The Washington herald., 1915-02-07
CLEANING HELPS AND HINTS.

In the old days every careful and well
trained housewife gave a good deal Of
attention to the subject of taking out
spots-spots from clothes, and furniture,
and carpets and walls and ceilings. Per-
haps there is less need for a home knowl-
edge of spot remOvers nowadays than
there used to be. Expert cleaners are
! more numerous and their work is cheap
er. comparatively speaking than il used
to be. But there Is still a chance for
the saving of many pennies to the womL
an who knows something about how to
remove spots.
French chalk Is one @: the best cleans
| ing agents there is. 1t is a successful
remover of grease in many cases. To
! apply IT, rub 1t over the greasy portion
and leave 1t on for a day or two. Then
carefully brush and shake it out. II the
grease has not disappeared, repeat the
treatment.
French chalk often removes grease
spots from wall paper. as we'll as from
fabrics. Simply crumble the chalk over
the spot, and leave it on for twenty-four
hours or longer. Then carefully remove
il.
Another way to remove grease spots
| is to put a blotter over them and then
apply a warm iron. The iron melts the
grease and the blotter absorbs it. This
is a good method. But it is a bad method
to use hot water to remove grease unless
something absorbent, like the-blotter is
at hand to absorb it.
= To remove paint or varnish from cot
ton goods soak the spots in turpentine or
benzine and then wash thoroughly in
soapy water.
To clean woolen clothes sponge them
with a mixture OF four parts of grain
alcohol and one of ammonia. Then rinse
the place with a sponge dipped in clear
water.
! To remove oil from the rug. if it is
| spilled there. sprinkle cornmeaI rather
! thickly in it The grains of meal absorb
the oil and should be brushed UP when
the spot seems dry.
Iron rust can be removed from almost
| every substance with lemon juice. II
! often appears on marble. as well as on
clothing. On clothing it comes from
rust fiat irons or rusty hooks and eyes
both things that can be avoided There
are non-rusting hooks and eyes on the
market, and. moreover. any garment
equipped with hooks and eyes can be
very carefully folded or rolled when Il is
! sprinkled so that the hooks do not touch
any more of the cloth than is necessary.
A strip of muslin can be folded over
I them.
For coffee stains, dip the article on
which the coffee Is spilled into boiling
water as soon as possible.
Fruit and wine stains must be soaked
in cold water. If>they do not disappear
with this treatment dip the stained part
into mixture of a cupful of rain water
and a teaspoonfuI of oxaIic acid. Rinse
| Immediately. Oxalic acid is poisonous,
! SO should be handled carefully.
Knives with steel blades can only be
kept clean by constant work. Bath brick
| Is good cleaner, and so are many of
the commercial cleaning powders and
bricks. Bath brick rubbed on steel with
half row potato is effective Bath brick
mixed with washing soda is also effec-
| tive.
Copper furnishes perhaps more quickly
than any other metal. To clean 1t rub 1t
with a cut lemon dipped in table salt.
Then rinse II with clear water and polish
| II with n soft dry cloth. OF course
|
much to keep copper, like everything else,
| in good condition.
Brass is not so difficult TO keep clean.
1 But when 1t gets tarnished or spotted II
Is as difficult to get clean again. Wash
/ IL first in n suds to which ammonia II
added in equal parts with the water.
| Then rinse IL and then rub II with some
silver polish that you know to be reli-
I able. Vinegar can be used to remove tar
nish spots from brass. Lacquered brass
I should never be cleaned with anything
but hot water. Polish it only with a dry
cloth.
Kitchen woodwork Is a problem. very
I often. 1t comes in contact with the
fumes from cooking. and Is often
| splashed with tiny particles Of grease. II
1 Is treated, too. to a daily bath OF steam.
No wonder that il looks soiled and in
need of cleaning within a short time
after 1t has been vanished or painted.
1t is a good plan to clean 1t with a soft
brush. unless this scratches II. II It does,
cover the brush with q layer of thin
flannel The bristles will still reach into
crevices and corners. but will not scratch
the wood.