_To give to boards a beautiful appearance._
After washing them very nicely clean with soda and warm water, and a
brush, wash them with a very large sponge and clean water. Both times
observe to leave no spot untouched, and clean straight up and down not
crossing from board to board; then dry with clean cloths, rubbing hard
up and down in the same way.
The floors should not be often wetted, but very thoroughly when done;
and once a week dry rubbed with hot sand, and a heavy brush, the right
way of the boards.
The sides of stairs or passages on which are carpets, or floorcloth,
should be washed with sponge instead of linen or flannel, and the edges
will not be soiled. Different sponges should be kept for the two above
uses; and those and the brushes should be well washed when done with,
and kept in dry places.
_Floorcloths._
Should be chosen that are painted on a fine cloth, that is well covered
with the colour, and the flowers on which do not rise much above the
ground, as they wear out first. The durability of the cloth will depend
much on these two particulars, but more especially on the time it has
been painted, and the goodness of the colours. If they have not been
allowed sufficient space for becoming thoroughly hardened, a very little
use will injure them; and as they are very expensive articles, care in
preserving them is necessary. It answers to keep them some time before
they are used, either hung up in a dry barn where they will have air, or
laid down in a spare room. When taken up for the winter, they should be
rolled round a carpet roller, and observe not to crack the paint by
turning the edges in too close.
Old carpets answer extremely well, painted and seasoned some months
before laid down. If for passages, the width must be directed when they
are sent to the manufactory, as they cut before painting.
_To clean Floorcloths._
Sweep, then wipe them with a flannel; and when all dust and spots are
removed, rub with a waxed flannel, and then with a dry plain one; but
use little wax, and rub only enough with the latter to give a little
smoothness, or it may endanger falling.
Washing now and then with milk after the above sweeping, and dry rubbing
them, give as beautiful a look, and they are less slippery.
_To take the black off the bright bars of polished Stoves in a few
minutes._
Rub them well with some of the following mixture on a bit of broadcloth;
when the dirt is removed, wipe them clean, and polish with glass, not
sandpaper.
_The mixture._
Boil slowly one pound of soft soap in two quarts of water to one. Of
this jelly take three or four spoonfuls, and mix to a consistence with
emery, No 3.
_To clean the back of the grate; the inner hearth; and of Castiron
Stoves, the fronts._
Boil about a quarter of a pound of the best black lead, with a pint of
small beer, and a bit of soap the size of a walnut. When that is melted,
dip a painter’s brush, and wet the grate, having first brushed off all
the soot and dust; then take a hard brush, and rub it till of a
beautiful brightness.
_Another way to clean Castiron, and black Hearths._
Mix black lead and whites of eggs beaten well together; dip a painter’s
brush, and wet all over, then rub it bright with a hard brush.
_To preserve Irons from rust._
Melt fresh _mutton suet_, smear over the iron with it, while hot; then
dust it well with unslacked lime pounded, and tied up in a muslin. Irons
so prepared will keep many months. Use no oil for them at any time,
except sallad oil; there being water in all other.
Fireirons should be kept wrapt in baize, in a dry place, when not used.
_To clean tin covers, and patent pewter Porterpots._
Get the finest whiting, which is only sold in large cakes, the small
being mixed with sand, mix a little of it powdered, with the least drop
of sweet oil, and rub well, and wipe clean; then dust some dry whiting
in a muslin bag over, and rub bright with dry leather. The last is to
prevent rust, which the cook must be careful to guard against by wiping
dry, and putting by the fire when they come from the parlour; for if but
once hung up without, the steam will rust the inside.
_To take rust out of Steel._
Cover the steel with sweet oil well rubbed on it, and in forty eight
hours use unslacked lime finely powdered, and rub until all the rust
disappears.
_To clean stone Stairs and Halls._
Boil a pound of pipe makers clay with a quart of water, a quart of small
beer, and put in a bit of stone blue. Wash with this mixture, and when
dry, rub the stones with flannel and a brush.
_To clear Paperhangings._
First blow off the dust with the bellows. Divide a white loaf of two
days old into eight parts. Take the crust into your hand, and beginning
at the top of the paper, wipe it downwards in the lightest manner with
the crumb. Do not cross or go upwards. The dirt of the paper and the
crumbs will fall together. Observe, you must not wipe above half a yard
at a stroke, and after doing all the upper, part, go round again,
beginning a little above where you left off. If you do not do it
extremely lightly, you will make the dirt adhere to the paper.
