may be best finished in the open air; but if the weather be damp
or doubtful, the article should be, without delay, spread before a
fire, or hung in an apartment where there is a strong current of air.
A dry cloth should be placed on the line hedge, or horse, and the
woollen article spread upon it. The more quickly the drying can be
accomplished the better. For this reason, settled dry weather should
be chosen for this kind of work; if windy, all the better.
165. _Family Washing._--[The following method, though not generally
known, is much practiced in many families.] Melt together half a
pound each of washing soda and of soap cuttings, mix well with
sixteen gallons of water, pour it lukewarm over the dirty linen,
and leave to soak for twenty-four hours. Drain this water from the
clothes, and put them into a boiler, with a second supply of the same
preparation cold, and let them boil for rather a longer time than if
they had been previously washed. They will then require to be washed
out in clean, warm water, looking carefully over them that the parts
requiring it may be rubbed; afterwards rinse in the usual way. This
direction applies to all white and brown-holland articles. Bobbinet,
and lace, retain their color best, if only _scalded_, not _boiled_.
This mode of washing has been adopted for many years in a family of
seven persons; the linen is of an excellent color, with only half the
assistance formerly required, and the quantity of soap used is much
lessened.
N. B. The refuse water is a good manure for fruit trees.
166. _Substitutes for Soap._--Put any quantity of pearl-ash or soda
into a large jar, cover it lightly, and in a few days it will become
liquid; then mix with it an equal quantity of newly-slaked lime, and
double its quantity of soft water: boil it half an hour, add as much
more hot water, and pour off the liquor.
Two ounces of pearl-ash, used with a pound and a half of soap, will
effect a considerable saving.
For coarse purposes, soft soap is a saving of nearly one-half. The
most economical plan of keeping hard soap, is to cut it into pieces
of about a pound each, and keep it moderately dry.
A little pipe-clay dissolved in the water, or rubbed with the soap on
the clothes, will give the dirtiest linen the appearance of having
been bleached; it will also clean them with about half the labor, and
a saving of full one-fourth of the soap. Pipe-clay will also render
hard water nearly as soft as rain-water.
Carpets, moreen curtains, or other woollen goods, may be cleaned with
the coarse pulp of potatoes, used as a kind of soap.
167. _Horse-chestnut Soap._--It is not generally known that the
horse-chestnut contains a soapy juice, not only useful in bleaching,
but in washing linens and stuffs. The nuts must be peeled and ground,
and the meal of twenty of them will be sufficient to mix with ten
quarts of hot water, with which the clothes may be washed without
soap; the clothes should then be rinsed in spring-water. The same
meal being steeped in hot water, and mixed with an equal quantity of
bran, will make a nutritious food for poultry.
168. _To wash a Cotton Counterpane._--Slice a pound of mottled soap,
dissolve it in a pailful of boiling water, and add a small lump of
pearl-ash; next, put the counterpane into warm water, with a bowl of
the soap-solution, beat it and turn it, wash it in a second liquor,
and rinse it in cold water; then put three tea-spoonfuls of liquid
blue into a thin liquor, stir together, and put in the counterpane;
beat it a few minutes, and dry it in the air.
169. _To wash Silk Stockings, White and Black._--Cut in thin bits
some white soap, and boil it in soft water; pour a little of it among
cold, soft water, and wash the stockings, first upon the inner side;
repeat the washing with fresh suds and water, till they are washed
quite clean; turn the outside, the last time of washing, and if the
feet be very dirty, rub a little of the boiled soap upon them, but
not upon the legs. If to be colored, mix the dye with a little clean
suds, and dip in the white stockings; draw them out smooth, and lay
them upon a sheet on a bed, with the window open, and when almost
dry, lay them upon a piece of flannel, and with another bit rolled
up, rub them hard and quick one way till they are dry.
170. _To wash Thread Stockings and Gloves._--Fine thread-stockings
and gloves should be well soaped, put into a lather of cold water,
and boiled; they should then be put into a fresh, cold lather, and be
boiled again; when, on taking them out, they will require little more
than rinsing.
171. _To wash Cotton Stockings._--Lay them in cold water at night;
next day boil them in a copper with some soda and soap; stir them
well about, and they will become quite clean without any rubbing;
rinse them well in cold water, and bleach them; when nearly dry,
draw them smooth, folding them straight over the instep. Place them
under a heavy weight, or iron them.
172. _To wash Cotton Bed-furniture, and printed Calicoes in
general._--1. Get rid of as much dirt as possible, by brushing and
shaking.
2. Do not let the dirty things lie about in a damp wash-house, or in
any way become damp before they are fairly wetted.
3. On no account use a particle of soda, pearl-ash, or any thing of
the kind.
4. Allow plenty of water, and plenty of room in the tub.
5. Use soft water, no hotter than would be pleasant for washing the
hands.
6. Rub with soap in the ordinary way. Mottled soap is preferable to
yellow. If a general wash is about, the liquor in which flannels have
been washed the second time, does very well for the first washing of
colored things; or that in which muslins have been washed a second
time, provided no soda or anything else of the kind was used.
7. When the first washing is completed, have ready another tub
with water of the same degree of warmth, into which put each piece
immediately on wringing it out of the first liquor.
8. Repeat the process of washing in the second liquor, carefully
observing that every part is clean.
9. On wringing out of the second liquor, immediately plunge each
piece into cold _spring_ water for rinsing.
10. On wringing each piece out of the rinsing water, immediately hang
it out, and let it dry as quickly as possible.
11. In hanging up, put any thick double parts next the line, letting
the thinner part hang down and blow about. When these are dry, the
positions may be changed, and the thick parts hung downwards.
12. If, through unfavorable weather, or any other circumstance, the
drying cannot proceed at once, the things had better remain all night
in the rinsing water, than be laid about damp. If they are half-dry
out-of-doors, when taken in for the night let them be hung or spread
in a room, and again hung out early next day. If there is no chance
of favorable drying abroad, they should be quickly dried before a
fire, or round a stove.
13. If starching is required, a sufficient quantity of made starch
may be stirred into the rinsing water.
173. _How to wash Printed Dresses._--A very cool lather of white
soap, of the best quality, should be used, as the inferior soaps
contain rosin, and other pernicious ingredients most destructive to
colors. Soda, pearl-ash, vinegar, alum, salt, washing-powder, &c.,
although they may not injure some colors, should never be used; for
they will most certainly destroy others. Printed dresses should not
be washed with household or body linen, or put into scalding water.
It is desirable to wash colors with a light hand, so as not to
subject them to hard rubbing, and to rinse with plenty of clean cold
water, and to dry in the open air. Claret, chocolate, purple, lilac,
red, pink, and black, are the most permanent; the cloth for these
colors being prepared in a peculiar manner, and which process has the
effect of better fixing them to it. Blue, green, drab, ruby, crimson,
buff, dahlia, orange, and cinnamon, as they do not admit of the cloth
being so prepared, of course require more careful treatment, or some
of the surface color may possibly on the first washing scale off
and tinge the white, especially if not well rinsed; but by a little
discretion the most delicate colors may be effectually preserved.
174. _To wash Chintz, so as to preserve its Gloss and Beauty._--Take
two pounds of rice and boil it in two gallons of water, till soft;
when done, pour the whole into a tub; let it stand till about the
warmth you in general use for colored linens; put the chintz in, and
use the rice instead of soap; wash it in this, till the dirt appears
to be out; then boil the same quantity as above, but strain the rice
from the water, and mix it in warm water. Wash it in this till quite
clean; afterwards rinse it in the water the rice was boiled in; this
will answer the end of starch, and no dew will affect it, as it will
be stiff while it is worn. If a gown, it must be taken to pieces, and
when dried, hang it as smooth as possible; after dry, rub it with a
sleek stone, but use no iron.
175. _To protect Children from Burning._--Add one ounce of alum to
the last water used in rinsing children's dresses, and they will be
rendered uninflammable, or so slightly combustible that they would
take fire slowly, if at all, and would not flame.
176. _Composition for Washing in Sea-water._--Mix a strong solution
of potash with an equal weight of pipe-clay, and work them to a
paste, one pound of which will soften four gallons of sea-water.
177. _To bleach a Faded Dress._--Wash the dress in hot suds, boil
it and rinse it, then dry it in the sun. Should it not be rendered
perfectly white, lay the dress in the sun for several days.
178. _To preserve the Color of a Print Dress._--Rip the skirt from
the body, and wash them in cold rain water in which a handful of
common salt has been thrown. Do not expose it to the sun to dry, but
roll it tightly in a coarse cloth until dry enough to iron.
179. _To wash White Lace._--A quarter of a cake of white wax, six
lumps of sugar, and a dessert-spoonful of made starch, to be mixed
with a quart of soft water. Tack the lace very slightly in a thin
cloth dipped in cold water, then let it lie in a strong lather for
one day. Change the water, and leave it in a second lather all night.
Put the above materials into a saucepan, boil the lace in it for ten
minutes, then throw it into cold water, and when nearly dry iron it.
180. _Washing Kid Gloves._--Have ready a little new milk in one
saucer, and a piece of brown soap in another, and a clean cloth or
towel, folded three or four times. On the cloth, spread out the glove
smooth and neat. Take a piece of flannel, dip it in the milk, then
rub off a good quantity of soap to the wetted flannel, and commence
to rub the glove downwards towards the fingers, holding it firmly
with the left hand. Continue this process until the glove, if white,
looks of a dingy yellow, though clean: if colored, till it looks dark
and spoiled. Lay it to dry, and the operator will soon be gratified
to see that her old gloves look nearly new. They will be soft,
glossy, smooth, shapely, and elastic. Dark, and especially black
mourning gloves, should be of the very best and high-priced.
