A Good Whitewash

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As this is the season of the year when people begin to clean up and make things look fresh for the approaching summer, we have frequent requests respecting the best and cheapest whitewashes, both for the outside and inside of houses. As we have in former Tolumes given reliable recipes of this character, we have no occasion to refer our constant readers to them; otir new subscribers, however, cannot avail themselves of tha same reference—the following, therefore, is for them : Take half a bushel of fresh-burned white lime, and slack it either with hot or cold water, in a tub or barrel. When thoroughly slacked, dissolve in the water required to thin the lime, two quarts of common salt, stir it thoroughly, add ono quart of sweet miik, and .it is ready for use to put on with a brush. This wash is for the outside of buildings, fences, c, and is very durable. Some put glue in whitewash, and others flour and rice paste; but those render it liable to scale off in very dry weather. The above wash may be made a cream color by the addition of ochre. The above whitewash ie all that can be desired for the interior of houses, excepting the salt, it must be omitted, as it tends to imbibe moisture. French white is superior to lime washes for the ceilings of rooms, as it is not so liable to turn yellowish in color, but it rubs off so easily that it cannot be used for side walls.

Scientific American Magazine Vol 13 Issue 28This article was published with the title “A Good Whitewash” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 13 No. 28 (), p. 224
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican03201858-224a

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