Chapter VII (11)

ON THE METHOD OF MAKING MUFFS AND TIPPETS, FROM THE PLUMAGE AND SKINS OF BIRDS.—We are indebted to a Frenchman for having brought to perfection this useful and ornamental art. Domestic animals of all the feathered kinds afford the materials of which these articles may be made; but those with rich variegated colours, for gay wear, as they are less liable to decay than the sable coverings of birds of prey, would no doubt be preferred. Above all, those animals should be selected whose plumage lies close and smooth upon their backs, for obvious reasons. Diseased birds, or those killed in moulting time, are to be rejected, as the feathers would drop off at no distant period; the birds must therefore be killed in good health, and the skin carefully stripped off soon after their death, especially when the weather is hot; otherwise the same effects would be produced from corruption as from disease. When the skin has been freed from its impurities, it is spread upon a small table, the plumage downwards, the feathers having been previously arranged over each other, according to the natural order. To keep it well stretched, tacks or pins may be driven in, or threads passed down underneath the table. Next clean away the grease or fleshy parts that remain, and close up the rents, if any; the skin is then covered with a size made of glue, in which a small quantity of common salt and a glass of white wine have been mixed up, to bring it to the proper consistency. The skin, thus covered, being exposed to the direct action of the wind, the glue will begin to scale off, and the whole must be scraped away. Should any dampness still remain on the skin, apply the glue once more, dry, and scrape it as before. When well dried, the skin is to be placed away in a box, in which dried wormwood (absynthe), aloes, or some other bitter vegetable is placed. The skins of large, or rank feeding birds, require vinegar and salt to be dissolved in the glue, and the whole to be passed over with a solution of alum. The women of Hudson’s Bay prepare cloaks for their husbands in this way, which naturally resist all kinds of weather, and are an admirable defence against sleet in particular. They constantly boast that “the animals have all been killed by their own hands,” and this is indeed necessary to the preservation of the dress, as the feathers which come away in moulting, or through disease, would decay. A coarse linen shape is stretched out, and the feathers, having the quill part thrust through its meshes, are attached on the wrong side by needle and thread, and then lined with baize. Some sort of pattern, or _patchwork_, is generally attempted by arranging the feathers, which may be improved upon by our fair countrywomen, especially with the deeply-coloured and variegated tinted plumage of South American or Brazilian birds.—E. A.

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 spirits of turpentine, until quite clean; then hang them up in a warm place, or where there is a good current of air, which will carry off all smell of the turpentine. This method was brought from Paris, and thousands of pounds have been made by it.

TO CLEAN WHITE KID GLOVES.—Stretch them on a board, and rub the soiled spots with cream of tartar or magnesia. Let them rest an hour. Take a mixture of alum and fuller’s earth, in powder, and rub it all over the gloves with a clean brush, and let them rest for an hour or two. Then sweep it all off, and go over with a flannel dipped in a mixture of bran and finely powdered whiting. Let them rest another hour; brush off the powder, and you will find them clean.—A. F.

TO CLEAN COLOURED KID GLOVES.—Have ready on a table a clean towel, folded three or four times, a saucer of new milk, and another saucer with a piece of brown soap. Take one glove at a time, and spread it smoothly on the folded towel. Then dip in the milk a piece of clean flannel, rub it on the soap till you get off a tolerable quantity, and then, with the wet flannel, commence rubbing the glove. Begin at the wrist, and rub lengthways towards the end of the fingers, holding the glove firmly in your right hand. Continue this process until the glove is well cleaned all over with the milk and soap. When done, spread them out, and pin them on a line to dry gradually. When nearly dry, pull them out evenly, the cross-way of the leather. When quite dry, stretch them on your hands. White kid gloves may also be washed in this manner, provided they have never been cleaned with India-rubber.

AN EXCELLENT PASTE FOR GLOVES.—Liquor of ammonia half an ounce, chloride of potash ten ounces, curd soap one pound, water half a pint; dissolve the soap in the water, with a gentle heat, then as the mixture cools, stir in the other ingredients. Use it, by rubbing it over the gloves until the dirt is removed.

TO CLEAN WHITE OR COLOURED KID GLOVES.—Put the glove on your hand, then take a small piece of flannel, dip it in camphine, and well but gently rub it over the glove, _taking care not to make it too wet_; when the dirt is removed, dip the flannel (or another piece, if that is become dirty) in the pipe-clay and rub it over the glove; take it off, and hang it up in a room to dry, and in a day or two very little smell will remain; and if done carefully they will be almost as good as new. In coloured ones, if yellow, use gamboge after the pipe-clay, and for other colours match it in dry paint. I have tried the other plans recommended in many publications, and have not found them answer at all. Turpentine _may_ do as well, but I have not tried it.—A. S.

TO CLEAN WASH-LEATHER GLOVES.—First take out the grease spots with magnesia, or cream of tartar. Then wash and squeeze them through a lather of white soap and lukewarm water; hot water will shrink them. Squeeze them through second suds; rinse them first in lukewarm and then in cold water, and stretch them to dry before the fire or in the sun.

ANOTHER.—Having removed the grease spots, take the gloves, one at a time, on your hands, and rub them with a clean sponge wet with lukewarm soap-suds. Wash off the suds with a sponge and clear water, and stretch the gloves to dry. When almost dry, put them on your hands until finished, which will prevent them from shrinking.—A. F.