It will look like new if properly done.
_To clean Paint._
Never use a cloth, but take off the dust with a little longhaired brush,
after blowing off the loose parts with the bellows. With care, paint
will look well for a length of time. When soiled, dip a sponge or a bit
of flannel into soda and water, wash it off quickly, and dry
immediately, or the strength of the soda will eat off the colour.
When wainscot requires scouring, it should be done from the top
downwards, and the suds be prevented from running on the unclean part as
much as possible, or marks will be made which will appear after the
whole be finished. One person should dry with old linen as fast as the
other has scoured off the dirt and washed the soda off.
_To clean Lookingglasses._
Remove the fly stains, and other soil, by a damp rag; then polish with
woollen cloth and powder-blue.
_To preserve Gilding, and clean it._
It is not possible to prevent flies from staining the gilding without
covering it; before which, blow off the light dust, and pass a feather
or clean brush over it; then with strips of paper cover the frames of
your glasses, and do not remove it till the flies are gone.
Linen takes off the gilding, and deadens its brightness; it should
therefore never be used for wiping it.
Some means should be used to destroy the flies, as they injure furniture
of every kind, and the paper likewise. Bottles hung about with sugar and
vinegar, or beer, will attract them; or fly water put into the bottom of
a saucer.
_To clean Plate._
Boil an ounce of prepared hartshorn powder in a quart of water. While on
the fire, put into it as much plate as the vessel will hold; let it boil
a little, then take it out, drain it over the saucepan, and dry it
before the fire. Put in more, and serve the same, till you have done.
Then put into the water some clean linen rags till all be soaked up.
When dry, they will serve to clean the plate, and are the very best
things to clean the brass locks and fingerplates of doors. When the
plate is quite dry, it must be rubbed bright with leather.
This is a very nice mode.
_Note._ In many plate powders there is a mixture of quicksilver, which
is very injurious; and, among other disadvantages, it makes silver so
brittle, that from a fall it will break.
_To give a fine Colour to Mahogany._
Let the tables be washed perfectly clean with vinegar, having first
taken out any ink stains there may be with spirits of salt; but it must
be used with the greatest care, and only touch the part affected, and be
instantly washed off. Use the following liquid: into a pint of cold
drawn linseed oil, put four penny worth of alconet root, and two penny
worth of rose pink, in an earthen vessel; let it remain all night, then
stirring well, rub some of it all over the tables with a linen rag; when
it has lain some time, rub it bright with linen cloths.
Eating tables should be covered with mat, oilcloth, or baize, to prevent
staining, and be instantly rubbed when the dishes are taken off, while
still warm.
_To dust Carpets and Floors._
Sprinkle tea leaves on them, then sweep carefully. The former should not
be swept frequently with a whisk brush, as it wears them fast; but once
a week, and the other times with the leaves and a hair brush.
_To clean Carpets._
Take up the carpet, let it be well beaten, then laid down, and brushed
on both sides with a hand brush. Turn it the right side upwards, and
scour it with oxgall, and soap and water, very clean, and dry it with
linen cloths.
_To take Stains out of Marble._
Mix unslacked lime, in finest powder, with the stronger soap lye, pretty
thick; and instantly, with a painter’s brush, lay it on the whole of the
marble. In two months time wash it off perfectly clean; then have ready
a fine thick lather of soft soap, boiled in soft water; dip a brush in
it, and scour the marble with powder, not as common cleaning. This will,
by very good rubbing, give a beautiful polish. Clear off the soap, and
finish with a smooth hard brush till the end be effected.
_To clean Calico Furniture, when taken down for the Summer._
Shake off the loose dust, then lightly brush with a small longhaired
furniture brush; after which wipe it closely with clean flannels, and
rub it with dry bread.
If properly done, the curtains will look nearly as well as at first.
Fold in large parcels, and put carefully by.
While the furniture remains up, it should be preserved from the sun and
air as much as possible, which injure delicate colours; and the dust may
be blown off with bellows.
_To preserve Furs and Woollen from Moth._
Let the former be occasionally combed while in use, and the latter be
brushed and shaken. When not wanted, dry them first, let them be cool,
then mix among them bitter apples from the apothecary’s, in small muslin
bags, sewing them in several folds of linen, carefully turned in at the
edges.