The record-union., 1895-05-10
POLISHED FLOORS.
How to Treat Them for Restoration
and Afterward.

How to Treat Them for Restoration
and Afterward.
Where floors have been successfully
treated with various preparations, and
are in consequence dirty-looking and
sticky, there is nothing for it but to give
them a thorough scraping and begin over
again. This, if done rightly, is not such
a terrible undertaking as 1t would seem.
Perhaps the very worst floors to tackle
are those whereon have been put Sue
cessive coats of varnish, or Oil has been
used as polish instead of wax. This
sorms hard, greasy scum that seems at
first almost impossible to remove. But
there is no use tempOrizlng with such
floor. 1t is absolutely essential that the
natural wood should be reached. other
wise no new treatment will succeed.
With a little patience il may be done at
very small cost if unskilled labor is en-
ployed and properly directed. A strong
day laborer is needed, and before going
into the room ne should be required to
tie up each foot in a woolen cloth so that
his heavy boots may not injure the floor.
Give him small mat or cushion to sit
on, as it is very firing work and he must
sit on the floor. Remove all the rugs and
all the furniture that is practicable from
the room; start him at the upper corner
of the room, and set him scraping with
the grain of the wood.
All the tools he will require is a piece
of tin, from which he can cut from time
to time his scraper; large pair OF scissors
that will cut the tin, and a dustpan and
brush to sweep up the accumulation
that is scraped off as he goes along, and
which will otherwise fly all over the fur
niture. The furniture remaining in tn
room, by the way, should be covered, as
the Tree varnlsh dust is very sticky and
difficult to brush off. Several scrapers
may be cut for him to begin with, aud he
can Trim the edges with the scissors when
they become dull. The scrapers are cut
in Tie shape of long metal chopper; that
is, slightly rounded at either end, SO as to
avoid making any dig in the floor. He
should take the scraper in both hands and
scrape toward himself. AS soon as be
has got accustomed 10 the work, it will
begin to progress very rapidly, the great
point being to scrape evenly, and not to
leave any stl eaks that are not scraped.
After all the floor is scraped, it may be
either varnished as 1t is or stained any
color desired, and then vanished; but
in any event it should be vanished be-
fore waxing, which is the only proper
way, after all, of keeping a bare floor
looking we'll. Very good preparations of
soft wax may now be had at any house
furnishing place. as we'll as the heavy
brush TO polish it with. The wax should
be rubbed on with a rag, with the grain
of the wood. 1t should be left to dry for
an hour, and then well polished with the
heavy brush, after which flannel should
be wrapped around the brush and the
hoor should be again rubbed. This last
rubbing with the flannel will make it
quite brilliant. After the floor has been
once waxed and polished in this way it
may be kept in good condition by being
gone over iwith the brush and flannel
once a week, on other days simply sweep
ing itN off with a hair broom. at the
weekly polishing any scratches or marks
of footsteps may be rubbed Off with 1.
waxed rag, and afterward polished with
flannel.