CARE OF GLASSWARE AND CUT GLASS To Wash Glassware. — Glass is a very poor conductor of heat, and more valuable glass articles are broken by hot water, perhaps, than in any other way. To prevent this various precau tions may be used. Place the glass on a steel knife blade, or put a silver spoon inside. The most delicate glass ware can be washed in hot water if slipped in edgewise, outside or con cave side first, and quickly and com pletely immersed. Once make this a rule, and it soon becomes a matter of habit.
Or first immerse the glassware in lukewarm water and increase the tem perature by adding hot water grad ually.
Or use tepid water with soda, or clear cold water.
Chamois may be used to dry glass ware, or any cloth, such as scrim, which does not have a nap.
Many persons prefer to wash glass ware in hot soapsuds.
Glassware which has been used for milk should be first rinsed in cold wa ter, as hot water causes the milk to adhere and gives the glass a cloudy appearance.
Cut Glass.—Wash cut-glass articles, one piece at a time, in warm suds made of castile or other fine white soap, and rinse in warm water con taining a few drops of aqua ammonia. Save old silk handkerchiefs or other pieces of white wash silk to dry cut glass, or use a soft linen towel. Dry without draining. Polish with a soft haired brush, such as is used by jew elers. This will penetrate every part of the pattern. A still more bril liant result can be produced by dust ing the article while wet with jew eler's sawdust. This can be brushed off when dry and used repeatedly. It may be obtained of any jew eler.
To Clean Bottles. — Various sub stances and a number of ingenious methods are employed to clean water bottles, wine decanters, milk bottles, and medicine bottles, the inside of which cannot be reached by ordinary methods. Among these are heavy ar ticles as tacks and shot, or lighter ones, as crushed eggshells, raw pota toes chopped fine, bits of cloth or paper to dislodge dirt and for me chanical cleansing. Also lye and vari ous acids, as lemon juice, sour milk, and dilute hydrochloric acid.
For coarse and heavy articles, like glass milk bottles and fruit jars, use a handful of carpet tacks or common shot. Fill the jar or bottle half full of soapsuds, add the tacks or shot, and shake well. If tacks are used their sharp edges will scrape off the dirt, but will also scratch the bottle. Hence they are not suitable for wine or vine gar cruets, whether of plain or cut glass. If shot is used care must be taken that none of them are suffered to remain in the cruets, or in bottles used to contain any acid, as the action poison.
Or use one tablespoonful of crushed eggshells in the same manner. If the bottle is- greasy wash with warm water and a little soda, or run a raw potato through the meat chopper, put it in a bottle of warm water, and shake until clean. This is one of the most effective cleansers known.
Or cut into fine pieces white or brown paper or blotting paper and use with warm soapsuds. Or use a swab of cotton at the end of a long stick or wire.
To Clean with Lye.—Clean medicine bottles, vinegar cruets, fruit jars, milk bottles, and all but the most delicate glassware by putting in each a table spoonful of wood or coal ashes. Im merse them in cold water, and gradu ally heat the water until it boils. Afterwards wash in soapsuds, and rinse in clear water.
Or use a tablespoonful of dissolved potash, or soda lye.
To Clean Cut Glass and Fine Glass ware.—Cut glass and very fine glass water bottles, decanters, and vases may be cleaned by first placing the decanter on a steel knife blade, or dropping into it a piece of silver, and then pouring into it equal quantities of hot vinegar and salt. When the decanter has become warm put in the stopper and shake thoroughly.
Or put in two tablespoonfuls of vinegar and a tablespoonful of baking soda. This will effervesce vigorously. Hold the article over the sink, but do not put in the cork, or the vessel may burst.
Or fill with buttermilk, let stand forty-eight hours, and wash in soap suds.
Or rinse with a weak solution of muriatic acid.
To Clean Vases.—When the inside of a glass or other delicate vase be comes discolored and stained from flower stems, put a little water into the vase and add several slices of lemon, including the rind. Let stand a day or two. Rinse with clear water.
To Sweeten Musty Bottles.—Rinse with water containing one or two teaspoonfuls of powdered charcoal, or rinse with a dilute solution of sulphuric acid at the rate of about two ounces of acid to a pint of water.
To Wipe Glass.—Glassware should be wiped dry as soon as it is lifted from the water without waiting for it to drain. For glassware use scrim or towels which have no lint.
Or rinse the articles with cold water and allow them to dry without wiping. They will be much clearer than if wiped with a cloth.
To Polish Glassware.—Save all tis sue paper to polish glassware. Or save scraps of chamois. Cut these into inch squares and string on twine with 4 darning needle as beads are strung. Use this to polish glassware.