TO CLEAN BUCKSKIN GLOVES.—First wash in warm water and soap, until the dirt is removed; then pull them out into their proper shape, or stretch them on wooden hands. Do not wring them, but place one on the other, and press the water out. Mix a little pipe-clay, or pipe-clay and yellow ochre, according to the colour required, with vinegar or beer. Rub this over the outside of the gloves, and let them dry gradually in the shade; or if in the house, not too near the fire. When about half-dry, rub them well and stretch them on the hand or wooden mould; after they are rubbed and dried, brush them with a soft brush to get out the dust. Finally, iron the gloves with a smoothing-iron moderately heated, taking the precaution to place a cloth or piece of paper over them, and they will look like new. Tanned gloves, commonly called Limerick, are genteel and economical in spring and autumn, as they do not soil so soon as white. The tan colour is made by infusing saffron in boiling water for about twelve hours, and rubbing the stuff over the leather with a brush. The water should be soft, and never applied to leather in any case at more than blood heat.—M.

TO REMOVE STAINS FROM MORNING DRESSES.—Boil a handful of fig leaves in two quarts of water until reduced to a pint. Squeeze the leaves, and put the liquor into a bottle for use. Bombazines, crape, cloth, &c., need only be rubbed with a sponge dipped in this liquor, and the effect will be instantly produced. If any reason exists to prevent the substance from being wetted, then apply French chalk, which will absorb the grease from the finest texture without injury.

TO REMOVE WATER STAINS FROM BLACK CRAPE.—When a drop of water falls on a black crape veil or collar, it leaves a conspicuous white mark. To obliterate this, spread the crape on a table (laying on it a large book or a paper-weight to keep it steady), and place underneath the stain a piece of old black silk. With a large camel’s hair brush dipped in common ink, go over the stain; and then wipe off the ink with a little bit of old soft silk. It will dry immediately, and the white mark will be seen no more.—J. G.

TO RAISE THE PILE OF VELVET WHEN PRESSED DOWN.—Cover a hot smoothing-iron with a wet cloth, and hold the velvet firmly over it; the vapour arising will raise the pile of the velvet with the assistance of a light whisk.

TO RESTORE VELVET.—When velvet gets plushed from pressure, holding the reverse side over a basin of boiling water will raise the pile, and perhaps it may also succeed in the case of wet from rain.

TO IRON VELVET.—Having ripped the velvet apart, damp each piece separately, and holding it tightly in both hands, stretch it before the fire, the wrong side of the velvet being towards the fire. This will remove the creases, and give the surface of the material a fresh and new appearance. Velvet cannot be ironed on a table, for when spread out on a hard substance, the iron will not go smoothly over the pile.

SCOURING BALLS TO REMOVE GREASE, ETC., FROM CLOTH.—Soft soap and fuller’s earth, of each half a pound; beat them well together in a mortar, and form into cakes. The spot first moistened with water, is rubbed with a cake, and allowed to dry, when it is well rubbed with a little warm water, and afterwards rinsed or rubbed off clean.

TO TAKE FRESH PAINT OUT OF A COAT.—Take immediately a piece of cloth, and rub the wrong side of it on the paint-spot. If no other cloth is at hand, part of the inside of the coat-skirt will do. This simple application will generally remove the paint when quite fresh. Otherwise, rub some ether on the spot with your finger.

TO RENOVATE A BLACK COAT.—Boil half a pound of logwood and some copperas chips in three pints of water, until reduced to a quart. When cold, strain it; and add a wine-glass full of gin, and half that quantity of spirits of wine. Mix well; apply it to the cloth with a nail-brush, and when dry, brush with a soft brush.—T. S.

TO TAKE CARE OF BEAVER HATS.—A hat should be brushed every day with a hat-brush; and twice a day in dusty weather. When a hat gets wet, wipe it as dry as you can with a clean handkerchief, and then brush it with a soft brush, before you put it to dry. When nearly dry, go over it with a harder brush. If it still looks rough, damp it with a sponge dipped in vinegar or stale beer, and brush it with a hard brush till dry.—J. C. H.

WET CLOTHES.—Handle a wet hat as lightly as possible. Wipe it as dry as you can with a silk handkerchief; and when nearly dry, use a soft brush. If the fur stick together in any part, damp it lightly with a sponge dipped in beer or vinegar, and then brush it till dry. Put the stick or stretcher into a damp hat, to keep it in proper shape. When a coat gets wet, wipe it down the way of the nap, with a sponge or silk handkerchief. Do not put wet boots or shoes near the fire.

TO PREVENT MOTHS ATTACKING CLOTHES.—1. Procure shavings of cedar-wood, and enclose in muslin bags, which should be distributed freely among the clothes.—2. Procure shavings of camphor wood, and enclose in bags.—3. Sprinkle pimento (allspice) berries among the clothes.—4. Sprinkle the clothes with the seeds of the musk plant.—5. To destroy the eggs when deposited in woollen cloth, &c., use a solution of acetate of potash in spirits of rosemary—fifteen grains to the pint.—K.

CLOTHES BALLS.—Take four ounces of fuller’s earth, dried so as to crumble into powder, and mix with it half an ounce of pearlash. Wet it with a sufficiency of lemon-juice to work it into a stiff paste. Then form it into balls, and dry them in the sun, or on the top of a moderately warm stove. When quite dry, put them away for use. They will be found efficacious in removing grease spots and stains from articles of clothing, first wetting the spot with cold water, and then rubbing on the ball; afterwards drying the place in the sun or by the fire, and then washing it off with a sponge and clean water.

