The record-union., 1897-02-25
HOW TO POLISH FLOORS.
Miss Parloa Gives Many Useful Hints
to HOusekeeperS.


The fourth of Miss Parloa's lectures
on domestic economy, given at the Y.
w. G. A Muilding, I East t1fteentn
street, was full of practical information
for the housewife who would keep her
floors and furniture at their best. Whale
not advising any one to do over all her
furniture and floors herself, Miss Parloa
said it was well to know how to repair
occasional ravages caused by time or ac-
cideut and how best to keep the polished
or vanished floors in good condition.
In caring for hardwood floor, said
Miss Parloa, water is the worst pos
sible thing to use upon 1t. Any liquid
spilled on polished floor, unless wiped
up at once, leaves dark, ugly spot, and
if there is a scratch there discolors it
permanently
Sweep daily, and dust with a piece
of ingram carpet under the foot or
wrapped about a broom. If there are
soiled spots, wipe up with turpentine,
but remember, if the floor is waXed, this
will remove the wax, and this must be
put on again, being careful not to extend
the waxing beyond the original spot.
Melt little beeswaX in a cup over the
register, or in hot bath on the back of
the range. Apply with a soft cloth and
rub hard. You cannot put too much
strength into waxing, but If you are
polishing furniture or woodwork with
pumice stone and oil, or pumice stone
and water, rub evenly, with good many
strokes, but do not bear on with much
weight.
once a week all floors should be gone
over with a weighted brush. These
with, but pay for themselves in the end.
They should always be covered when
put away, and kept on the first floor"
How do you get into the corners?"
was asked.
This you have to do with a flannel
and on your knees" was the answer.
Unlike the English, Dutch or japanese
housewives who prefer to do their
floor polishing kneeling, Miss Parloa
raises serious objection to the straining
Of ones joints or the muscles of the
back unless this absolutely necessary.
She commends the French method
the use of polishing brushes, made of
Russian bristles, strapped to the feet
like skates, or pieces of ingram carpet
wrapped around the feet, and a sliding
motion, which combine to give an excel
lent polish with a minimum expenditure
of strength. An interesting illustration
Of this method was instanced by Miss
Parloa, in the floors of the Davenport
Home, near Bath, in this State, where
the children, supplied with woolen
socks over their shoes, merrily slide and
slip about hand-in hand, to the accom-
paniment of appropriate kitchen garden
songs, until the floors all over that
building are delightful to behold. This
affords a suggestion for the private
house supplied with active children.
number of formulas were given in
full for restoring color to woodwork and
furniture, removing stains and making
polishes. An admirable encaustic used
by the French for polishing floors,
furniture and marble is composed Of one
pound of wax and one pint of turpentine.
Melt the wax in a water bath Of gentle
heat. When quite soft, remove from the
fire and beat in the turpentine. If it is
to be used on furniture, one gill of alco-
hol should also be we'll stirred in, unless
soft finish is desired, when the alcohol
may be omitted and a gill of paraffine
oil used instead.
For oak furniture or woodwork that
needs renewing, take one pint of paraf
fine oil, one and one-half gills turpen-
tine and three tablespoonfus each of
raw umber and whiting. For antique
oak little lampblack should be added.
New York Tribune.