181. _To iron Shirt Fronts and Dresses._--Shirt-fronts are most
conveniently ironed upon a deal board about 12 inches long and 8
wide, covered with fine flannel; to be placed between the back and
front of the shirt, after the back is ironed. The skirts of dresses
also may be ironed in a similar manner, using a board as long as the
skirt, 26 inches wide at one end, and 12 inches at the other. The
board should be covered with a blanket, and rest upon a thin block of
wood at each end, to keep it from creasing the skirt beneath it.
182. _To clean Hair Brushes and Combs._--Sub-carbonate of soda or
potash sometimes called salt of tartar or salt of wormwood, is to
be dissolved in boiling water--two heaped tea-spoonfuls will be
sufficient for half a pint; into this mixture dip the hairs of the
brush, and draw the comb through many times. The brush and comb,
with the help of this solution, will quickly cleanse each other;
dry quickly and they will be as white as new. Observe two things:
the potass must be kept in a stopper bottle, or it will soon become
liquid; when liquid it is not injured for use, but if left in paper
would be wasted; also the mahogany or satin-wood back of the brush
must be kept out of the solution, as it is apt to discolor wood.
183. _To clean Sponge._--Put into two pints of hot water about three
cents worth of Salts of lemon, and steep the sponge in it. After it
is clean, rinse it in clean water.
_Or_, immerse it in cold buttermilk, and let it soak a few hours.
Then rinse it in pure water.
184. _To clean Ermine and Minivar._--Take a piece of soft flannel,
dip it in common flour, and rub the fur with it, being careful to rub
it against the grain. Shake it well and rub again with the flannel
till all the flour is out of it.
185. _To clean Swansdown._--White swansdown may be washed in soap and
water; after washing, shake it out, and when the down is somewhat
raised, shake it before a clear fire to dry.
186. _To clean Leather Cases._--To clean hat cases, writing-desks,
&c., dissolve in warm water a small quantity of oxalic acid, and wash
the articles with a sponge wet in the solution. When dry they will
look almost equal to new.
187. _To take Stains out of Linen._--_Stains caused by Acids_ can be
removed by wetting the part, and laying on it some salt of wormwood;
then rub it without diluting it with more water.
_Or_, let the cloth imbibe a little water without dipping, and hold
the part over a lighted match, at a due distance. The spots will be
removed by the sulphureous gas.
_Or_, tie up in the stained part some pearlash; then scrape some soap
into cold soft water to make a lather, and boil the linen till the
stain disappears.
188. _Stains of Wine, Fruit, &c., after they have been long in the
Linen._--Rub the part on each side with yellow soap; then lay on
a mixture of starch in cold water very thick; rub it well in, and
expose the linen to the sun and air till the stain comes out. If not
removed in three or four days, rub that off and renew the process.
When dry it may be sprinkled with a little water.
_Recent Stains of Fruit_ may be removed by holding the linen tightly
stretched over a tub and pouring hot water over the part. This must
be done before any soap has been applied to it.
_Obs._ As soon as a stain is made on table-linen, &c., rub on it
common table salt before it has time to dry; the salt will keep it
damp till the cloth is washed, when the stain will disappear; or wash
the stain lightly when the cloth is removed.
189. _To restore Scorched Linen._--Peel and slice two onions, and
extract the juice by squeezing or pounding. Cut up half an ounce of
white soap and two ounces of fullers' earth; mix with them the onion
juice and half a pint of vinegar. Boil this composition well, and
spread it, when cool, over the scorched part of the linen, leaving it
to dry thereon. Then wash out the linen.
190. _To restore Linen that has long been Stained._--Rub the stains
on each side with wet brown soap; mix some starch to a thick paste,
with cold water, and spread it over the soaped places; then expose
the linen to the air. If the stains do not disappear in three or four
days, rub off the mixture, and repeat the process with fresh soap and
starch. Then dry it, wet it with cold water, and wash it.
191. _Grease or Wax Spots._--Grease-spots should be rubbed with
strong pearlash and water. Spots of wax or oil paint should be
rubbed with turpentine, and washed with soap and water: or, wax, if
moistened repeatedly with spirits of wine, may be brushed off. Or,
dissolve six ounces of alum in half a pint of water, warm it, wash
the stained part with it, and leave it to dry.
_Or_, in a quart of warm water, dissolve a little white soap, and
one ounce of pearlash; to which add two spoonsful of ox-gall, and a
little essence of lavender or bergamot: mix the whole, strain it, and
keep it in a bottle. In using it, put a small quantity on the spot,
brush, and wash it with warm water, so as entirely to remove the
liquor applied, which might injure the cloth if allowed to remain.
192. _Other Stains._--_Many other Stains_ may be taken out by dipping
the linen in sour buttermilk, and drying it in a hot sun. Then wash
it in cold water, and dry it, two or three times a-day.
193. _Ironmoulds._--Ironmoulds should be wetted, then laid on a hot
water-plate, and a little essential salt of lemons put on the part.
If the linen becomes dry, wet it, and renew the process, observing
that the plate is kept boiling hot. Much of the powder sold under the
name of salt of lemons is a spurious preparation; and therefore it
is necessary to dip the linen in a good deal of water, and wash it
as soon as the stain is removed, to prevent the part from being worn
into holes by the acid. _Ink spots_ can be removed in the same way.
194. _To take Mildew out of Linen._--Take soap, and rub it well; then
scrape some fine chalk, and rub that also in the linen; lay it on the
grass; as it dries wet it a little, and it will come out at twice
doing.
195. _Or_, mix soft soap with starch powdered, half as much salt
and the juice of a lemon; lay it on the part on both sides with a
painter's brush. Let it lie on the grass day and night till the stain
comes out.
196. _To discharge all Stains which are not Metallic._--Mix two
tea-spoonfuls of water with one of spirit of salt; let the stain lie
in it for one or two minutes; then rinse the article in cold water.
This will be found particularly useful in removing stains from white
doilys.
197. _Prepared Ox-gall for taking out Spots._--Boil together one pint
of ox-gall and two ounces of powdered alum; to which add two ounces
of common salt; let the liquor settle, add a few drops of essence of
lemon, pour it off into a bottle, and cork tightly.
198. _Salt of Lemons._--Mix one ounce of salt of sorrel in very
fine powder, with an equal quantity of cream of tartar; this is the
_salt_ sold in the shops; but, as it is only recommended for removing
ironmoulds or ink spots, it will be better to use only the salt of
sorrel.
199. _To bleach Linen._--Mix common bleaching powder, in the
proportion of one pound to a gallon of water; stir it occasionally
for three days, let it settle, and pour it off clear. Then make a ley
of one pound of soda to a gallon of boiling soft water, in which soak
the linen for twelve hours, and boil it half an hour; next, soak it
in the bleaching liquor, made as above; and lastly, wash it in the
usual manner.
Discolored linen or muslin may be restored, by putting a portion of
bleaching liquor into the tub wherein the articles are soaking.
200. _Use of Potatoes in Bleaching._--This method of bleaching
consists in substituting for soap, an equal quantity of potatoes
three-parts boiled. The linen is first boiled for nearly an hour; it
is next put into a tub of boiling water, from which each piece is
taken separately, and rubbed with the potatoes, as with soap. The
linen is then boiled with the potatoes for half an hour, next taken
out, rubbed, and rinsed two or three times in cold soft water, wrung,
and hung up to dry. Kitchen linen, which has mostly the smell of
tallow, loses it after having been bleached by this process.
201. _To Remove fresh Ink Stains._--Let one person hold the part
that is spotted between his two hands over a basin and rub it, while
another pours water gradually from a decanter upon it, and let a
whole pitcher-full be used if necessary; or if the ruffle, apron,
&c. be at liberty, let it be dipped into a basin filled with water,
and there squeezed and dipped in again, taking care to change the
water every two or three squeezes. If the ink be spilled on a green
table carpet, it may immediately be taken out with a tea-spoon so
entirely, that scarcely any water at all shall be wanted afterwards,
provided it was only that instant spilled, as the down of the cloth
prevents the immediate soaking in of the ink, or of any other liquor
(except oil); but if it have lain some time, be the time ever so
long, provided the place be still wet, by pouring on it fresh clean
water, by little and little at a time, and gathering it up again each
time with a spoon, pressing hard to squeeze it out of the cloth into
the spoon, you will at last bring it to its natural color, as if no
such accident had happened.
202. _To take out Spots of Ink._--As soon as the accident happens,
wet the place with juice of sorrel or lemon, or with vinegar, and the
best hard white soap.
203. _To remove Ink Stains._--Get a pint cup, or narrow-topped jug,
full of boiling water; place the stained part (of the linen, &c.)
on the top of the cup; dip it in, draw it tight over the top of the
cup, and, while wet and hot, with your finger rub in a little salt of
sorrel. The acid should remain on the linen for half-an-hour before
it is washed. As salt of sorrel is a powerful poison, the paper
should be marked POISON, and kept carefully locked up, when not in
use.
204. _The fumes of brimstone useful in removing Spots or Stains in
Linen, &c._--If a red rose be held in the fumes of a brimstone match,
the color will soon begin to change, and, at length, the flower will
become white. By the same process, fruit-stains or iron-moulds may
be removed from linen or cotton cloths, if the spots be previously
moistened with water. With iron-moulds, weak muriatic acid is
preferable, assisted by heat; as by laying the cloth on a tea-pot or
kettle, filled with boiling water.
205. _To remove Stains from Black Bombazine, Crape or Cloth._--Boil a
large handful of fig-leaves in two quarts of water until reduced to a
pint; squeeze the leaves quite dry, and put the liquor into a bottle
for use. The article should be rubbed with a sponge dipped in the
liquor. The word POISON should be written on the bottle, to prevent
any accident.
