Part 35

IV.—A preparation for cleansing wall paper that often proves much more effectual than ordinary bread, especially when the paper is very dirty, is made by mixing 2⁠/⁠3 dough and 1⁠/⁠3 plaster of Paris. This should be made a day before it is needed for use, and should be very gently baked.

If there are any grease spots they should be removed by holding a hot flatiron against a piece of blotting paper placed over them. If this fails, a little fuller’s earth or pipe clay should be made into a paste with water, and this should then be carefully plastered over the grease spots and allowed to remain till quite dry, when it will be found to have absorbed the grease.

V.—Mix together 1 pound each of rye flour and white flour into a dough, which is partially cooked and the crust removed. To this 1 ounce common salt and 1⁠/⁠2 ounce of powdered naphthaline are added, and finally 1 ounce of corn meal, and 1⁠/⁠8 ounce of burnt umber. The composition is formed into a mass, of the proper size to be grasped in the hand, and in use it should be drawn in one direction over the surface to be cleaned.

VI.—Procure a soft, flat sponge, being careful that there are no hard or gritty places in it, then get a bucket of new, clean, dry, wheat bran. Hold the sponge flat side up, and put a handful of bran on it, then quickly turn against the wall, and rub the wall gently and carefully with it; then repeat the operation. Hold a large pan or spread down a drip cloth to catch the bran as it falls, but never use the same bran twice. Still another way is to use Canton flannel in strips a foot wide and about 3 yards long. Roll a strip around a stick 1 inch thick and 10 inches long, so as to have the ends of the stick covered, with the nap of the cloth outside. As the cloth gets soiled, unroll the soiled part and roll it up with the soiled face inside.

In this way one can change places on the cloth when soiled and use the whole face of the cloth. To take out a grease spot requires care. First, take several thicknesses of brown wrapping paper and make a pad, place it against the grease spot, and hold a hot flatiron against it to draw out the grease, which will soak into the brown paper. Be careful to have enough layers of brown paper to keep the iron from scorching or discoloring the wall paper. If the first application does not take out nearly all the grease, repeat with clean brown paper or a blotting pad. Then take an ounce vial of washed sulphuric ether and a soft, fine, clean sponge and sponge the spot carefully until all the grease disappears. Do not wipe the place with the sponge and ether, but dab the sponge carefully against the place. A small quantity of ether is advised, as it is very inflammable.

«CLOTHES AND FABRIC CLEANERS:»

«Soaps for Clothing and Fabrics.»—When the fabric is washable and the color fast, ordinary soap and water are sufficient for removing grease and the ordinarily attendant dirt; but special soaps are made which may possibly be more effectual.

I.—Powdered borax 30 parts Extract of soap bark 30 parts Ox gall (fresh) 120 parts Castile soap 450 parts

First make the soap-bark extract by boiling the crushed bark in water until it has assumed a dark color, then strain the liquid into an evaporating dish, and {192} by the aid of heat evaporate it to a solid extract; then powder and mix it with the borax and the ox gall. Melt the castile soap by adding a small quantity of water and warming, then add the other ingredients and mix well.

About 100 parts of soap bark make 20 parts of extract.

II.—Castile soap 2 pounds Potassium carbonate 1⁠/⁠2 pound Camphor 1⁠/⁠2 ounce Alcohol 1⁠/⁠2 ounce Ammonia water 1⁠/⁠2 ounce Hot water, 1⁠/⁠2 pint, or sufficient.

Dissolve the potassium carbonate in the water, add the soap previously reduced to thin shavings, keep warm over a water bath, stirring occasionally, until dissolved, adding more water if necessary, and finally, when of a consistence to become semisolid on cooling, remove from the fire. When nearly ready to set, stir in the camphor, previously dissolved in the alcohol and the ammonia.

The soap will apparently be quite as efficacious without the camphor and ammonia.

If a paste is desired, a potash soap should be used instead of the castile in the foregoing formula, and a portion or all of the water omitted. Soaps made from potash remain soft, while soda soaps harden on the evaporation of the water which they contain when first made.

A liquid preparation may be obtained, of course, by the addition of sufficient water, and some more alcohol would probably improve it.

«Clothes-Cleaning Fluids:»

See also Household Formulas.

