchen table.
Two and half gills of ox-gall to q
pail of clear cold water, applied with
a soft scrubbing brush, makes an ex-
cellent lather for cleaning a carpet,
but it should be quickly washed off
with a clean old linen cloth dipped in
clear water, and rubbed with q dry
cloth.
Mattings can be cleaned by washing
thoroughly in a solution consisting of
one gallon OF water with small bag
of bran boiled in it, but be careful to
dry thoroughly. Soap should never be
applied to Oil-cloths, nor, if it be de-
sired to keep the color, should a scrub
bing- brush be used. Wash the oil
cloth with a coarse sponge or flannel
dipped in tepid or clean cold water.
Beeswax, with very little turpentine,
makes a fine polish, and will revive
the colors of an oil-cloth admirably.
Almost every housekeeper knows
how to clean boards, but too much
care can not be given to those from
which you have just taken up your
carpets. Soda and warm water is an
excellent wash for boards which are
seen, rubbed over well with clean
cloths; and a mixture of two parts
sand, one and half lime, and the
same of soft-soap, will not only be
found a good recipe for securing
boards, but very effective in keeping
away insects Harper's Bazaar.