206. _To clean Black Satin._--Boil three pounds of potatoes to a pulp
in a quart of water; strain through a sieve, and brush the satin
with it on a board or table. The satin must not be wrung, but folded
down in cloths for three hours, and then ironed on the wrong side.
207. _To restore Color taken out by Acids._--Sal-volatile or
hartshorn will suffice for this purpose. It may be dropped on silk
without doing any injury.
208. _To take out Spots on Silk._--Rub the spots with spirit of
turpentine; this spirit exhaling, carries off with it the oil that
causes the spot.
209. _To extract Grease from Silks._--Scrape French chalk, put it on
a grease-spot, and hold it near the fire, or over a warm iron, or
water-plate filled with boiling water. The grease will melt, and the
French chalk absorb it. Brush or rub it off; repeat if necessary.
210. _Another way._--To remove a grease spot from silk, scrape some
French chalk on the wrong side; let it remain some time, and then
brush off. Magnesia is also a good remedy.
211. _To extract Grease from Silks or Stuffs (another way)._--Take
a lump of magnesia, and rub it wet over the spot; let it dry; then
brush the powder off, and the spot will disappear.
_Or_, take a visiting or other card; separate it, and rub the spot
with the soft internal part, and it will disappear without taking the
gloss off the silk.
212. _To take Spots out of Cloths, Stuffs, Silk, Cotton, and
Linen._--Take two quarts of spring water, put in it a little fine
white potash, about the quantity of a walnut, and a lemon cut in
slices; mix these well together, and let it stand for twenty-four
hours in the sun; then strain it off, and put the clear liquid up for
use. This water takes out all spots, whether pitch, grease, or oil,
as well in hats, as cloths and stuffs, silk or cotton, and linen. As
soon as the spot is taken out, wash the place with fair water; for
cloths of a deep color, add to a spoonful of the mixture as much fair
water as to weaken it.
Grease spots in cloth may be removed by using soap and water with
a tooth or nail brush, and afterwards wiping off the lather with
the wet corner of a towel. Essence of lemon, or pure spirit of
turpentine, will remove pitch from cloth, &c.
In woollen cloth, an easier method is to scrape off the hard tallow
with the edge of a tea-spoon, then rub the part briskly with a clean
woollen rag, shifting the rag as the part becomes dirty; or, place
some blotting paper on the spot, and press it with a hot iron,
occasionally moving the paper.
213. _To clean Silks or Merinoes, &c._--Grate two or three large
potatoes, add to them a pint of cold water, let them stand a short
time, and pour off the liquid clear, or strain it through a sieve,
when it will be fit for use. Lay the silk on a flat surface,
and apply the liquid with a clean sponge, till the dirt is well
separated, dip each piece in a pail of clean water, and hang up to
dry without wringing. Iron whilst damp on the wrong side. Should
the silk be of more than one color, it is desirable to wet a small
piece first, lest the dress should be spoiled, by moisture causing
the colors to run; but for self-colored silks, the direction is an
excellent one; and satinettes, even of light colors, if not greased
or stained, make up again nearly equal to new.
214. _To clean Silks._--If of any other color than black, wash
them in a hot lather of soft soap and water, and rinse them in
plain warm water, to which a small quantity of dye may be added,
according to the color: a few drops of vitriol added to the water
will freshen crimson, scarlet, maroon, or bright yellow; lemon-juice
for pink, rose, or carnation; pearlash for blue and purple; and for
olive-green, a pinch of verdigris; but acid must not be used for
fawn, brown, or orange. Then squeeze the liquid from the silk, roll
it in a coarse sheet, and wring it: spread it out, and rub it on the
wrong side with gum-water, with a little pearlash in it; dry it in a
warm room, and finish with calendering or mangling it.
Black silk should be sponged with hot ox-gall on both sides, then
rinsed, and dried smooth on a board. Or, spread black plain silks
upon a board, soap the dirty place, and brush the silk on both sides
with a fine soap lather; put it into hot water, rinse it through cold
water, and, having squeezed and dried it, smooth it on the right side
with an iron, moderately heated.
215. _To make Old Silk look as well as New._--Unpick the dress, put
it into a tub and cover it with cold water; let it remain an hour;
dip it up and down, but do not wring it; hang it up to drain. Iron it
very damp, and it will look well.
216. _To clean Silks._--A quarter-pound of soft soap, a teaspoonful
of brandy, a pint of gin. Mix all well together. With a sponge or
flannel spread the mixture on each side of the silk without creasing
it. Wash it in two or three pails of cold water, and iron on the
wrong side when rather wet.
217. _To remove Stains from Silks._--Stains produced by vinegar,
lemon-juice, oil of vitriol, or other sharp corrosives, may often be
removed from silks by mixing a little pearlash with soap-lather and
passing the silk through them. Spirits of hartshorn will also often
restore the color.
218. _To dip Rusty Black Silk._--Boil logwood and water half an hour,
in which simmer the silk for the same time; then take it out, and
put into the dye a little blue vitriol, or green copperas; cool it,
and simmer the silk in it for half an hour. Or, boil a handful of
fig-leaves in two quarts of water until it be reduced to one pint;
squeeze the leaves, and bottle the liquor for use. When wanted,
sponge the silk with it.
The word _Poison_ should be written on the bottle.
219. _Black Reviver._--Upon two ounces of powdered logwood, and half
an ounce of green copperas, pour three pints of boiling water: let
it stand till cold, when strain for use, by sponging the faded stuff
with it.
To revive black cloth, boil it with logwood in water for half an
hour, the cloth having been previously cleaned, dipped in warm water,
and squeezed dry; next, take out the cloth, add a small piece of
green copperas, and boil it another half hour; then hang it in the
air an hour or two, rinse it twice or thrice in cold water, dry it,
and finish it with a soft brush, over which two or three drops of
olive oil have been rubbed.
220. _White Satin._--Stone blue and flannel will make white satin
look nearly new, especially if rubbed afterwards with crumbs of bread.
221. _Blond Lace._--When blond lace gets tumbled, breathing upon it,
and afterwards shaking it, will be found to answer the purpose of an
iron, without chance of making the lace look yellow, as it probably
would be by the use of an iron. There is no necessity for unpicking
the lace.
222. _To raise the Surface or Pile of Velvet when pressed
down._--Warm a smoothing-iron moderately, and cover it with a wet
cloth, and hold it under the velvet; the vapor arising from the
heated cloth will raise the pile of the velvet, with the assistance
of a rush whisk.
223. _To remove Grease or Oil Paint from Cloth._--Moisten them with a
few drops of concentrated solution of subcarbonate of potash; rub the
spot between the fingers, and then wash the spot with a little warm
water.
224. _Another way._--To remove oil paint, rub the part with a bit of
flannel dipped in spirits of wine or turpentine.
225. _Spots from Woollen Cloths._--Fullers' earth, or tobacco
pipe-clay, being put wet on an oil spot, absorbs the oil as the water
evaporates, and leaves the vegetable or animal fibres of cloth clean,
on being beaten or brushed out. When the spot is occasioned by tallow
or wax, it is necessary to heat the part cautiously by an iron or the
fire, while the cloth is drying. In some kinds of goods, blotting
paper, bran, or raw starch, may be used with advantage.
226. _To clean a White or Drab Coat._--If the coat be much soiled,
brush well into the cloth, the way of the nap some of the following:
mix pounded pipe-clay and whiting, some fullers' earth, and a little
stone blue dissolved in vinegar enough to form the whole into a
paste. When the coat is quite dry, rub it well, beat it to get out
the dust, and brush it well.
227. _To clean Cashmere Stuff._--If common soap be employed, these
valuable fabrics will be injured, and rendered less pliant and
velvety than before. The proper method is to use a soapy root common
in Russia and the East, in the Greek islands, and in Italy. Its
original name is _ishkar_, and it affords an ash-colored powder,
which, mixed with water into a paste, will free the stuff from any
greasy stains, and leave them the yellow tint so much prized.
228. _To make Portable Balls for removing Spots from Clothes in
general._--Take fullers'-earth perfectly dried, so that it crumbles
into powder, moisten it with the clear juice of lemons, and add a
small quantity of pure pearl-ashes; then work and knead the whole
carefully together, till it acquires the consistence of a thick
elastic paste; form it into convenient small balls, and expose them
to the heat of the sun, in which they ought to be completely dried.
In this state they are fit for use in the manner following:--First,
moisten the spot on your clothes with water, then rub it with the
ball just described, and suffer it again to dry in the sun: after
having washed the spot with pure water, it will entirely disappear.
229. _To make Breeches Balls._--Mix half a pound of Bath brick in
fine powder, one pound of pipe-clay, two ounces of pumice-stone in
fine powder, and three ounces of ox-gall; color the mixture with
yellow ochre, umber, or Irish slate, to the desired shade, and shape
into balls.
230. _Scouring Drops._--Mix with one ounce of pyroligneous ether,
three drachms of essence of lemon. These will remove oil or grease
from woollen cloth, silk, &c., by rubbing the spot with a piece of
the same article, moistened with the drops.
231. _To take out Wax or Spermaceti from Cloth._--Hold a red-hot iron
steadily within about an inch of the cloth, and in a few minutes the
wax will evaporate; then rub the cloth with whitish paper, to remove
any mark that may remain.
232. _To take Wax out of Velvet of all Colors except Crimson._--Take
a crummy wheaten loaf, cut it in two, toast it before the fire,
and, while very hot, apply it to the part spotted with wax. Then
apply another piece of toasted bread hot as before, and continue the
application till the wax is entirely taken out.