TO TAKE OUT MILDEW FROM CLOTHES.—Mix some soft soap with powdered starch, half as much salt, and the juice of a lemon, lay it on the part with a brush, let it be exposed in the air day and night, until the stain disappears. Iron-moulds may be removed by the salt of lemon. Many stains in linen may be taken out by dipping linen in sour buttermilk, and then drying it in the sun; afterwards wash it in cold water several times. Stains caused by acids may be removed by tying some pearlash up in the stained part; scrape some soap in cold soft water, and boil the linen till the stain is gone.—J. K.

TO RENOVATE BLACK CLOTH CLOTHES.—Clean the garments well, then boil four ounces of logwood in a boiler or copper containing two or three gallons of water for half an hour; dip the clothes in warm water, and squeeze dry, then put them into the copper and boil for half an hour. Take them out, and add three drachms of sulphate of iron; boil for half an hour, then take them out, and hang them up for an hour or two; take them down, rinse in three cold waters, dry well, and rub with a soft brush which has had a few drops of olive oil rubbed on its surface. If the clothes are threadbare about the elbows, cuffs, &c., raise the nap with a teazle or half-worn hatter’s card, filled with flocks, and when sufficiently raised, lay the nap the right way with a hard brush.—K.

TO FOLD A COAT FOR PACKING.—Lay the coat at its full length upon a table, with the collar towards the left hand; pull out the collar so as to make it lie quite straight; turn up the coat towards the collar, letting the crease be just at the elbow; let the lappel or breast on one side be turned smoothly back on the arm and sleeves. Turn the skirt over the lappel, so that the end of the skirt will reach to the collar, and the crease or folding will be just where the skirts part at the termination of the waist. When you have done on one side, do the same on the other. Turn the collar towards the right hand, and fold one skirt over the other, observing to let the fold be in the middle of the collar.—J. S. C.

TO BRUSH CLOTHES.—Have a wooden horse to put the clothes on, and a small cane to beat the dust out of them; also a board or table long enough for them to be put their whole length when brushing them. Have two brushes, one a hard bristle, the other soft; use the hardest for the great coats, and the other for the others when spotted with dirt. Fine cloth coats should never be brushed with too hard a brush; this will take off the nap, and make them look bare in a little time. Be careful in the choice of the cane; do not have it too large, and be particular not to hit it too hard; be careful also not to hit the buttons, for it will scratch, if not break them; therefore a small hand-whip is the best to beat with. If a coat be wet, and spotted with dirt, let it be quite dry before brushing it; then rub out the spots with the hands, taking care not to rumple it in so doing. If it want beating, do it as before directed; then put the coat at its full length on a board; let the collar be towards the left hand, and the brush in the right: brush the back of the collar first, between the two shoulders next, and then the sleeves, &c., observing to brush the cloth the same way that the nap goes, which is towards the skirt of the coat. When both sides are properly done, fold them together; then brush the inside, and last of all the collar.—W. C.

TO WASH FLANNELS.—Put the flannel into a pan and pour boiling water upon it. Then make a lather as hot as the hands can bear, take the flannel and wash it as quickly as possible. Done in this way, flannel remains almost as soft as new, and is of a good colour.—W. R.

FLANNELS.—All flannels should be soaked before they are made up; first in cold, then in hot water, in order to shrink them. Welsh flannel is the softest, and should be preferred, if to be worn next the skin; but Lancashire flannel looks finer, lasts longer, and should, therefore, be selected when the above is not its destination. Flannel under-garments should be frequently changed, because they imbibe perspiration, which is liable to be absorbed again into the system, and this is injurious. All flannel vestments that are made full, should be _gathered, not plaited_; because, in the latter case, they become thick and matted by washing; and in the event of their being turned from top to bottom in order to alter the wear, the part that had been plaited will be found to be so drawn and injured, that two or three inches of it must be cut off.—W.

TO CLEAN CUT-GLASS.—Having washed cut-glass articles, let them thoroughly dry, and afterwards rub them with prepared chalk and a soft brush, carefully going into all the flutings and cavities.

TO CLEAN DECANTERS.—Rinse the bottles, and put a piece of lighted coarse brown paper into each: then place the stoppers or corks in, and when the smoke disappears wash the bottles clean. This will remove all stains, but if the decanters are very dirty, this process should be repeated until they are fit for use.—A.

ANOTHER.—Cut some raw potatoes in pieces, put them in the bottle with a little cold water, rinse them, and they will look very clean.—E. C.

TO CLEAN PORCELAIN OR GLASS-WARE.—The best material for this purpose is fuller’s earth, but it must be beaten into a fine powder, and carefully cleared from all rough and hard particles, which might endanger the polish of the brilliant surface. In cleaning porcelain, it must also be observed that some species require more care and attention than others, as china-ware in common use frequently loses some of its colours. The red, especially of vermilion, is the first to go, because that colour, together with some others, is laid on by the Chinese after burning.—W. J. J.

TO WASH PHIALS.—In most families are gradually collected a number of phials that have been used for medicine. It is well to have a basket purposely to keep them in, and occasionally to wash them all, that they may be ready to send to the druggist’s when new medicine is wanted. Put into a wash-kettle some sifted ashes, and pour into it a sufficiency of cold water. Then put in the phials (without corks), place the kettle over the fire, and let it gradually come to a boil. After it has boiled a while, take it off, and set it aside; letting the phials remain in it till cold. Then take them out, rinse, drain them, and wipe the outsides. You may wash black bottles in the same manner. If you have occasion to wash a single phial or bottle, pour into it through a small funnel either some lye, or some lukewarm water in which a little pearlash has been dissolved; shake it, and let it stand awhile to soak. Then rinse it well in cold water two or three times. If it still smells of the former contents, soak it in more pearlash water (with the addition of a little lime), or in more lye.

