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Show FIRST-AID to the AILING HOUSE a By ROGER B. WHITMAN Jfr 9 Roger B. Whitman WNU Service.) Cleaning Rugs and Upholstery COILED carpets, rugs and uphol- stery can be cleaned by shampooing sham-pooing with soap jelly. Ordinary soiling will come out easily, but other oth-er methods should be used for obstinate obsti-nate and unusual stains. These may call for professional work. Further, Fur-ther, shampooing should be applied only to fabrics of which the colors are fast. The jelly is made of chips or flakes of pure and mild soap; the kind of soap that is used for fine laundering. launder-ing. i"our cups are put in a bowl or wide-mouthed jar, and one cup of water is added. The jelly will form within an hour. A portion of the jelly is put into a mixing bowl and beaten with an egg-beater, which will ra,ise suds as stiff as whipped cream. Using a soft brush, jelly is worked on the fabric in a space 12 inches or so across. After a few minutes for the loosening of the dirt, the space is wiped with a cloth damp with clear water, and with a suffer brush, the nap is brushed m its proper direction. An adjoining adjoin-ing space should then be. cleaned. The suds are so dry that upholstery fabric will not be soaked, as would be the case with soapsuds as usually used. After cleaning, the fabric should be quickly dried. A rug can be supported on boxes and chairs, so that air can get at the back as well as the front. Mounting Maps There have been few times when maps have been studied to the extent ex-tent that they now are; maps of Europe, Eu-rope, Africa, the Near and Far East, as well as the parts of the world not at present involved in war. For a map to be useful, it should be mounted on a stiff support. One-eighth One-eighth plywood, is excellent. The first step in mounting is to lay the map on the plywood, and to mark the positions of the four corners. The plywood is then given a coat of shellac on both sides and on the edges. When this is dry, another i coat of shellac is applied, the map is rolled up, and one of its ends is aid down with the corners on the marks. With the worker leaning over the board, the rest of the map is then" thrown' over the head, to be supported by it. The rest of the map is then quickly laid on the damp shellac, and smoothed with the two hands, which are free. As soon as the map is down, it should be gone over with a stiff brush, working from the center toward the edges, to push out air bubbles that may have been caught. Should any remain, they can be disposed of through a pin hole in the paper in the center of the bulge. Room Decoration Question: A study used by four people has a white ceiling; walls are light blue, and window frames are light yellow. Walls and ceiling are dirty and should be done over. The room is 11 feet square. In redecorating, re-decorating, what colors would make the room appear larger? Answer: A light room will seem 1 larger than if finished in dark colors. col-ors. Had I your problem I should use one single light color for everything: every-thing: ceiling and woodwork as well as walls. My choice would be light ivory or a paste shade. Colors to relieve the monotony could be in curtains and upholstery. Floor Cleaning Question: Good oak floors are discolored dis-colored and revarnished. How can I clean them and make them light? How can I clean stair treads? Sanding Sand-ing would be expensive. Answer: At a hardware store you can get an alkali powder to be mixed with water that will take off the varnish and the discolorations. Directions on the label of the box should be carefully followed. Floor Finish Question: What would make a good finish for a newly sanded oak floor? We dislike varnish. Answer: Use a treatment called a seal, which soaks into the wood and becomes part of the surface, rather than lying on it. Any good paint store should have a sealing liquid. If you want to, you can finish it with wax. White Paint on Red Question: How can I give a white finish to a red seat without the red coming through? Answer: Take Off all present finish fin-ish with paint remover, which will also take out much of the red. The remainder can be sealed in with one or two coats of aluminum paint, to be finished with white enamel. Alcohol Stain Question: What will remove white spots left on my walnut bed by spilled alcohol? . Answer: Rub with camphorated oil, or use scratchless cleaning powder pow-der moistened with household oil, rubbed on with your finger tip. Removing Verdigris Question: What will remove verdigris verdi-gris from brass pipes and bathroom fixtures? Answer: Verdigris can be taken off with household ammonia or by applying a paste made with sal ammoniac am-moniac and water. Green stains on enameled plumbing fixtures can be removed by rubbing with scratch-less scratch-less cleaning powder moistened with kerosene, or with a powder for cleaning porcelain that can be had at dime store. Be sure to obtain a 1 "scratchless" type of clpa-ning pow- der. j |