Harper's Household Handbook: A guide to easy ways of doing woman's work

by Martha McCulloch-Williams

Take grease from paper, as books or prints, by laying on thickly powdered borax and calcined magnesia, and keeping warm for several days. Shut books tight upon the powder and put under moderate weight. Or iron over the powder with a very hot iron, shake off, apply fresh, and tie or put under weight. A tender old print, much soiled, should be pasted on a thin cloth and cleaned with a damp, soapy cloth, then, after drying, covered both sides with chalk, left several days, then shaken out and ironed on the wrong side, with the right against a soft clean cloth. Mitigate grease on leather bindings with the chalk pad and hot iron—it is rarely wholly removable. Plain calf admits of gasolene, but for anything else dry-cleaning alone is safe.

Paint and Varnish: Soak hardened metallic paint in turpentine till softened, then remove with gasolene, alcohol, or chloroform. Chloroform is the thing for fine fabrics of delicate colors. Use alcohol on white stuff, swabbing with an upward motion. Varnish requires little beyond the turpentine treatment. Earth paints and calcimine demand washing in soapsuds to get rid of the color. Remove paint from floors or windows with strong hot soda water or else a cloth well wet in turpentine. Gasolene will likewise remove it, but is more apt to smear. Plate glass or fine mirrors should be polished with whiting and alcohol after the spots have been removed. Wet to a cream, rub on, let stand awhile, then rub off with clean cloths.

Ice-cream and Gelatine: Such spots must be soaked in clear cold water for at least an hour. If on garments that forbid soaking, lay the spot upon a folded damp cloth, put another over it, and press with moderate weight for an hour. Then wipe off on both sides with borax water, weak and cold, followed by several rinsings in clear cold water. Shift the spot to a clean place now and then. When clean pin it smooth between thick clothes and press dry with a moderate iron. Wash fabrics, of course, can be laundered after soaking.

Fruit Stains: Soak fresh fruit stains half an hour in cold water, then pour boiling water through them and dry quickly. If they have been set by soap and boiling, touch them with Javelle water (see section Renovators), washing it out quickly. Use only on white things—it takes out color as well as stains. Some stains on colored things can be taken out harmlessly by covering with salt and vinegar and leaving two hours in the sun. Tomato juice and salt in sunshine is another prescription—with a bright tin underneath. An apple cut in half and laid under a set stain in sunshine is likewise effectual. Take care, though, to wash the material well in cold water so there may not be a fresh apple stain.

Ammonia removes acid discolorations; it also mitigates perspiration marks. Use the spirits, and follow with alcohol and water, dabbed on lightly.

Wine Stains: Wet wine stains with alcohol or whisky and soak an hour in cold water, else pour boiling water through them with the fabric held taut, and dry before laundering. This for table linen. Stained silk or cloth must be dabbed many times with tepid water, pressing with dry cloths between dabbings. Do not make wet enough to leave circles. Shake finely powdered chalk on thickly when the dabbing is done, let it lie for a day, then brush off, and if a mark remains dab with alcohol and water, blood warm, or hold the stain with the wrong side next a steaming spout, wiping it off well as soon as it is damp.

Ink Stains: If ink is spilled on a carpet, take up every bit possible with warm, damp cloths, letting them lie to absorb it. Follow with cloths wet in cold, sweet milk, rubbing and dabbing vigorously. Wash afterward with clear hot water, then sift on, while damp, cornmeal or dry sawdust and let stand a day, brush off, and wipe the spot over with alcohol. Lacking cloths, crumpled paper, newspaper, or blotting-paper can be used to take up the ink. Never wipe it, and take up about the edges first, to save spreading.

Take stains from wood with oxalic-acid solution (see section Renovators). Reduce one-half with boiling water, wet the stain, wipe off with clear, hot water; if stain remains, repeat the acid. Use the acid on white things ink-stained, wetting them first with boiling water and holding the stain in steam or close to a very hot iron for a minute or two after dipping in the acid. Wash out the acid with clear water, as hot as can be borne.

Take ink stains from paper by laying it on a thick cloth, putting on a drop or two of acid, covering with another cloth, and pressing with a hot iron. Remove to a clean, wet cloth, cover, and press again.

Oxalic acid must not be used full strength on silk or woolens. Weaken two-thirds with boiling water, and pour boiling water through the stain after wetting with the acid. Test the color; if the acid destroys it, try either covering the stain with a paste of French chalk and alcohol, letting dry and brushing off, or dropping blazing tallow through from the wrong side, and later removing it with gasolene or chloroform, the same as an ordinary grease mark. The tallow must be left on several days so it may combine with the ink.