sweet oil, well rubbed on it; in forty-eight hours use unslacked
lime, powdered very fine. Rub it till the rust disappears. To
prevent the rust, mix with fat oil varnish four-fifths of well-
rectified spirits of turpentine. The varnish is t(^ be applied by
means of a sponge; and articles varnished in this manner will
retain their brilliancy and never contract any spots of rust. It
may be applied to copper, philosophical instruments, etc.
To Distinguish Iron from Steel. — Let a drop of diluted
nitric acid fall on the metal, and, after a few minutes, wash it
off with water. If the metal be steel, a black spot will be left
on it; if it be iron, a whitish spot will remain. The reason is
that the nitric acid dissolves the iron in both cases, but the
charcoal that enters into the composition of the steel remains
undissolved, and constitutes the blackness.
To Clean Marble. — One ounce of potash, two ounces of
whitening, and a square of yellow soap✪ To Clean Marble, cut into small pieces;
boil altogether in a saucepan, until it begins to thicken; apply
this with a large brush to the marble. If the marble is very
dirty, let it remain all night; if not, one hour will be sufficient.
Then wash it carefully off with plenty of cold water and a
sponge. Take care the mixture is not applied too hot. Or:
Equal quantities of soft soap and pearlash.
Put the soap and pearlash on the chimney-piece with a soft
flannel; let it lie on for a few minutes. Wash it off with warm
water, not too hot; wash it over a second time with cold spring
water. Acids act on marble. Marble is itself composed of
carbonate of lime — that is, it is a compound of carbonic acid
and lime. Now the carbonic acid has a comparatively weak
affinity for lime, and most other acids will prevail over it and
take its place when brought into contact with it; thus destroy-
ing the texture of the stone, liberating the carbonic acid, and
leaving some salt of lime, in the form of a white powder, in its
place.
When marble has had its polished surface eroded by acids
— and even lemon juice or vinegar will do this readily — the
only mode of reparation is to have the marble again polished
by the use of polishing powders, such as emery.
Neither spirits nor water produce any permanent effect on
marble, but fixed oils and grease soak into its substance, and
it is impossible to remove them, as any agent potent enough
to act on the grease will also destroy the texture of the marble.
A portion of the grease may be extracted by covering with
fuller's earth or pipeclay. But marble should be carefully pre-
served from contact with grease or oil.
To Clean Brass. — Rub it with a little sal ammoniac finely
powdered and wet. Warm the brass first; polish with wash
leather. Or:
HOUSEHOLD. ^13
B-ub with a soft wash-leather dipped in sweet oil; then with
finely powdered rotten-stone. Polish with wash-leather. The
Americans use powdered rotten-stone, well mixed with a pint
of water. Then a teaspoonful of sulphuric acid is added.
This mixture is applied gently, then rubbed off, and the brass
polished with powdered whiting✪ To Clean Brass which has been sifted through
muslin. Use wash leather in all cases. Some persons wash
the brass with the sulphuric acid and water, and then polish
with rotten- stone, etc., etc.
Page 146 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1883. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
sweet oil, well rubbed on it; in forty-eight hours use unslacked lime, powdered very fine. Rub it till the rust disappears. To prevent the rust, mix with fat oil varnish four-fifths of wellrectified spirits of turpentine. The varnish is to be applied by means of a sponge; and articles varnished in this manner will retain their brilliancy and never contract any spots of rust. It may be applied to copper, philosophical instruments, etc.
To Distinguish Iron from Steel. — Let a drop of diluted nitric acid fall on the metal, and, after a few minutes, wash it off with water. If the metal be steel, a black spot will be left on it; if it be iron, a whitish spot will remain. The reason is that the nitric acid dissolves the iron in both cases, but the charcoal that enters into the composition of the steel remains undissolved, and constitutes the blackness.
To Clean Marble. — One ounce of potash, two ounces of whitening, and a square of yellow soap, cut into small pieces; boil altogether in a saucepan, until it begins to thicken; apply this with a large brush to the marble. If the marble is very dirty, let it remain all night; if not, one hour will be sufficient. Then wash it carefully off with plenty of cold water and a sponge. Take care the mixture is not applied too hot. Or:
Equal quantities of soft soap and pearlash.
Put the soap and pearlash on the chimney-piece with a soft flannel; let it lie on for a few minutes. Wash it off with warm water, not too hot; wash it over a second time with cold spring water. Acids act on marble. Marble is itself composed of carbonate of lime — that is, it is a compound of carbonic acid and lime. Now the carbonic acid has a comparatively weak affinity for lime, and most other acids will prevail over it and take its place when brought into contact with it; thus destroying the texture of the stone, liberating the carbonic acid, and leaving some salt of lime, in the form of a white powder, in its place.
When marble has had its polished surface eroded by acids — and even lemon juice or vinegar will do this readily — the only mode of reparation is to have the marble again polished by the use of polishing powders, such as emery.
Neither spirits nor water produce any permanent effect on marble, but fixed oils and grease soak into its substance, and it is impossible to remove them, as any agent potent enough to act on the grease will also destroy the texture of the marble. A portion of the grease may be extracted by covering with fuller's earth or pipeclay. But marble should be carefully preserved from contact with grease or oil.
To Clean Brass. — Rub it with a little sal ammoniac finely powdered and wet. Warm the brass first; polish with wash leather. Or:
B-ub with a soft wash-leather dipped in sweet oil; then with finely powdered rotten-stone. Polish with wash-leather. The Americans use powdered rotten-stone, well mixed with a pint of water. Then a teaspoonful of sulphuric acid is added. This mixture is applied gently, then rubbed off, and the brass polished with powdered whiting which has been sifted through muslin. Use wash leather in all cases. Some persons wash the brass with the sulphuric acid and water, and then polish with rotten- stone, etc., etc.
Records on this page
To Clean MarbleTo Clean Brass