Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1899-02-02
LINoLEUMS VS.. STAINED BOARDS.
A Subject Housekeepers of Small
Means Care to Discuss.

Linoleums are now to be obtained in
such artistic designs and colorings
that it is by no means difficult to find
that will blend we'll with any carpet,
and as the material has so many ad-
vantages which cannot be claimed for
stained boards, it is a pity that ii
should not be more generally used.
Having recently had occasion to
furnish small house at the seaside,
determined to indulge my fancy for
linoleum as a border to all the carpets
throughout the house instead of follow
ing the almost universal custom of
stained boards, and with the happiest
result. So great, indeed, has been the
success of this departure from the
usual method that / think 1t may in
terest others to hear how l managed
my rooms, and II any are tempted to
follow my example, and will also fol-
low the directions l give for keeping It
in order, / am sure they will feel re-
warded by the result. OF course, taste
must be exercised to produce a good
effect in this as in everything else.
No one, for instance, would place a
light-tcned linoleum outside a dark
carpet, or vice versa, but take dark
carpet Of rich, subdued tones, suitable
for a dining room, and border 1t with
one of the dark brown linoleums made
to initiate parquet floor, and the Of
feet is excellent. These dark limo
lam CHI ha NJ
soap and water find the best way 10
keep them bright and dark is to rub
them over once a week with oil and
methylated spirit mixed in equal guam
titles, using only a little at a time on
soft cloth, and then rubbing perfectly
dry with another cloth or with
chamois leather.
The drawing room Is treated in a
different manner. The carpet being
light, have chosen to go with 1t a
linoleum that Is such an exact imita-
ton of Indian mating that 1t might
easily be mistaken for 1t, the touches
of red and green in the design lending
warmth to the general effect.
For bedrooms | like a white ground
with design in neutral tints. 1t gives
room such clean and cheerful as
pect, and blends well with art squares
Of rather an unpronounced type, OF
which there so many. A damp cloth
passed over the linoleum to remove the
dust when the room is being done is all
that Is necessary, though soap and wa
ter can be used occasionally, but care
must be taken to dry II Immediately.
The worst enemy to linoleum is the
housemald, with her dearly-loved pail
of water and scrubblng brush, and it
is difficult to convince her that lib
era1 use Of water is mistake; unless
we'll looked after she will scrub 1t like
a boarded floor, and leave II to dry OF
it's own accord, fast or slowly, as the
case may be. It speaks well for the
material that is will resist even this
treatment, but, naturally, 1t wears
much longer II properly cleaned.
OF the hall and passages 1t is unnec-
essary to speak, fer here 1t is that limo
leum relgns supreme. My endeavor
has been to show that It might with
advantage be more generally intro
duced into the rooms, thereby saving
great deal OF labor that is now ex-
pended upon polishing stained boards,
and without In the least detracting
from the artistic appearance OF the
house.