TO CLEAN LOOKING-GLASSES, MIRRORS, ETC.—If they should be hung so high that they cannot be conveniently reached, have a pair of steps to stand upon; but mind that they stand steady. Then take a piece of soft sponge, well washed and cleaned from everything gritty, just dip it into water and squeeze it out again, and then dip it into spirit of wine. Rub it over the glass; dust it over with some powder blue, or whiting sifted through muslin: rub it lightly and quickly off again, with a cloth; then take a clean cloth, and rub it well again, and finish by rubbing it with a silk handkerchief. If the glass be very large, clean one-half at a time, as otherwise the spirit of wine will dry before it can be rubbed off. If the frames are not varnished, the greatest care is necessary to keep them quite dry, so as not to touch them with the sponge, as this will discolour or take off the gilding. To clean the frames, take a little raw cotton in the state of wool, and rub the frames with it; this will take off all the dust and dirt without injuring the gilding. If the frames are well varnished, rub them with spirits of wine, which will take out all spots, and give them a fine polish. Varnished doors may be done in the same manner. Never use any cloth to _frames_ or _drawings_, or unvarnished oil paintings, when cleaning and dusting them.—J. G.

TO CLEAN TIN COVERS.—Boil some rotten-stone and a small quantity of prepared whiting in some sweet oil for two hours, till it acquires the consistency of cream.

CLOTHS FOR CLEANING AND POLISHING SILVER PLATE.—Take two ounces of hartshorn powder, and boil in a pint of water, soak small squares of damask cloth in the liquid, hang them up to dry, and then they will be fit for use.—W. C. C.

TO REMOVE BLACK SPOTS FROM PLATE.—Boil the articles in three pints of water with an ounce of calcined hartshorn; drain, dry by the fire, and polish with soft linen rags which have been boiled in the same liquid and afterwards dried; using purified whiting as the plate powder.—H.

METHOD OF CLEANING BRASS ORNAMENTS.—Brass ornaments, that have not been gilt or lacquered, may be cleaned, and a very brilliant colour given to them, by washing them with alum boiled in strong lye, in the proportion of an ounce to a pint, and afterwards rubbing them with strong tripoli.—J. J.

TO PRESERVE STEEL GOODS.—Caoutchouc, one part; turpentine, sixteen parts. Dissolve with a gentle heat, then add boiled oil, eight parts. Mix by bringing them to the heat of boiling water; apply it to the steel with a brush, in the way of varnish. It may be removed, when dry, with turpentine. The oil may be wholly omitted.—M.

TO REMOVE INK STAINS FROM SILVER.—The tops and other portions of silver inkstands frequently become deeply discoloured with ink, which is difficult to remove by ordinary means. It may, however, be completely eradicated by making a little chloride of lime into a paste with water, and rubbing it upon the stains. Chloride of lime has been misnamed “the general bleacher,” but it is a foul enemy to all metallic surfaces.

TO CLEAN GERMAN SILVER.—After using, it should be placed immediately in hot water, washed well, and wiped dry with a soft cloth. Once a week, let it be washed in soap-suds, and then cleaned with fine whiting, or prepared chalk, mixed with whisky or spirits of wine, so as to make a paste, which should afterwards be brushed off. Should this metal become discoloured, or spotted by vinegar or other acids, wash it first, and then clean it with sweet oil and powdered rotten-stone.

TO PRESERVE BRASS ORNAMENTS.—Brass ornaments, when not gilt or lacquered, may be cleaned in the same way, and a fine colour may be given to them by two simple processes. The first is to beat sal-ammoniac into a fine powder, then to moisten it with soft water, rubbing it on the ornaments, which must be heated over charcoal, and rubbed dry with bran and whiting. The second is to wash the brass-work with roche-alum boiled in strong lye, in the proportion of an ounce to a pint; when dry, it must be rubbed with fine tripoli. Either of these processes will give to brass the brilliancy of gold.—J. R.

CLEANING KETTLES AND SAUCEPANS.—The following is a useful receipt for cleaning the inside of kettles or saucepans of the hard stony substance, resulting from continually boiling hard water, which may not be generally known:—In a kettle of boiling water, put about the sixteenth part of an ounce of sal-ammoniac, or two-pennyworth, which can be obtained from any chemist. Let it boil one hour, and then the petrified substance will be dissolved, and is readily disengaged from the metal. A great saving of time and trouble will be effected in heating the water.—W. M.

TO CLEAN SILVER.—When silver has become much tarnished, spotted, or discoloured, it may be restored by the following process. Having dissolved two tea-spoonfuls of powdered alum in a quart of moderately strong lye, stir in a gill of soft soap, and remove the scum or dross that may rise to the surface. After washing the silver in hot water, take a sponge and cover every article all over with this mixture. Let the things rest about a quarter of an hour, frequently turning them. Next wash them off in warm soap-suds, and wipe them dry with a soft cloth. Afterwards brighten them with rouge-powder, or with whiting and spirits of wine.—J. S. C.

