Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-09-23
FreShen Ub The House For Winter
Especially Written for the Perth AM
Boy EVENING NEWS
BY l.. RAY ~BALDERsTON

professor of Housewifery, Teachers
College, Columbus University
NEW YORK, Sept. 23:-The chief
business of fall cleaning is the reno
walton and refurnishing of the homo
for the winter season.
Most of the family's time is now
spent indoors-or soon will be when
the III of autumn hikes and nut
ting parties is done. Therefore the
wise householder is setting her wits
to work to make the house as attrac-
tive and welcoming as possible. Sum-
mer furnishings are put away and
, heavier carpets, curtains, cushions
and draperies are bought or brought
out of storage. Comfort and cheer
fulness are the end sought in all this
autumn campaign-and the first step
is cleaning!
Here are the ways experience has
taught us are best In treating some
of the types of furniture found in
every home.
Wicker furniture, If unstained, Is
easily cleaned. A stiff brush should
be used and strong ammonia water
about one "teaspoonful Of ammonia to
q quart of water-and after going
over the wicker thoroughly with the
ammonia water, rinse in clear water.
A garden hose in the yard is good to
use for rinsing. Furniture that Is
stained is best cleaned by using just
a dry brush. Try to guard against
wicker furniture getting dusty, by
brushing 1t each time the room is
cleaned and cover before sweeping.
Any one of the oil wood dyes may
be diluted and used as a stain for
wicker. To add stain means that the
color will probably be darke AL
ways keep in mind that two coatings
of light stain will produce more even
ooloring han to use a dark stain at
the beginning. 1t is a fair test to say
that a stain may be first tried for
its color by brushing a piece of news
paper with the stain. The color OF
the paper will be very near that of
the wicker. 1t is not advisable to
paint wicker furniture unless one is
willing to continue doing it very Of
ten. The wicker pliable and gives
with use, causing the paint to crack.
Furniture that is to be reprinted
must be treated like n wood.
whether the furniture is an iron bed
or a bureau. Any scratched or brok-
en- surface of the paint should be
brought down to a smoothed level.
This can be done by using the very
finest sandpaper or steel wool, size
90. Rub the spot. If patching is to
be done, until very smooth, then
with whatever paint Is to be used,
touch the spots only. n coat like
this will probably bring them to the
, surface level, so that when h spots
are dry an all-over coat of paint can
be put on. Two coats will give bet
ter results, because they are likely to
smooth the surface. This is q splen-
did way to renovate a white enamel
iron bed.
Brass knobs: Brass knobs on beds
can be polished until the metal is
bright, and then with a very thin
coat Of lacquer be painted over the
surface. In using the lacquer try not
to lift the brush, because to let in air
means that the lequer will be cloud
cd.
Cretonne cushions: Such cushions
] as have been used in summer may
,, be cleaned by washing. OF course
this means ripping them up. TIC
wash cretonne use lukewarm water
and with 1t make a u d of good
white soap, hen rinse. II 1t Is q good
quality cretonne 1t will not need to
be starched, but If of q poorer quail
ity, the dressing which was in 1t orig
inally will have to be replaced by q
thin starch water. At no time, how
, ever, should the cretonne be stiff and
, look starched. Iron On wrong side to
prevent gloss.
If the cushion is an upholstered
one, the old cover may be used al
a pattern, and the old buttons may
be covered by taking small circles OF
. the material, running a gathering
thread around the outer edge of thu
cover circle, and drawing it in. i
this is done carefully there will bt
no little pleats on the edge of thu
button mold. Coarse thread. a sacl
or upholstery needle. will make !
very easy to put back the tuftint
buttons.