Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1907-01-24
CARE OF THE FLOOR
USEFUL biREcrIoNs FOR THE
CAREFUL HOUSEWIFE
Expert Tells Of Methods He Uses In
Keeping In Condition the Floor
In Large City Hotel.

Hardwood floors are Incoming more
and more OF a necessity in the aver.
age home.
They are practical, sanitary and In
che end less expensive than carpets.
besides affording opportunities for
artistic rugs.
In hotels and large houses the floors
are under the supervision of a man
who comes In once moBth or 80 to
refurbish and look them over.
Smaller households cen attend TO
these details themselves.
The following directions given BY q
noor finisher may help some persons
who can not have. their floors taken
care OF by experts.
THE most important part OF finish
sing fioor." says this man who at
tends TO the large hotels In a city,
is to give II q smooth. soft appear.
ance.
1T should be well planned, scraped
and sandpapered 70 give II nm even
surface before any filing IL applied.
mo. sandpaper is best for this
purpose. II is ruinous to a floor to
pnish II without properly preparing It
IN the beginning.
"varnish should be seldom used
on q floor. II had my way l should
never use II. but some persons prefer
Il for kitchens. bathrooms and hoora
that need wiping with water.
III the floor ia old the first step IL
20 scrape II thoroughly. using cabi.
net makers seraper. This is a round.
ed piece OF sheet tin and does not
scratch the floor while II will remove
every particle of old dirt and Filings.
"If tho varnish sticks badly the
hard places can be soaked with I've
and water before using the scraper.
"A new floor will not have any
holes, but an old floor may have many
that will have to be pulled up be.
fore applying any finish.
Care must be taken not to use
ouch oil In doing this. as It spreads
on the wood and when the hole is
Illled the surface must be smoothed
with the scraper.
The next step is to apply the coat
ing.
cts object ia to bring out the grain
of the wood and 1t should be rubbed
In with a rag. Linseed oil is good for
this.
IL let Il lie about ten minutes be-
fore wiping for the last time. When
the floor is dry | apply coat OF
sheliac. thin this, so It win dry
readily, and apply with a wide and
pliable brush. Then 1 wax the floor
with q prepared wax which l buy by
the pounds and use white cotton
rag for the purpose.
after the floor has remained In
this state over night polish II with
the heaviest polishing iron can use
Sometimes this iron weighs sc
pounds and the floor looks so well
Z am repaid for the effort. l always
have success II l am allowed 70 finish
a door exactly In this manner"
= II there are stains use a little tur
pentine on q rag to remove them un
less they are Ink stains. in which case
a little oxalic acid will remove them
The true secret OF good looks In
hardwood floors is never to wash then
In soap and water.
II wax makee them too slippery th'
Bhellac alone can be supplied.
Soft wood floors can be finished like
hardwood, and though they are more
easily scratched they are TO be pre-
ferred to carpets.
Il Is a mistake to put coloring mat
ter on floor.
Natural color is always preferable
either In hard OF soft wood.