TO CLEAN THE RUST FROM IRON OR STEEL.—Scrape off as much of the rust as you can. Then grease the iron all over with lamp oil (any other oil will do), rubbing it in well. Put the iron in a place where it will be out of the way, and let it rest for two or three days, or more. Then wipe off the oil, as thoroughly as possible, and rub the iron with sand-paper till it is perfectly cleaned from the grease. Sand-paper is to be had at any oil or Italian warehouse, its price is usually a penny or three halfpence a sheet. For want of oil or sand-paper, rusty iron may be cleaned tolerably well by greasing it with a bit of pork-fat, and afterwards rubbing it with common sand.

TO PRESERVE POLISHED IRONS FROM RUST.—Polished iron-work may be preserved from rust by a mixture not very expensive, consisting of copal varnish intimately mixed with as much olive oil as will give it a degree of greasiness, adding thereto nearly as much spirit of turpentine as of varnish. The cast iron work is best preserved by rubbing it with black-lead. But where rust has begun to make its appearance on grates or fire-irons, apply a mixture of tripoli with half its quantity of sulphur, intimately mingled on a marble slab, and laid on with a piece of soft leather: or emery and oil may be applied with excellent effect; not laid on in the usual slovenly way, but with a spongy piece of the fig-tree fully saturated with the mixture. This will not only clean but polish, and render the use of whiting unnecessary.—M. B.

TO CLEAN BRASS, LACQUERED WORK, ETC.—For this purpose, some persons employ a mixture of finely powdered glass and red lead. Powdered charcoal substituted for the latter will be an improvement. It will polish brass or copper in very little time, and would do well for cleaning lacquered work.

TO CLEAN CANDLESTICKS, SNUFFERS, ETC.—Silver, plated, and japanned candlesticks, snuffers and snuffer-stands, should be cleaned by first removing the drops of wax or tallow that may have fallen on them by washing in boiling hot water, afterwards wiping them quite dry and clean with a piece of soft wash-leather. If made of silver, or copper-plated, they may be finished off with a little plate powder. On no account place them before the fire to melt the grease off, as much heat will melt off the solder or japan, or injure the face of the plate. In placing the candles in the sockets fit them in tightly, either by means of a strip of paper wound round them, or by the ordinary candle-springs; they will thus be prevented from falling about and spilling the melted portion of the tallow or other materials of which they may be composed.

STAINS OF METALS.—When metals are rusty, or covered with verdigris, which has entered the substance, they are to be rubbed with sand or emery, or even filed, if the oxidation be deep; the polish is then to be restored by an impalpable powder of emery, moistened with oil, and cleaned off with a leather covered with whiting. Silver, gold, or tin, which is stained by any sulphurous emanation, should first be washed with water slightly acidulated with vinegar, and then rubbed with fine tripoli or whiting. Almost all the powder which is sold for cleaning plate is mixed with mercury, and is therefore in some degree objectionable. The fine colcothar of vitriol used by painters, is, however, a good plate powder. Another and very excellent mode of cleaning plate, is to rub it, after having washed it clean, with a piece of cloth prepared in the following manner:—Cut a yard of coarse calico into four, and boil it in a quart of water with two ounces of calcined, powdered, and sifted hartshorn, till all the liquid is absorbed.

TO REMOVE IRON-MOULDS.—Rub the spot with a little powdered oxalic acid, or salts of lemon and warm water. Let it remain a few minutes, and well rinse in clear water.

TO REMOVE INK-STAINS FROM PRINTED BOOKS, ETC.—Procure a pennyworth of oxalic acid, which dissolve in a small quantity of warm water, then slightly wet the stain with it, when it will disappear, leaving the text uninjured.—A. L.

TO REMOVE INK OR FRUIT STAINS FROM THE FINGERS.—Cream of tartar, half an ounce; powdered salt of sorrel, half an ounce. Mix. This is what is sold for salts of lemon.

TO REMOVE STAINS AND MARKS FROM BOOKS.—A solution of oxalic acid, citric acid, or tartaric acid, is attended with the least risk, and may be applied upon the paper and prints without fear of damage. These acids, taking out writing-ink and not touching the printing, can be used for restoring books where the margins have been written upon, without attacking the text.

TO REMOVE INK STAINS.—Procure a two-ounce phial, put into it a pennyworth of oxalic acid, and fill it up with warm water; place on the stain a piece of white linen rag; shake the above solution, and then pour a few drops of it on the linen rag stretched on the stain. This should remove it entirely; but, very frequently, when logwood has been used in manufacturing the ink, a reddish stain still remains. To remove it, procure a solution of the chloride of lime, and apply it in the same manner as directed for the oxalic acid. I can guarantee this, after many trials.—W. J. G.

TO CLEAN LEATHER CASES.—The following is a cheap and excellent plan to clean hat-cases, writing-desks, and any other leather materials:—Simply, oxalic acid dissolved in warm water, and the article cleansed with a piece of sponge. When dry, they are nearly equal to new.—H. K.

TO CLEAN MARBLE.—Take two parts of common soda, one part of pumice-stone, and one part of finely powdered chalk; sift it through a fine sieve, and mix it with water; then rub it well all over the marble, and the stains will be removed; then wash the marble over with soap and water, and it will be as clean as it was at first.

TO CLEAN PAPER-HANGINGS.—Cut into eight half-quarters a stale quartern loaf; with one of these pieces, after having blown off all the dust from the paper to be cleaned, by means of a good pair of bellows, begin at the top of the room, holding the crust in the hand, and wiping lightly downward with the crumb about half a yard at each stroke, till the upper part of the hangings is completely cleaned all round; then go again round, with the like sweeping stroke downward, always commencing each successive course a little higher than the upper stroke had extended till the bottom be finished. This operation, if carefully performed, will frequently make very old paper look almost equal to new. Great caution must be used not by any means to rub the paper hard, nor to attempt cleaning it the cross or horizontal way. The dirty part of the bread, too, must be each time cut away, and the pieces renewed as soon as at all necessary.

