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

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1792
HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT

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.

Recipes for Man-servant or Parlour-Maid

TO CLEAN PLATE

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.

TO CLEAN PLATE (Another Method)

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.

PLATE RAGS FOR DAILY USE

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.

TO TRIM LAMPS

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