Year: 1878

household WORDS.


Every housewife will find the follow.
ing hints on cleaning to be very valu.
able, as they were furnished by good
authority:


Ironwork which is exposed to wet,
rusts rapidly; it is usually preserved
from the action of moisture either by
covering it with two or three coatings
of paint, as is customary in large out
door works, or by brushing it over with
a varnish termed Brunswick black; this
plan is usually followed in the case of
smaller substances used indoors. A
very superior plan of protecting small
iron goods from the injurious action of
wet, is to heat them little below red
ness, and while hot to brush them over
with common hnseed oil, which is de-
composed by the heat, and forms thin,
very firm coating of varnish, which IS
quite impervious to water, and, unlike
paint or Japan black, does not chip of.
1t is evident that this plan can only be
adopted in a limited number of cases,
but where it is available, we very
strongly recommend it.


Floor boarding and other woodwork is
exceedingly apt to be stained by various
substances split upon it. Ink stains, for
instance, are extremely obstinate; they
withstand washing many times, and at
last turn to a rusty iron color, from the
application of the alkali of the soap.
Both the black stain of recent ink and
the rusty ironmould may be re-
moved by the action of oxalic or muri-
attic acid. As wood is not likely to be
injured like cloth or linen, the latter
may be used, being the cheaper, and it
should be diluted with two or three
times its bulk of water, and applied until
the stain is removed. Grease which has
been trodden in, or has remained a long
time, should be first softened by the ap-
plication of little turpentiEe, and then
It will be found to yield more readily
than it otherwise would in the action Of
fullers earth and pearlash or soda.
Fruit stains are quickly removed by the
action of little chloride of lime, mixed
with water, and applied until the de-
sired effect is produced. It should be
borne in mind that all vegetable colors
are utterly destroyed beyond any resto-
ration, by the energetic action of this
agent.


Paint, when soiled, is readily cleaned
by soap and water; soda and peaflssh
are frequently employed, but they act
by removing portion of the paint, and
if not thoroughly washed of with clean
water afterwards, they will be found to
soften the whole. Caustic alkales, such
as the solution for washing on the new
plan, will rapidly dissolve paint, and are,
therefore, inapplicable for cleaning; /;
they may, however, be usefully employed
in removing paint from wood, where
such an operation is required.


Plate may be cleaned by rouge; or, If
this is not readily obtained, by washed
whiting; this is sreadily made by stirring
some whiting up with water, then allow
ing the larger particles and the grit to
subside, and pouring off the water charged
with the finer powder, which is allowed
to settle, and dried for use. When plate
isvery much stained, it may be cleaned
with putty powder, but this preparation
would soon wear away the silver if used
frequently or unnecessarily. 1t may be
mentioned that this substance is not
made from putty, its name might seem
to imply, but is q rust or oxide OF tin,
obtained ny heating the metal.


Japanned goods, such as tea-trays,
should not have boiling water poured
upon them, but should be washed with
warm water, and polished with piece
of wash-leather and fine Hour.


Knives: The common wooden knife
board wears out the knives very rapidly;
it is therefore much better to employ a
piece of buff-leather to cover the board ;
for very superior cutlery emery powder
should be used instead of Bath-brick.
Whatever the material of the board, It
will be rapidly spoiled by cleaning the
backs of knives npon the edge OF the
board to prevent this evil, small piece
of leather should be fixed at one end TO
clean the backs upon. We have seen
several knife-boards lately, covered with
material formed of Indian rubber
and powdered cork, which was manu-
factured as a substitute for foor-clothl
and sold under the name of 'kamptuli-
con :" but we have had no experience IN
their use. @


Steel forks are readily cleansed by
having pot of damp moss or bay, with
some sand intermixed, into which they
may be repeatedly thrust. II knives or
forks get an unpleasant tint, which cam
not be removed readily, they may be
plunged into the mould Of the gardeny
which has a very absorptive power, and
rapidly removes such odors.


Bedsteads may be freed from Vermin
by brushing them over in the cracks
with mixture formed of one ounce Of
corrosive sublimate, dissolved in half a
pint of oil of turpentine, and the same
quantity of any spirit, such as strong
gin or whisky this effectually prevents
their harboring. Butwhen first applied,
it possesses disagreeable odor from the
turpentine, and great care must be taken
with it, as it is excessively poisonous,
although from its disagreeable smell it is
not likely to be swallowed accidentally.
1t has been found that the presence of
odor of creosote Tin vessels which have
been used in carrying railway sleepers
prepared with this substance, to prevent
their rotting) has efectually driven away
these enemies of our nocturnal peace.
Unfortunately, the odor of creosote is
very powerful and unpleasant, but there
may be cases in which it may be appll-
cable. On the whole, constant and un-
remitting cleanliness, and the employ
ment of iron bedsteads, which are now
manufactured of the most elegant forms,
are the best means of getting rid OF these
pests.