burning sulphur may be employed. The material should be first cleaned
by thoroughly sponging with an aqueous solution of potassium carbonate,
followed by a similar application of water, and it is then suspended
over the sulphur fumes. These are generated by placing in a metal or
earthen dish, so mounted as to keep the heat from setting fire to
anything beneath, some brimstone (roll sulphur), and sprinkling over
it some live coals to start combustion. The operation is conducted in
a deep box or barrel, the dish of burning sulphur being placed at the
bottom, and the article to be bleached being suspended from a string
stretched across the top. A cover not fitting so tightly as to exclude
all air is placed over it, and the apparatus allowed to stand for a few
hours.
Hats so treated will require to be stiffened by the application of a
little gum water, and pressed on a block with a hot iron to bring them
back into shape.
«Waterproof Stiffening for Straw Hats.»—If a waterproof stiffening is
required use one of the varnishes for which formulas follow:
I.—Copal 450 parts
Sandarac 75 parts
Venice turpentine 40 parts
Castor oil 5 parts
Alcohol 800 parts
II.—Shellac 500 parts
Sandarac 175 parts
Venice turpentine 50 parts
Castor oil 15 parts
Alcohol 2,000 parts
III.—Shellac 750 parts
Rosin 150 parts
Venice turpentine 150 parts
Castor oil 20 parts
Alcohol 2,500 parts
«How to Clean a Panama Hat.»—Scrub with castile soap and warm water, a
nail brush being used as an aid to get the dirt away. The hat is then
placed in the hot sun to dry and in the course of two or three hours is
ready for use. It will not only be as clean as when new, but it will
retain its shape admirably. The cleaned hat will be a trifle stiff at
first, but will soon grow supple under wear.
A little glycerine added to the rinsing water entirely prevents the
stiffness and brittleness acquired by some hats in drying, while a
little ammonia in the washing water materially assists in the scrubbing
process. Ivory, or, in fact, any good white soap, will answer as well
as castile for the purpose. It is well to rinse a second time, adding
the glycerine to the water used the second time. Immerse the hat
completely in the rinse water, moving it about to get rid of traces of
the dirty water. When the hat has been thoroughly rinsed, press out the
surplus water, using a Turkish bath towel for the purpose, and let it
rest on the towel when drying.
«PAINT, VARNISH, AND ENAMEL REMOVERS:»
«To Remove Old Oil, Paint, or Varnish Coats.»—I.—Apply a mixture of
about 5 parts of potassium silicate (water glass, 36 per cent), about 1
part of soda lye (40 per cent), and 1 part of ammonia. The composition
dissolves the old varnish coat, as well as the paint, down to the
bottom. The varnish coatings which are to be removed may be brushed off
or left for days in a hardened state. Upon being thoroughly moistened
with water the old varnish may be readily washed off, the lacquer as
well as the oil paint coming off completely. The ammonia otherwise
employed dissolves the varnish, but not the paint. {188}
II.—Apply a mixture of 1 part oil of turpentine and 2 parts of ammonia.
This is effective, even if the coatings withstand the strongest lye.
The two liquids are shaken in a bottle until they mix like milk. The
mixture is applied to the coating with a little oakum; after a few
minutes the old paint can be wiped off.
«To Clean Brushes and Vessels of Dry Paint» (see also Brushes and
Paints).—The cleaning of the brushes and vessels in which the varnish
or oil paint had dried is usually done by boiling with soda solution.
This frequently spoils the brushes or cracks the vessels if of glass;
besides, the process is rather slow and dirty. A much more suitable
remedy is amyl acetate, which is a liquid with a pleasant odor of
fruit drops, used mainly for dissolving and cementing celluloid. If
amyl acetate is poured over a paint brush the varnish or hardened
paint dissolves almost immediately and the brush is again rendered
serviceable at once. If necessary, the process is repeated. For
cleaning vessels shake the liquid about in them, which softens the
paint so that it can be readily removed with paper. In this manner much
labor can be saved. The amyl acetate can be easily removed from the
brushes, etc., by alcohol or oil of turpentine.
