Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-21
Faded Spots

In hardwood, from heat, light or the touch
of too strong alkalies, can be brought back
to their original color by repeated gentle
rubbings with boiled nnseed oil mixed with
one-eighth Of alcohol. Rub two or three
times each day. using a clean silk or linen
swab each time. Make swabs by rolling fine
cotton batting into tight small balls and
tying ball in square of Goth. The loose
cloth ends form a handle. Throw away
swabs as soon as they get hard or dirty.
To remove a dent upon cabinet wood, COW
er it with four thicknesses of wet paper and
set an extremely hot iron on the paper for
a minute. The steam will raise the COM
pressed wood layers. though 1t may play
hob with the varnish. Repeat the steaming
until there is an even surface. Then sand
paper the place, rub off well with alcohol or
naphtha and revarnish.
For rubbed place, sandpaper 1t smooth,
then swab light with paraffin oil and after
ward with a little dry color, the same as
recommended to make that particular wood
stain. Put on the merest suspicion Of the
color at first, use clean swab and repeat
the oil rubbing In between until the right
shade Is produced. Finish with a coat of
shellac varnish, lightly rubbed until dry.
A scratch that goes no deeper than the
varnish may be helped always and healed
sometimes by holding red hot poker an
inch above 1t for the space of half minute
and rubbing well as soon as it cools with
mixture of alcohol, olive Oil and pure cider
vinegar In equai parts This makes a cheap
and most excellent furniture polish. 1t
must be shaken well before using, rubbed
in with a wooden cloth, and polished with
another. Persistent rubbing with it will
efface the white marks left by hot or wet
things upon vanished wood.
Where the mixture is used as polish
pure and simple the thing to be polished
should first be well cleaned either with tur-
pentine, naphtha or warm soap suds. Wood
scratched deeper than the varnfsh should
not be washed with the suds, as the water
permanent stain. Mahogany especially old
mahogany, has a trick of getting fifmy, no
matter how well cared for. To remove the
film, wash it every three months with
weak, tepid suds, then polish with this pol
ish which is French and warranted to give
fine woods an Incompatible luster: French
polish for hard woods-Ten parts pale resin,
eighty parts benzine. five parts palm oil.
one-haf parts essence verbena, one and
one-half parts essence peppermint. Keep
Theoretically sealed, away from fire and
light Shake well before using. Apply with
a silk rag, and polish after with dry silk
cloth.
Papered Walls
May be cleaned with a mop of cheese cloth
strips an inch and a half wide and eight
inches long, made fast to a light handle.
Brush the paper well with it twice month.
Every spring and fall mix cornstarch,
whiting and powdered fuliers earth in
equal parts, dip the mop into the powder,
and rubs walls and ceilings well with it.
Then shake all powder from the mop. cover
1t with damp flannel, and go all over the
wall again, wtping in long straight strokes.
The flannel must be damp only. Wet, 1t is
apt to leave marks. AS soon as 1t is dirty
change 1t for fresh one.
Thick crust slices from stale bread also
will clean wall paper. Begin at the top and
rub downward with long steady strokes. 1t
Is a good way to cut square loaf In two,
lengthwise, rub with 1t till the cut surface
is soiled, then slice the dirt off. Fuller's
earth mixed to thin paste with ammonia
and let dry over grease spots will usually
remove them. Brush on the dry paste with
clean stiff brush.
For delicate paper fold powdered French
chalk fat inside thickness Of gauze, lay
the chalk pad against the grease spot, and
press well with an extremely hot Iron.
Properly managed there will be no mark
left. But where there is big spot the best
way Is to cut the paper square around 1t,
wet and scrape of; then put on new
piece, matching the wall pattern accurately.
There should be an extra roll saved over
from every room for Just such work.
Wicker Furniture
That has been vanished will not take
enamel without removing the varnish Pour
boiling water, with q little washing soda in
1t, over and through the wicker work for
at least ten nninutesi let 1t dry, then go
over It with a flannel wet In either turpen-
tine or naphtha- Leave in the air and next
day rub down with sandpaper. Bamboo,
rush and wicker things are better dyed than
painted. A good black dye Is made by dis
solving half a pound Of logwood extract In
three gallons of water. and after 1t boils
we'll. adding four ounces of biue vitriol dis
solved in a quart Of water. Boil ten min
utes longer, sAlm well. and apply hot with