No soap should ever be used for them--they should be washed in fair
water, and rubbed with a clean, soft cloth, till dry. A little sweet
oil, rubbed on occasionally, gives them a fine polish. The furniture
should be rubbed over with a cloth dipped in oil, then rubbed over with
a clean cloth till it appears dry and polished. White spots on varnished
furniture may be removed by rubbing them with a warm flannel, dipped in
spirits of turpentine. Ink spots may be removed by rubbing them with a
woollen cloth, dipped in oil of vitriol and water mixed, being careful
not to touch any part of the furniture that is not spotted. As soon as
the ink is extracted, rinse the spot with pearl-ash water, and then with
fair water. It is said that blotting paper alone will extract the ink,
if rolled up tight, and rubbed hard on the spots. If it answers the
purpose, it is altogether best to use it, as there is always danger
attending the use of oil of vitriol, it being so powerful as to corrode
whatever it may get dropped on, without its effects are destroyed by the
use of an alkali.