Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/118

 and rub salad oil over the smooth parts, drying it off with a flannel. Before using the acid at all, all the shells must be thoroughly washed with soap and water, and all extraneous substances scrubbed off with a brush. Those parts not requiring the action of the acid can be preserved by a thin coating of beeswax applied warm and afterwards cleaned off. To fill up the tiny holdsholes [sic] made by sea worms, use a mixture of whiting, flour and liquid gum. If these places show out too plainly afterwards they should be coloured in imitation of the shell with water colours.

To Clean Gilt Picture Frames.—Cut up some soap into boiling water and beat it into a lather. When milk warm, wash the frames gently with a soft flannel or sponge, rinse with clean warm water (not hot), wipe dry with a soft cloth and polish with a silk handkerchief. Judson’s gold paint can be used to touch up old frames, but it requires care and judgment or the two golds will not match.

To Clean Patent Leather Shoes, &amp;c.—Sponge with warm water and dry quickly, then, while still warm, rub a little sweet oil into them, rub it well off and polish with a leather. New patent leather shoes should be put before the fire to dry when taken off. And when first worn they should be pressed gently with the hands to mould them to the feet. When getting dull white of egg will revive them.

To Clean Tan Shoes.—In about a cupful of warm water dissolve one tablespoonful of salt, and in a pint of cold water dissolve one ounce of salts of lemon. Mix the two together and you have an excellent wash for tan shoes or boots. Wash them well all over, and then having dried them well take a piece of flannel and rub them over with boot cream, and polish with a soft cloth.

To Clean Discoloured Coral.—Put it into boiling water with about two tablespoonsful of kerosene with it. Coral, if not very dirty, can be cleansed by being placed in running water for a time. Or boil with a little good shell lime in the water.

To Restore Tarnished Jewellery.—Buy one fluid ounce of liquid potassa from a chemist, and make a solution of it with twenty times its quantity of water. Wash the tarnished jewellery in this and rinse in clear cold water. Then make what is called a gilder’s pickle by mixing one teaspoonful of common salt and two of saltpetre in sufficient water to cover the articles, immerse them in this for five or six minutes, stirring them about now and then till the golden appearance is restored. Then rinse in clean water and dry, and polish with a leather.

To Preserve Kid Boots.—While kid boots or shoes are fresh and new, all they require in the way of polish is a rub now and then with a small sponge wetted in a little milk. But when they begin to rub and look shabby they can be restored by rubbing in a little oil and ink. Mix the oil and ink together till smooth, and apply with a sponge or piece of linen and rub dry with a cloth. Kid boots should always be kept in a boot tidy, as they get rubbed if left about.

To Purify a Room.—Very often it is necessary to fumigate or purify a room from some objectionable smell. A dead mouse found under the carpet will leave a very unpleasant perfume. One way to purify the air is by pouring some vinegar on to powdered chalk until it ceases to foam, and when the mixture has settled drain off the vinegar. Then put the dry sediment in a shallow dish when required for use, and pour over it some sulphuric acid. The fumes that rise act as an agreeable fumigator. It is as well to keep a little of the chalk already prepared in a bottle handy in case of it being required.

Another mode of purifying a room is to pour a few drops of vinegar on to a few hot coals, or on to a red hot pan.

To Purify Vessels that have been lying by.—Powder some charcoal