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
7. _To beat a Carpet._--Hang the carpet upon a clothes-line, or upon
a stout line between two trees; it should then be beaten on the
_wrong side_, by three or four persons, each having a pliable stick,
with cloth tied strongly in a knob on the end, in order to prevent
the carpet from being torn, or the seams split, by the sharp end
of the stick. When thoroughly beaten on the wrong side, the carpet
should be turned, and beaten on the right side.
8. _Floor or Oil Cloths._--Floor-cloths should be chosen that are
painted on a fine cloth, which is well covered with the color, and
the patterns on which do not rise much above the ground, as they wear
out first. The durability of the cloth will depend much on these
particulars, but more especially on the time it has been painted, and
the goodness of the colors. If they have not been allowed sufficient
time for becoming thoroughly hardened, a very little use will injure
them; and, as they are very expensive articles, care in preserving
them is necessary. It answers to keep them some time before they are
used, either hung up in a dry barn where they will have air, or laid
down in a spare room.
When taken up for the winter, they should be rolled round a
carpet-roller, and observe not to crack the paint by turning the
edges in too suddenly.
Old carpets answer extremely well, painted and seasoned some months
before laid down. If for passages, the width must be directed when
they are sent to the manufactory, as they are cut before painting.
9. _To clean Floor cloths._--Sweep, then wipe them with a flannel;
and when all dust and spots are removed, rub with a waxed flannel,
and then with a dry plain one; but use little wax, and rub only
enough with the latter to give a little smoothness, or it may
endanger falling.
Washing now and then with milk, after the above sweeping and
dry-rubbing them, gives as beautiful a look, and they are less
slippery.
10. _Method of Cleaning Paper-hangings._--Cut into eight half
quarters a large loaf, two days old; it must neither be newer nor
staler. 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 round again, with the like sweeping stroke
downwards, 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 it may become necessary.