«Varnish and Paint Remover.»—Dissolve 20 parts of caustic soda (98 per
cent) in 100 parts of water, mix the solution with 20 parts of mineral
oil, and stir in a kettle provided with a mechanical stirrer, until the
emulsion is complete. Now add, with stirring, 20 parts of sawdust and
pass the whole through a paint mill to obtain a uniform intermixture.
Apply the paste moist.
«To Remove Varnish from Metal.»—To remove old varnish from metals, it
suffices to dip the articles in equal parts of ammonia and alcohol (95
per cent).
«To Remove Water Stains from Varnished Furniture.»—Pour olive oil into
a dish and scrape a little white wax into it. This mixture should be
heated until the wax melts and rubbed sparingly on the stains. Finally,
rub the surface with a linen rag until it is restored to brilliancy.
«To Remove Paint, Varnish, etc., from Wood.»—Varnish, paint, etc., no
matter how old and hard, may be softened in a few minutes so that they
can be easily scraped off, by applying the following mixture:
Water glass 5 parts
Soda lye, 40° B. (27 per cent) 1 part
Ammonia water 1 part
Mix.
«Removing Varnish, etc.»—A patent has been taken out in England for a
liquid for removing varnish, lacquer, tar, and paint. The composition
is made by mixing 4 ounces of benzol, 3 ounces of fusel oil, and 1
ounce of alcohol. It is stated by the inventor that this mixture, if
applied to a painted or varnished surface, will make the surface quite
clean in less than 10 minutes, and that a paint-soaked brush “as hard
as iron” can be made as soft and pliable as new by simply soaking for
an hour or so in the mixture.
«To Remove Enamel and Tin Solder.»—Pour enough of oil of vitriol
(concentrated sulphuric acid) over powdered fluorspar in an earthen or
lead vessel, so as just to cover the parts whereby hydrofluoric acid is
generated. For use, dip the article suspended on a wire into the liquid
until the enamel or the tin is eaten away or dissolved, which does
not injure the articles in any way. If heated, the liquid acts more
rapidly. The work should always be conducted in the open air, and care
should be taken not to inhale the fumes, which are highly injurious to
the health, and not to get any liquid on the skin, as hydrofluoric acid
is one of the most dangerous poisons. Hydrofluoric acid must be kept in
earthen or leaden vessels, as it destroys glass.
«Removing Paint and Varnish from Wood.»—The following compound is given
as one which will clean paint or varnish from wood or stone without
injuring the material:
Flour or wood pulp 385 parts
Hydrochloric acid 450 parts
Bleaching powder 160 parts
Turpentine 5 parts
This mixture is applied to the surface and left on for some time. It
is then brushed off, and brings the paint away with it. It keeps moist
quite long enough to be easily removed after it has acted.
«Paste for Removing Old Paint or Varnish Coats.»—
I.—Sodium hydrate 5 parts
Soluble soda glass 3 parts
Flour paste 6 parts
Water 4 parts
II.—Soap 10 parts
Potassium hydrate 7 parts
Potassium silicate 2 parts
{189}
«To Remove Old Enamel.»—Lay the articles horizontally in a vessel
containing a concentrated solution of alum and boil them. The solution
should be just sufficient to cover the pieces. In 20 or 25 minutes the
old enamel will fall into dust, and the article can be polished with
emery. If narrow and deep vessels are used the operation will require
more time.
«INK ERADICATORS:»
«Two-Solution Ink Remover.»—
I.—(_a_) Citric acid 1 part
Concentrated solution of borax 2 parts
Distilled water 16 parts
Dissolve the acid in the water, add the borax solution, and mix by
agitation.
