CLEANING METALS, ETC.
TO CLEAN ALUMINUM KETTLES
Boil rhubarb peelings in them for thirty minutes.
TO CLEAN BRASS
Dip half a lemon in fine salt and rub over the stains, wipe with a soft cloth, and polish with a woolen cloth.
After cleaning brass, polish with equal parts of paraffin and naphtha with enough rottenstone to make a good paste. Then polish with a soft dry cloth.
Ammonia in a little water will remove verdigris from brass.
Drop rusty curtain pins into ammonia water and let them remain for ten minutes, then dry on soft cloth.
TO CLEAN BRONZE
Use salt and vinegar (or lemon juice), then rinse in clear water and polish with a clean woolen cloth.
TO CLEAN COPPER
Proceed as in To Clean Brass.
TO CLEAN ENAMELED WARE
Use salt and vinegar.
Or, put soda in the enameled lined vessel, and let come to a boil.
TO CLEAN GOLD
Dip in a solution of one teaspoonful of ammonia to one quart of water, rinse in clear warm water, and dry on soft cloth.
TO PRESERVE POLISHED IRON WORK
Add olive oil to copal varnish till the mixture is rather greasy, then mix in as much turpentine as there is varnish and apply.
TO CLEAN NICKEL
Use whiting and ammonia.
TO CLEAN PEWTER
Wash with hot water, rub with fine sand, dry and polish with leather.
TO CLEAN SILVER
Apply kerosene with a brush or soft cloth, rinse in boiling water and dry with soft towels.
Dissolve one-fourth cupful sal-soda in one gallon of water, heat to boiling, immerse the silver, being sure it is entirely covered in water, let stand five minutes, rinse, and wipe dry.
Another method is, boil the silver in an aluminum kettle for thirty minutes, and dry with a soft towel.
TO REMOVE EGG STAIN FROM SILVER
Use wet salt.
TO KEEP SILVER UNTARNISHED
Sprinkle a few pieces of camphor gum in boxes or drawers where it is kept.
TO CLEAN STEEL
Emery powder and oil rubbed to a paste is good to clean steel. After cleaning, polish with an oiled rag, and then with a soft dry cloth.
TO REMOVE RUST FROM STEEL
Use plenty of kerosene. If possible, lay on or wrap about the rusted parts, cloths soaked in kerosene, leaving them for a day or two. Then apply salt wet in hot vinegar, or scour with brick dust. Rinse in hot water and dry with a soft woolen cloth, finishing with an oil rub and polish with a soft cloth.
TO CLEAN TIN
Rub with a damp cloth dipped in soda.
TO CLEAN ZINC
Clean with kerosene on a soft cloth, and wash in boiling water.
TO CLEAN ENAMELED WOODWORK
Dampen a flannel cloth in warm water, dip in whiting and apply to the wood. Rinse in clear warm water, and dry with a soft cloth.
TO CLEAN OILED WOODWORK
Use cold tea with a soft cloth, and wipe with a dry cloth.
TO CLEAN PAINTED WOODWORK
Use one dessertspoonful of soda to one bucketful of warm water. Wash, and wipe with a dry, clean, soft cloth.
Kerosene is good to clean any painted or polished woodwork. Use one tablespoonful to a bucketful of warm water.
Rub with a lemon, all marks left by scratching matches on painted wood.
TO CLEAN WINDOWS
Use a cloth moistened in denatured alcohol, and polish immediately with a soft dry cloth.
Or a tablespoonful of kerosene to a gallon of warm water.
TO CLEAN OLD PAINT BRUSHES
To clean a brush that is dried and stiff from standing in paint or varnish, dip it repeatedly in boiling vinegar till it softens. Then wash it in warm soap suds, rinse in warm water, and dry.
TO POLISH FURNITURE
Mix equal parts of olive oil, vinegar and turpentine. Apply with a soft cloth and rub dry with a soft clean flannel.
DUST CLOTHS
Dip a soft piece of cheese cloth about a yard square in kerosene, do not wring very dry, but hang out of doors for twenty four hours before using.
Old pieces of soft flannel soaked in paraffin all night, wrung out as dry as possible and hung out of doors about twenty four hours, make nice furniture polishers and cleaners.