Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/2022

1816 preservation. By this simple means, all the grates and fire-irons in an empty house may be kept for months free from harm, without further care or attention.

When bright grates are once neglected, small rust-spots begin to show themselves, which a plain leather will not remove; the following method of cleaning them must then be resorted to:—First, thoroughly clean with emery-paper: then take a large smooth pebble from the road sufficiently large to hold comfortably in the hand, with which rub the steel backwards and forwards one way, until the desired polish is obtained. It may appear at first to scratch, but continue rubbing, and the result will be success.

Clear out all ash from the grate and lay a few cinders or small pieces of coal at the bottom in open order; over this a few pieces of paper, and over that again eight or ten pieces of dry wood; over the wood, a course of moderate-sized pieces of coal, taking care to leave hollow spaces between for air at the centre; and taking care to lay the whole well back in the grate, so that the smoke may go up the chimney, and not into the room. This done, fire the paper with a match from below and, if properly laid, it will soon burn up; the stream of flame from the wood and paper soon communicating to the coals and cinders, provided there is plenty of air at the centre.

Another method of lighting a fire is sometimes practised with advantage, the fire lighting from the top and burning down, in place of being lighted and burning up from below. This is arranged by laying the coals at the bottom, mixed with a few good-sized cinders, and the wood at the top, with another layer of coals and some paper over it; the paper is lighted in the usual way, and soon burns down to a good fire, with some economy of fuel, it is said.

Articles made of what is usually called Britannia metal may be kept in order by the frequent use of the following composition:—½ a lb. of finely-powdered whiting, a wineglass of sweet oil, a tablespoonful of soft soap, and ½ an oz. of yellow soap melted in water. Add to these in mixing sufficient spirits—gin or spirits of wine to make the compound the consistency of cream. This cream should be applied with a sponge or soft flannel, wiped off with soft linen rags, and the article well polished with a leather; or they may be cleaned with only oil and soap in the following manner:—Rub the articles with sweet oil on a piece of woollen cloth; then wash well with strong soap-and-water; rub them dry and polish with a soft leather and whiting, The polish thus given will last for a long time.