(_b_) Chloride of lime 3 parts
Water 16 parts
Concentrated borax solution 2 part
Add the chloride of lime to the water, shake well and set aside for a
week, then decant the clear liquid and to it add the borax solution.
For use, saturate the spot with solution (_a_), apply a blotter to take
off the excess of liquid, then apply solution (_b_). When the stain
has disappeared, apply the blotter and wet the spot with clean water;
finally dry between two sheets of blotting paper.
II.—(_a_) Mix, in equal parts, potassium chloride, potassium
hypochlorite, and oil of peppermint. (_b_) Sodium chloride,
hydrochloric acid and water, in equal parts.
Wet the spot with (_a_), let dry, then brush it over lightly with
(_b_), and rinse in clear water.
A good single mixture which will answer for most inks is made by mixing
citric acid and alum in equal parts. If desired to vend in a liquid
form add an equal part of water. In use, the powder is spread well over
the spot and (if on cloth or woven fabrics) well rubbed in with the
fingers. A few drops of water are then added, and also rubbed in. A
final rinsing with water completes the process.
«Ink Erasers.»—I.—Inks made with nutgalls and copperas can be removed
by using a moderately concentrated solution of oxalic acid, followed by
use of pure water and frequent drying with clean blotting paper. Most
other black inks are erased by use of a weak solution of chlorinated
lime, followed by dilute acetic acid and water, with frequent drying
with blotters. Malachite green ink is bleached by ammonia water; silver
inks by potassium cyanide or sodium hyposulphite. Some aniline colors
are easily removed by alcohol, and nearly all by chlorinated lime,
followed by diluted acetic acid or vinegar. In all cases apply the
substances with camel’s-hair brushes or feathers, and allow them to
remain no longer than necessary, after which rinse well with water and
dry with blotting paper.
II.—Citric acid 1 part
Water, distilled 10 parts
Concentrated solution of borax 2 parts
Dissolve the citric acid in the water and add the borax. Apply to the
paper with a delicate camel’s-hair pencil, removing any excess of water
with a blotter. A mixture of oxalic, citric, and tartaric acids, in
equal parts, dissolved in just enough water to give a clean solution,
acts energetically on most inks.
«Erasing Powder or Pounce.»—Alum, 1 part; amber, 1 part; sulphur, 1
part; saltpeter, 1 part. Mix well together and keep in a glass bottle.
If a little of this powder is placed on an ink spot or fresh writing,
rubbing very lightly with a clean linen rag, the spot or the writing
will disappear at once.
«Removing Ink Stains.»—I.—The material requiring treatment should first
be soaked in clean, warm water, the superfluous moisture removed, and
the fabric spread over a clean cloth. Now allow a few minims of liquor
ammoniæ fortis, specific gravity 0.891, to drop on the ink spot, then
saturate a tiny tuft of absorbent cotton-wool with acidum phosphoricum
dilutum, B. P., and apply repeatedly and with firm pressure over the
stain; repeat the procedure two or three times, and finally rinse well
in warm water, afterwards drying in the sun, when every trace of ink
will have vanished. This method is equally reliable for old and fresh
ink stains, is rapid in action, and will not injure the most delicate
fabric.
II.—To remove ink spots the fabric is soaked in warm water, then it is
squeezed out and spread upon a clean piece of linen. Now apply a few
drops of liquid ammonia of a specific gravity of 0.891 to the spot,
and dab it next with a wad of cotton which has been saturated with
dilute phosphoric acid. After repeating the process several times and
drying the piece in the sun, the ink spot will have disappeared without
leaving the slightest trace. {190}
III.—Ink spots may be removed by the following mixture:
Oxalic acid 10 parts
Stannic chloride 2 parts
Acetic acid 5 parts
Water to make 500 parts
Mix.
IV.—The customary method of cleansing ink spots is to use oxalic acid.
Thick blotting paper is soaked in a concentrated solution and dried.