I.—Borax 1 ounce Castile soap 1 ounce Sodium carbonate 3 drachms Ammonia water 5 ounces Alcohol 4 ounces Acetone 4 ounces Hot water to make 4 pints

Dissolve the borax, sodium bicarbonate, and soap in the hot water, mix the acetone and alcohol together, unite the two solutions, and then add the ammonia water. The addition of a couple of ounces of rose water will render it somewhat fragrant.

II.—A strong decoction of soap bark, preserved by the addition of alcohol, forms a good liquid cleanser for fabrics of the more delicate sort.

III.—Chloroform 15 parts Ether 15 parts Alcohol 120 parts Decoction of quillaia bark of 30° 4,500 parts

IV.—Acetic ether 10 parts Amyl acetate 10 parts Liquid ammonia 10 parts Dilute alcohol 70 parts

V.—Another good non-inflammable spot remover consists of equal parts of acetone, ammonia, and diluted alcohol. For use in large quantities carbon tetrachloride is suggested.

VI.—Castile soap 4 av. ounces Water, boiling 32 fluidounces

Dissolve and add:

Water 1 gallon Ammonia 8 fluidounces Ether 2 fluidounces Alcohol 4 fluidounces

«To Remove Spots from Tracing Cloth.»—It is best to use benzine, which is applied by means of a cotton rag. The benzine also takes off lead-pencil marks, but does not attack India and other inks. The places treated with benzine should subsequently be rubbed with a little talcum, otherwise it would not be possible to use the pen on them.

«Removal of Paint from Clothing.»—Before paint becomes “dry” it can be removed from cloth by the liberal application of turpentine or benzine. If the spot is not large, it may be immersed in the liquid; otherwise, a thick, folded, absorbent cloth should be placed under the fabric which has been spotted, and the liquid sponged on freely enough that it may soak through, carrying the greasy matter with it. Some skill in manipulation is requisite to avoid simply spreading the stain and leaving a “ring” to show how far it has extended.

When benzine is used the operator must be careful to apply it only in the absence of light or fire, on account of the extremely inflammable character of the vapor.

Varnish stains, when fresh, are treated in the same way, but the action of the solvent may possibly not be so complete on account of the gum rosins present.

When either paint or varnish has dried, its removal becomes more difficult. In such case soaking in strong ammonia water may answer. An emulsion, formed by shaking together 2 parts of ammonia water and 1 of spirits of turpentine, has been recommended.

«To Remove Vaseline Stains from Clothing.»—Moisten the spots with a mixture of 1 part of aniline oil, 1 of {193} powdered soap, and 10 of water. After allowing the cloth to lie for 5 or 10 minutes, wash with water.

«To Remove Grease Spots from Plush.»—Place fresh bread rolls in the oven, break them apart as soon as they have become very hot, and rub the spots with the crumbs, continuing the work by using new rolls until all traces of fat have disappeared from the fabric. Purified benzine, which does not alter even the most delicate colors, is also useful for this purpose.

«To Remove Iron Rust from Muslin and Linen.»—Wet with lemon juice and salt and expose to the sun. If one application does not remove the spots, a second rarely fails to do so.

«Keroclean.»—This non-inflammable cleanser removes grease spots from delicate fabrics without injury, cleans all kinds of jewelry and tableware by removing fats and tarnish, kills moths, insects, and household pests by suffocation and extermination, and cleans ironware by removing rust, brassware by removing grease, copperware by removing verdigris. It is as clear as water and will stand any fire test.

Kerosene. 1 ounce Carbon tetrachloride (commercial). 3 ounces Oil of citronella 2 drachms

Mix, and filter if necessary. If a strong odor of carbon bisulphide is detected in the carbon tetrachloride first shake with powdered charcoal and filter.

«To Clean Gold and Silver Lace.»—I.—Alkaline liquids sometimes used for cleaning gold lace are unsuitable, for they generally corrode or change the color of the silk. A solution of soap also interferes with certain colors, and should therefore not be employed. Alcohol is an effectual remedy for restoring the luster of gold, and it may be used without any danger to the silk, but where the gold is worn off, and the base metal exposed, it is not so successful in accomplishing its purpose, as by removing the tarnish the base metal becomes more distinguishable from the fine gold.

