The Portland daily press., 1892-05-16
Open Evenings.
THE HOME.
IN HousE-cLEANIse DAYS.

In HOUSE-CLEANING DAYS.
Carpets wear longer if thoroughly
shaken once year as the dirt which COL
lects under them grinds out the threads.
A carpet should be beaten on the wrong
side first, and afterwards more gently on
the right side. If badly soiled or exceed
ingly dusty, spread out on the grass after
it is thoroughly beaten and clean with
tepid water, to which ox-gall or borax
has been added in the proportion of a
teacupful of the former or two table,
sspoonfuls of the latter to pail of water.
Use scrubbing brush if necessary, and
rinse and wipe dry afterwards. Ammo
mia is good to brighten colors, but it al
SO causes some colors to ruin, and should
be used carefully, if at all.
Carpets wear much longer If heavy car
pet paper is laid under them. If this is
not convenient, two thicknesses of news
paper is far better than the straw or lay
ing next to the floor.
Never relay carpet until the floor is
perfectly dry, or the tacks will rust and
injure the carpet.
Carpets in daily use should have the
breadths ripped apart and reversed, to
bring the most wear on different parts.
In mending a carpet by patching, let
the pieces extend across breadth from
seam to seam, and they will show far
less, as they need not be caught down at
the edges.
The durability and brightness of oil
cloth are increased by a coat of varnish
semi-annually, or by rubbing over with
kerosene once a month.
Never put down stair carpets with
out pads underneath. They wear much
longer, and are much easier to use. An
old ''tacke or heavy bed-quilt, cut in
proper sized pieces, answers the purpose.
Zinc is best cleaned with soap and hot
water, and then polished with kerosene
and woollen cloth.
Beware of cheap soap and soap pow
ders in cleaning woodwork, unless you
are going to repaint.
Sapolio, or a little borax or pearline
added to the water, will not injure un-
vanished paint. The latter, if dark
colored, should be cleaned with tea
wiped dry and polished with wollen
cloth. But do not use tea on light
colored OF oiled woodwork, lest it stain.
Before commencing to wash the wood
finish of room, dust it thoroughly,
picturerail and Dashboard. Then clean
the floor first.
Windows are easier cleaned and have a
far higher polish if little alcohol or
ammonia is added to the water, and no
soap used. After rubbing dry with a
cloth, polish with chamois OF pieces of
newspaper.
Lace or other drapery at windows
should be changed from top to bottom
or from one side to the other, to prevent
the sun from shining on the same place,
as it is this heat that causes them to be-
come tender and break.
Raw linseed oil is much better than
kerosene for oiling furniture, but it
must be rubbed perfectly dry with a
woollen cloth.
Ii you take down any stoves, remove
nickle trimmings, scour and wrap each
piece separately in paper and lay in a
dry place.
Do not wash and put away blankets
until June. and when you do. use borax
and plenty of hot water and they will
clean easily and look well.
Feather beds and pillows shonld be
thoroughly aired and the ticks changed.
if necessary. But do not hang or lay
them in the hot sun, for this will draw
out the oil and make them foul rather
than pure.
All mattresses and pillows should have
covers made of unbleached muslin. and
tied or buttoned at the end. to protect
the ticks. These do not require wash