SPRING CLEANING HINTS.

Northland Age, Volume VIII, Issue 27, 23 February 1912, Page 2

SPRING CLEANING HINTS.

To clean finger marks from a painted wall damp a clean cloth and dip it in whiting, apply, and the stains will disappear.

Grease on a wall can generally be eradicated by covering with clean blotting-paper, and then passing a warm iron over it.

To clean enamelled dishes when burned, dip a flannel cloth in fine ashes and rub with it, when all the stains will, without any further trouble, disappear.

Remove ink-spots from furniture with a solution of nitre, white spots with spirits of camphor or hot milk and turpentine, and stains on mahogany with a cork dipped in oxalic acid diluted with water.

Before washing new lace curtains, calico, or anything containing lime, soak overnight in water to which a penny packet of salt has been added. This, takes out all the lime, a nd consequently saves much work, annoyance, and soap.

In order to make boards white they should not be washed with soap and water. Instead of soap use one part of newly slaked' lime and three parts of common white sand, and the boards will become beautifully white and clean.

When white patches occur on the dining-table, caused by hot plates and dishes being placed on it, touch them up with a brush that has been dipped in spirits of nitre, and directly afterwards rub with a cloth moistened with sweet oil.

If your cellar is damp, break up a lump of lime in a box and place it on the cellar floor, when all dampness and smell will qutekly disappear, the same method can be followed with damp cupboards, but the lime must be changed from time to time, or it will cause dry rot in the woodwork.

An easily-made and effective cement for broken china is made by mixing a thick solution of gum arabic to a paste with plaster of Paris. Dissolve a pennyworth of gum arabic in a little boiling water ; when cold mix with sufficient plaster of Paris, and apply to edges of article immediately. Press together, and a strong joint will result.

The wire foundation of the modern bedstead soon ruins a hair or wool .mattress unless some steps are taken to prevent the mischief. Either the wire portion must be covered over with coarse canvas or holland, or with sheets of strong brown paper. In the former case the material must be attached to the wire by tapes ; in the latter, fasten with safetypins.

Where carpets are dispensed with in favour of rugs, a floor may be enamelled either in ebony or a nice rich brown shade. This makes a pleasing change to the ordinary staining and varnishing, and, moreover, an enamelled floor is easily washed and kept bright and new. Before painting the boards see that they are as clean and smooth as possible. Coarse emery paper will help to remove rough places, a nd if paraffin is used in the water, the washing of the foor will be an easy job, for there is nothing like paraffin for getting out the dirt quickly.