AN IMPROVED COMPOUND FOR CLEANING, RESTORING, AND PRESERVING CARPETS, RUGS, AND SIMILAR FABRICS
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 19th March 1872.-A communication from abroad by Robert
Willis Knowles, of the City, County, and State of New York,
United States of America.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED COMPOUND FOR CLEANING, RESTORING,
AND PRESERVING CARPETS, RUGS, AND SIMILAR FABRICS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an efficient and harmless compound for
cleaning and restoring to their original brightness carpets, rugs, and
similar fabrics, the compound being adapted to be used upon carpets
without taking them up from off the floor.
The following is the mode of preparing the compound:-I first take
ten pounds of what is known in the United States of America as
"Bell & Co.'s chemical soap," slice it up fine, and place in a suitable
vessel, and pour in gradually about thirteen gallons of warm water, stirring
thoroughly, until the soap is completely dissolved. During the stirring
operation I add three and one half pounds of sal-soda, one half pound of
ammonia, one half pound of alcohol, and four and one quarter ounces of
washing crystal," which when mixed together will make about a small.
r¢

page_text: barrel full of the compound. I do not however confine myself to the
exact proportions of the ingredients above stated.
Before proceeding to apply this compound to the carpet I prepare a
"wash" as follows:-I pour three pounds of alcohol into a gallon jug,
and after adding four pounds of ammonia the jug is thoroughly shaken
so as to completely mix the contents. Whenever it is desired to clean a
carpet on the floor-it-must first.be swept with a broom so as to remove
the surface dust, lint, and other dirt, after which the carpet is subjected
to the following treatment:-I provide two buckets, and fill one of them
full of the "cleaning compound," and the other about three-fourths full
of warm water, into which I pour three-fourths of a pound of the
"wash preparation." The wash preparation is then applied to the carpet
with a brush, and well rubbed so as to remove the loose dirt, after which
the cleaning compound is applied in the same manner. The carpet is
now rubbed by the hand of the operator or with a small wooden scraper,
so as to collect the loosened dirt together, which is then removed from
the room. The dirt having been thus removed, the carpet is rubbed with
a wet towel so as to remove the odor of the compound, and when wiped
with a dry towel the colors will appear in all their original brightness.
After one small portion has been subjected to this treatment, another
portion is proceeded with, and so on until the entire carpet has been
thoroughly cleaned.
The room will be ready for the occupants in two hours after the carpet
has been cleaned, and the operation can be carried on without removing
the furniture from the apartment.
This compound will not only not injure the fabric, but will preserve
it from the ravages of moths and other vermin. Carpets cleaned with
this compound do not become hard and stiff, but on the contrary it'
renders them as soft and pliable as when new. One bucket full of the
compound and one half bucket of the wash will be sufficient to clean
forty yards of carpeting, it being understood that the fabric is merely
moistened or dampened and not saturated.
The wash preparation forms no part of the Invention, and may be
omitted if desired.