II.—To clean silver lace take alabaster in very fine powder, lay the lace upon a cloth, and with a soft brush take up some of the powder, and rub both sides with it till it becomes bright and clean, afterwards polish with another brush until all remnants of the powder are removed, and it exhibits a lustrous surface.

III.—Silver laces are put in curdled milk for 24 hours. A piece of Venetian soap, or any other good soap, is scraped and stirred into 2 quarts of rain water. To this a quantity of honey and fresh ox gall is added, and the whole is stirred for some time. If it becomes too thick, more water is added. This mass is allowed to stand for half a day, and the wet laces are painted with it. Wrap a wet cloth around the roller of a mangle, wind the laces over this, put another wet cloth on top, and press, wetting and repeating the application several times. Next, dip the laces in a clear solution of equal parts of sugar and gum arabic, pass them again through the mangle, between two clean pieces of cloth, and hang them up to dry thoroughly, attaching a weight to the lower end.

IV.—Soak gold laces over night in cheap white wine and then proceed as with silver laces. If the gold is worn off, put 771 grains of shellac, 31 grains of dragon’s blood, 31 grains of turmeric in strong alcohol and pour off the ruby-colored fluid. Dip a fine hair pencil in this, paint the pieces to be renewed, and hold a hot flatiron a few inches above them, so that only the laces receive the heat.

V.—Silver embroideries may also be cleaned by dusting them with Vienna lime, and brushing off with a velvet brush.

For gildings the stuff is dipped in a solution of gold chloride, and this is reduced by means of hydrogen in another vessel.

For silvering, one of the following two processes may be employed: (_a_) Painting with a solution of 1 part of phosphorus in 15 parts bisulphide of carbon and dipping in a solution of nitrate of silver; (_b_) dipping for 2 hours in a solution of nitrate of silver, mixed with ammonia, then exposing to a current of pure hydrogen.

«To Remove Silver Stains from White Fabrics.»—Moisten the fabric for two or three minutes with a solution of 5 parts of bromine and 500 parts of water. Then rinse in clear water. If a yellowish stain remains, immerse in a solution of 150 parts of sodium hyposulphite in 500 parts of water, and again rinse in clear water.

«Rust-Spot Remover.»—Dissolve potassium bioxalate, 200 parts, in distilled water, 8,800 parts; add glycerine, 1,000 parts, and filter. Moisten the rust or ink spots with this solution; let the linen, etc., lie for 3 hours, rubbing the moistened spots frequently, and then wash well with water. {194}

«To Clean Quilts.»—Quilts are cleaned by first washing them in lukewarm soapsuds, then laying them in cold, soft (rain) water over night. The next day they are pressed as dry as possible and hung up; the ends, in which the moisture remains for a long time, must be wrung out from time to time.

It is very essential to beat the drying quilts frequently with a smooth stick or board. This will have the effect of swelling up the wadding, and preventing it from felting. Furthermore, the quilts should be repeatedly turned during the drying from right to left and also from top to bottom. In this manner streaks are avoided.

«Removal of Peruvian-Balsam Stains.»—The fabric is spread out, a piece of filter paper being placed beneath the stain, and the latter is then copiously moistened with chloroform, applied by means of a tuft of cotton wool. Rubbing is to be avoided.

«Solution for Removing Nitrate of Silver Spots.»—

Bichloride of mercury 5 parts Ammonium chloride 5 parts Distilled water 40 parts

Apply the mixture to the spots with a cloth, then rub. This removes, almost instantaneously, even old stains on linen, cotton, or wool. Stains on the skin thus treated become whitish yellow and soon disappear.

«Cleaning Tracings.»—Tracing cloth can be very quickly and easily cleaned, and pencil marks removed by the use of benzine, which is applied with a cotton swab. It may be rubbed freely over the tracing without injury to lines drawn in ink, or even in water color, but the pencil marks and dirt will quickly disappear. The benzine evaporates almost immediately, leaving the tracing unharmed. The surface, however, has been softened and must be rubbed down with talc, or some similar substance, before drawing any more ink lines.

The glaze may be restored to tracing cloth after using the eraser by rubbing the roughened surface with a piece of hard wax from an old phonograph cylinder. The surface thus produced is superior to that of the original glaze, as it is absolutely oil- and water-proof.