233. _For taking Grease out of the Leaves of Books._--Fold up, in
two small bags made of fine open muslin, some ashes of burnt bones,
finely powdered, or of calcined hartshorn, which is always ready
prepared at the shops of the druggists. Lay the bags of muslin
containing the powder, one on each side of the greasy leaf; and,
having heated a pair of fire-tongs, or hair-dresser's pinching-tongs,
of a moderate warmth, press with them the two bags against the
greasy spot, and hold them some time in that situation. Repeat the
process, if necessary.
When the irons cannot be conveniently used, the powder may be heated
over the fire, in a clean earthen vessel; and, whilst hot, applied,
without any muslins, on each side of the grease spot, and a weight
laid on it to assist its effect.
234. _To remove Spots of Grease from Paper._--Take an equal quantity
of roach alum, burnt, and flour of brimstone, finely powdered
together; wet the paper a little, and put a small quantity of the
powder on the place, rubbing it gently with your finger, and the spot
will disappear.
235. _To discharge Grease from Leather._--Apply the white of an egg
to the spot, and dry it in the sun; or, mix two table-spoonfuls of
spirit of turpentine, half an ounce of mealy potatoes, and some of
the best Durham mustard. Apply this mixture to the spot, and rub it
off when dry. A little vinegar added, renders it more efficacious.
236. _For cleaning light Kid Gloves._--If the gloves are not so much
soiled as to require wetting, they may be cleaned thus:--Scrape fine
as much as a tea-spoonful of French chalk. Put on the gloves as for
wear, taking care that the hands be not only clean, but cool and
dry. Put some of the powdered chalk into the palm of one glove, and
rub the hands and fingers together, just as if the chalk were soap
employed in washing the hands. In this way rub in all the chalk. Then
take off the gloves, without shaking them, and lay them aside for
an hour or two, or a night, if it suit. Again put them on, and clap
the hands together till all the chalk is shaken out. Fullers' earth,
powdered and sifted, may be used in the same manner as French chalk,
and will answer nearly as well. Or, gloves slightly soiled, may be
cleaned by rubbing with a very clean and dry bit of India-rubber.
White kid gloves, or very light stone-color, or lilac, (not darker
than what is called a French white,) may be stained of a bright and
delicate yellow, just the color of cowslips, by rubbing them with the
petals of the common white rose. The roses must be fresh gathered
for this purpose; and the best method of applying the leaves, is
by putting the glove on its proper hand, and then rubbing. If not
convenient to do the whole at one time, the effect is not injured by
laying them aside, and taking up again. When done, they look quite
equal to new, and keep clean longer than gloves of the same color
stained in the ordinary way.
237. _Another way to clean Kid Gloves._--First see that your hands
are clean; then put on the gloves and wash them, as though you were
washing your hands, in a basin of turpentine. Burning fluid will do
equally well. Then hang them up in a warm place, or where there is a
good current of air, which will carry off all smell of turpentine.
This method was brought from Paris, and thousands of dollars have
been made by it. The spirits of hartshorn may be substituted for the
turpentine.
238. _Washing Gloves._--If the gloves are so much soiled as to
require washing, the best application is a strong lather made of
curd soap with new milk; or water will do. A very small quantity of
liquid will suffice. Before wetting the glove, run a strong thread
through the opposite sides, close to the wrist binding. Leave it
about a quarter of a yard long, and make a large knot at each end.
This is to form a loop or handle by which to hang up the glove to
dry, and hold it open. Having prepared the lather, put one glove on
the hand, and apply the lather by means of a shaving brush or a piece
of fine flannel, carrying the strokes downwards--that is, from the
wrist or arm to the tips of the fingers. Continue this process till
the dirt disappears, though the glove appears of a dingy, ill-looking
color. Then take a clean soft towel, and dab it till the soap is
removed. Take off the glove, blow into it to open all the fingers,
and, by means of the aforesaid loop, hang it to dry in a shady but
airy place. The loop should be fixed to two pegs, or by two pegs or
strings, fastened to a line in such a manner as to keep the sides of
the glove apart while drying. When dry, they will have regained their
original color, and be smooth, glossy, soft, and shapable. Or, the
gloves when cleaned as above, may be laid to dry on several folds of
clean linen above and below. Limerick gloves should be washed clean
with a strong lather of soap and water, applied with a brush as
above. The lather must not be warmer than new milk. When dry from the
lather, apply a solution of saffron, stronger or weaker, according
to the color desired. A very small quantity of saffron will suffice.
Pour boiling water to it, and let it steep at least twelve hours
before using. Those who are frequently cleaning this kind of gloves,
may steep a drachm of saffron in half-a-pint of boiling water, and
when cold, put the whole into a bottle, without straining. Cork it
close, and it will keep a long time for use as required.
239. _To clean Straw Bonnets._--Put a chafing-dish, with some lighted
charcoal, into a close room or large box; then strew on the coals an
ounce or two of powdered brimstone, and let the bonnets hang in the
room or box for some hours, when they remain to be blocked.
240. _To bleach Straw Hats, &c._--Straw hats and bonnets are bleached
by putting them, previously washed in pure water, into a box with
burning sulphur; the fumes which arise, unite with the water on the
bonnets, and the sulphurous acid thus formed, bleaches them.
241. _Method of Bleaching Straw._--Dip the straw in a solution of
oxygenated muriatic acid, saturated with potash. (Oxygenated muriate
of lime is much cheaper.) The straw is thus rendered very white, and
its flexibility is increased.
242. _Varnish for Straw or Chip Hats._--Powder half-an-ounce of black
sealing-wax, put it into a bottle with two ounces of spirits of wine,
and set it in a warm place. Lay it on warm with a soft hair-brush,
before the fire or sun.
243. _Straw Bonnets._--If a straw bonnet is not worth the expense of
properly cleaning, it may be greatly improved both in comfort and
appearance, by washing it with soap and water, applied by means of a
bit of flannel or sponge. Afterwards rinse with clean water, and dry
quickly in the air. When dry, wash over with the white of an egg,
finely beaten. The wire had better be removed before washing, and put
on afresh. There is no great art in reducing a straw bonnet for a
child. Take off all the ribs of straw that form a sort of border by
going round the edge; as many also of the straight ribs as will leave
the front nearly of the depth required. From the remaining front
ribs cut off a little at each end; fasten the ends securely, and
again set on the border ribs. Unpick the sewing of the head-piece,
till two, three, or more of the top rounds are taken off, so as to
bring it to the size required. Then sew again as many as will bring
it to a proper depth. It is not intended to say, that a person who
never learned the art of straw bonnet-making, and has not the proper
blocks, &c., will do it as well as one who has; but any notionable
needle-woman may do it, so as to look much better than a large bonnet
on the small head of a child. A bonnet-shape of pasteboard or buckram
may be renewed by laying it between two sheets of damp paper, and
ironing with a hot iron. The wire must be previously removed and
afterwards put on afresh. To clean silk and ribbons, wash in cold
rain water with a very little soap. Avoid squeezing and wringing. If
very dirty, two waters may be requisite; the second may be slightly
blued, unless the color of the silk forbids it (as yellow or red).
Spread on a clean towel, and while damp, iron with a piece of clean
paper placed between the silk or ribbon and the iron.
244. _Paste._--Take two table-spoonfuls of flour and stir it into
a half pint of cold water until the lumps are all broken, then
pour this into a pint of boiling water, stirring while doing so;
afterwards let it boil up once or twice, and take off.
245. _Superior Paste._--Mix flour and water, with a little brown
sugar, and a very small quantity of corrosive sublimate in powder,
and boil it until sufficiently thick and smooth. The sugar will keep
the paste flexible, and prevent it scaling off from smooth surfaces,
and the corrosive sublimate will check its fermentation: a drop or
two of oil of anise-seed, lavender, or bergamot will prevent the
paste turning mouldy.
246. _Bookbinders' Paste._--Mix wheaten flour first in cold water,
then boil it till it be of a glutinous consistence; this method makes
common paste. Mix a _fourth_, _fifth_, or _sixth_ of the weight of
the flour of powdered alum, and if required stronger, add a little
powdered resin.
247. _Rice Glue._--Mix rice flour smoothly with cold water, and
simmer it over a slow fire, when it will form a delicate and durable
cement, not only answering all the purposes of common paste, but well
adapted for joining paper and card-board ornamental work.
248. _A most excellent Glue._--Beat an ounce of isinglass to shreds:
dissolve it gradually in a pint of brandy, by means of gentle heat,
and then strain the solution through a piece of fine muslin. The
glue thus obtained should be kept in glass closely stopped. When
required for use, it should be dissolved with moderate heat, when
it will appear thin, transparent, and almost limpid. When applied
in the manner of common glue, its effect is so powerful as to join
together the parts of wood stronger than the wood itself is united.
This glue dries into a very strong, tough, and transparent substance,
not easily damaged by anything but aqueous moisture, which renders it
unfit for any use where it would be much exposed to wet or damp air.
249. _Parchment Glue._--Take one pound of parchment, and boil it in
six quarts of water till the quantity be reduced to one, then strain
off the dregs, and boil it again till it be of the consistence of
glue.
The same may be done with glovers' cuttings of leather, which make a
colorless glue, if not burnt in the evaporation of the water.
250. _To make Lip Glue, for joining Paper, Silk, or thin Leather,
&c._--Take of isinglass and parchment glues, of each one ounce;
sugar-candy and gum-tragacanth, each two drachms; add to them an
ounce of water, and boil the whole together till the mixture, when
cold, is of the consistence of glue; then form the same into small
rolls, or any other figure that may be most convenient, and it will
be fit for use.
