Important: Safety Warning
This page directs the use of hazardous substances — such as benzine, gasoline, lye, or strong acids — for household tasks. These materials are highly flammable, corrosive, or poisonous, and the practices described have caused fires, burns, and poisonings.
This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon.
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Ox-Gall and Lye
Another preparation consists in mixing an ox-gall with a quarter of a pound of soap-boiler's lye, and an eighth of a pound of oil of turpentine, and adding enough pipe-clay earth to form a paste, which is then to be placed upon the marble for a time, and afterward scraped off, the application to be repeated until the marble is perfectly clean. It is quite possible that with all our endeavors a faint trace of the stains may be left; but it is said that this will be almost inappreciable. Should the spots be produced by oil, these are to be first treated with petroleum for the purpose of softening the hardened oil, and the above-mentioned applications may be made subsequently.