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The Day's Routine: Wash
Wash them with a sponge or soft cloth in suds made of hard white or other neutral soap and cold or warm water. Afterwards wipe dry and sprinkle with flour. Polish with a dry cloth or chamois skin. Do not let them stand to drain dry or to dry by evaporation, as they may be stained.
Never put hot articles on them.
To remove the white marks left by heat or water stains, apply sweet oil with a flannel cloth or sponge and afterwards rub with alcohol.
CARE OF GLASSWARE AND CUT GLASS To Wash Glassware. - Glass is a very poor conductor of heat, and more valuable glass articles are broken by hot water, perhaps, than in any other way. To prevent this various precautions may be used. Place the glass on a steel knife blade, or put a silver spoon inside. The most delicate glassware can be washed in hot water if slipped in edgewise, outside or concave side first, and quickly and completely immersed. Once make this a rule, and it soon becomes a matter of habit.
Or first immerse the glassware in lukewarm water and increase the temperature by adding hot water gradually. Or use tepid water with soda, or clear cold water.
Chamois may be used to dry glassware, or any cloth, such as scrim, which does not have a nap.
Many persons prefer to wash glassware in hot soapsuds. Glassware which has been used for milk should be first rinsed in cold water, as hot water causes the milk to adhere and gives the glass a cloudy appearance.
Cut Glass. Wash cut-glass articles, one piece at a time, in warm suds made of castile or other fine white soap, and rinse in warm water containing a few drops of aqua ammonia. Save old silk handkerchiefs or other pieces of white wash silk to dry cut glass, or use a soft linen towel. Dry without draining. Polish with a softhaired brush, such as is used by jewelers. This will penetrate every part of the pattern. A still more brilliant result can be produced by dusting the article while wet with jeweler's sawdust. This can be brushed off when dry and used repeatedly.
It may be obtained of any jeweler.
To Clean Bottles. - Various substances and a number of ingenious methods are employed to clean water bottles, wine decanters, milk bottles, and medicine bottles, the inside of which cannot be reached by ordinary methods. Among these are heavy articles as tacks and shot, or lighter ones, as crushed eggshells, raw potatoes chopped fine, bits of cloth or paper to dislodge dirt and for mechanical cleansing. Also lye and various acids, as lemon juice, sour milk, and dilute hydrochloric acid.
For coarse and heavy articles, like glass milk bottles and fruit jars, use a handful of carpet tacks or common shot. Fill the jar or bottle half full of soapsuds, add the tacks or shot, and shake well. If tacks are used their sharp edges will scrape off the dirt, but will also scratch the bottle. Hence they are not suitable for wine or vinegar cruets, whether of plain or cut glass. If shot is used care must be taken that none of them are suffered to remain in the cruets, or in bottles used to contain any acid, as the action of acid upon lead produces a deadly poison.
Or use one tablespoonful of crushed eggshells in the same manner. If the bottle is greasy wash with warm water and a little soda, or run a raw potato through the meat chopper, put it in a bottle of warm water, and shake until clean. This is one of the most effective cleansers known.
Or cut into fine pieces white or brown paper or blotting paper and use with warm soapsuds. Or use a swab of cotton at the end of a long stick or wire.
To Clean with Lye. -Clean medicine bottles, vinegar cruets, fruit jars, milk bottles, and all but the most delicate glassware by putting in each a tablespoonful of wood or coal ashes. Immerse them in cold water, and gradually heat the water until it boils. Afterwards wash in soapsuds, and rinse in clear water.
Or use a tablespoonful of dissolved potash, or soda lye.