TO CLEAN BEADS.—Mix up a small quantity of soft soap, spirits of turpentine, and powdered rotten-stone. Lay it on the beads with a rag, and rub off with a bit of fine linen or leather.

TO RESTORE IVORY.—To bleach a card case, expose it to the sun in a close glass shade, previously washing it in spirits of wine and water, with a small quantity of soda in it. Allow it to dry very slowly in a cool place before exposing it to the sun. But, under any circumstances, carving in ivory is apt to split, and become unglued. For an ink spot, try a little salt of sorrel.—M. C.

TO WHITEN IVORY, EVEN THAT WHICH HAS TURNED A BROWN YELLOW.—1. Slake some lime in water, put your ivory in that water, after decanted from the ground, and boil it till it looks quite white. 2. To polish it afterwards, set it in the turner’s wheel, and, after having worked it, take rushes and pumice-stones, subtile powder with water, and rub it all till it looks perfectly smooth. Next to that, heat it by turning it against a piece of linen, or sheepskin leather, and, when hot, rub it over with a little whiting diluted in oil of olive; then with a little dry whiting alone, and finally with a piece of soft white rag. When all this is performed as directed, the ivory will look remarkably white.—J. E. C.

TO CLEAN TEA-TRAYS.—Do not pour boiling water over them, particularly on japanned ones, as it will make the varnish crack and peel off; but have a sponge wetted with warm water and a little soap if the tray be very dirty, then rub it with a cloth; if it looks smeary, dust on a little flour, then rub it with a dry cloth. If the paper tray gets marked, take a piece of woollen cloth, with a little sweet oil, and rub it over the marks; if anything will take them out, this will. Let the urn be emptied and the top wiped dry, particularly the outside, for if any wet be suffered to dry on it, it will leave a mark.—S.

WAX FOR POLISHING FURNITURE.—Melt bees’ wax in spirits of turpentine, with a very small proportion of resin. When it is entirely dissolved, dip in it a sponge, and wash the mahogany lightly over with it. Immediately afterwards, rub it off with a clean soft cloth. For carved furniture, spread the mixture on with a small soft brush, and rub it off with another brush, a very little harder.—M. P.

A HINT FOR HOUSEKEEPERS.—A few drops of carbonate of ammonia in a small quantity of warm rain water, will prove a safe and easy anti-acid, &c., and will change, if carefully applied, discoloured spots upon carpets, and indeed all spots, whether produced by acids or alkalies. If one has the misfortune to have a carpet injured by whitewash, this will immediately restore it.

TO SWEETEN CASKS.—When musty, it is best to unhead large casks and whitewash them with quick-lime. Or they may be matched with sulphur mixed with a little nitrate of potash, and afterwards well washed. Small casks may be sweetened by washing them first with sulphuric acid and then with clean water: afterwards let them be well swilled, until the foul smell disappears.—J. W.

THE SMELL OF NEW PAINT.—A bundle of old dry hay, wetted and spread about, presents a multifarious absorbing surface for this, especially if not on the floor only, but over pieces of furniture which allow circulation of air, as chairs laid upon their faces, &c. Large vessels of water, as trays and pans, are not uncommonly used, with good effect; but the multiplied surfaces of the loose hay give it great advantage. It must be kept wet, however, or at least damp, for the oily vapour does not seem to be readily absorbed unless the air is kept moist by evaporation.—J. P.

TO REMOVE BLACK STAINS FROM THE SKIN.—Ladies that wear mourning in warm weather are much incommoded by the blackness it leaves on the arms and neck, and which cannot easily be removed, even by soap and warm water. To have a remedy always at hand, keep in the drawer of your wash-stand a box, containing a mixture in equal portions of cream of tartar, and oxalic acid (POISON). Get at a druggist’s half an ounce of each of these articles, and have them mixed and pounded together in a mortar. Put some of this mixture into a cup that has a cover, and if, afterwards, it become hard, you may keep it slightly moistened with water. See that it is always closely covered. To use it, wet the black stains on your skin with the corner of a towel, dipped in water (warm water is best, but is not always at hand). Then, with your finger, rub on a little of the mixture. Then _immediately_ wash it off with water, and afterwards with soap and water, and the black stains will be visible no longer. This mixture will also remove ink and all other stains from the fingers, and from white clothes. It is more speedy in its effects if applied with warm water. No family should be without it, but care must be taken to keep it out of the way of young children, as, if swallowed, it is poisonous.—J. L.

INCOMBUSTIBLE VARNISH FOR WOOD.—Equal parts of solutions of alum and isinglass applied to where the flame acts, prevent its burning, but do not hinder the transmission of heat. Liquids can be boiled in a wooden vessel on a common fire, if this varnish be applied to them.—X.—[The wood chars, though it does not flame.]

TO VARNISH PLASTER FIGURES.—Take half an ounce of tin, half an ounce of bismuth, melt in a crucible, then add half an ounce of mercury. When perfectly combined, remove the mixture from the fire and let it cool. Mix with the white of an egg, and it forms a beautiful varnish. The figure to be dipped in it, and polished when dry.

