The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-02-11
CARE OF FURNITURE.


the WORK Expended
How many housekeepers are aware
that furnace and steam heat are to
large degree responsible for the crack
ing and warping of the lighter kinds of
furniture, especially bamboo. and that
to counterfeit the ill-effects of the same
they should be rubbed regularly with
equal parts of linseed oil and turpentine,
applied with flannel and then rubbed
in with a soft cloth? Bamboo is also
improved by an occasional wash in
cold water, if thoroughly dried after
ward.
Mahogany, rosewood, or black wal
nut should be rubbed regularly with lin
seed oil or crude petroleum, very little
being put on at a time, and rubbed in
thoroughly until the surface looks like
a mirror. If the rubbing is done once
every two weeks it is not difficult to get
a shine in short time, but the first
application may require longer. Any
of the natural woods that are not var
nished can be polished in the same way,
but vanished surfaces should be washed
with water in which tea leaves have
been STEPPED for half an hour. This
will make them much brighter than if
washed with soap and water, and I'M
like the latter will not remove the gloss.
When the vanished furniture be-
comes scratched the spots should be
7gone over with camel's hair brush and
shellac varnish till they disappear.
Nothing should be allowed to touch the
places until the application is thor
oughly dry. If a small splinter of
wood is knocked off bureau or chair
glue it on again with a little liquid
glue, and if the edges show white color
them with paint to match the rest of the
wood. When this is dry varnish and the
break will hardly be perceptible. If
the broken piece is large, and where it is
likely to be hit and knocked off again,
i'll addition to the glue secure it in posi-
ton with small brads, or, for a make
shift, pins driven in as far as possible
and the remainder flied off fiat to the
surface. The end of the pin must be
touched with the paint at the same
time as the edges.
When larger breaks occur, such as
the leg of a chair or the arm Of sofa.
do not trust to glue alone, but strength
en- the weak part with an extra piece of
wood, nailed on the side that does not
show, in such manner that the nails
do not come quite through to the right
side.
Leather trimmings which have such
a persistent way of separating them
selves from wood may be securely
fastened by means of paste made of
melted India rubber, mixed with shell
lac varnish. The leather itself can be
made to look almost like new by be-
ing washed with warm milk. This is
especially good for leather seats OF
lounge coverings.
The best thing to use in cleaning
delicate satin furniture is fresh breac
crumbs. Rub the soft part of the bread
between the hands until thoroughly
crumbled, then rub over the satin with
swift, smooth strokes, changing the
crumbs as soon as they grow discolored
When the soil is removed dust off the
remaining crumbs with a soft cloth OF
whisk. Other furniture covering can be
cleaned with benzine or naphtha
About once a month the upholstered
furniture should be well beaten anC
busted.
When the stuffing of chairs and sofas
begins to bulge out on the under side
turn the article upside down, take out
the tacks which hold the foundation
canvas or burlap, and after pushing the
stutfing back into place, take interlac.
ing strips of webbing across the bot.
toms, and replace the burlap. If the
stuffing gets lumpy in the backs of these
articles, untack the burlaps from the
hacks and distribute the filling, adding
to it or taking from it as comfort de
| mands. Then retack.
To remove ink stains from mahogany
rosewood, or black walnut furniture
put half dozen drops of spirits of Nitro
in a spoonful of water, and touch the
| stain with feather wet with this. AS
soon as the ink disappears rub the place
| with a cloth wet with cold water, OF
| the nitre will leave white spot that
will be very difficult 10 remove. If after
| washing off the nitre the ink spot still
| appears, apply the treatment second
time.-Philadelphia Record.