Our home is like our retreat, we want it to be the place where we feel most at ease and comfortable. Consequently, everything in our house has to be perfect. Working on your furniture’s appearance shouldn’t be a unpleasant and time consuming duty. Even if your furniture is expensive, you picked it up at a tag sale, or it’s a precious family piece you’ll want it to simply look great as years pass by. You just need to follow some easy but regular steps, in order to have your furniture looking striking for years. One of the first rules in making sure your furniture is protected, is to make sure it’s not close to heat sources or sunlight. These will dry out the furniture, discolor upholstery or paint finishes, rot fabric fibers. Unfortunately, most of us had the surprise to discover a water mark on our favorite high board , or a stain on the favorite velour covered armchair. You can’t prevent it from happening, but there are solutions! Here are some tips on keeping your furniture clean and neat, to have it looking it’s best for years. You don’t have to break the bank to buy expensive cleaning products in order to get great results. All is at hand. Dish washing detergent, a vacuum cleaner, a cotton cloth, a sponge, that is all you need to clean your furniture. Wood Furniture
The first rule in keeping wood furniture looking great is: protect it from sun exposure and switches in humidity level! A major factor in wooden furniture’s deterioration, is a high level of humidity. You should regularly, if not daily clean your furniture. Your mother was right: Dust frequently! You shouldn’t use a feather duster as it will only throw dust in the air, besides a quill could scratch the surface of the furniture. Don’t use lot of water when you clean your furniture. Don’t soak or wet wood furniture. Water will often cause staining or swelling, when it penetrates the finish. The best way to dust your wood furniture is to use a cotton cloth. Experts say that a dry cloth will not clean well, and that you ought to moisten it so that it’s easier for the dust adhere to it. Leather Furniture One of the primary things you should do to keep your leather furniture looking good, is the same as for wood furniture: Protect it from sun and heat, and from changes in humidity levels. Leather dries and can crack with time, and you should keep it at least 2 feet from a heat source. For the best results use a soft cotton cloth or a damp sponge. It’s not advised to use detergents when cleaning leather. Make a solution of dish washing liquid and warm water. Use the suds only, scrub gently with a soft-bristled brush and then clean with a damp cotton cloth or a sponge. For persistent stains, use a combination of 1/4 white vinegar and 3/4 water, and scrub with a soft cotton cloth. Upholstered Furniture Beside the golden rule of keeping furniture looking good : protect it from sun exposure, it’s advisable to vacuum the upholstered furniture regularly. To clean stains use a solution of ¼ laundry detergent or dish detergent to 1c warm water. Use only the bubbles and a cloth and rub a small part of the upholstery. Let dry for a few minutes, and if the color fades or the fabric shrinks , then stop and leave it to the professionals, so you don’t ruin it. If not, do the rest of the upholstery. Take into consideration these advices and your furniture will be the focal point of your house for years. This chore doesn’t have to be time consuming or irritating, if you do it on a regular basis. This way you won’t have to invest in new pieces, and you will be able to enjoy your favorite furniture for a long time.
SELECTION OF TURKEYS.--Turkeys rank next to chickens in popularity as food. They are native to America and are perhaps better known here than in foreign countries. Turkey is a much more seasonal food than chicken, it being best in the fall. Cold-storage turkey that has been killed at that time, provided it is properly stored and cared for, is better than fresh turkey marketed out of season.
The age of a turkey can be fairly accurately told by the appearance of its feet. Very young turkeys have black feet, and as they mature the feet gradually grow pink, so that at more than 1 year old the feet will be found to be pink. However, as the bird grows still older, the color again changes, and a 3-year-old turkey will have dull-gray or blackish looking feet. The legs, too, serve to indicate the age of turkeys. Those of a young turkey are smooth, but as the birds grow older they gradually become rough and scaly. A young turkey will have spurs that are only slightly developed, whereas an old turkey will have long, sharp ones.
Turkeys are seldom marketed when they are very young. But in spite of the fact that this is occasionally done, the mature birds are more generally marketed. Turkeys often reach a large size, weighing as much as 20 to 25 pounds. A mature turkey has proportionately a larger amount of flesh and a smaller amount of bone than chicken; hence, even at a higher price per pound, turkey is fully as economical as chicken.
SELECTION OF DUCKS.--Ducks probably come next to turkeys in popularity for table use. Young ducks are sold in the market during the summer and are called spring duck. The mature ducks may be purchased at any time during the year, but they are best in the winter months.
The flexibility of the windpipe is an excellent test for the age of ducks. In the young bird, the windpipe may be easily moved; whereas, in the old one, it is stationary and quite hard. The meat of ducks is dark over the entire bird, and the greatest amount is found on the breast. Its flavor is quite typical, and differs very much from turkey and chicken. However, there is a comparatively small amount of meat even on a good-sized duck, and it does not carve to very good advantage; in fact, more persons can be served from a chicken or a turkey of the same weight. Young ducks are rather difficult to clean, as a layer of fine down, which is not easily removed, covers the skin.
SELECTION OF GEESE.--Geese are much more commonly used for food in foreign countries than in America. Their age may be told in the same way as that of ducks, namely, by feeling of the windpipe. The flesh is dark throughout and rather strongly flavored. The fat is used quite extensively for cooking purposes, and even as a butter substitute in some countries. Because of this fact, geese are generally fattened before they are slaughtered, and often half the weight of the bird is fat. The livers of fattened geese reach enormous proportions and are considered a delicacy. They are used for pate de fois gras. Usually, this is put up in jars and brings a very high price.
SELECTION OF PIGEONS.--Pigeons are raised primarily for their use as squabs. These are young birds about 4 weeks old, and their meat is tender and agreeable to the taste. The meat of the mature pigeon becomes quite tough and unpalatable. The breast is the only part of the bird that has meat on it in any quantity, and this meat is slightly lighter in color than that which comes from the remainder of the body. Midsummer is the best season for squabs, but they can be purchased at other times of the year. The cost of squabs is too high to allow them to be used extensively as a food in the ordinary household.
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