This glue may be wet with the tongue, and rubbed on the edges of the
paper, silk, or leather, that are to be joined; and on being laid
together, and suffered to dry, they will be united as firmly as any
other part of the substance.
251. _Liquid Glue._--Pour naphtha upon shellac until of a creamy
consistence, and keep it closely corked. This glue will unite iron,
wood, glass, &c. It is water-proof, and dries quickly.
252. _Glue to hold against Fire or Water._--Mix a handful of
quick-lime in four ounces of linseed-oil, boil them to a good
thickness, then spread it on tin plates in the shade, and it will
become exceedingly hard; but may be easily dissolved over the fire,
as glue.
253. _To mend China._--Mix together equal parts of fine glue, white
of eggs, and white of lead, and with it anoint the edges of the
article to be mended; press them together, and when hard and dry
scrape off as much of the cement as sticks about the joint. The juice
of garlic is another good cement, and leaves no mark where it has
been used.
254. _Cement and Ground Glass Imitation._--In half-a-pint spirits of
wine steep one ounce of isinglass twenty-four hours, then dissolve
it over a slow fire, keeping the vessel covered that the spirit may
not evaporate (for this purpose a double saucepan should be used,
the outer one containing water, after the manner of a glue-pot; or
the solution may be made in a jar with a lid, tied over also with
bladder, and placed in a saucepan of water--the water should surround
the jar to the height of two inches or more, but not so high as to
float it). When the isinglass is completely dissolved, add the juice
of garlic, obtained by pounding in a mortar six cloves of the root,
and straining through linen. Mix well, and cork close for a short
time. The mixture will then cement either glass or crystal.
254a. _Cement to resist Fire and Water._--Half-a-pint each of vinegar
and milk, simmer them together till the curd separates. Strain, and
with the whey mix the whites of five eggs well beaten up. The mixture
of these two substances being complete, add sifted quick-lime, and
make the whole into the consistence of putty. Let it be carefully
applied--that is, to lay it on every part of the broken edges, and to
make the edges fit exactly; as soon as it is perfectly dry, it will
be found to resist both heat and moisture. Whatever the article was
originally calculated to bear, it is again fitted to bear as much as
if it had never been broken.
255. _To imitate Ground Glass._--Rub the glass over with a lump of
glaziers' putty, carefully and uniformly until the surface is equally
covered. This is an excellent imitation of ground glass, and is not
injured by rain or damp. It is useful for kitchen windows, &c.
256. _To cement Broken China._--Mix some oyster-shell powder with
the white of a fresh egg, to the thickness of white paint, lay it on
thick at the two edges and join them as exact and quick as possible,
then put it before the fire till the china is quite hot, and it will
cement in about two minutes. Pour boiling water into it directly,
wipe it dry, scrape it clean on both sides with a penknife, and it
will appear only as a crack. Mix no more than you can use for one
or two things at a time; for if the cement grows hard, it will be
spoiled. The powder may be bought at the apothecaries'; but it is
best prepared at home, which is done as follows:--Choose a large,
deep oyster-shell; put it in the middle of a clear fire till red-hot,
then take it out and scrape away the black parts; pound the rest in
a mortar as fine as possible; sift and beat it a second time, till
quite smooth and fine.
257. _Obs._--In cementing china and glass, first heat the portions,
and when the cement is applied, press them closely together, as the
thinner the cement is, the more firmly it holds.
258. _To cement Broken China or Glass._--Beat lime to the finest
powder, and sift it through fine muslin; then tie some into a thin
muslin; put on the edges of the broken china some white of egg; dust
some lime quickly on the same, and unite them exactly.
259. _Chinese method of mending China._--Take a piece of flint-glass,
beat it to a fine powder, and grind it well with the white of an egg,
and it joins china without riveting, so that no art can break it in
the same place. You are to observe, that the composition is to be
ground extremely fine.
260. _Improved Corks for preserving Wine or Chemical Liquors._--Melt
together two parts of white wax and one part of beef suet; dip your
corks in this mixture, and immediately dry them in a stove upon an
iron plate; repeat this operation twice, and the corks thus prepared
will preserve any liquor well without imparting any ill-flavor
thereto.
261. _Bottle Cement._--Common red and black sealing-wax, of each
half-a-pound; bees'-wax, quarter of an ounce. Melt them in an earthen
pipkin or brass kettle. The former is preferable, because the cement
may be kept in it, and again melted whenever it is wanted for use.
When the mixture begins to froth, and seems likely to boil over, stir
with a tallow candle, which will settle the froth. As soon as the
whole is melted, it is ready for use.
262. _Bottle Cement._--Melt in an iron ladle some rosin, and a
quarter as much bees'-wax; add a little Venetian red, stir with a
piece of candle, and, when smoothly melted, dip in the top of the
bottles, so as completely to cover them. In making this cement, be
careful not to leave it a moment while it is on the fire.
263. _Blood Cement._--Blood Cement, for repairing copper boilers,
&c., is made by pounded quick-lime and ox-blood mixed together: it
must be applied fresh made, as it soon becomes so hard as to be unfit
for use.
264. _Diamond Cement._--Diamond Cement, for glass or china, is made
by dissolving a quarter of an ounce of isinglass in water, by boiling
it to the consistence of cream. Add a table-spoonful of spirits of
wine. Use warm.
265. _Cement for attaching Metal to Glass or Porcelain._--Take two
ounces of a thick solution of glue, and mix with one ounce of linseed
oil varnish, or three-quarters of an ounce of Venice turpentine.
Boil together, agitating them until thoroughly mixed. The pieces to
be cemented should be left untouched, after having been united, for
forty-eight or sixty hours.
266. _To mend Tortoise-Shell._--To mend tortoise-shell, bring the
edges of the pieces to fit each other, observing to give the same
inclination of grain to each; then secure them in a piece of paper,
and place them between hot irons or pincers; apply pressure, and let
them cool. Take care that the heat is not too great, or it will burn
the shell.
267. _To clean Gold Chains, &c._--Make a lather of soap and water;
boil the chain in it for a few minutes, and immediately on taking it
out, lay it in magnesia powder which has been heated by the fire;
when dry, rub it with flannel; if embossed, use a brush.
_Or:_--Wash it well in soap and water, and put it while wet into a
bag with some fresh, clean bran; shake it well, and in a few minutes
it will be found perfectly clean.
268. _To restore Pearls._--Soak them in hot water in which bran has
been boiled, with a little salt of tartar and alum, and rub them
gently between the hands; rinse them in lukewarm water, and lay them
out to dry.
To preserve the color of pearls, keep them in dry common magnesia,
instead of the cotton-wool used in jewel-cases, and they will never
lose their brilliance.
269. _To clean Gold or Silver Lace._--Rub it gently with cotton wool,
or a soft brush dipped in spirits of wine, taking care not to injure
the silk beneath.
270. _To clean Gold and Silver Lace._--Sew the lace in linen cloth,
and boil it in a pint of water, and two ounces of soap; and then wash
the lace in water.
271. _To improve Gilding._--Mix one gill of water, two ounces of
purified nitre, one ounce of alum and one ounce of common salt. Lay
this over gilt articles with a brush, and their color will be much
improved.
272. _Incombustible Varnish for Wood._--Equal parts of alum and
isinglass, dissolved and mixed, applied to wood, prevents it from
burning. Liquids can be boiled in a wooden vessel on a common fire,
if this varnish be applied to it. The wood chars sometimes, but does
not flame.
273. _Cement for Iron Flues._--Common salt and sifted wood-ashes in
equal parts, made into a paste with water, is a very good cement for
iron flues, and may be applied when the flue is hot or cold. Iron
filings and vinegar will do almost as well, or rather iron filings
moistened with diluted muriatic acid. These are generally used for
filling up the space between cylinders.
274. _Preparation of common Cement for joining Alabaster, Marble,
Porphyry, or other Stones._--Take of bees'-wax two pounds, and of
rosin one pound; melt them, and add one pound and a half of the same
kind of matter, (powdered,) as the body to be cemented is composed
of, strewing it into the melted mixture, and stirring them well
together, and afterwards kneading the mass in water, that the powder
may be thoroughly incorporated with wax and rosin. The proportion of
the powdered matter may be varied, where required, in order to bring
the cement nearer to the color of the body on which it is employed.
This cement must be heated when applied; as must also the parts of
the subject to be cemented together; and care must be taken likewise,
that they be thoroughly dry.
When this composition is properly managed, it forms an extremely
strong cement, which will even suspend a projecting body of
considerable weight, after it is thoroughly dry and set, and is
therefore of great use to all carvers in stone, or others who may
have occasion to join together the parts of bodies of this nature.
Melted sulphur, applied to fragments of stones previously heated (by
placing them before a fire) to at least the melting point of sulphur,
and then joined with the sulphur between, makes a pretty firm and
durable joining.
Chips out of corners, and similar little deficiencies in the
stone, may also be filled up with melted sulphur, in which some of
the powder of the stone has been mixed: but the stone should be
previously heated.
275. _Strong Cement._--To prevent the escape of the vapors of water,
spirit, and liquors not corrosive, the simple application of slips
of moistened bladder will answer very well for glass, and paper with
good paste for metal. Bladder, to be very adhesive, should be soaked
some time in water moderately warm, till it feels clammy, it then
sticks very well; if smeared with white of eggs instead of water, it
adheres still closer.
276. _To scour a Hat._--Rub yellow soap on a hard brush, dip it into
boiling water, and brush the hat round with the nap; if the nap be
clotted, continue to brush it till it is smooth, and free from soap;
then, if requisite, scrape out the dirt, by passing round the hat an
edged piece of wood, or the back of a knife; next, beat the nap with
a cane, hang the hat to dry, and pass a heated flat iron two or three
times gently over it; brush it afterwards.