VARNISH FOR HARNESS.—Take half a pound of India-rubber, one gallon of spirits of turpentine, dissolve enough to make it into a jelly by keeping almost new milk-warm: then take equal quantities of good linseed oil (in a hot state) and the above mixture, incorporate them well on a slow fire, and it is fit for use.—J. J.

A VARNISH TO COLOUR BASKETS AND OLD STRAW HATS.—Take either red or black sealing wax: to every two ounces of sealing wax add one ounce of rectified spirits of wine; pound the wax fine, then sift it through a fine lawn sieve, till you have made it extremely fine; put it into a large phial with spirits of wine, shake it, let it stand near the fire forty-eight hours, shaking it often; then with a brush, a _hog’s-bristle_ brush, lay it all over the baskets. Let it dry, and repeat the application a second time.—J. T. T.

TO POLISH VARNISH.—Take two ounces of tripoli powdered, put it in an earthen pot, with water to cover it; then take a piece of white flannel, lay it over a piece of cork or rubber, and proceed to polish the varnish, always wetting it with the tripoli and water. It will be known when the process is finished by wiping a part of the work with a sponge, and observing whether there is a fair even gloss. When this is the case, take a bit of mutton suet and fine flour, and clean the work.—W. G.

TO MAKE WHITE VARNISH.—The white varnish used for toys is made of sandarac, eight ounces; mastic, two ounces; Canada balsam, four ounces; alcohol, one quart. This is white, drying, and capable of being polished when hard. Another varnish, for objects of the toilet, such as work-boxes, card-cases, &c., is made of gum sandarac, six ounces; elemi (genuine), four ounces; animi, one ounce; camphor, half an ounce; rectified spirit, one quart. Melt slowly. These ingredients may, of course, be lessened in proportion.

A VARNISH FOR WOOD THAT WILL RESIST THE ACTION OF BOILING WATER.—Our readers will find the following receipt extremely useful:—Take a pound and a half of linseed oil, and boil it in a copper vessel, not tinned, suspending in the oil a small linen bag, containing five ounces of litharge and three ounces of minium, both pulverised, taking care that the bag does not touch the bottom of the vessel. Continue the ebullition till the oil acquires a deep brown colour; then take out the bag, and substitute another bag containing a clove of garlic. Continue the ebullition, and renew the garlic seven or eight times, or else put the whole in at once. Then throw into the vessel a pound of yellow amber, after having melted it in the following manner. To a pound of well pulverised amber add two ounces of linseed oil, and place the whole on a strong fire. When the fusion is complete, pour it boiling hot into the prepared linseed oil, and let it continue to boil for two or three minutes, stirring it well. Let it rest, decant the composition, and preserve it, when cold, in well-stopped bottles. After having polished the wood on which this varnish is to be applied, the wood is to have the desired colour given to it; for example, for walnut-tree, a slight coat of a mixture of soot with oil of turpentine. When this colour is perfectly dry, lay on a coat of varnish with a fine sponge, in order to distribute it equally. Repeat these coats four times, always taking care to let one coat dry before the next is applied.

CORRECTIVE OF BAD WATER.—Five drops of sulphuric acid put into a full quart of bad water, will cause the noxious particles to fall to the bottom. The water should stand two hours; pour off about three parts for use, and throw the rest away.

GLUE MADE WATERPROOF.—Soak glue in water till it is soft, then melt it in linseed oil, assisted with a gentle heat. This glue is not acted upon by water or damp.—X.

WATERPROOF BOOTS.—Boots and shoes may be rendered impervious to water by the following composition: Take three ounces of spermaceti, and melt it in a pipkin, or other earthen vessel, over a slow fire: add thereto six drachms of India-rubber, cut into slices, and these will presently dissolve. Then add of tallow eight ounces, hog’s lard two ounces, amber varnish four ounces. Mix, and it will be fit for use immediately; the boots or other material to be treated, are to receive two or three coats with a common blacking brush, and a fine polish is the result.

WATERPROOF CLOTH.—Brush the cloth first with a solution of isinglass, and when dry with a solution of nutgalls. This last solution changes the gelatinous mass of isinglass into a true leather. Instead of isinglass use common glue and afterwards a tincture or infusion of catechu. These receipts will scarcely do with light colours. Rub the cloth over on the wrong side with India-rubber varnish, or India-rubber dissolved by heat in spirits of turpentine. Brush over the wrong side of the cloth with a solution of isinglass, alum, and soap. Brush over the wrong side with soap-suds, and afterwards with a solution of alum.

A FIREPROOF AND WATERPROOF CEMENT.—To half a pint of milk put an equal quantity of vinegar, in order to curdle it; then separate the curd from the whey, and mix the whey with the whites of four or five eggs, beating the whole well together. When it is well mixed, add a little quick-lime through a sieve, until it has acquired the consistence of a thick paste. With this cement, broken vessels and cracks of all kinds may be mended. It dries quickly, and resists the action of fire and water. I have recommended this receipt to several friends, who have found it very satisfactory.—H.

CHINESE METHOD OF WATERPROOFING CLOTH.—By the following very simple process it is said that the Chinese render not only the strongest cloth, but even the finest muslin, waterproof, without injuring the appearance or quality of the article. The composition is composed of half an ounce of white wax in a pint of spirits of turpentine. In a sufficient quantity of the mixture immerse the goods intended to be rendered waterproof, and then hang them in the open air till they become perfectly dry. This is all the process necessary for accomplishing so desirable a purpose; against which, however, may be objected, perhaps, the expense, and the unpleasant smell of the turpentine. But this latter objection can be remedied by using equal parts of spirits of wine and oil of wormwood, which is said to dissipate the smell of the turpentine; but the former, it is not to be denied, must necessarily be augmented.—[A. P. has favoured us with the above, but has not tried it.]

