Evening star., 1940-06-01
First Aid
For the
AHing House
BY ROGER b. WHITMAN.

@. I have a fiber rug with
through design that is very dingy
looking, in spite of washing with
mild soap. How can I brighten it?
A. If the rug is used indoors, you
can restore it with dye, such as
can be had at a drug store. After
cleaning, lay the rug on several
thicknesses of heavy paper, and ap-
ply the dye with broad paint brush
or whitewash brush. The dye should
be hot, and can be kept so by float
ing the container in a bucket of
hot water If the rug is for out
door use, ref1nish with house paint
thinned with one-quarter as much
turpentine. Brush the paint into
the fiber; it should not form
thick coating on the surface.
Rewaxing Floors.
@. How can dirt and old wax be
removed from floor before rewax-
ing? Would liquid or paste wax be
better? Floors have darkened un-
der and around the radiators.
A. Wax, and dirt that is ground
Into it, can be taken up by wiping
with cloths wet with turpentine.
This treatment should tighten the
floors under your radiators. Hard
wood floors should be finished with
shellac or varnish, finished with
paste floor wax. If wax is applied
directly to bare wood, dirt is likely
to 60 through, and the wood will
be darkened. When wax is put over
varnish or shellac, dirt cannot get
through, and cleaning off the wax
will leave the floors bright and in
condition for rewaxing.
Repainting Furniture.
Q. I have six chairs with four
coats of enamel that are Clipped.
How can I remove the enamel with
out sandpaperingo now do I refin-
ish? Mus. enamel have an under
coat of paint?
A. You can take off the enamel
with liquid paint remover, to be had
at paint store. Follow by rinsing
with turpentine to take off all traces
OF the remover, for otherwise the
new finish will not hold. An altern-
ative is a solution of one cup of tri-
sodium phosphate in a quart of
water; when applied boiling hot the
enamel will quickly soften and can
be wiped and scraped off. Follow by
rinsing with clear water. After thor
ough drying, put on one or two
coats of enamel undercoater or fiat
wall paint as a foundation for new
enamel
Creosote From Oil Burner.
Q. Two years ago I put a low
priced oil burner in my furnace: it
has three burners lighted separately
by hand. A black, oily liquid has
begun to seep through the CHM
ney walls. 1 thought it came from
rain, and had the chimney repoint-
ed, new f1ashings put on, and paint
ed the joints, but with no improve
ment. What is the cause? How
can stop it?
A. Your burner does not burn the
oil completely; some of the vapor-
lied oil starts up the chimney as
smoke, but before reaching the ton.
condenses on the cool masonry as
a black liquid that soaks through.
Rebuilding the chimney with a tight
fireclay flue lining would be one
remedy but better one would be
to replace the present burner with
a type that will give better COM
bustion.
Care of LinOleum.
O. once a week the cemented
Hnoleum in my kitchen is washed
with mild suds and dried and then
liquid wax is applied. Am I doing
right?
A. Yes, but in washing the floor
do not flood it with water. for this
might work down through the Joints
ana loosen the cement. It is safest
to take up the dirt with a cloth wet
with the suds of mild soap. working
IN sections and drying each section
as soon as it is clean. Thin coats
OF paste floor wax, well rubbed after
half hour for drying are usually
preferred to water wax, as being
longer lasting.
Refinishing Laundry Tubs.
Q. The bottoms of my laundry
tubs are wearing away, exposing
broken stone, and of course leaving
very rough surface. Would it be
practical to resurface with cement?
How?
A. 1t should be possible to resur-
race the bottoms of your tubs with
mixture of one part Portland ce-
ment and three parts clean build
Ing sand, using only enough water
to make the mixture workable, Soak