Fowler's Household Helps Part 10

To clean tarnished bra.s.s use equal parts of vinegar and salt.

Rub with this mixture thoroughly, letting it dry on; then wash off in warm, soapy water and polish with a soft cloth.

Cleaning with Gasoline--The three following suggestions are made with reference to cleaning with gasoline:

(1) To take the odor of gasoline out of freshly cleaned garments, use oil of sa.s.safras in the gasoline to the proportion of about five drops to a quart of gasoline.

(2) If a little salt is added to gasoline which is used for cleaning wool or silk material, there will be no ring remaining when dry.

(3) Put about one-third part of vinegar in the water with which you dampen the cloth when pressing an article that has been cleaned with gasoline. This will not only remove the scent of the gasoline but will prevent circles forming.

Alcohol for Cleaning White Kid Articles--Pure alcohol is better than gasoline for cleaning white kid gloves or other white kid articles, as it dries quickly without the unpleasant odor that gasoline leaves. Five cents' worth of alcohol cleans a pair of gloves beautifully.

To Clean White Kid Shoes--Make a lather of pure white soap and milk for cleaning white kid shoes. Brush as much dirt as possible off the shoes before scrubbing with the lather.

If New Boots or Shoes Will Not Polish, rub them over with half a lemon and leave until thoroughly dry. Repeat this once or twice if necessary.

New Tag for Shoe Lace--If a tag comes off a boot or shoe lace, press a little melted black sealing wax round the end of the lace and shape it to form a tag. It will serve almost as well as the original.

To Renovate a Shabby Serge Skirt, sponge it over with hot vinegar until the stains and grease marks disappear; then thoroughly press on the wrong side with a fairly hot iron.

To Remove s.h.i.+ne from Woolen Goods--Wet a piece of crinoline and lay it over the s.h.i.+ny surface of the goods. Cover with a dry cloth and press with a hot iron. Pull the crinoline away quickly, as you would a plaster, and this will raise the nap of the goods.

To Remove s.h.i.+ne from Black Cloth, rub it well with a piece of flannel dipped in spirits of turpentine and dry in the open air.

To Clean a Black Dress--Take a dozen ivy leaves and steep them in boiling water. Let it stand until cold; then rub well over the stained parts. This solution will remove all stains and make the cloth look fresh.

To Clean Men's Clothing--Take a soft cloth, dip it in alcohol, and press it lightly over a cake of pure soap; then apply it briskly to the article to be cleaned. After sponging the garment carefully, press it.

In cases of obstinate grease spots, rub well with a lather made from pure white soap and luke-warm water; then sponge off with alcohol and proceed as above.

Wall Paper Remover--To remove wall paper in about one-half the usual time, take one heaping tablespoonful of saltpetre to a gallon of hot water, and apply it to the paper freely with a brush. A whitewash brush is best for the purpose, as it covers a broader s.p.a.ce than other brushes. Keep the water hot, and after a few applications the paper can be easily pulled from the wall.

To Clean Wallpaper, make a paste of three cupfuls of flour, three tablespoonfuls of ammonia and one and one-half cupfuls of water. Roll it into b.a.l.l.s and rub it over the paper. It will make it as clean as when new.

Tobacco for Plant Insects--One tablespoonful of smoking tobacco soaked in a quart of water for twelve hours or more makes a solution that will destroy insects and promote the growth of the plant. It must be poured on the soil about every two months.

When a Wax Candle is Too Large for the holder the end should be held in hot water until it is soft. It can then be pressed into shape to fit the hole and there will be no waste of wax, as when slices are shaved off the end of a candle.

Salt Water to Clean Matting--A cloth dampened in salt water is the best thing for cleaning matting.

To Lay New Matting--Cut each width six inches longer than necessary. Then unravel the ends and tie the cords together.

When the matting is taken up to be cleaned it cannot unravel and there will be no waste.

To Clean White Furniture or Woodwork--Use clean turpentine and a soft cloth to clean white enameled woodwork or furniture. It will remove all spots without removing any of the gloss, as soap is liable to do.

To Remove Spots from Varnished Wood--Spots made by water on varnished tables or other furniture may be removed by rubbing them with a cloth wet with camphor.