277. _Management of Razor Strops._--Most razor strops are spoiled by
being left too dry; a drop or two of sweet oil, frequently added to
the strop, would remedy this; and, after using the strop, passing the
razor on the inside of a warm hand, gives the smoothest and finest
edge; putting the razor in warm water makes it cut very keen, and
perhaps nothing makes a better razor strop than crocus martis, with a
little sweet oil, rubbed well on leather with a glass bottle.
278. _To prevent Gentlemen's Hats from being injured by Rain._--Shake
off the water as much as possible; then with a clean linen cloth or
silk handkerchief wipe the hat carefully, keeping the beaver flat and
smooth, in the same direction as it was first placed; then with hands
fix it in the original shape, and hang it at a distance from the fire
to dry. A few hours after, or the next morning, lay the hat on the
table, and brush it round and round several times with a soft brush
in the proper direction, and you will find your hat not in the least
injured by the rain.
If the gloss is not quite so high as you wish, take a flat iron,
moderately heated, and pass the same two or three times gently over
the hat; brush it afterwards; and it will be nearly as handsome as
when first sent home from the shop.
279. _Dyeing._--Occasionally, when colored articles of silk, wool, or
cotton have been cleaned, their color requires to be made deeper; at
other times, it maybe desirable to change the color altogether, when
that already in the stuff must be discharged, and the article dyed
anew.
Articles of any color may be dyed black, and black may easily be
re-dyed. Blues can be made green or black; green may be made brown,
and brown, green; and any color on re-dyeing, will take a darker tint
than at first. A black may be dyed maroon, claret, or dark-brown; but
green is the best color into which black can be changed.
Most colors can be discharged by boiling the articles in water, with
a small quantity of spirits of salts in it. Yellows, browns, and
blues, are not easily discharged; maroons, reds of some kinds, and
olives, may be easily discharged, by boiling them in water, with a
small quantity of the following articles: roche-alum, for maroons;
oil of vitriol--a very small quantity--for olives and grays; alum,
pearlash, or soap, will discharge green to a yellow, which may be
boiled off with soap.
280. _To Alum Silks._--Silk should be alumed cold, for when it is
alumed hot, it is deprived of a great part of its lustre. The alum
liquor should always be strong for silks, as they take the dye more
readily afterwards.
281. _Various Dyes._--The following are the articles employed for the
colors most in use, the proportions depending upon the depth or the
shade required.
_Lilac and Purple._--Boil archil in water; or, boil logwood in water;
and, when cold, dip the article to be dyed into it, having previously
passed it through a weak solution of alum in water. From logwood also
may be obtained different shades of _Violet_.
Effective _Lilac_ dyes may be produced from the berries of the
Portugal laurel; and from the black currant, after the juice has been
expressed.
_Red_ is obtained from madder, and Brazil wood; the article being
first dipped in weak alum and water, then in the dye, and lastly in a
decoction of archil and water, to give it a bloom.
_Rose_, _Flesh-color_, _Poppy_, and _Cherry-red_, are obtained from a
decoction of carthamus in water, with a little soda and lemon juice.
For a poppy-color, the article should first be dipped in a weak
solution of arnatto in water; and for a pale carnation, a little soap
should be added to the carthamus.
_Pink Bloom._--Archil is employed to give a bloom to pinks, whites,
&c., as for silk stockings; for which purpose, also, pink saucers are
used.
_Scarlet_ is obtained from cochineal; but, for cotton and wool, the
color derived from it is little superior to that given by madder.
_Nankeen_ is obtained from Spanish arnatto dissolved in hot water,
with a small portion of pearlash in it.
_Blue_ is prepared from indigo; but, as this dye is not easily made,
it will be better to purchase a bottle of "Blue Dye."
_Yellow_ may be obtained from the juice of the tops of
potato-flowers, fustic chips, weld or dyers' weed, turmeric, and
Dutch pink.
_Green_ consists of blue and yellow dyes, mixed.
_Orange_ is extracted from carthamus. _Cinnamon_ from logwood, Brazil
wood, and fustic, mixed; or from a strong decoction made from the
green tops and flowers of the common heath.
_Black_ is formed by logwood and green copperas boiled in water;
the color being improved by first boiling the article with galls, or
alder-bark, in water; or by first dyeing it with walnut-peels.
_Gray_ is produced by diluting black dye.
_Brown_ is obtained from walnut-peels, or the bark of birch.
_Olives_ are made from blue, red, and brown.
The pericarp of the Scotch rose contains a fine purple juice which,
diluted with water, dyes silk and muslin _Peach-color_; the addition
of alum will make it a deep _Violet_ dye.
In all cases, except otherwise specified, the article to be dyed
should be first steeped in a weak solution of alum in water.
282. _To dye the Linings of Curtains, Furniture Covers, &c._--Wash
the articles clean, and, having prepared the dye according to either
of the previous recipes, dip them, rinse them in pump water, then in
water-starch; dry them quickly, and mangle or calender them.
283. _To dye Silk Stockings._--Wash and _boil_ the stockings, if
requisite, in soap and water, and rinse them in clear hot water.
Put three table-spoonfuls of archil into a wash-hand basin of hot
water, in which soak the stockings until they become of a lilac
shade, when rinse them lightly in cold water. Dry them in fumes of
brimstone, and when they are bleached to the required flesh-color,
rub the right side with clean flannel or glass, and iron them. If the
pink saucer-color be used instead of archil, the stockings will not
require bleaching with brimstone.
_For Black Stockings._--Having dyed them, finish them on wooden legs,
by rubbing them with flannel moistened with olive oil. Rub each pair
half an hour.
284. _To dye Gloves to look like York Tan._--Put some saffron into
one pint of soft water boiling hot, and let it infuse all night; next
morning wet the leather with a brush. The tops should be sewn close
to prevent the color from getting in.
_To dye White Gloves a beautiful Purple._--Boil 4 ozs. of logwood
and 2 ozs. of roche-alum in 3 pints of soft water till half-wasted.
Let it stand to be cold after straining. Let the gloves be nicely
mended; then do them over with a brush, and when dry repeat it. Twice
is sufficient, unless the color is to be very dark. When dry, rub off
the loose dye with a coarse cloth. Beat up the white of an egg, and
with a sponge rub it over the leather. The dye will stain the hands,
but wetting them with vinegar before they are washed will take it off.
285. _To dye Straw and Chip Bonnets Black._--Boil them in strong
logwood liquor three or four hours, occasionally adding green
copperas, and taking the bonnets out to cool in the air, and this
must be continued for some hours. Let the bonnets remain in the
liquor all night, and the next morning take them out, dry them in
the air, and brush them with a soft brush. Lastly, rub them inside
and out with a sponge moistened with oil, and then send them to be
blocked.
286. _To make Nankeen Dye._--Boil equal parts of arnatto and common
potash in water, till the whole are dissolved. This will produce
the _pale reddish buff_ so much in use, and sold under the name of
_Nankeen Dye_.
287. _To dye Cotton a fine Buff Color._--Let the twist or yarn be
boiled in pure water, to cleanse it; then wring it, run it through a
dilute solution of iron in the vegetable acid, which printers call
_iron liquor_; wring, and run it through lime-water, to raise it;
wring it again, and run it through a solution of starch and water;
then wring it once more, and dry, wind, warp, and weave it for use.
288. _To dye Worsted or Woollen Black._--Put in half a gallon of
water a piece of bi-chromate of potash, the size of a horse-bean.
Boil the articles in this seven or eight minutes. Take them out
and wash them. Then in another half-gallon of water put in one
table-spoonful and a half of ground logwood; boil the articles in
this the same length of time as before. Then wash them in cold water.
289. _To dye Hair and Feathers Green._--Take of verdigris or verditer
1 oz., gum water, 1 pint; mix them well, and dip the hair or feathers
into the mixture, shaking them well about.
290. _Waterproof Clothing._--First make the cloak, coat, or trowsers
of _linen_; then soak them well for a day or two in _boiled_ oil;
then hang them up in a dry place till perfectly dry, without wringing
the oil out; then paint them, without turpentine or dryers being in
the paint, black, or any other color you like, and lay the paint on
thinly, and let it dry. (This is the method practised by seamen.)
_Waterproof Clothing._--Make the garment of strong unbleached calico;
hang it up in a dry place, and, with a brush, give it two coats
of boiled linseed oil. Buy the oil ready-boiled; a pint will be
sufficient for a cape or pair of overalls. Canvas may be prepared in
the same way for rick-cloths, or other roofing purposes.
_Another way._--Get some weak size, such as is used by paper-makers;
make it hot, and stir a small lump of alum, and a small quantity
of soap lather into it. Then with a brush apply it to the garment
equally all over, as recommended above with the oil. If the garment
be of good cloth, the size may be laid on inside.
291. _Chinese Method of rendering Cloth Waterproof._--To one ounce
of white wax, melted, add one quart of spirits of turpentine, which,
when thoroughly mixed and cold, dip the cloth in and hang it up to
dry. By this cheap and easy method, muslin, as well as the strongest
cloths, will be rendered impenetrable to the hardest rains, without
the pores being filled up, or any injury done, when the cloth is
colored.
292. _To preserve Furs and Woollens from Moths._--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,
sew the articles in several folds of linen, carefully turned in at
the edges, and keep them from damp.
_Or_, lay amongst them the cuttings of Russia leather.
293. _Or_--Leaves from the tobacco plant are very effectual in
keeping off moths. Lay them between the folds of the blankets,
carpets, &c. Air furs, occasionally.
