The Portland daily press., 1897-06-11
THE HOME.
The Chemistry of Cleaning.

ano, however clouded or milky the sur
face may become. The manufacturers
say that pianos should be washed with
soap and water. Use tepid water with
good quality of hard soap and soft wool
en- or cotton flannel cloths. Wash small
part at a time, rinse quickly with clear
water that the soap may not remain
long, and wipe dry Immediately. Do all
quickly A well-oiled cloth wiped over
the surface and a hard rubbing with
silk handkerchief will improve the ap-
pearance. If there are deep scratches
which go through the polish to the wood,
the water and soap should be replaced by
rotten-stone and oil, or dark lines will
appear where the alkali and water
touched the natural wood.
Painted surfaces, especially if white
may be cleaned with whiting applied
with a wet wooden cloth or soft sponge.
Never let the cloth be wet enough for the
water to run or stand in drops on the
surface. Wipe with the grain OF the
wood, rinse in clear water with second
soft cloth and wipe dry with third. All
moisture and warmth furnish the favor
able conditions of growth for all dust
germs, whether bacteria or molds.
Walls painted with oil paints may be
cleaned with weak ammonia water or
whiting in the same manner as wood
work; but if they are tinted with water
colors water cannot be used upon them,
as it will dissolve the coloring matter.
ssPapered walls should be wiped down
with cheese-cloth, with the rough side of
cotton flannel, or some other soft cloth.
Make bag the width of the broom or
brush used. Run in drawing strings.
Draw the bag over the broom and tie
closely round the handle just above the
broom corn. Wipe the walls down with
light stroke, and the paper will not be
injured. An occasional thorough cleans
ing will be needed to remove the greasy
and smoky deposits. This may be done
with ball of bread dough or with the
stale crumb.
Leather may be wiped with damp
cloth or be kept fresh by the use of
little kerosene. An occasional dressing
of some good oil, well rubbed in, will
keep it soft and glossy.
Marble may be secured with fine sand
soap or powdered pumice, or covered
with a paste of whiting or pipe-clay,
mixed with turpentine, amomnia, alco-
hol, or soft soap. This should be left to
dry. When brushed or washed off, the
marble will be found clean. Polish with
coarse flannel or piece of an old felt
hat. Marble is carbonate of lime, and
any acid, even fruit juices, will unite
with the lime, driving out the carbon
dioxide, which shows itself in efferves-
cence, If the quantity of acid be sufficient.
Acids then, should not touch marble,
if it is desired to keep the polish intact.
An encaustic of wax and turpentine is
sometimes applied to marbles to give
them sooth shining surface.
Pastes of whiting, pipe-clay, starch or
whitewash, may be put over ornaments
of alabaster, plaster and the like. The
paste absorbs the grease and, by reason
of its adhesive character removes the
CRIME and dust.
Most metals may be washed without
harm in hot alkaline solution or wiped
with little kerosene. The hard metals,
like iron, steel or copper, are not injured
by the friction of coarse materia S, but
the soft metals, tin, silver, zinc, or any
polished surface, require a fine powder
that they may not be scratched or worn
away too rapidly. The metal bath tubs
may be kept clean and bright with viii
ting and ammonia. Rinse with boiling
hot water and wipe dry with soft flannel
CT channels.
Porcelain may be cleaned like metal
or secured with any fine material.
Glass of windows, pictures and mirrors
may be cleaned in many ways. 1t may be
covered with a whiting paste mixed wit
water ammonia or alcohol. Let the paste
remain till dry, when it may be rubbed
off with a sponge, wooden cloth or paper
Polish the glass by hard rubbing with
soft silk, newspaper or chamois. Alcohol
evaporates more quickly than the water
and therefore hastens the process; but it
is expensive and should not touch the
sashes, as it might turn the varnish.
Very good results are obtained with ia
blespoonful of kerosene to, quart of
warm water. In winter when water
would freeze, windows may be wiped with
clear kerosene and rubbed dry. Kero
sene does not remove fly specks readily,
but will take off grease and dust. A bag
of coarsely woven cheese-cloth filled with
indigo or other powdered blue may be
busted over glass. This, when rubbed
hard with soft cloths or channels leaves a
fine polish. Success in washing glass
depends more upon manipulation than
thence and polishing. The outer surface
of windows often becomes roughened by
the dissolving action of rain water, or
milky and opaque by action between the
sun, rain and the potash or soda in the
glass. Ordinary cleaning will not make
such windows clear and bright. The
opaqueness may sometimes be removed by
rubbing thoroughly in diluted muriatie
acid. Then polish with the whiting
Kitchen Magazine.
Egg Tests.
Hold fresh egg to the light; it is
clear and translucent. Hold stale egg
o the light; it is cloudy and opaque.
Shake fresh egg gently; it is full.
Shake stale egg, it rattles.
Drop fresh egg in cold water Ga satp
urated solution is best); it sinks. Dro-
stale egg in cold water; it floats
Examine she'll of fresh egg; it is thick