The Library of Work and Play: HousekeepingGilman, Elizabeth Hale
General
The Library of Work and Play: Housekeeping
Gilman, Elizabeth Hale
Home economics
To polish a waxed floor, first remove all dust with a hair broom, a
wool mop, or a broom in a bag. Then rub carefully and energetically
every inch of the floor with a heavy polisher until the polish is
restored. The best polishers are costly, but others, less expensive,
are made of strips of felt or chamois. They can also be home-made from
a block of heavy wood with a hole bored diagonally in the top large
enough to hold an old broom handle or a mop-stick. The bottom of the
block must have several thicknesses of heavy material tacked over it.
Old flannel, old bath towels, and old carpet are good for this purpose.
Floors not finished with wax are polished with oil or some patent
polish. Many patent mixtures for this purpose are exceedingly good.
Besides these, two parts linseed oil to one part kerosene is a good
polish; also one-half turpentine to one-half crude oil. Kerosene
used by itself both cleans and polishes floors, but its odour is an
objection to its use.
As in the cases of the waxed floor, all dust must be removed before the
polishing begins. When this is accomplished, rub the floor with a soft
thick cloth dampened with polish. There should always be much rubbing
and little oil. A quart of floor polish should last months. If by
mistake too much oil is applied, rub the floor again with a dry cloth.
When finished, it should feel smooth to the hand, not oily.
If oily cloths are kept from one time to another, they should not be
shut up closely in a box or closet for they are liable to spontaneous
combustion.
_Refinishing._--Floors are refinished by receiving a new coat of
finish. Before this is put on, the floors should be thoroughly cleaned.
This cleaning is well done with sandpaper and turpentine. Every board
must be rubbed in the direction of the grain until it is entirely
smooth and clean. After this the floor should be wiped with a dry
cloth, and the finish applied and polished.
When it is necessary or desirable to wash a hardwood floor, it should
be done just before refinishing and with tepid water, soap that would
not hurt hands nor lace and a cloth well wrung out before it is
applied to the floor. Water is injurious to polished floors of any
kind, and to waxed floors especially.
If a floor receives hard wear in one or two places, or if something
hurtful is spilled upon it, it may be necessary to refinish these
places when the remainder of the floor does not need it. In such cases
a few square feet can be done just as a whole floor is done. The final
polishing will keep the place from looking like a patch.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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