294. _To prevent Moths._--In the month of April beat your fur
garments well with a small cane or elastic stick, then lap them up in
linen without pressing the fur too hard, and put between the folds
some camphor in small lumps; then put your furs in this state in
boxes well closed.
When the furs are wanted for use, beat them well as before, and
expose them for twenty-four hours to the air, which will take away
the smell of the camphor.
295. _Easy Method of preventing Moths in Furs or Woollens._--Sprinkle
the furs or woollen stuffs, as well as the drawers or boxes in which
they are kept, with spirits of turpentine; the unpleasant scent of
which will speedily evaporate, on exposure of the stuffs to the
air. Some persons place sheets of paper, moistened with spirits of
turpentine, over, under, or between pieces of cloth, &c., and find it
a very effectual method.
296. _To preserve Furs, Woollens, &c._--many woollen-drapers put
bits of camphor, the size of a nutmeg, in papers, on different parts
of the shelves in their shops; and as they brush their cloths every
two, three, or four months, this keeps them free from moths; and this
should be done in boxes where furs, &c., are put. A tallow candle is
frequently put within each muff when laid by.
297. _To keep Moths, Beetles, etc., from Clothes._--Put a piece of
camphor in a linen bag, or some aromatic herbs, in the drawers, among
linen or woollen clothes, and neither moth nor worm will come near
them.
298. _A celebrated Blacking Cake for Boots and Shoes._--Take one
part of gum tragacanth, four parts of river water, two parts of
neat's-foot, or some other softening, lubricating oil, two parts of
superfine ivory-black, one part of Prussian blue in fine powder,
or indigo, four parts of brown sugar-candy; boil the mixture; and
when the composition is of a proper consistence, let it be formed
into cakes of such a size that each cake may make a pint of liquid
blacking.
299. _Good Blacking for Boots and Shoes._--Take of ivory black, one
pound; lamp-black, half an ounce; treacle, one pound; sweet oil, one
ounce and a half; coarse gum Arabic, half an ounce; green copperas,
three-quarters of an ounce; and stale vinegar, three pints and a
half. Mix all well together, having first dissolved the gum in a
little water; then add gradually, briskly stirring the mixture, half
an ounce of oil of vitriol; let it stand two days, occasionally
stirring it, and it will be fit for use.
Or, two ounces of ivory-black, one tea-spoonful of oil of vitriol,
a table-spoonful of sweet-oil, and two ounces of sugar-candy, to be
mixed with half a pint of vinegar.
300. _Liquid Blacking._--Ivory-black, quarter of a pound; treacle,
half a pound, well mixed; to which add sweet oil, one pennyworth, and
small beer three pints; add after, oil of vitriol, one pennyworth,
which will cause it to boil. Fit for use in three days.
301. _French Polish for Boots and Shoes._--Logwood chips, half a
pound; glue, quarter of a pound; indigo, pounded very fine, quarter
of an ounce; soft soap, quarter of an ounce; isinglass, quarter of
an ounce; boil these ingredients in two pints of vinegar and one of
water, during ten minutes after ebullition, then strain the liquid.
When cold it is fit for use. To apply the French polish, the dirt
must be washed from the boots and shoes; when these are quite dry,
the liquid polish is put on with a bit of sponge.
302. _To clean White Satin Shoes._--Rub them lengthways of the satin,
with a piece of new white flannel dipped in spirits of wine. If
slightly soiled, you may clean them by rubbing with stale bread.
White satin shoes should be kept in blue paper closely wrapped, with
coarse brown paper outside.
To keep your thin, light slippers in shape, when you put them away,
fold them ever lengthways or sideways, and tie the strings round
them. You should have a covered box purposely for your shoes.
303. _To clean Boot-tops Brown._--Mix, in the same quantity of water,
one ounce of oxalic acid, half an ounce of muriatic acid, a small
vial of spirits of lavender, and two tea-spoonfuls of salt of lemon.
Each bottle should be carefully labeled and marked "Poison."
304. _Directions for using the Liquid._--For the white tops: to be
scrubbed well with a clean hard brush, then sponged well with cold
water, all one way; and allowed to dry gradually in the sun, or by
the fire.
Brown tops are not to be scrubbed with a brush, but sponged all over
with the mixture, till all stains be removed; then sponged well with
cold water, and rubbed with flannel till they be highly polished.
305. _Shoes._--When about being measured for shoes, place the foot
firmly on the ground, as the foot is larger in a standing than in a
sitting posture.
306. _Shoes._--One hint about shoes--a most essential and expensive
article of family wear. However worn and full of holes the soles
may be, if the upper leathers are whole, or soundly mended, and the
stitching firm, the soles may be covered with the newly adopted
article gutta percha, and at a very small expense the shoes will be
rendered as good as new. We have seen shoes which even the eldest
daughter of the Smith family despised as not worth carrying home,
made quite sound and respectable in appearance, and to serve many
months in constant wear, by being thus soled at the cost of only a
few pence. Thin shoes that have been worn only in-doors, and which
are laid aside on account of the tops becoming shabby, perhaps worn
out, while the sewing is sound, may be made very tidy by covering
with woollen cloth, or with a bit of thick knitting, or platted list,
stitched on as close as possible to the regular seam.
307. _To prevent Snow-water from penetrating Boots and Shoes._--Take
equal quantities of bees'-wax and mutton-suet, and melt them in an
earthen pipkin over a slow fire. Lay the mixture, while hot, over the
boots and shoes, which ought also to be made warm. Let them stand
before the fire a short time, and set them aside till they are cold;
then rub them with dry woollen stuff, so that you may not grease the
blacking-brushes. If you black the shoes before the mixture be put
on, they will afterwards take the blacking much better.
Or, boil together for half an hour, a quart of linseed oil, two
ounces of resin, and half an ounce of white vitriol, and incorporate
with them a quarter of a pint of spirit of turpentine, and two ounces
of well-dried oak sawdust. Lay the mixture on the soles of the boots.
308. _Water-proof Boots._--A pint of boiled linseed oil, half a pound
of mutton suet, six ounces of clean bees'-wax, and four ounces of
resin, are to be melted and well mixed over a fire. Of this, while
warm, but not hot enough to shrink the leather, with a brush lay on
plentifully over new boots or shoes, when quite dry and clean. The
leather remains pliant. The New England fishermen preserve their
boots water-tight by this method, which, it is said, has been in use
among them above one hundred years. They can thus stand in water hour
after hour without inconvenience.
309. _Water-proof Boots._--I have had three pairs of boots for the
last six years (no shoes), and I think I shall not require any more
for the next six years to come. The reason is, that I treat them in
the following manner: I put a pound of tallow and half a pound of
rosin in a pot on the fire; when melted and mixed, I warm the boots
and apply the hot stuff with a painter's brush, until neither the
sole or the upper-leather will suck in any more. If it is desired
that the boots should immediately take a polish, melt an ounce of wax
with a tea-spoonful of lamp-black. A day after the boots have been
treated with tallow and rosin, rub over them this wax in turpentine,
but not before the fire. The exterior will then have a coat of wax
alone, and will shine like a mirror. Tallow, or any other grease,
becomes rancid, and rots the stitching as well as the leather; but
the rosin gives it an antiseptic quality, which preserves the whole.
Boots and shoes should be so large as to admit of wearing cork
soles.--_Correspondent of Mechanics' Magazine._
310. _To make Cloth or Outer Clothing of any description
Water-proof._--Take a quarter of an ounce of _yellow_ or _Castile_
soap, and one gallon of rain water; boil for twenty minutes; skim,
and when cold, put in the cloth or garment; let it remain soaking
twenty-four hours; take it out, and hang to drain; when half-dry,
put it into the following solution:--Alum, half a pound; sugar of
lead, quarter of a pound; dissolved in four gallons of rain water.
Let the cloth be thoroughly soaked, and then hang to dry. This
process entirely destroys the capillary attraction in the fibres
and threads of the cloth, and the rain or wet pours off the surface
without lodging or penetrating through the cloth. The solution has
_no effect_ in _altering_ the texture or appearance of the cloth or
article immersed. Great care must be taken as regards the sugar of
lead, not to leave it where children or any persons ignorant of its
qualities can get access to it, as it is a powerful poison.
311. _To make an Oil-skin Coat or Wrapper._--If a stout coat or
wrapper is wanted, let the material be strong unbleached or brown
calico. If a light one is preferred, make use of brown holland. Soak
it (when made) in hot water, and hang to dry; then boil ten ounces
of India-rubber in one quart of _raw linseed oil_, until dissolved;
(this will require about three hours' boiling,) when cold, mix with
the oil so prepared about half a pint of paint of any color which may
be preferred, and of the same consistency as that used for painting
wood. With a paint-brush lay a thin coat over the outside of the
wrapper, brushing it well into the seams. Hang it to dry in a current
of air, but sheltered from a powerful sun. When _thoroughly_ dry,
give it another coat; dry as before, and then give a third and last
coat. The wrapper, when _well dried_, will be ready for use.
312. _To make Gutta Percha Soles._--The gutta percha possesses
properties which render it invaluable for winter shoes. _It is,
compared with leather, a slow conductor of heat_; the effect of
this is, that the warmth of the feet is retained, however cold the
surface may be on which the person stands, and that clammy dampness,
so objectionable in the wear of India rubber shoes, is entirely
prevented. On first using gutta percha shoes, the wearer is forcibly
struck with the superior warmth and comfort which is produced by this
non-conducting property; and I confidently predict, that all those
who try gutta percha, will be steady consumers.
