Laying the Carpet.
Lay the carpet linings on the floor, putting a small tack here and there to keep them in place. Put the carpet on the floor, unrolling it in the direction in which it is to be laid. Begin to tack it at the end of the room which is the most irregular. If there be a fireplace or bay-window in the room, fit the carpet around these places first. Use large tacks to hold the carpet temporarily in place; they can be withdrawn when the work is finished. When the carpet is fitted to a place, use small tacks to keep it down. Tack one end of the carpet, stretching it well; then a side, then the other end, and finally the other side. Be careful to keep the lines straight, and to have the carpet fit tightly; for if it be loose, it will not only look bad, but will not wear well.
When the carpet is laid, pour a little naphtha on any soiled places, and rub with a piece of flannel until the spots disappear. Always have a window open at such times, to allow the gas to escape. Put about six quarts of warm water in a pail and add four tablespoonfuls of household ammonia. Wring a woollen cloth out of this, and wipe the carpet.
Put the furniture and other articles in place. When all the chambers are finished, clean the hall and stairs. All the chambers and upper halls are to be cleaned in the same manner, one room at a time. If the stairs be carpeted, take up the carpets and have them cleaned and put away until all the front part of the house has been cleaned.