Evening star., 1923-03-16
WHEN THE FLOORS NEED NEW
COVERINGS OR TREATMENT
Proper Uses of Varnish, Shellac, Wax
Oil or Paint-Freshening Up the
Household Furniture.

has much to do with the general at
ltractiyenesS of the whole room. IN
color and in finish q floor should
harmonize with the other features of
! a room.
At the time a housewife is deciding
on the color and design of a floor
covering, she must also be gathering
formation in regard to its wearing
qualities and it's cost, which should
not be sacrificed to anything else.
She will also want to choose some
thing that can be kept in order with
| the least work.
! AS a rule ii is most satisfactory to
| select rugs or other floor coverings
| that are in neutral colorS and incon-
SpicuouS designs which give floor
a fiat effect. and which is darker than
| the surrounding walls. 4 floor COW
ering should harmonic in color with
the parts of the bare floor that show,
and both these in turn should har-
monize with the walls. the furniture,
and the curtains in the room. rms
does not mean that all these features
1 of room must be in the shades of
one color, for such an arrangement
would soon become nonotonous, but
they should be colors that look wen
together and are so used that the
! floor appears darkest, the wall lighter
| and the ceiling the lightest of all.
The parts Of a floor that receive the
! hardest wear. near doors. for instance.
! or In halls. should he protected by
small rugs. Matting'is IA dainty Gov
cring for a bedroom. 1t can be
bought plain or in very attractive
J flower or conventional designs III
pretty colors to harmonize with
dainty bedroom furnishings. 1t VIII
| lie on the floor much f1atter and will
wear better if laid with the edges of
| the adjoining widths placed close to-
gether and tackled near the edge with
single tacks. The cut edges OF mat
ting should be either bound or turn ed
under at once to prevent fraying. To
clean mating or fiber or grass rugs,
| sweep with soft brush and occa-
sionally wipe with a slightly damp
cloth, or they may be cleaned with d
vacuum cleaner.
Carpets and rugs can be freed from
spots and ordinary soil in an easy
way without being removed from the
| floor. by using a cleaning preparation
! that is sold in quart cans. with an ap-
! pliance for using. This amount Is
| sufficient for cleaning by 12 rug.
1t requires little time and energy and
| is very effective.
! Mending holes. reinforcing worn
places or rebinding rugs or carpets
will often add greatly TO their ap-
| pearance and Servfceability. The car
I pet to be mended should be carefully
examined. to see whether the warp or
the filing threads. or both, need re-
! rewing or strengthening. and ma
terials for mending should then be
chosen that match the old ones in
! color and texture as nearly as pos
| sibIe. InErainS may be darned, with
! the ordinary overland under stitch
| used on stockings. and the pattern
worked in afterward. Pile carpet
| ingS, such as brussels. administers or
| wiltons, require a different method.
The linen, jute or cotton back should
| first be darned in, and then the pile
| made with loops of colored worsted
yarn, left uncut in brussels and clip
| ped in those with a velvety surface.
Curved scissors are especially con-
venient for this work.
Where to Use LinoIeum.
A kitchen floor needs a durable fin
| ish or covering that grease and wa
| ter do not affect. and that is easy to
| clean, comfortable to walk and stand
| on. and not slippery. Painting, OIL
| ing or covering the floor with some
washable material, such as linoleum,
| is very satisfactory. Linoleum is one
/ of the best and most serviceable of
all coverings for floors in kitchens,
pantries and bathrooms. 1t wears
| well and is easily cleaned.
| Before selecting Hnoleum a house
| wife should look at the edges of the
pieces for sale, and choose a piece of
| proper thickness for her purpose. The
| thicker the material the more wear
| it will give. SmoothneSs of finish is
also important, as 1t Is easily cleaned.
| Dirt does not grind into the smooth
| finished lineoleums. SO that they are
| easier to clean than those with a
| rougher surface.
When once laid linoleum is usually
left undisturbed until it is worn out,
| SO that special care should be taken
| when laying it down. The floor under
1t should be level, smooth, tight and
| dry. On rough floors 1t will wear
| unevenly.
Waxing or vanishing will improve
| the appearance of linoleum and make
| 1t last longer. Wax should be used
on the inlaid and plain kinds, and var
| nish on the printed ones. If either of
these finishes is applied the linoleum
| should then be cleaned and cared for
| like wood floor that is finished in
| the same way.