Plastic or outdoor furniture also needs the special care to make them resistant against the weather which can caused stains and grease.

MARBLE SURFACES ETCHED BY ACIDS from fruit or other sources may be smoothed with the finest sandpaper obtainable (a hobby shop can supply it) then polished with putty powder (tin oxide) or jeweler's rouge (peroxide of iron). Your druggist should be able to get these for you from a wholesale chemical house. Both materials may be used for an overall polishing.

SOMETIMES MARBLE IS WAXED as a protection against stains and scratches. Use a white water wax emulsion for white and light tinted marbles. Beeswax dissolved in turpentine is sometimes used on colored marbles, or Simoniz, or a light paste wax. However, waxing is not essential.

We have gone into considerable detail on the subject of marble furniture because information on this subject is hard to get and because special techniques are required. An added reason is that more marble furniture is being sold today than in the Victorian era. The methods described are applicable to all marble and also to alabaster whether it composes a fireplace, floor, lamp base, or inkstand.

PAINTED FURNITURE is cleaned by the method described for painted walls and woodwork. It is often waxed to protect the paint from soil and to prolong its life.

PLASTIC FURNITURE seldom needs more than a wipe with-a damp cloth, or a cloth wrung out of lukewarm suds made with a mild soap or detergent. Do not use chemical aids such as ammonia on plastics. Plastic table tops are sometimes waxed to improve their gloss and to hide small scratches. On acrylic plastics (lucite and plexiglas) use a white emulsified water wax.

CHROMIUM-PLATED TUBE CHAIRS and tables used in dinettes and kitchens need only a little washing now and then and a rub with a dry cloth. If salts and acids corrode them, their appearance can be improved somewhat by using silver polish but the results are not lasting if the plating has been damaged. Tube tables of magnesium or aluminum can be rubbed clean with soaped steel wool pads, rinsed, and dried.

OUTDOOR FURNITURE can be kept spic and span with suitable paints and waterproof varnishes. If in doubt as to the proper finishes consult your furniture dealer. Cast iron furniture used in the garden must be protected scrupulously with a good outdoor paint. Before you paint, scrub off any signs of rust with steel wool dipped in kerosene or the rust will continue under the paint. A rustproof undercoating of red lead or aluminum paint is desirable.

WICKER, REED, CANE, AND BAMBOO FURNITURE

can be dusted with a dampened cloth or dry untreated duster. Every now and then go over it with the brush of your vacuum cleaner to dust the crannies. Furniture made of genuine reed, cane, bamboo, or wicker needs good wetting now and then to prevent drying and splitting. Take it outdoors and spray it with a garden hose, or wash it with mild soapsuds containing a little ammonia. The furniture should not be used again until it has dried completely.

Acid stains from fruits from on the marble surface can be cleaned with putty powder. Maintain the marble by Using a white water wax emulsion for white and light tinted marbles. Use the mild soap or detergent to clean the plastic furniture, use the wax to improve their gloss. Use the silver polish on the chromium plated tube chairs to remove the salts and acids.

Maintain the outdoor furniture with paints an waterproof varnishes. Bamboo furniture can easily be cleaned by dusting them, or washed them with mild soapsuds.