3o6 



Tlic Country Gcntlcivoman 



regularly taken up during the summer months, 

 and, after being well beaten, were rolled up 

 and deposited in some convenient part of 

 the house till autumn ; the floors, in the 

 meantime, being only partially covered with 

 oil-cloth or matting. This custom rendered 

 scouring and dry-rubbing matters of more hn- 

 portance than they are at present, when sitting 

 and even bedrooms are generally entirely 

 covered with carpets, at all seasons during 

 which a house is occupied by a family ; but 

 it is requisite to have them occasionally taken 

 up from the floors and well beaten, if possible, 

 in a field. 



The periods at which this beating of carpets 

 should occur must depend on the convenience 

 of every family. 



Drawing and dining-room carpets are, in 

 some houses, taken up and beaten twice in 

 the year, in the spring and autumn ; in others 

 ouly once, under the idea that the frequent 

 beating weakens the texture of the carpet. 

 The best mode by which frequent beatings 

 might be avoided would be to turn the carpets 

 up once a week and sweep under them ; but 

 the manner in which they are now universally 

 fastened down renders this next to impos- 

 sible. 



In former days carpets were not made to 

 cover the whole room, as at present, and 

 which renders it necessary for them to be 

 closely and firmly nailed to the floor, but were 

 wove as the Turkey carpets and Axminster 

 still continue to be, square, or nearly so; 

 and being loose, could, without much addi- 

 tional trouble, have the dust which collected 

 beneath them frequently cleared away : which, 

 with the floors being oftener washed than at 

 present, tended materially to preserve cleanli- 

 ness in the texture of the carpets. 



Bedroom carpets it is desirable to have 

 made in such a manner as to admit of being 

 frequently taken up and shaken well in a yard 

 or garden. When this can be done, it should 

 be as frequent as twice a-week. In fine 

 weather, bedroom carpets should be occa- 

 sionally hung out on cords and beaten with 

 small sticks or canes. 



Grease in carpets may be removed with 

 spirits of turpenlinc, as well as by Fullers' 



earth, or by soda, ox-gall, and pipe-clay;. 

 carpets cleaned by the dyer cost from 6d. to 

 8d. per yard. 



VII. CLEANING GRATES, FIRE-IRONS, 

 FENDERS, ETC. 



Parlour and drawing-room grates, being 

 of various kinds and forms, require different 

 modes of cleaning. Fire-irons and fenders of 

 polished steel, and such parts of grates as are 

 of the same material, should never, in clean- 

 ing them, be touched with any substance that 

 has sufficient roughness to scratch their sur- 

 face; to preserve their polish they require 

 nothing but security from moisture, together 

 with the daily rubbing with soft wash-leather. 

 Linen is an improper material for rubbing 

 polished steel, as it is apt to be damp. Even 

 the moisture of the hand, if impressed upon 

 steel, is apt to cause spots of rust, if not 

 rubbed off" in time with a dry leather. 



Once become rusty, steel is scarcely re- 

 coverable under the housemaid's hands, nor 

 can the steel polisher entirely restore the 

 even polished surface. This fact should be 

 impressed on the memory of housemaids, that 

 they may not neglect to apply the leather 

 each day to all the polished steel articles 

 under their charge, and to rub carefully away 

 all dull spots, which are the first indications 

 of rust. The leather kept for this purpose 

 should be frequently aired before the fire, and 

 occasionally a little dried putty powder (which 

 may be bought at oil shops), tied in a muslin 

 bag, may be dusted over, the steel, and then 

 rubbed off with the leather; but, in truth, 

 good rubbing with the leather only is the 

 best means of keeping steel work bright and 

 unspotted. 



When fire-irons or other fine steel work is 

 not likely to be wanted for some weeks or 

 months, and during which period a house- 

 maid may be away Avith the family she is 

 serving, it is desirable to rub them over with 

 a little Florence oil ; when it is requisite to 

 remove the oil from the steel work, a little 

 dry whiting ro.ay be dusted over it, and the 

 whole rubbed clean off with leather. Fire- 

 irons in summer should be tied up in green 

 baize bags, and hung up near the kitchen fire, 



