When wood furniture or clocks are finger marked, a trifle oiled, smokey, or carrying a bit of gloom due to the rubbing oil, try asking your druggist for a pound of USP Green soap. Take no substitute. This will come in a tin can or a jar, and looks very much like vaseline. Then pick out the oiliest and dirtiest table top or clock. on a 6-foot table top, put a heaping tablespoonful of this soap, then take a few yards of absolutely clean, soft cheese cloth, soak it in water and wring it out.
Begin spreading soap over the entire piece. Have enough in the cloth so that it spreads with a smear, and then add a little more water until you can freely rub with the grain and the sliding is easy. Then rinse out the cloth and follow each stroke with the grain, until you know you are wiping it with absolutely clean water. This may take several rinsings of the cheese cloth, and it must be continued until you are absolutely positive that every bit of soap has been removed.
What has happened? We all know that the evaporation of any liquid causes a reduction of temperature. Besides this, the process contracts and hardens the finished film so that it is forced to exclude any small particles of oil that may remain there. When the top is absolutely clean, take a clean piece of cheese cloth and wipe up the surface until it is dry and clear. It will be found that a surface of ths kind can be kept in condition for months without a repetition of the process. The dust that may settle will not stick, and when the dust becomes noticeable pass over the article with a vacuum cleaner. Avoid dusters. They often scratch the fine finishes, which the vacuum will not do. The same process may be employed on enamels.
In a case where green soap is not obtainable, obtain a cake of ivory soap or ivory chips, and melt them by heating with sufficient water to obtain a consistency of vaseline. This will also do the trick.
In repair work, when it becomes necessary to give a coat of varnish or shellac or wood lacquer,(which is best applied by the spray or a brushing lacquer), try this: Reduce soap with water to the consistency of rubbing oil. Use the finest pumice stone that can be obtained, and proceed to rub just as though it were oil. You will immediately notice that the pumice stone "bites" or cuts quicker than when rubbing with oil and therefore, the process may be likened very much to steel wooling. You take the gloss off quickly being careful not to cut through, and you have the advantage that after you have cleaned off the pumice stone your piece is ready for delivery.
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