To Clean Greasy Woodwork--Paint or woodwork that has become greasy can be cleaned with a cloth dipped in turpentine. Then wipe with a cloth dipped in water to which a little kerosene has been added.

To Clean Soiled Marble--Pound two parts of common was.h.i.+ng soda, one part each of pumice stone and finely powdered chalk, mix together, sift them through cheesecloth, and make into a paste with water. Apply thickly and let it dry on; then wash well with soap and water and rub well with a soft cloth. Never use acids on marble as they destroy the gloss.

To Clean Oil Spots from Marble, first wash the stone thoroughly; then place a sheet of blotting paper over the spots and set a hot iron on it; this will draw the oil out and the blotting paper will absorb it.

Handy Fruit Picker for Farmers and Suburbanites--Take a large tomato can or other tin can and cut a V-shaped hole in one side at the top, about 1-1/2 inches wide and 2-1/2 inches deep. On the opposite side of the V-shaped hole, nail the can to a long pole. This device is useful for picking apples and many varieties of fruit from upper branches where it is almost impossible to reach them by ladder. It also prevents damage to the fruit by falling.

TO REMOVE STAINS, ETC.

All spots and stains can be removed much more easily before was.h.i.+ng. Fruit stains are probably the most common and they will usually disappear if the stained portion is held taut over a basin and hot water poured over and through it.

b.u.t.ter or Salt for Stains--To remove fruit, tea or coffee stains from cotton or linen goods, rub b.u.t.ter on the stains and then wash with hot water and soap. Remove wine stains by sprinkling salt on them and then pouring boiling water through them.

To Remove Indelible Ink--Use equal parts of turpentine and ammonia to remove indelible ink when all other methods fail.

Saturate the garment well, and let it soak; then rinse it thoroughly in warm water.

To Remove Grease Stains from White Woolens, use cream of tartar and water or alcohol.

To Remove Perspiration Stains--The stains caused by perspiration can be removed from garments by the application of a mixture consisting of three parts of alcohol, three parts of ether and one of ammonia.

Salt to Remove Perspiration Stains--To remove perspiration stains from clothing, soak the garments in strong salt water before laundering them.

To Remove the Stain of Mud from clothing, rub well with a raw potato.

To Remove Fruit Stains from Linen the following suggestions are given:

(1) Fruit Stains on Linen should be smeared with glycerine and left for about an hour; then wash the stains in warm soapy water. Repeat the process if necessary.

(2) To Remove Fruit Stains from Linen--Before sending table linen and white garments to the laundry all fruit stains should be well dampened with alcohol. All traces of discoloration from the fruit will have vanished when returned from the laundry.

(3) To Remove Fruit Stains from the Tablecloth, apply powdered starch while fresh.

Starch for Removing Blood-Stains--To remove blood-stains from material which can not be washed, cover the stain with lump starch that has been dampened to about the consistency of very thick paste. As the starch dries, the stain will go.

To Remove Mildew--The four following methods are given for removing mildew:

(1) b.u.t.termilk for Mildew--Articles that have become mildewed should be boiled in b.u.t.termilk. Rinse well in warm water after boiling and hang in the sun. The same process will effectively bleach materials that have grown yellow from lack of use.

(2) Salt for Mildew--Mildew can be taken out by rubbing the stains well with a fresh tomato and covering with salt; afterward place garment in sun.

(3) To Take Out Mildew, mix equal parts of powdered borax and starch with half as much salt; moisten the whole with lemon juice, spread the mixture on the mildewed spot and place the garment in the sun on the gra.s.s. Renew the mixture every morning until the stain disappears.

(4) Alcohol for Mildew--Mildew may generally be removed by dipping articles into alcohol.

To Remove Road Oil--Kerosene is best to take out road oil on most fabrics, as it evaporates and does not injure same.

To Remove Wax Stains--To remove wax or tallow stains, lay a piece of brown paper over them and apply a hot flatiron. After one or two applications the paper will absorb all of the wax or tallow from the cloth, leaving no trace behind.

To Remove Tar Spots, put a little lard on the spots and let them stand for a few hours, then wash with soap and water.