«Rags for Cleaning and Polishing.»—Immerse flannel rags in a solution of 20 parts of dextrine and 30 parts of oxalic acid in 20 parts of logwood decoction; gently wring them out, and sift over them a mixture of finely powdered tripoli and pumice stone. Pile the moist rags one upon another, placing a layer of the powder between each two. Then press, separate, and dry.

«Cleaning Powder.»—

Bole 500 parts Magnesium carbonate 50 parts

Mix and make into a paste with a small quantity of benzine or water; apply to stains made by fats or oils on the clothing and when dry remove with a brush.

«CLEANING PAINTED AND VARNISHED SURFACES:»

«Cleaning and Preserving Polished Woodwork.»—Rub down all the polished work with a very weak alcoholic solution of shellac (1 to 20 or even 1 to 30) and linseed oil, spread on a linen cloth. The rubbing should be firm and hard. Spots on the polished surface, made by alcohol, tinctures, water, etc., should be removed as far as possible and as soon as possible after they are made, by the use of boiled linseed oil. Afterwards they should be rubbed with the shellac and linseed oil solution on a soft linen rag. If the spots are due to acids go over them with a little dilute ammonia water. Ink spots may be removed with dilute or (if necessary) concentrated hydrochloric acid, following its use with dilute ammonia water. In extreme cases it may be necessary to use the scraper or sandpaper, or both.

Oak as a general thing is not polished, but has a matt surface which can be washed with water and soap. First all stains and spots should be gone over with a sponge or a soft brush and very weak ammonia water. The carved work should be freed of dust, etc., by the use of a stiff brush, and finally washed with dilute ammonia water. When dry it should be gone over very thinly and evenly with brunoline applied with a soft pencil. If it is desired to give an especially handsome finish, after the surface is entirely dry, give it a preliminary coat of brunoline and follow this on the day after with a second. Brunoline may be purchased of any dealer in paints. To make it, put 70 parts of linseed oil in a very capacious vessel (on account of the foam that ensues) and add to it 20 parts of powdered litharge, 20 parts of powdered minium, and 10 parts of lead acetate, also powdered. Boil until the oil is completely oxidized, stirring constantly. When completely oxidized the oil is no longer red, but is of a dark brown color. When it acquires {195} this color, remove from the fire, and add 160 parts of turpentine oil, and stir well. This brunoline serves splendidly for polishing furniture or other polished wood.

«To Clean Lacquered Goods.»—Papier-maché and lacquered goods may be cleaned perfectly by rubbing thoroughly with a paste made of wheat flour and olive oil. Apply with a bit of soft flannel or old linen, rubbing hard; wipe off and polish by rubbing with an old silk handkerchief.

«Polish for Varnished Work.»—To renovate varnished work make a polish of 1 quart good vinegar, 2 ounces butter of antimony, 2 ounces alcohol, and 1 quart oil. Shake well before using.

«To Clean Paintings.»—To clean an oil painting, take it out of its frame, lay a piece of cloth moistened with rain water on it, and leave it for a while to take up the dirt from the picture. Several applications may be required to secure a perfect result. Then wipe the picture very gently with a tuft of cotton wool damped with absolutely pure linseed oil. Gold frames may be cleaned with a freshly cut onion; they should be wiped with a soft sponge wet with rain water a few hours after the application of the onion, and finally wiped with a soft rag.

«Removing and Preventing Match Marks.»—The unsightly marks made on a painted surface by striking matches on it can sometimes be removed by scrubbing with soapsuds and a stiff brush. To prevent match marks dip a bit of flannel in alboline (liquid vaseline), and with it go over the surface, rubbing it hard. A second rubbing with a dry bit of flannel completes the job. A man may “strike” a match there all day, and neither get a light nor make a mark.

«GLOVE CLEANERS:»

«Powder for Cleaning Gloves.»—

I.—White bole or pipe clay 60.0 parts Orris root (powdered) 30.0 parts Powdered grain soap 7.5 parts Powdered borax 15.0 parts Ammonium chloride 2.5 parts

Mix the above ingredients. Moisten the gloves with a damp cloth, rub on the powder, and brush off after drying.

