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Show WOMAN'S WORLD Floors Can Be Repaired or Carpeted Inexpensively Easy Floor Cleaning . .'VV; !! r- ; ' If r l 1 '"' - V - ? Is "V f . ' 5 i - ! r' .? " . -J I I.'. .tI r""T ' " By Ertta Haley OLD floors are a real problem, as anyone can tell you who has lived with them. First of all, they don't look nice, no matter how lovely love-ly your furnishings. Second, they may offer any number of discomforts, discom-forts, such as snagging you while you walk, squeaking, and Innumerable Innumer-able cleaning problems. There are many ways to fix old floors which offer problems, and they may cost but little. Much of the work does not have to be professional pro-fessional as long as one is patient and does it carefully. What should be done to the floors depends greatly upon the type of house and furnishings you have as well as the purpose of the room In which the floors need attention. Some floors may just be worn, and as such need care which the homemaker can give to bring them to life again. It's surprising what paint or varnish or a few lovely rugs used discretely can do to an old floor. It may even be that a coat or two of wax with some polishing can renovate the floor completely. Treat Old Oak or Soft Wood Floors Accordingly If you have oak flooring in your home, no matter how old, how battered bat-tered or how wide the cracks between be-tween the boards, try to retain the original type of flooring. It may be necessary to relay part of a very bad floor of this type with new to use linoleum, especially in halls, bathrooms, children's rooms, game rooms or kitchens. A monotone linoleum can be used as a base for scatter rugs in any of these rooms. Linoleum will wear longer if it is kept waxed, whether it is of the inlaid type or printed type. Self-polishing Self-polishing waxes are good because they do not have to be shined. For the linoleum floor in the kitchen, sweep daily with a soft broom and wipe spilled foods as quickly as possible. For weekly or semi-weekly cleaning, use a damp mop wrung out very dry. When the linoleum needs more cleaning, use a mop wrung out in mild soap suds. All strong powders should be avoided, as should coarse brushes. It's not wise to flood the linoleum covering with water, as this may injure the covering. Rinse and dry thoroughly and quickly. When dry, apply a new coat of liquid or self-polishing self-polishing wax. In rooms other than the kitchen, linoleum can be cleaned daily with an un-oiled mop. Sweep with a soft broom for weekly cleaning, and when soiled clean and re-wax as you do the kitchen linoleum. Carpet Floors For Easy Solution When floors are bad and linoleum cannot be used, carpeting is a good solution as it not only gives a luxurious lux-urious look but also hides all sorts of flooring defects. Before carpeting, carpet-ing, make certain that the floor is even and that all squeaky boards are nailed in place so the squeaks are eliminated. Linings or pads should be used to protect the carpeting, as well as to cushion the rug when it's in use. You'll get lots more wear from the rug if you have a pad. Many of these are decidedly inexpensive. There's a tendency today to carpet car-pet the entire house or apartment in the same colored rug. For this reason, something neutral should be selected as neutral beige or gray. If you desire to use some of the other shades, and your furnishings go with them, select green, maroon or others. Lighter rugs are preferred currently cur-rently to the darker ones, but they are more perishable, too. If you live in a clean community, light colored rugs are certain to hold up, but if there is soot, it would be wiser to invest in the darker colors. Select good but moderately priced carpeting. If rugs are too cheap they do not .wear well and never look nice. If you purchase too expensive ex-pensive rugs it may be wasteful to change the color scheme once it's necessary. Use Small Rugs For Accent If you do not want to go to the expense of large rugs or wall-to-wall carpeting to solve problem floors, something can possibly be done with small rugs. One way has already been suggested: the use of a monotone linoleum with scatter rugs on top of that for accent. Hooked rugs can be made at home, and these tliay be made larger than you ordinarily do, if you want to cover more of the floor. They go well with American Provincial furnishings. Small woven rugs can be attached and used in hallways to solve floor problems. Milady can stay as crisp and clean as her chintz apron while doing a grubby chore like mopping mop-ping if she uses this new sponge mop which has a self-wringing attachment. The mop will absorb ab-sorb up to twenty times its own weight in water. benzine to remove grease. Floors which have been painted before should have the old finish removed with paint remover. When they have been waxed previously, pre-viously, and you want to paint them, take off old wax with gasoline or steel wool. Denatured alcohol will remove old shellac. These are inflammable materials and should not be used near a flame. Old painted floors can also be spattered for good effect. The floor is painted green, brown or black, and while the paint is still damp, use red, green or white paint with a stiff whisk broom attached to a long handle. This will give a salt-and-pepper effect. and rugs free from all dirt and grit. . . Floors Beyond Repair Need Linoleum If the floors are in such bad shape that they cannot be repaired, or if the expense is too great, it is best : Keep linoleum waxed, polished . . . board to close up bad cracks. Use v old lumber for this; if at all possi ble so that it will match the original floor. Old oak floors which are badly marred can be replaced, stained and then waxed once a month with an electric polisher. If you like an antique finish, stain after replaning. All wood floors will look better when they're waxed at least once a month, and they're the kind of floors which people notice when they walk into the room. SoE from waxed floors can be removed by going go-ing over the floor with a clean damp cloth dipped lightly in turpentine or liquid polish and cleaner. The floor should be allowed to dry before polish is applied. Soft, wood floors, found frequently frequent-ly in old homes of the Colonial and cottage type may also be replaned and waxed for a new look. If, however, how-ever, they are in poor condition, they may be painted in dark green, maroon, brown, blue or black. If they are being painted for the first time,- the floors should be washed with soap and water. Go over them with a cloth dipped in |