Evening star., 1941-02-22
First Aid
For the
AHing House
By ROGER b. WHITMAN.

BY ROGER b. WHITMAN
@. I keep my Oriental rugs down
about seven months of the year.
When sending them out to a reliable
firm to be cleaned, should they be
washed or just brush dry-cleaned?
They do not look soiled, as use a
vacuum once a week and a carpet
sweeper daily. The same applies to
Chinese rugs.
A Rugs made with fast colors
should be shampooed or washed oc-
caSionally, but you must make GER
tain that the firm that is going to
do the cleaning is reliable and knows
how to clean Oriental rugs. Chinese
rugs, particularly, can be ruined if
handled by an unreliable cleaning
establishment.
Sulphur Candles.
Q. would like to use a sulphur
candle to kill off vermin in the bed
room. Would this affect the color
of the wallpaper and mahogany
furniture? Should all clothes first
be removed?
A. Neither sulphur candles nor
any other kind Of fumigant can be
used within city limits, except by
a licensed eXterminator. Sulphur
candles have a bleaching effect on
colors, in fabrics as we'll as wall
paper, and will tarnish bright
metals.
Picked Pine.
@. How can I pickle an unfinished
pine chest?
A. After smoothing with sand
paper and wiping off all dust, give
the chest coat of white paint, and
while the paint is still wet, wipe it
off with cheese-cloth. This will
leave white in the pores. After
drying, rub smooth with fine sand
paper and finish with clean pene-
trating wax, or clear mixed with
enough walnut penetrating wax to
give slight tone.
Polished Brass.
G. How can I keep brass polished
and shining; brass that is exposed
" lllc N6dIIlClr dS "C1l a L1SIOC.
Could I use any kind of protective
finish?
A. Brass that is not handled can
be protected with clear lacquer. Door
plates, knobs and other parts that
are continually handled cannot be
treated in this way, for the lacquer
would quickly wear. Your problem
is one that has faced housewives
since the earliest days, and there is
no other answer than using a good
metal polish.
Cracked Asbestos Cement.
G. The asbestos covering has
cracked and broken off around the
feed door of my heating boiler, leav-
ing the iron exposed. I have tried
several times to repair this with
some of the asbestos cement. I
mixed it with a small amount of
water and applied a thin coat when
the furnace was going. When this
dried I applied another coat. 1t
falls off after a short interval. What
is the best way to do the job?
A. In the first place the boiler
should be cold and remain so until
the asbestos cement has dried.
After applying the first thin coat,
place a piece of wire screening over
the new cement; slip the edges of
the screening under the old insula-
ton. Then apply the rest of the
cement.
Paint for Brick Walls.
@. Which is better and more ap-
for a plain brick house
from the standpoint of longer wear
-Whitewash or paint? Whichever
I use, should like it to be good
looking and durable.
A. For best results on new brick
walls Use a paint made with a Port
land cement base. 1t comes in
powder form and is mixed with
'~ater. You can get it at mason
: lateral yards or a well-stocked
aint store.
Galvanized Screening.
@. Not long ago I rescreened my
Porch with galvanized wire. Please
tell me the best way to preserve it
from rust.
A. When you take down the
for the winter, clean them
then coat them with a
mixture of two parts spar varnish,
one part linseed oil and one part
Allow galvanized metals
to weather for a couple of months
before vanishing or painting.
Insufficient Heat.
@. We have a hot-air furnace
with an oil burner and registers
in all rooms. There are no return
air ducts. and upstairs rooms are
never too warm. Would blower
help?
A. You cannot expect heated air
to come through the registers if
tie cooled air in the rooms cannot
e-cape to make place for it. Cut
ting an inch off the bottoms of the
(ooTs would give the air chance
to escape, and the heated air should
then come in more freely. A blower
is an advantage on a hot-air sys-
ten. and can be had in combination
with an air cleaner and humidifier.
Any heating contractor can supply
it.
Wood Shingles Split.
@. We have a wood shingle roof
on our house The roof is nearly
five years old. A few of the shingles
have turned up at the ends, and
others have spread apart showing
openings and letting in rain during
heavy transforms. Could you sug-
gest a paint or stain that would
fill up small cracks and prevent
further warping?
A. Where the shingles have
spread apart, leaving openings, they
can be closed with pieces Of single
ply tar paper, three or four inches
wide and six or more inches long.
Slip the tar paper under the shin
giles over the opening and secure it
in place with a dab Of roofing
cement. If the shingles have not
been treated in five years time,
they should be given a thorough
soaking with a creosote shingle
efoiy,