It is then laid immediately on the blot, and in many instances will
take the latter out without leaving a trace behind. In more stubborn
cases the cloth is dipped in boiling water and rubbed with crystals of
oxalic acid, after which it is soaked in a weak solution of chloride
of lime—say 1 ounce to a quart of water. Under such circumstances the
linen should be thoroughly rinsed in several waters afterwards. Oxalic
acid is undesirable for certain fabrics because it removes the color.
V.—Here is a more harmless method: Equal parts of cream of tartar and
citric acid, powdered fine, and mixed together. This forms the “salts
of lemon” sold by druggists. Procure a hot dinner plate, lay the part
stained in the plate, and moisten with hot water; next rub in the
above powder with the bowl of a spoon until the stains disappear; then
rinse in clean water and dry.
«To Remove Red (Aniline) Ink.»—Stains of red anilines, except eosine,
are at once removed by moistening with alcohol of 94 per cent,
acidulated with acetic acid. Eosine does not disappear so easily. The
amount of acetic acid to be used is ascertained by adding it, drop by
drop, to the alcohol, testing the mixture from time to time, until when
dropped on the stain, the latter at once disappears.
«CLEANING OF WALLS, CEILINGS, AND WALL PAPER:»
See also Household Formulas.
«To Renovate Brick Walls.»—Dissolve glue in water in the proportion of
1 ounce of glue to every gallon of water; add, while hot, a piece of
alum the size of a hen’s egg, 1/2 pound Venetian red, and 1 pound
Spanish brown. Add more water if too dark; more red and brown if too
light.
«Cleaning Painted Doors, Walls, etc.»—The following recipe is designed
for painted objects that are much soiled. Simmer gently on the fire,
stirring constantly, 30 parts, by weight, of pulverized borax, and 450
parts of brown soap of good quality, cut in small pieces, in 3,000
parts of water. The liquid is applied by means of flannel and rinsed
off at once with pure water.
«To Remove Aniline Stains from Ceilings, etc.»—In renewing ceilings,
the old aniline color stains are often very annoying, as they penetrate
the new coating. Painting over with shellac or oil paint will bring
relief, but other drawbacks appear. A very practical remedy is to
place a tin vessel on the floor of the room, and to burn a quantity of
sulphur in it after the doors and windows of the room have been closed.
The sulphur vapors destroy the aniline stains, which disappear entirely.
«Old Ceilings.»—In dealing with old ceilings the distemper must be
washed off down to the plaster face, all cracks raked out and stopped
with putty (plaster of Paris and distemper mixed), and the whole rubbed
smooth with pumice stone and water; stained parts should be painted
with oil color, and the whole distempered. If old ceilings are in bad
condition it is desirable that they should be lined with paper, which
should have a coat of weak size before being distempered.
«Oil Stains on Wall Paper.»—Make a medium thick paste of pipe clay and
water, applying it carefully flat upon the oil stain, but avoiding all
friction. The paste is allowed to remain 10 to 12 hours, after which
time it is very carefully removed with a soft rag. In many cases a
repeated action will be necessary until the purpose desired is fully
reached. Finally, however, this will be obtained without blurring or
destroying the design of the wall paper, unless it be of the cheapest
variety. In the case of a light, delicate paper, the paste should be
composed of magnesia and benzine.
«To Clean Painted Walls.»—A simple method is to put a little aqua
ammonia in moderately warm water, dampen a flannel with it, and gently
wipe over the painted surface. No scrubbing is necessary.
«Treatment of Whitewashed Walls.»—It is suggested that whitewashed
walls which it is desired to paper, with a view to preventing peeling,
should be treated with water, after which the scraper should be
vigorously used. If the whitewash has been thoroughly soaked it can
easily be removed with the scraper. Care should be taken that every
part of the wall is well scraped. {191}
«Cleaning Wall Paper.»—I.—To clean wall paper the dust should first
be removed by lightly brushing, preferably with a feather duster, and
the surface then gently rubbed with slices of moderately stale bread,
the discolored surface of the bread being removed from time to time,
so as to expose a fresh portion for use. Care should be taken to avoid
scratching the paper with the crust of the bread, and the rubbing
should be in one direction, the surface being systematically gone over,
as in painting, to avoid the production of streaks.
