The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1920-10-13
CARELESS USE SOON SPOILS
APPEARANCE OF WOODWORK

Painted, Waxed, and Vanished
Floors Should Receive-When
Polish is Used, Rub Dry.
Wood forms large percentage of
the surfaces that must be cared for in
| home. The following suggestions
made by household specialists of the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture are to help the housekeeper to
preserve and keep in good condition
the wood, both in the interior of the
house itself and in the furniture.
Unfinished wood surfaces absorbs
grease and dirt more readily, are
more likely to stain, and are harder
to keep clean than those in which the
pores of the wood are filled with var
nish, oil, paint, or other finish. In
| general house should contain as few
unfinished wood surfaces as possible.
In the kitchen, for example, labor may
be saved by finishing or covering the
floor, by covering the table with oil
cloth, linoleum, or zinc, and by paint
ing or vanishing the rest of the fur
niture.
Scrubbing Unfinished Surfaces.
Unfinished wood surfaces may be
scrubbed with the grain of the wood,
using small quantities of water and a
mild soap, rinsed with cloth wrung
out of clear water, and wiped dry.
Strong soaps, alkalis, and too much
water darken wood and may soften it..
If the dirt can not be removed with
| soap and water, scourer, such as
fine steel wool or powdered pumic,
may be used. Unfinished wood can be
bleached with oxalic-acid solution,
which is poisonous. The wood should
| be covered thinly with the solution,
allowed to dry, and then thoroughly
washed until all traces of the acid are
removed
If grease is spilled on unfinished
wood, cold water should be applied at
once, if possible, in order to harden the
grease and prevent it's spreading, then
as much grease as possible should be
scraped off with knife and the spot
scrubbed with washing soda or lye
solution. If the spot appears dark,
paste made of fuiler's earth and
water should be spread over it and al
lowed to remain over night.
1t is advisable to sweep oiled floors
with soft brush and dust them with
dry or oiled mop. Occasionally they
may be washed and afterwards wiped
an oily cloth. Water should be used
sparingly, and care taken the oil in
we'll and not to use so much that a
surplus is left on the surface to hold
dust and be tracked onto rugs.
Varnish and shellacked surfaces
should ordinarily be busted clean with
soft brush or cloth and polished with
an oiled mop or soft cloth moistened
with few drops of light lubricatine
oil, lemon oil, or furniture polish. Rub
in wei 1.-The oil or polish and remove
any surplus with a soft cloth. In gen
eral, vanished and shellacked sur
faces should not be touched with wat
er; however, if badly soiled they may
be wiped with cloth rung of warm,
slightly soapy water, wiped dry at
once, and then polished with oil. The
appearance Of badly worn, vanished
woodwork may be improved by rub
bing it with a good grade of floor
wax.
Waxed surfaces may be cleaned
with soft, dry duster, or, in the case
Of floors, soft brush or a mop free
from OIL The film of dirt and wax
which darkens the surface may be re-
moved with cloth wrung out of warm
soapy water, or, better, with one mois-
tened with turpentihe or gasoline; the
latter method brightens as well as
cleans the surface, whereas water
dull sand whitens wax. Both turpen-
tine and gasoline are highly inflam-
mable and should never be used in a
room wheer there is fire or light
ed lamp or candle. Where a waxed
surface has been dulled by water the
|