Or put pint of turpentine in about 1 gallons of water. Wring a cloth out of this solution and with it rub the carpet.
Or go over the carpet with a broom or whisk broom moistened with gaso line.
Or put 1 cupful of cold tea and 1 tablespoonful of turpentine in 2 quarts of warm water. Dip the broom in this before sweeping.
Or put 3 tablespoonfuls of turpen tine and 4 of salt in 3 gallons of water, and moisten the broom with it.
Or put 1 gill of ox gall in 1 gallon of water and apply with a cloth wrung out so that it will not drip.
Or dissolve 1 teaspoonful of alum in 1 gallon of water.
Or apply to the patterns suitable dyestuffs or water colors mixed with gum arabic, following the outline of the design with a water-color brush.
Or any of the above may be ap plied with a clean mop if care is taken to wring it out so that it will be damp rather than wet. The above will not only brighten and set the colors of a carpet, restore faded colors, and pre vent fresh colors from fading, but will also act as preventives against moths, and to some extent kill germs that may be present in the carpet.
To Clean Rag Carpets.—Sbake and beat the carpet, drag it across the lawn a few times to remove dust by contact with the soft grass, and leave it spread on the grass or hung over a line during a gentle rain. Remove any grease spots with .a suitable cleanser.
To Remove Grease from Carpets.— Substances recommended for taking grease out of a carpet are ammonia, saltpeter, ox gall, chloroform, ether, gasoline, fuller's earth, potter's clay, and various combinations of these.
To Remove Grease.—Apply gaso line, benzine, or naphtha with a sponge or stiff scrubbing brush.
Or, if the grease is fresh, cover the spot with a layer of French chalk or fuller's earth. Lay a piece of brown paper or blotting paper upon the chalk,. and place on it a hot flatiron. Change the iron occasionally. The grease will be melted and absorbed by the chalk and powder.
Or apply pure ox gall with a stiff brush.
Or apply chloroform or ether with a toothbrush.
Or shave 2 ounces of hard white soap in 2 quarts of water. Add 2 ounces of aqua ammonia, 1 ounce of glycerin, and 1 ounce of ether; mix and al)ply with a stiff brush.
Or shave and dissolve 2 ounces of hard white soap in 1 quart of water. Add ounces of ammonia and 1 tea spoonful of saltpeter and apply with a brush.
To Remove Ink Stains. — Cover quickly with dry salt or starch. Take this up with a spoon as it soaks up the ink, but do not rub or sweep it. It will take up the surplus and pre vent the spot from spreading. Leave the spot covered with dry salt and test to see the kind of ink spilled. Put some of the ink on a piece of writing paper and allow it to dry. Or, better, take some writing made with the same ink that has stood sev eral days and test that. First apply water, and if the ink runs, after hav ing been thoroughly dried, it is proba bly stylographic ink, made of coal-tar products, eosin or nigrosine. In this case you must not use buttermilk or any acid. Use instead an alkali, as potash lye or sal soda, diluted with water. If the dry ink does not run when touched with water, it is proba bly an iron-gall ink or logwood ink with or without aniline dyes. For these inks use dilute sulphuric acid, 1 part of acid to 10 parts of water. If this takes out the color, restore it with aqua ammonia.
Or cover with fresh salt or starch, and moisten with buttermilk or salts of sorrel or tartaric acid, and let stand until dry. Repeat if necessary.
If the colors fade, apply aqua am monia.
To Remove Kerosene.—To remove kerosene spilled on a carpet, cover the spot with blotting paper or brown paper and press with a hot iron. Re peat if necessary.
Or cover with corn meal, starch, or salt, and let stand until dry.
To Remove Whitewash.—Scrub with soapsuds applied with a brush, and renew the color by applying aqua am monia, vinegar, or other acid.
To Remove Soot.—To remove soot which sometimes, in case of a defec tive flue or turning up a lamp too high, fills a room and falls on the carpet, sprinkle the floor liberally with corn meal and sweep carefully a little at a time, taking up the sweepings as you go and before they are trod den on. Continue to apply corn meal and sweep until the soot is all removed.