Home › The Day's Routine › The Day's Routine: Chimneys

The Day's Routine: Chimneys

A To Clean Lamp Chimneys. sponge is the best thing with which to clean lamp chimneys. Select a sponge large enough to fill the biggest part of the chimney inside, thrust a stick into the center of the sponge, and fasten it with a string, wire, or tacks, dip it into soapsuds, and swab the inside of the glass. Afterwards rinse with hot water and polish.

To Polish Lamp Chimneys. - Use the small paper bags that contained groceries. Crumple and rub these together to soften them. Draw a bag on your hand like a glove, and polish with it. Hold your hand over one end of the chimney and breathe into it at the other end before polishing.

Or save tissue paper for this purpose.

Or rinse chimneys thoroughly in hot water and stand them on a hot cover of the kitchen range. They will sputter but will not break, and will dry clear and shining inside and out. If the suds are not rinsed off, however, they will leave stains.

If chimneys are smoked with soot, remove it with a dry cloth covered with salt.

Or soak them in hot water with washing soda, and wash in warm water containing aqua ammonia. THE DAY'S ROUTINE To Clean Globes.-Rough or ornamented glass globes which become smoked or grimed with dust may be placed in a vessel of cold water containing a tablespoonful of washing soda and brought to a boil. Afterwards scrub with soap and water, using a nailbrush, or with warm water containing ammonia. Rinse in warm or hot water, drain, dry and polish.

Care of Lamp Chimneys.--Lamp chimneys frequently crack when the lamp is lighted, especially if they are in a cold room. You may know if the chimney is too cold from the fact that steam will gather upon it.

When this is the case keep the flame low until the chimney becomes warm enough to dispel the steam, and turn the light up by degrees.

Another cause of broken chimneys is cutting the wicks square across, which leaves a corner to flare to one side. Rub off the crust, or clip the corner so as to round up the wick toward the center.

Care of Burners. - Have at hand a complete set of extra burners. Once a month or so change the burners and boil the soiled one in a solution of sal soda or baking soda until perfectly clean and bright. Afterwards polish with sand soap, bath brick, or pumice.

When the burner becomes clogged with dirt and dust, soak it in a solution of potash or soda lye and hot water, moving it about with a stick until the dirt is moistened. Afterwards boil with baking soda until thoroughly cleaned.

Lamp Chimneys-To Prevent their Breaking.-Wrap the glass in several thicknesses of cheese cloth, cover with a strong solution of cold salt water, and bring to a boil. Boil ten or fifteen minutes, and leave the glass in the water to cool. If this is done each time the chimneys are washed they will become thoroughly toughened and practically unbreakable. If they can be put in a kettle of water on the range and boiled all day, so much the better.

Care of Lamps.-Lamps should not be allowed to stand partly empty, as the oil tends to generate a gas which may explode if ignited. They should be filled daily, but not quite full.

When heated the oil expands, and if the lamp is full it will run over and drop. Fill to within half an inch or so of the top, trim, and rub dry with a soft cloth.

Metal Lamps. - Bronze lamps should be merely dusted or wiped with a flannel cloth, and care should be taken not to allow the oil to spill on them, as it has a tendency to take off the bronze. They should not be washed with soap and water.

Lacquer lamps may be washed, but not with sal soda or any strong washing powder, alcohol, or any form of naphtha, as these all may injure the lacquer.

To Mend Lamps. The brass top of a lamp to which the burner is screwed sometimes gets broken, and may be mended either with alum or plaster of Paris. Remove the ring from the top and dig out the dry plaster of Paris with a penknife. Make paste of fresh plaster of Paris with water, fill the threads of the brass with this, heaping on all that it will hold. Place it in position to harden.

The plaster of Paris will swell and hold the top tightly. a Or fill the hollow part with powdered alum and melt it on the stove. When melted put it in place, and when cold it will be found to adhere tightly. -- Lamps-To Prevent Their Smoking. If the wick is thoroughly soaked in strong vinegar and afterwards dried it will give a clear light and prevent smoking.

Or place a small piece of rock salt close to the flame inside the burner.

This not only prevents smoke but brightens the flame.