The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-04-12
CLEANING OF FURNITURE.
A Budget q Information That VIII
&, Come in Handy mt House
Cleaning Time.

cleaning and renovation of certain ar
ticles of furniture which are apt to
become soiled or give evidence of wear
and tear, but which a little trouble
and attention may go long way to
restoring. For example, leather
covered chair may get a shabby look
before it is convenient or even neces-
sary to replace the covering. In this
case first wash the leather with a
soft sponge squeezed nearly dry from
hot soapsuds, remove as much mois-
ture as possible by rubbing with a
dry flannel cloth wet with kerosene OF
a little fish oil, and when thoroughly
rubbed in leave in the open air till
the odor has disappeared, says House
hold.
Where the housewife prefers the
natural color she can clean it very sat
isfactorily as follows: First brush
away all the dust that may have ac-
cumulated in the crevices, then dis
solve some oxalic acid crystals and
scrub all parts of the chair with a
hard, strong brush, using plenty OF
elbow grease. Finally, leave in the
sun and wind to dry quickly. To clean
white marble mantel piece sift
through fine sieve two parts of soda,
one of pumice stone and one of finely
powdered chalk and mix to a paste
with water. Rub in the paste and all
the stains will disappear, and then rub
off with warm water containing lit
tie ammonia. Oil stains can be re-
moved from marble with mixture
of common clay and benzine and
lemon juice will frequently erase iron
stains. For ink spots on marble
makea paste by dissolving an ounce Of
oXalic acid and half an ounce of but
ter of antimony and add enough flour
to make thin paste. Spread on the
stain, leave few days, and then wash
off. For discoloration by smoke rub
with flannel soaked in ammonia and
then wash off with hot soapsuds.
Brass may be successfully cleaned
with salt and strong vinegar, but the
surface must be carefully washed i'm
mediately afterward and thoroughly
dried with flannel cloth. Rotten
stone made into paste with kerosene
is also capital, rubbed on with soft
cloth, washed off with hot suds, and
rapidly wiped dry. A strong solution
of oXalic acid will sometimes clean
soiled brass when all else has failed
1t should be applied with brush and
the brass vigorously secured, after
which treat as by the former meth.
DDS. Brass stair rods and other ar
ticles that have been lacquered should
never be treated with acid or paste
but quickly washed with warm soap
suds, in which very little fluid am
monia may be dropped, wiped dry and
placed before the fire or in the sun
For silver or nickel-plated articles
a mixture of soda and ammonia may
be used for cleaning and thin paste
of whiting for polishing. A soft brush
should be used to remove the whiting
from the interstices in worked or en-.
graved articles. l have already said
that silver or plate. which is always
washed in clean, hot water. with plen
ty of soapsuds, requires but little pol
ishing to keep it bright.
For freshening tables, sideboards
and other solid pieces of furniture.
and for woodwork generally, various
methods are used. For grained woods
washing with cod tea and wiping dry
with soft cloth, while for vanished
or oiled natural wood few drops OF
ammonia in soft water are all that
are necessary for cleansing. Then
rub lightly with flannel cloth dipped
in mixture of one part of raw lin
seed oil with two parts of turpentine
The white spots seen on vanished
furniture may generally be removed
by rubbing with spirits of camphol
and Immediately afterward with fur,
niture polish or oil, cotton cloth be-
ing used for rubbing in and flannel
one for polishing. To remove scratch,
es rub well with cloth dipped in
polish prepared by mixing in a bottle
an ounce each of shel'ac and kerosene
oil and half an ounce each of raw lin
seed oil and turpentine. The bottle
should be we'll corked and well shak.
en- before the contents are used. For
cleaning woodwork painted in a light
tone use a soft flannel cloth and soft
warm water to which a few drops OF
ammonia have been added. If this
does not clean the paint use a little
finely powdered pumice stone on the
much coiled places, but avoid soap, as
the alkali is apt to soften the surface
and turn white paint yellow. Before
polishing furniture with dull sur
face clean the wood with n cloth wet
with little turpentine, then polish
with flannel and raw linseed oil. If
picture frame has become fiy-specked
the spots may be removed with stale
beer. Then, if it be a gilded frame, IT
may be freshened with a coat of re-
touched varnish; if or polished hard
wood rub with equal parts of turpen-
tine and boiled linseed OIL A plush
mount faded by the sun may, in many
instances, be restored by moistening
its surface with chloroform.
BucLwheat Cakes, Southern Recipe.
into a very stiff batter with yeast
cake dissolved in lukewarm water In
the morning, when ready to prepare
them for breakfast, beat one egg very
light and stir it in; also add table
spoonful of sirup mixed with a cupful
of sweet milk. Put in handful of corn
meal and beat all thoroughly until the
batter looks smooth and light. If too
thick. more sweet milk may be added.
Ladies World, New York.
u = 4. i.