II.—Mix 4 ounces of powdered pumice with 1 quart of flour, and with the
aid of water make a stiff dough. Form the dough into rolls 2 inches in
diameter and 6 inches long; sew each roll separately in a cotton cloth,
then boil for 40 or 50 minutes, so as to render the mass firm. Allow to
stand for several hours, remove the crust, and they are ready for use.
III.—Bread will clean paper; but unless it is properly used the job
will be a very tedious one. Select a “tin” loaf at least two days old.
Cut off the crust at one end, and rub down the paper, commencing at
the top. Do not rub the bread backwards and forwards, but in single
strokes. When the end gets dirty take a very sharp knife and pare off a
thin layer; then proceed as before.
It is well to make sure that the walls are quite dry before using the
bread, or it may smear the pattern. If the room is furnished it will,
of course, be necessary to place cloths around the room to catch the
crumbs.
IV.—A preparation for cleansing wall paper that often proves much more
effectual than ordinary bread, especially when the paper is very dirty,
is made by mixing 2/3 dough and 1/3 plaster of Paris. This should
be made a day before it is needed for use, and should be very gently
baked.
If there are any grease spots they should be removed by holding a hot
flatiron against a piece of blotting paper placed over them. If this
fails, a little fuller’s earth or pipe clay should be made into a paste
with water, and this should then be carefully plastered over the grease
spots and allowed to remain till quite dry, when it will be found to
have absorbed the grease.
V.—Mix together 1 pound each of rye flour and white flour into a dough,
which is partially cooked and the crust removed. To this 1 ounce common
salt and 1/2 ounce of powdered naphthaline are added, and finally 1
ounce of corn meal, and 1/8 ounce of burnt umber. The composition
is formed into a mass, of the proper size to be grasped in the hand,
and in use it should be drawn in one direction over the surface to be
cleaned.
VI.—Procure a soft, flat sponge, being careful that there are no
hard or gritty places in it, then get a bucket of new, clean, dry,
wheat bran. Hold the sponge flat side up, and put a handful of bran
on it, then quickly turn against the wall, and rub the wall gently
and carefully with it; then repeat the operation. Hold a large pan or
spread down a drip cloth to catch the bran as it falls, but never use
the same bran twice. Still another way is to use Canton flannel in
strips a foot wide and about 3 yards long. Roll a strip around a stick
1 inch thick and 10 inches long, so as to have the ends of the stick
covered, with the nap of the cloth outside. As the cloth gets soiled,
unroll the soiled part and roll it up with the soiled face inside.
In this way one can change places on the cloth when soiled and use
the whole face of the cloth. To take out a grease spot requires care.
First, take several thicknesses of brown wrapping paper and make a pad,
place it against the grease spot, and hold a hot flatiron against it to
draw out the grease, which will soak into the brown paper. Be careful
to have enough layers of brown paper to keep the iron from scorching
or discoloring the wall paper. If the first application does not take
out nearly all the grease, repeat with clean brown paper or a blotting
pad. Then take an ounce vial of washed sulphuric ether and a soft,
fine, clean sponge and sponge the spot carefully until all the grease
disappears. Do not wipe the place with the sponge and ether, but dab
the sponge carefully against the place. A small quantity of ether is
advised, as it is very inflammable.
«CLOTHES AND FABRIC CLEANERS:»
«Soaps for Clothing and Fabrics.»—When the fabric is washable and the
color fast, ordinary soap and water are sufficient for removing grease
and the ordinarily attendant dirt; but special soaps are made which may
possibly be more effectual.
