Domestic

New Zealand Tablet, 19 May 1910, Page 793

Domestic

By MAUREEN

A Durable Furniture Polish. \ Put a half-pint each of turpentine, spirits of wine, and vinegar into a bottle; add two-thirds of a pint of linseed oil. Cork tightly and shake the bottle vigorously in order to mix the various ingredients thoroughly before using. Dust the furniture carefully, remove any grease spots there may be with a flannel dipped in warm soda water, then pour a small quantity of the polish on a piece of clean soft flannel and rub it well into the wood. Polish off at once with a soft duster. If only a small quantity of the polish is used the furniture will brighten 'much more easily than when the mixture is laid on thickly. For Staining Floors. Take of raw linseed oil, one quart; turpentine, one pint; color to the desired shade with raw sienna or French ochre. Mix thoroughly and apply hot with a flat brush. The floor must be perfectly clean and dry before applying the stain. Rub it in well until the oil ceases to stain the rubbing material. If the floor is a new one, it can probably be cleaned without the use. of much water, which is always objectionable and should be avoided where possible. Any spots or stains can be removed by the use of sand-paper or steel shavings, and most of the dust and dirt by a thorough sweeping with a dampened broom. To Clean Paint that is Not Varnished. Put upon a plate some of the best whiting, have ready some clean warm water and a piece of flannel, which dip into the water and squeeze nearly dry then take as much whiting as will adhere to it, apply it to the paint, when a little rubbing will instantly remove any dirt or grease; wash well off with water, and rub dry with a soft cloth. Paint thus cleansed looks equal to new; and without doing the least injury to the most delicate color, it will preserve the paint much longer than if cleansed with soap and it does not require more than half the time usually occupied in cleaning. , How to Clean Furs. Ermine and minever are best cleaned with soft flannel Rub the fur well against the grain; then dip the flannel into common flour, and rub the fur until clean; shake the fur, and again rub it with a fresh piece of soft, clean, new flannel till the flour is out. .By this process the color of the ermine is preserved, and the lining need not be removed. Sable, chinchilla, squirrel, etc., are cleaned with new bran, which must be warmed very carefully in a pan, but not burnt; therefore, while waiting, stir it frequently. Rub the warm bran into the fur for some time, shake it, and brush until' free from bran. The fur will clean better if the stuffing and lining are removed, and the article laid as straight and flat as possible on a table or board. Well brush the fur before it is cleaned, and if there are any moth-eaten parts they must be removed and replaced with new pieces. The following method is said to be adopted in Russia: Some rye flour is put into a pan upon the stove and heated, being stirred constantly with the hand as long as the heat can be borne; then the flour is spread all over the fur and rubbed in well. It is then brushed gently with a very clean brush, or beaten softly till all the flour is removed. It is claimed that this method will make the fur appear almost new. Papering a Room. Take lib of best white flour, put it into a clean pail pour on it a little cold water, and mix to the consistency of a thick cream. Have a kettle of boiling water at hand and pour on boiling water, stirring rapidly, until it thickens to a thin batter. Then add a little powdered alum and cool for use. Measure the room, and ascertain the number of pieces of paper wanted, allowing one piece in twelve for waste. With a pair of long scissors, cut off one edge of the selvedge, close to the pattern, and into suitable lengths for different parts of the room. The paste should be laid on smooth and thin with a flat paste brush, particular attention being paid to the edges. The paper should be pasted ten minutes before being hung, to allow it to stretch and prevent it from blistering when dry. After pasting and folding, place the close-cut edge of the paper in the top left-hand corner of the room, press it securely to meet the ceiling, let it hang straight, then, with a clean cloth or brush, press it gently down the centre of the length, then alternately right and left until the paper has been pressed smooth to the Avail. Match the next length of paper at the top, so as to have the pattern correct, cut off the surplus at the bottom, and in this way proceed round the room until it is finished. Small wrinkles appearing on common papers are caused by stretching when damp, and may be disregarded, since they will disappear when it becomes dry. , \

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