Here are some interesting tips we read in an old book on house cleaning:
Just before papering a room apply a thin coat of white shellac to any grease spots on the wall. The grease will not penetrate the new wall paper.
To repair a damaged place in a wallpapered room, let the new paper (this is assuming you have saved some) sit in the sun for a few days until it fades to match the paper on the walls.
A deep gouge in a piece of furniture can be rubbed with an oily nut meat (walnut or brazil nut). The nut meat will crumble and fill in the scar, then wax over the top.
Cover light furniture scratches on dark furniture by touching up with iodine.
To lengthen the life of a fiber door mat keep it damp for a week by sprinkling it every two or three days. This will prevent the fiber from breaking. Repeat this process whenever the mat seems too dry.
To mend a hole in a rug, sew a piece of burlap over the back of the hole. Use wool or thread the color of the rug and make stitches through the burlap that forms loops on the top. When the space is filled in with stitches, clip off the tops even with the nap. The hole will be almost unnoticable.