I.—Powdered borax 30 parts
Extract of soap bark 30 parts
Ox gall (fresh) 120 parts
Castile soap 450 parts
First make the soap-bark extract by boiling the crushed bark in water
until it has assumed a dark color, then strain the liquid into an
evaporating dish, and {192} by the aid of heat evaporate it to a solid
extract; then powder and mix it with the borax and the ox gall. Melt
the castile soap by adding a small quantity of water and warming, then
add the other ingredients and mix well.
About 100 parts of soap bark make 20 parts of extract.
II.—Castile soap 2 pounds
Potassium carbonate 1/2 pound
Camphor 1/2 ounce
Alcohol 1/2 ounce
Ammonia water 1/2 ounce
Hot water, 1/2 pint, or sufficient.
Dissolve the potassium carbonate in the water, add the soap previously
reduced to thin shavings, keep warm over a water bath, stirring
occasionally, until dissolved, adding more water if necessary, and
finally, when of a consistence to become semisolid on cooling,
remove from the fire. When nearly ready to set, stir in the camphor,
previously dissolved in the alcohol and the ammonia.
The soap will apparently be quite as efficacious without the camphor
and ammonia.
If a paste is desired, a potash soap should be used instead of the
castile in the foregoing formula, and a portion or all of the water
omitted. Soaps made from potash remain soft, while soda soaps harden on
the evaporation of the water which they contain when first made.
A liquid preparation may be obtained, of course, by the addition of
sufficient water, and some more alcohol would probably improve it.
«Clothes-Cleaning Fluids:»
See also Household Formulas.
I.—Borax 1 ounce
Castile soap 1 ounce
Sodium carbonate 3 drachms
Ammonia water 5 ounces
Alcohol 4 ounces
Acetone 4 ounces
Hot water to make 4 pints
Dissolve the borax, sodium bicarbonate, and soap in the hot water, mix
the acetone and alcohol together, unite the two solutions, and then add
the ammonia water. The addition of a couple of ounces of rose water
will render it somewhat fragrant.
II.—A strong decoction of soap bark, preserved by the addition of
alcohol, forms a good liquid cleanser for fabrics of the more delicate
sort.
III.—Chloroform 15 parts
Ether 15 parts
Alcohol 120 parts
Decoction of quillaia bark of 30° 4,500 parts
IV.—Acetic ether 10 parts
Amyl acetate 10 parts
Liquid ammonia 10 parts
Dilute alcohol 70 parts
V.—Another good non-inflammable spot remover consists of equal parts
of acetone, ammonia, and diluted alcohol. For use in large quantities
carbon tetrachloride is suggested.
VI.—Castile soap 4 av. ounces
Water, boiling 32 fluidounces
Dissolve and add:
Water 1 gallon
Ammonia 8 fluidounces
Ether 2 fluidounces
Alcohol 4 fluidounces
«To Remove Spots from Tracing Cloth.»—It is best to use benzine,
which is applied by means of a cotton rag. The benzine also takes
off lead-pencil marks, but does not attack India and other inks. The
places treated with benzine should subsequently be rubbed with a little
talcum, otherwise it would not be possible to use the pen on them.
«Removal of Paint from Clothing.»—Before paint becomes “dry” it can be
removed from cloth by the liberal application of turpentine or benzine.
If the spot is not large, it may be immersed in the liquid; otherwise,
a thick, folded, absorbent cloth should be placed under the fabric
which has been spotted, and the liquid sponged on freely enough that
it may soak through, carrying the greasy matter with it. Some skill
in manipulation is requisite to avoid simply spreading the stain and
leaving a “ring” to show how far it has extended.
When benzine is used the operator must be careful to apply it only in
the absence of light or fire, on account of the extremely inflammable
character of the vapor.
Varnish stains, when fresh, are treated in the same way, but the action
of the solvent may possibly not be so complete on account of the gum
rosins present.