1617. How To Clean Cane Chair Bottoms

Turn up the chair bottom, and with hot water and a sponge wash the cane-work well so that it may become completely soaked; should it be very dirty, you may add soap. Let it dry in the open air if possible, or in a place where there is a thorough draught, and it will become as tight and firm as when new, providing that it has not been broken.

1618. How To Clean Decanters

Roll up in small pieces some coarse brown paper, then wet and soap the same, put them into the vessel with a little lukewarm water, and some common soda, shake them well, then rinse with clean water, and it will be as bright and clear as when new.

1619. Cleaning Floor Cloths

After sweeping and cleaning the floor cloth with a broom and damp flannel in the usual manner, wet them over with milk, and rub them till beautifully bright with a dry cloth; they will thus look as if they were rubbed first with a waxed flannel and afterwards with a dry one, without being so slippery, or so soon clogging with dust or dirt.

1620. How To Clean Sponges

When very foul wash them in diluted tartaric acid, rinsing them afterwards in water, it will make them very soft and white. Be careful to dilute the acid well as it is very corrosive and therefore should be weak.

1621. How To Clean Silk Stockings

Wash your stockings first in white soap liquor lukewarm to take out the rough dirt, then rinse them in fair water, and work them well in a fresh soap liquor, then make a third soap liquor pretty strong, in which put a little stone blue wrapped in a flannel bag, till your liquor is blue enough, then wash your stockings well therein, and take them out and wring them; then let them be dried so that they remain a little moist, then stove them with brimstone; after which put upon the wooden leg two stockings one upon the other, observing that the two fronts or outsides are face to face, then polish them with glass.

N.B. The first two soap liquors must be only lukewarm, the last soap liquor as hot as you can bear your hand in it.

Blonds and gauzes are whitened in the same manner, only a little gum must be put in the soap liquor before they are stoved.

1622. How To Clean Turkey Carpets

To revive the colour of a Turkey carpet, beat it well with a stick till the dust is all out, then with a lemon or sorrel juice take out the spots of ink, if the carpet be stained with any, wash it in cold water, and afterwards shake out all the water from the threads of the carpet; when it is thoroughly dry rub it all over with the crumb of a hot wheaten loaf, and if the weather is very fine hang it out in the open air a night or two.

1623. How To Clean Water Casks

Scour the inside well out with water and sand, and afterwards apply a quantity of charcoal dust: another and a better method is to rinse them with a strong solution of oil of vitriol and water, which entirely deprives them of their foulness.

1640. Mixture For Cleaning Pavements

Boil together half a pint each of size and stone-blue water with two table-spoonfuls of whiting and two cakes of pipe-makers' clay in about two quarts of water; wash the stones over with a flannel slightly wetted in this mixture, and when dry rub them with flannel and brush.