The Washington bee., 1894-03-03
CARING FOR OIL STOVES.
simple Rules to Prevent the Unpleasant
Effects of Smoking.

| simple Rules TO Prevent the Unpleasant
Effects of Smoking.
Whenever j detect any odor In my
stove I always find cause for 1t,
either in the oil which has flowed over
the edge Of the burner and is heated,
but not burning freely like the oil In
he wick. or in the half-burned, oily
crust on the edge Of the burner, or in
tiny speck Of SCOT from a previous
smok ing. AS soon as the cause is re
NOV ed the odor disappears.
To clean the burners, turn the WICK
quite low, then wet bit Of soft cloth
in hot, soapy water, wiring quite dry
and rub 1t well with kitchen mineral
soap. With a dull-pointed knife or
wood en- skewer rub the cloth into the
inside Of the burner down about one
four b Of an inch, and scour off all the
Drowned deposit As in all other forms
Of securing, a generous use OF eiDoW
grease is essential here.
All that will not scour on can be
scraped of with a knife. Scour the
outside OF the burner and wipe of any
oil, SCOT or charred wick that may be
on the netting of the frame under
meath. Then wipe with dry cloth.
Turn up the wick and rub of any
bits Of eharred wick or sand that may
adhere to it Wipe out the SCOT from
the chimney. Brushing Is not sufh-
Gent; 1t needs hard rubbing with a
cloth. Use stick or skewer to enable
you to reach every spot The Wlcks
should be fitted so they will turn easily
in the burner. Cut them even with the
edge of the burner, and clip the cor
ners a rifie lower.
Turn the wick up and down several
times until you are sure it is even, then
light 1t, and see that the fame is at a
uniform height when turned as high
as possible. Should there be any points
that smoke, turn it out and trim again
until 1t Is even. When once the Wick
is even 1t will seldom need cutting.
Merely rubbing of the charred part
and clipping any loose threads is suffl-
cient.
When ready to use the stove turn
the wick up gradually and begin with
a low fame; watch it carefully and
Increase the height after a little, but
do not turn it to its full height at first,
for as soon as the water boils in the
kettle the flame seems to be drawn up,
and 1t will surely smoke then if 1t did
not before. After ten minutes it may
be left with safety, but be careful that
no strong draught reaches it, and never
turn the wick SO low that the combus-
ton is imperfect. When not in use
turn the wicks down till the fame goes
out, and wipe of the oil from the
burners.
II this oil be allowed to accumulate
Ii hardens and burns on to the burner,
and Is difficult to remove, and the more
the stove is used the worse it smells;
but after this crust is once thoroughly
removed it is comparatively easy to
keep the burner clean by simply rub
bing 1t with a damp cloth and sand
soap every time before lighting it.
BY taking special pains that the stove
shall not smoke great amount Of
trouble may be avoided; for just as
surely as it smokes long enough to de-
posit any SCOT on the stove just so
surely will you have the odor Of smoke
until that SCOT has been removed.
Merely lowering the wick does not re-
move the odor, and 1t Is much easier
to prevent its formation than to extin-
guish the flame and delay your other
work while you clean off the soot-The
Household.