99. Crockery and Glass.—Crockery and glass, to be used for holding hot water, are best seasoned by boiling them, by putting the articles in a saucepan of cold water over the fire, and letting the water just boil; the saucepan should then be removed, and the articles should be allowed to remain in it till the water is cold. Some kind of pottery is best seasoned by soaking in cold water.
Choose thin rather than thick glasses, as the thin glass is less likely to be broken by boiling water than that which is thicker; for, thin glass allows the heat to pass through it in least time. The safest plan is to pour boiling water very slowly into cold glasses.
As boiling water will often break cold glass, so a cold liquid will break hot glass; thus wine, if poured into decanters that have been placed before the fire, will frequently break them.
Glass dishes and stands made in moulds are much cheaper than others, and they have a good appearance, if not placed near cut-glass.
Lamp-glasses are often cracked by the flame being too high when they are first placed round it; the only method of preventing which is to lower the flame before the glass is put on the lamp, and to raise the flame gradually as the glass heats.
100. Polished Tea Urns preferable to varnished ones.—Polished tea urns may be kept boiling with a much less expense of spirits of wine, than such as are varnished; and the cleaner and brighter the dishes, and covers for dishes, which are used for bringing food to table, and for keeping it hot, the more effectually will they answer that purpose.
101. Japanned Candlesticks and Tea-Trays, and Paper work.—To remove grease from these, let the water be just warm enough to melt it; then wipe them with a cloth, and if they look smeared, sprinkle a little flour on them, and wipe it clean off. Wax candles should not be burned in the candlesticks, as the wax cannot be taken off without injuring the varnish. Paper work is liable to break if let fall, or if boiling water be poured on it.