RUST.—The preservation of iron and steel from rust is a very important consideration in domestic economy. The following plan of doing this is very little known, and is far superior to any other:—Add to a quart of cold water half a pound of quick-lime; let this stand until the top is perfectly clear; pour off the clear liquid, and stir up with it a quantity of olive oil, until the mixture becomes a thick cream, or rather assumes the consistence of butter which has been melted for the table, and has become cold. Rub the iron or steel which is to be put by with this mixture, and then wrap it up in paper. Knives and other steel articles treated in this way will not acquire the slightest rust. If the nature of the articles will not admit of their being wrapped up in paper, they will remain free from rust by covering them more thickly with the mixture.

TO PRESERVE STEEL PENS FROM CORROSION.—Dip them for a few moments in ethereal solution of gold. This covers them with a film of pure metallic gold, which prevents the ink acting upon the steel.

TO SOFTEN OLD PUTTY.—In removing old or broken panes from a window, it is generally very difficult to get off the hard dry putty that sticks round the glass and its frame. Dip a small brush in a little nitric or muriatic acid (to be obtained at the druggist’s), and go over the putty with it. Let it rest a while, and it will soon become so soft that you can remove it with ease. I have found this plan very successful.—H. B.

TO REMOVE THE SMELL OF PAINT.—Take three or four broad tubs (such, for instance, as hold about eight gallons), fill them with cold water, and put into each an ounce of vitriolic acid, which you can obtain from a druggist. Place these tubs near the wainscot, in a newly painted room. This water will absorb and retain the effluvium of the paint. Next day fill the tubs with fresh water, and add to each another ounce of vitriolic acid. Repeat this a third day, and on the fourth the smell of the paint will not be perceptible.

AN EXCELLENT PEN WIPER.—Procure two-pennyworth of small shot, (the smaller the better,) put them into a phial with the neck broken off; every time you wish to clean your pen, rub it up and down two or three times in the shot. This will clean it directly, and the shots will last a lifetime. The simple plan here suggested cleans steel pens ten times better than cloth wipers do: I have tested its utility very frequently.—C.

INJURIES AND DEATHS FROM THE INFLAMMABILITY OF FEMALE CLOTHING.

The total number of persons who died in the United Kingdom from burns and scalds during the year 1858, was _three thousand one hundred and twenty-five_. Of these no small proportion consisted of ladies and children, who met their deaths through their clothes catching fire. Neither number nor rank is wanting to emphasise the precautions suggested by sad calamities arising from the habitual employment of light and combustible attire. One of the most recent victims was the Countess St. Marsault, lady of honour to the Princess Clotilde, who died at Paris from the effects of burns which she had received while endeavouring to save another lady, whose dress had ignited at a ball. Even royalty has not escaped these perils; and the severe burns some time since suffered by the Princess Frederick William of Prussia, owing to the ignition of her dress while she was in the act of sealing a letter, led to the institution of the latest and most successful inquiries into means for preventing the ignition of light textile fabrics. Her Majesty has taken interest in the subject, and experiments have been made at her express command.

Messrs. Kersmann & Oppenheim recommend the employment of a solution of tungstate of soda; but this salt, in the state in which it is ordinarily supplied to the public, produces a slight discoloration of the fabric—a fatal objection to its use by ladies who are scrupulously particular upon the appearance of their vestures. Messrs. Johnson & Sons, of 18A, Basinghall Street, have experimented upon the tungstate of soda, and succeeded in producing a refined preparation of it, which may be employed without the slightest risk of injury to the whiteness, texture, or colours of the fabric.

At a recent _conversazione_ of the Medical Society of London, Messrs. Johnson exhibited pieces of muslin which had been prepared with a solution of the tungstate of soda, and other portions free from such preparation. Strips of these were submitted to the action of fire, and it was found that the prepared muslin merely charred slowly, while the unprepared burst immediately into flame. Similar experiments were recently exhibited at Guy’s Hospital, upon various materials, with the most perfect success.

It is stated by Messrs. Johnson that one pennyworth of this preparation, used with the starch employed in getting up a muslin dress, will render it certainly uninflammable. An easy means of prevention of a serious evil being thus placed within the reach of the humblest persons, is it not the duty of ladies generally to command and recommend its employment? We have no desire to restrict the exercise of taste in matters of fashion; we seek not to curtail those ample folds in which ladies may recognise the acme of grace and beauty: but we must suggest that while they are allowed to exercise a reasonable pride of dress, they cannot be released from the moral consideration that the gratification of that pride should not be suffered to endanger the lives of themselves and their associates, and to plunge families into mourning perhaps at the very moment when social happiness is most complete.

Johnson’s prepared tungstate of soda may, we believe, be obtained at the chemist’s, with directions for its use. If not yet introduced, it soon must be, as the result of general and frequent inquiry; and we strongly recommend ladies to employ it, not only for those articles of personal attire which are liable to come into contact with flame, but for bed and window hangings, blinds, and other household draperies that may accidentally ignite. The only caution that we know of as necessary to be observed in connection with this preparation is, that it should not be employed for those parts of clothing which infants are liable to suck.

SUMMER AND WINTER BEVERAGES.

SUMMER BEVERAGES.