To Clean the Silverware take two spoonfuls of ammonia, one of
sal soda, and a small piece of soap ; put in a pint of rain water ; put
pieces of silver in and set on the stove till it comes to a boil; or, if very
dirty, boil them until they are clean, then rinse in clean water, wipe dry,
and rub with chamois skin.
To Clean Brass, rub with strong vinegar ; wash off with hot water
to remove the acid, and finish with dry whiting ; another equally as good
is to take the water potatoes have been boiled in (peels and all) ; strain
the water and wash the brass in it.
Rub Steel with equal parts of sweet oil and turpentine, and thicken it
to a paste with emery powder. Rub it on the steel with a bit of flan-
nel, and rub dry with chamois leather. If all the rust has not disap-
peared, use emery powder dry on a flannel. To remove rust from
knives, cover them with sweet oil, well rubbed on, and after two days
take a lump of fresh lime and rub till the rust disappears.
Hartshorn, diluted with one-third water, will remove mildew stains ;
or this is good — mix soft soap with starch powdered ; half the quantity
of salt and a piece of lemon, and lay it on both sides with a paint brush ;
let it be in the open air — the sun is preferred — till the stain is removed.
For Furniture Polish, take two parts sweet oil, one part alcohol ;
shake well before using. Apply with soft cotton cloth and rub dry, the
more rubbing the better. If this mixture has stood for some time add
202 HOUSE-KEEPING.
more alcohol. This will clean and improve the appearance of any kind
of furniture : Or, equal proportions of turpentine, linseed oil, and
vinegar, thoroughly applied and then rubbed with flannel.
Whiter Flannels that are to be put away for the summer, are often
found to be yellow and ugly looking in the spring, but they can be
improved in color if washed in this way : Put half a pound of good bar
soap, shaven up fine, into four gallons of warm (not boiling) water, and
add to it a tablespoonful of aqua ammonia and same quantity of tur-
pentine ; put in the flannels and dip them up and down in the water for
fifteen minutes ; then rinse in clear bluing water.
hi the Kitchen all the pans and tinware should be boiled in a boiler
of clean suds, and afterward dried, and polished. Kettles and all the
iron ware should have a good cleaning, and rubbing with sand. Sinks,
drains, and all places that are in danger of becoming sour or impure,
should be thoroughly cleansed with carbolic acid and water. Copperas
and chloride of lime are good disinfectants.
Last, but not least, clean the cellars. Wash the walls and beams
with a good coat of whitewash, in which enough copperas has been dis-
solved to make it yellow ; then scatter copperas ail over the floor and in
the corners. This will make the cellar perfectly sweet and it will keep
so all summer, if care is taken after it is once clean. The cellar should
be opened during the middle part of the day and a good circulation of
air kept through it all the time, as a close pent up cellar will keep a
house unhealthy.
CLEANING WALLS.
Page 179
Presented as published in 1886. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
To Clean the Silverware take two spoonfuls of ammonia, one of sal soda, and a small piece of soap ; put in a pint of rain water ; put pieces of silver in and set on the stove till it comes to a boil; or, if very dirty, boil them until they are clean, then rinse in clean water, wipe dry, and rub with chamois skin.
To Clean Brass, rub with strong vinegar ; wash off with hot water to remove the acid, and finish with dry whiting ; another equally as good is to take the water potatoes have been boiled in (peels and all) ; strain the water and wash the brass in it.
Rub Steel with equal parts of sweet oil and turpentine, and thicken it to a paste with emery powder. Rub it on the steel with a bit of flannel, and rub dry with chamois leather. If all the rust has not disappeared, use emery powder dry on a flannel. To remove rust from knives, cover them with sweet oil, well rubbed on, and after two days take a lump of fresh lime and rub till the rust disappears.
Hartshorn, diluted with one-third water, will remove mildew stains ; or this is good — mix soft soap with starch powdered ; half the quantity of salt and a piece of lemon, and lay it on both sides with a paint brush ; let it be in the open air — the sun is preferred — till the stain is removed.
For Furniture Polish, take two parts sweet oil, one part alcohol ; shake well before using. Apply with soft cotton cloth and rub dry, the more rubbing the better. If this mixture has stood for some time add
more alcohol. This will clean and improve the appearance of any kind of furniture : Or, equal proportions of turpentine, linseed oil, and vinegar, thoroughly applied and then rubbed with flannel.
White Flannels that are to be put away for the summer, are often found to be yellow and ugly looking in the spring, but they can be improved in color if washed in this way : Put half a pound of good bar soap, shaven up fine, into four gallons of warm (not boiling) water, and add to it a tablespoonful of aqua ammonia and same quantity of turpentine ; put in the flannels and dip them up and down in the water for fifteen minutes ; then rinse in clear bluing water.
In the Kitchen all the pans and tinware should be boiled in a boiler of clean suds, and afterward dried, and polished. Kettles and all the iron ware should have a good cleaning, and rubbing with sand. Sinks, drains, and all places that are in danger of becoming sour or impure, should be thoroughly cleansed with carbolic acid and water. Copperas and chloride of lime are good disinfectants.
Last, but not least, clean the cellars. Wash the walls and beams with a good coat of whitewash, in which enough copperas has been dissolved to make it yellow ; then scatter copperas ail over the floor and in the corners. This will make the cellar perfectly sweet and it will keep so all summer, if care is taken after it is once clean. The cellar should be opened during the middle part of the day and a good circulation of air kept through it all the time, as a close pent up cellar will keep a house unhealthy.
CLEANING WALLS.