Our ancestors had some pretty good tips for painting and cleaning furniture

Old Household and Paint Tips from the past

• Rub Camphor oil into scratches to fill light or dark wood. The darker the wood, the more you need.
• Rub the meat of walnuts into walnut wood.
• Fill cherry or mahogany wood by applying iodine with a cotton swab or toothpick
• Remove paint splatters on window panes with hot vinegar
• Sticking drawer and windows? Rub sticking drawers and windows with candles, paraffin, or soap for easier opening.

Vintage book – The homeowner’s guide to paint and painting Hardcover January 1, 1982 – J. T. Adams

• Dirty brick or stone fireplaces can be cleaned with: 1 cup dishwasher detergent and 1 quart of water, chlorine bleach, soap pads – Rinse well and allow to air dry
• If the inside of your linen closet is painted a deep blue, there will be no danger of your linens turning yellow. It will eliminate the annoyance of having to wrap those you do not use too often in blue paper.
• If there is but a small amount of paint left in a can to be stored, pour paraffin over it before putting it away and it will not dry out but can be used to the last bit.
• To paint flower pots easily, knot a rope and run it through the hole in the pot, leaving the knot inside, then suspend the pot upside down and paint. Allow the paint to dry in this manner.

Vinegar of the Four Thieves was a recipe that was known for its antibacterial, antiviral, antiseptic and antifungal properties for years. It was even used to cure the Bubonic Plague. See Thomas Jefferson’s recipe in VINEGAR OF THE FOUR THIEVES: Recipes & curious tips from the past

About Donna R Causey

Donna R. Causey, resident of Alabama, was a teacher in the public school system for twenty years. When she retired, Donna found time to focus on her lifetime passion for historical writing. She developed the websites www.alabamapioneers and www.daysgoneby.me All her books can be purchased at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. She has authored numerous genealogy books. RIBBON OF LOVE: A Novel Of Colonial America (TAPESTRY OF LOVE) is her first novel in the Tapestry of Love about her family where she uses actual characters, facts, dates and places to create a story about life as it might have happened in colonial Virginia. Faith and Courage: Tapestry of Love (Volume 2) is the second book and the third FreeHearts: A Novel of Colonial America (Book 3 in the Tapestry of Love Series) Discordance: The Cottinghams (Volume 1) is the continuation of the story. . For a complete list of books, visit Donna R Causey

• More Posts (3228)

Liked it? Take a second to support Alabama Pioneers on Patreon!