Mrs. Hale's Receipts for the Million: Containing Four Thousand Five Hundred and Forty-five Receipts, Facts, Directions, etc. in the Useful, Ornamental, and Domestic Arts — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Mrs. Hale's Receipts for the Million: Containing Four Thousand Five Hundred and Forty-five Receipts, Facts, Directions, etc. in the Useful, Ornamental, and Domestic Arts
John Stuart Mill · en
31. _To clean Looking-glasses._--Keep for this purpose a piece of
sponge, a cloth, and a silk handkerchief, all entirely free from
dirt, as the least grit will scratch the fine surface of the glass.
First, sponge it with a little spirit of wine, or gin and water, so
as to clean off all spots; then, dust over it powder-blue, tied in
muslin, rub it lightly and quickly off with the cloth, and finish
by rubbing it with the silk handkerchief. Be careful not to rub the
edges of the frames.
32. _To preserve Gilding, and clean it._--It is impossible to prevent
flies from staining the gilding without covering it; before which,
blow off the light dust, and pass a feather or clean brush over it,
but never touch it with water; then, with strips of paper, or rather
gauze, cover the frames of your glasses, and do not remove till the
flies are gone.
Linen takes off the gilding and deadens its brightness; it should,
therefore, never be used for wiping it.
A good preventive against flies is, to boil three or four leeks in a
pint of water, and then with a gilding-brush wash over the glasses
and frames with the liquid, and the flies will not go near the
articles so washed. This will not injure the frames in the least.
Stains or spots may be removed by gently wiping them with cotton
dipped in sweet oil.
33. _To retouch the rubbed parts of a Picture-frame._--Give the wood
a coating of size made by dissolving isinglass with a weak spirit.
When nearly dry, lay on some gold leaf; and polish, when quite dry,
with an agate burnisher, or any similar substance.
34. _Furniture Oil._--Put into a jar one pint of linseed oil into
which stir one ounce of powdered rose pink, and one ounce of alkanet
root, beaten in a mortar: set the jar in a warm place for a few
days, when the oil will be deeply colored, and the substances having
settled, the oil may be poured off, and will be excellent for
darkening new mahogany.
35. _Furniture Paste._--Put turpentine into a glazed pot, and
scrape beeswax into it, which stir about till the liquid is of the
thickness of cream; it will then be good for months, if kept clean;
and furniture cleaned with the liquid thus made, will not receive
stains so readily as when the turpentine and wax are heated over the
fire; which plan is, besides, very dangerous; but if the heating be
preferred, place the vessel containing the wax and turpentine in
another containing boiling water.