The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1890-05-23
POINTS on HOUSE CLEANING.
Timely sugges.icns Regarding Eeaosa
tfons and Spring Cleaning.

tipns and spring Cleaning.
a dear Old hoasekeeper confded 10 me
some tricks 10 which she had re=orted
with go9d effect IN the renovation Of her
donicile during her forty years expert
ence in town and country al the head Of
a household Of large number. This vet
eran in her vocation eve covers the n
tire surface Of her bedroom floors, by
which plan she can have the corners kept
scrupul0usly free from dust, and she
says one can make the margin look well
and last q long time by first cleaning it
nicely and then putting Oh a heavy coat
Of linsed oil, which she follows, after
the oil has thoroughly dried with two
coats of brown shellac yarnish. Reno
waiting the bedsteads bureaus and chairs,
my authority insists, is Of the aces
series Of cleaning house, and a great adj
vantage to all housewives who desire to
combine economy and perfection.
"An my hardwood furniture" pur-
sued the old lady, Il thoroughly wash
free Of all dust, grease and finger marks
with soap and water, and dry as thor
oughly with clean cloths Then, a I
wish 10 keep the appearance the same as
when it was new, / pour some Gnseed
oil into a dish and, dipping a bit OF fan
mel into it, rub it over every bit Of the
wood, which was originally finished in
oil, using a good deal of energy and con-
unuing the rubbing until I can pass my
hand over the entire surface without soil
ing it. II there are any portions that
were vanished, buy a pint o. 81 of or
binary furniture varnish and spread it
on generously with a small varnish brush.
Picture frames usually need a little
renoyating row and again, and such as
have Of black walnut or other hard wood
l generally rub we with the flannel rag
and hinged oil. Sometimes they can be
made to look better than new by using
shellac varnish on them, which does not
dry 50 glossy as furniture varnish. For
a brush l prefer a fat paint brush, such
as Is called schiseledlthat is, ground off
on each side to form a thin edge-and
after it has been used in shellac yarnish
a painter told me TO wash it in strong al
cohol, and never in turpentine or soap
and water. If a person desires to touch
up a p~ianoforte, they can procure from
the manufacturers some varnish which
is known as piano polishing for the case,
and piano flowing which is another
preparation, for the legs.
In apartments where it is practicable
l always like to lay a mating for the
summer months; it looks 50 clean, cool
and comfortable during the hot weather.
But it often surprises me that SO many
people follow the custom OF lacking each
breadth TO the floor with either the sin
gle or the double pointed tacks that have
recently been devised to lessen the mum
Der to be driven. lacking down each
breadth in this Iaanner is not only de-
~structiye to the mating, but it spoils the
floor as well. Every tack put in or with
drawn breaks at least one of the straws.
Ihave found it a far better plan to sew the
breadths together and then tackit to the
foorin the same manner one would treat
a carpet. Previous TO laying the mat
ting, however, / always sew the two laid
pieces where they are Joined, across and
across, which keeps the joints from open
ing. I think housekeepers to whom
economy Is an object will find that mat
ting made and laid as I suggest viii last
fully twice as long as when 1t is tackled
down breadth by breadth.
'.When there is a marble washstand,
bureau top, mantel or buffet that needs
especial cleaning, some washing soda,
crushed fine and mixed with pulverized
quicklime, worked into a paste with
some water, should be laid on and left to
dry, after which it may be scraped off
and washed clean with soap and water.
1.-THE oilcloth in my kitchen has been
down for years. l never allow soap, or
only the least bit, to be used on it, as it
remove the coloring, but 1 always keep
some varnish on hand to have 1t treated
with occasionally."-Grace Conroy in
New York Star.