II.—Four pounds powdered pipe clay, 2 pounds powdered white soap, 1 ounce lemon oil, thoroughly rubbed together. To use, make powder into a thin cream with water and rub on the gloves while on the hands. This is a cheaply produced compound, and does its work effectually.

«Soaps and Pastes for Cleaning Gloves.»—

I.—Soft soap. 1 ounce Water. 4 ounces Oil of lemon 1⁠/⁠2 drachm Precipitated chalk, a sufficient quantity.

Dissolve the soap in the water, add the oil, and make into a stiff paste with a sufficient quantity of chalk.

II.—White hard soap. 1 part Talcum. 1 part Water 4 parts

Shave the soap into ribbons, dissolve in the water by the aid of heat, and incorporate the talcum.

III.—Curd soap 1 av. ounce Water 4 fluidounces Oil of lemon. 1⁠/⁠2 fluidrachm French chalk, a sufficient quantity.

Shred the soap and melt it in the water by heat, add the oil of lemon, and make into a stiff paste with French chalk.

IV.—White castile soap, old and dry 15 parts Water 15 parts Solution of chlorinated soda 16 parts Ammonia water 1 part

Cut or shave up the soap, add the water, and heat on the water bath to a smooth paste. Remove, let cool, and add the other ingredients and mix thoroughly.

V.—Castile soap, white, old, and dry 100 parts Water 75 parts Tincture of quillaia 10 parts Ether, sulphuric 10 parts Ammonia water, FF 5 parts Benzine, deodorized 75 parts

Melt the soap, previously finely shaved, in the water, bring to a boil and remove from the fire. Let cool down, then add the other ingredients, incorporating them thoroughly. This should be put up in collapsible tubes or tightly closed metallic boxes. This is also useful for clothing.

«Liquid Cloth and Glove Cleaner.»—

Gasoline. 1 gallon Chloroform. 1 ounce Carbon disulphide 1 ounce {196} Essential oil almond 5 drops Oil bergamot 1 drachm Oil cloves 5 drops

Mix. To be applied with a sponge or soft cloth.

«STONE CLEANING:»

«Cleaning and Polishing Marble.»—I.—Marble that has become dirty by ordinary use or exposure may be cleaned by a simple bath of soap and water.

If this does not remove stains, a weak solution of oxalic acid should be applied with a sponge or rag, washing quickly and thoroughly with water to minimize injury to the surface.

Rubbing well after this with chalk moistened with water will, in a measure, restore the luster. Another method of finishing is to apply a solution of white wax in turpentine (about 1 in 10), rubbing thoroughly with a piece of flannel or soft leather.

If the marble has been much exposed, so that its luster has been seriously impaired, it may be necessary to repolish it in a more thorough manner. This may be accomplished by rubbing it first with sand, beginning with a moderately coarse-grained article and changing this twice for finer kinds, after which tripoli or pumice is used. The final polish is given by the so-called putty powder. A plate of iron is generally used in applying the coarse sand; with the fine sand a leaden plate is used; and the pumice is employed in the form of a smooth-surfaced piece of convenient size. For the final polishing coarse linen or bagging is used, wedged tightly into an iron planing tool. During all these applications water is allowed to trickle over the face of the stone.

The putty powder referred to is binoxide of tin, obtained by treating metallic tin with nitric acid, which converts the metal into hydrated metastannic acid. This, when heated, becomes anhydrous. In this condition it is known as putty powder. In practice putty powder is mixed with alum, sulphur, and other substances, the mixture used being dependent upon the nature of the stone to be polished.

According to Warwick, colored marble should not be treated with soap and water, but only with the solution of beeswax above mentioned.

II.—Take 2 parts of sodium bicarbonate, 1 part of powdered pumice stone, and 1 part of finely pulverized chalk. Pass through a fine sieve to screen out all particles capable of scratching the marble, and add sufficient water to form a pasty mass. Rub the marble with it vigorously, and end the cleaning with soap and water.

III.—Ox gall 1 part Saturated solution of sodium carbonate 4 parts Oil of turpentine 1 part Pipe clay enough to form a paste.

IV.—Sodium carbonate 2 ounces Chlorinated lime. 1 ounce Water 14 ounces

Mix well and apply the magma to the marble with a cloth, rubbing well in, and finally rubbing dry. It may be necessary to repeat this operation.