We shall now give the method of fixing the gutta percha soles. Make
the sole of the boot perfectly clean and dry, scratch it with an awl
or a fork until it becomes rough, warm it before the fire, and spread
over it with a hot iron or poker some of the "solution" sold for this
purpose, or in the absence of this, place some of the thin parings of
the gutta percha on the sole, holding it to the fire, and spreading
it as before. When this has been repeated two or three times, and
all is well covered, warm the gutta percha sole, and the sole of the
boot at the same time, until both become soft and sticky, place the
sole on the boot, and press it down carefully, beginning at the toe,
so as to press out the air and make it adhere closely; nothing more
remains to be done, than as soon as it becomes hard to pare the edges
with a sharp knife, and trim off as may be necessary. All the parings
and old pieces should be saved, as gutta percha is not injured by
use, and may be sold to the manufacturer in order to be restored and
made up again.
313. _Fly Water._--Most of the fly-waters, and other preparations
commonly sold for the destruction of flies, are variously disguised
poisons, dangerous and even fatal to the human species: such as
solutions of mercury, arsenic, &c., mixed with honey or syrup. The
following preparation, however, without endangering the lives of
children, or other incautious persons, is not less fatal to flies
than even a solution of arsenic. Dissolve two drachms of the extract
of quassia in half a pint of boiling water; and adding a little sugar
or syrup, pour the mixture on plates. To this enticing food the flies
are extremely partial, and it never fails to destroy them.
A strong infusion of green tea, sweetened, is as effectual in
poisoning flies, as the solution of arsenic generally sold for that
purpose.
314. _To destroy Flies._--Ground black pepper and moist sugar,
intimately mixed in equal quantities, and diluted with milk, placed
in saucers, adding fresh milk, and stirring the mixture as often as
necessary, succeeds admirably in occasioning their death.
315. _Another way to destroy Flies._--Pour a little simple oxymel (an
article sold by druggists) into a common tumbler glass, and place
in the glass a piece of cap paper, made into the shape of the upper
part of a funnel, with a hole at the bottom to admit the flies.
Attracted by the smell, they readily enter the trap in swarms, and by
the thousands soon collected prove that they have not the wit or the
disposition to return.
316. _To remove Flies._--Flies and other insects may be kept from
attacking meat, by dusting it over with pepper, powdered ginger, or
any other spice, or by skewering a piece of paper to it on which a
drop of creosote has been poured. The spices may be readily washed
off with water before dressing the meat.
317. _To keep off Flies._--Place camphor on or near what you wish to
protect from them.
318. _Wasps and Flies._--These insects may be killed immediately by
dipping a feather in a little sweet oil, and touching their backs
with it. When intent on fruit this can easily be done. Insects of
different kinds are readily killed by oil; it closes up the lateral
pores by which they breathe.
319. _To destroy Ants and Wasps._--Ants are destroyed by opening the
nest and putting in quick-lime, and throwing water on it.
Wasps may be destroyed in the same way; only it will be requisite
that the person who does it should be covered with muslin, or
something over the face, hands, &c., so that the wasps shall not be
able to sting them.
320. _To destroy Ants._--Ants that frequent houses or gardens may be
destroyed by taking flour of brimstone, half a pound, and potash,
four ounces: set them in an iron or earthen pan over the fire till
dissolved and united; afterwards beat them to a powder, and infuse a
little of this powder in water; and wherever you sprinkle it the ants
will die, or fly the place.
321. _Another Method._--Corrosive sublimate, mixed well with sugar,
has proved a mortal poison to them, and is the most effectual way of
destroying these insects.
322. _To destroy Cockroaches, &c._--Stir a small quantity of arsenic
with some bread-crumbs, which lay near the insects' haunts; meantime,
be careful to keep dogs and cats out of the way. Poisoned wafers are
also made for killing cockroaches: a trap is made with a glass well,
for the same purpose; but a more simple contrivance is to half-fill
a glazed basin, or pie-dish, with sweetened beer or linseed oil, and
set in places frequented by cockroaches. They will attack the _red_
wax of sealed bottles, but will not touch _black_ wax.
323. _To destroy Crickets._--To destroy crickets at night, set
dishes or saucers filled with the grounds of beer or tea, on the
kitchen-floor, and, in the morning, the crickets will be found dead
from excess of drinking.
324. _To drive away Fleas._--Sprinkle about the bed a few drops of
oil of lavender, and the fleas will soon disappear.
Fumigation with brimstone, or fresh leaves of penny-royal sewed in a
bag, and laid in the bed, will have the desired effect.
325. _Liquor for destroying Caterpillars, Ants, and other
Insects._--Take a pound and three-quarters of soap, the same quantity
of flower of sulphur, two pounds of champignons, or puff-balls, and
fifteen gallons of water. When the whole has been well mixed, by the
aid of a gentle heat, sprinkle the insects with the liquor, and it
will instantly kill them.
326. _To destroy Rats._--Cut a number of corks or a piece of sponge
as thin as sixpences; stew them in grease, and place them in the way
of the rats. They will greedily devour this delicacy, and will die of
indigestion.
327. _To kill Rats, another way._--There are two objections to the
common mode of killing rats, by laying poison for them; first, the
danger to which it exposes other animals and even human beings;
second, the possibility that the rats may cause an intolerable
stench, by dying in their holes. The following method is free from
these objections, and has proved effectual in clearing houses
infested with these vermin.
Oil of amber and ox-gall in equal parts, add to them oatmeal or flour
sufficient to form a paste, which divide into little balls and lay
them in the middle of a room which rats are supposed or known to
visit. Surround the balls with a number of vessels filled with water.
The smell of the oil will be sure to attract the rats, they will
greedily devour the balls, and becoming intolerably thirsty, will
drink till they die on the spot.
328. _To expel Rats._--Catch one in a trap; muzzle it, with the
assistance of a fellow-servant, and slightly singe some of the hair;
then smear the part with turpentine, and set the animal loose; if
again caught, leave it still at liberty, as the other rats will shun
the place which it inhabits. It is said to be a fact that a toad
placed in a cellar will free it from rats.
Rats may be expelled from cellars and granaries simply by scattering
a few stalks and leaves of mullen in their paths. There is something
very annoying in this plant to the rat. It affords, therefore, a very
easy method of getting rid of a most perplexing evil, and much more
economical and less troublesome than gunpowder, "rat exterminator,"
cats, or traps.
329. _To destroy Fleas and other Vermin on Animals._--To destroy
them on dogs, rub the animal, when out of the house, with the common
Scotch snuff, except the nose and eyes. Rub the powder well into the
roots of the hair. Clear lime-water destroys the flea-worm without
injuring the skin or hair.
Oil of turpentine, when applied to animals, which were covered with
insects, destroyed the insects, without hurting the animal.
330. _To destroy Bugs._--Mix half a pint of spirits of turpentine and
half a pint of best rectified spirits of wine, in a strong bottle,
and add in small pieces about half an ounce of camphor, which will
dissolve in a few minutes. Shake the mixture well together; and, with
a sponge or brush dipped in it, well wet the bed and furniture where
the vermin breed. This will infallibly destroy both them and their
nits, though they swarm. The dust, however, should be well brushed
from the bedstead and furniture, to prevent, from such carelessness,
any stain. If that precaution is attended to, there will be no
danger of soiling the richest silk or damask. On touching a live bug
with only the tip of a pin put into the mixture, the insect will be
instantly deprived of existence, and should any bugs happen to appear
after using the mixture, it will only be from not wetting the linen,
&c., of the bed, the foldings and linings of the curtains near the
rings or the joints, or holes in and about the bed or head-board, in
which places the vermin nestle and breed; so that those parts being
well wetted with more of the mixture, which dries as fast as it is
used, and pouring it into the joints and holes, where the sponge
and brush cannot reach, it will never fail totally to destroy them.
The smell of this mixture, though powerful, is extremely wholesome,
and to many persons very agreeable. It exhales, however, in two or
three days. Only one caution is necessary; but that is important. The
mixture must be well shaken when used; _but never applied by candle
light_, lest the spirits, being attracted by the flare of the candle,
might cause a conflagration.
331. _Kitchen Cloths._--The four kinds of cloths requisite for
the kitchen, are knife-cloths, dusters, tea and glass-cloths.
Knife-cloths should be made of coarse sheeting. Dusters are generally
made of mixed cotton and linen. The best material for tea and
glass-cloths, is a sheet which has begun to wear thin.
Besides the above cloths, are knife-tray-cloths, house-cloths for
cleaning, pudding and cheese-cloths, and towels.
332. _Clothes' Posts_ soon decay at the bottom, if left standing
in the ground; but, if fitted into sockets so as to be removable,
they will last for years. The sockets should be made of one-inch
elm, eighteen inches in length, tapering downwards. When finished,
they ought to be about three inches square inside, at the upper end.
They are to be driven firmly into the earth till just level with the
surface. The posts are then made to drop in and stand firm, and can
be taken out, and put under shelter when not in use. A cover should
be fitted to each socket, to keep litter from falling in when the
post is removed. A drying-ground should not be too much exposed to
the wind, as the violent flapping tears the corners of table-cloths,
sheets, &c., and overblown linen feels flabby after mangling.
333. _Out-houses and Cellars._--If these have not been recently
cleansed, have them thoroughly cleaned out and white-washed. A dirty
cellar is an abomination, and the fruitful source of many diseases.
Let all your out-buildings have a thorough overhauling and repairing.
334. _To purify Houses._--An able chemist recommends a mixture of one
pound of chloride of lime in ten gallons of water. Throw a quart of
this daily down the sink or water-closet. It will not cost five cents
a week.
One of the best and most pleasant disinfectants is coffee. Pound
well-dried raw coffee-beans in a mortar, and strew the powder over
a moderately heated iron plate. The simple traversing of the house
with a roaster containing freshly roasted coffee will clear it of
offensive smells.