Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/1994

1792 will take from 3 to 4 lb. for each cask), then pour in as many gallons of boiling water as there are pounds of lime, and bung. Roll the cask about now and then, and after a few hours wash it out, steam it, and let it cool.

Wash the plate in a strong lather of common yellow soap and boiling water to remove all grease and wipe it quite dry; then mix as much hartshorn powder as will be required into a thick paste, with cold water or spirits of wine; smear this lightly over the plate with a piece of soft rag, and leave it to dry. When perfectly dry, brush it off quite clean with a soft plate-brush and polish the plate with a dry leather. If the plate be very dirty or much tarnished, spirits of wine will be found to answer better than the water for mixing the paste.

Mix to a paste ¼ lb. of prepared chalk with 2 dr. of spirits of camphor, 1 dr. of ammonia, 1 oz. of turpentine and a dessertspoonful of spirits. When the silver is washed and dry, dab on the paste with a sponge and leave it to dry before brushing off.

Boil soft rags for 5 minutes (nothing is better for the purpose than the tops of old cotton stockings) in a mixture of new milk and hartshorn powder, in the proportion of 1 oz. of powder to a pint of milk; as soon as they are taken out wring them for a moment in cold water, and dry before the fire. With these rags rub the plate briskly as soon as it has been well washed and dried after daily use. A most beautiful deep polish will be produced, and the plate will require nothing more than merely to be dusted with a leather or a dry, soft cloth before it is again put on the table.

Lamp-trimming requires a thorough acquaintance with the mechanism of the lamp; clean out the reservoir occasionally with hot water; when this is done, all the parts should be carefully dried before filling again with oil. When lacquered, wipe the lacquered parts with a soft brush and cloth, and wash occasionally with weak soap-suds, wiping carefully afterwards. Brass lamps may be cleaned with oil and rottenstone every day when trimmed. With bronze and other ornamental