WASHING GLASS

And after this, the deluge--of dishwashing! The cleansing of the glass
opens the session. If much fine or heavily cut glass is to be washed,
cover the draining board and the bottom of the pan with a soft, folded
cloth. Wash one piece at a time in water not too hot--about three
quarts of cold water to one of boiling, to which a _very_ little white
soap, with a tablespoon of ammonia, has been added--going well into the
cuttings with a brush; then rinse in water a little hotter than the
first, leave for a moment, and turn upside down on the board to drain
until the next piece is ready. Then dry with a soft towel, or plunge
into a box of nonresinous sawdust, better warm, which absorbs moisture
not reached by the cloth. Remove from the sawdust, brush carefully,
and polish with a soft cloth. If kept free from dust, sawdust can be
dried and used indefinitely. Care must be taken that there is no sand
in dishpan or cloth to give the glass a scratch which may end in a
crack or break. Put a spoonful of finely chopped raw potatoes, or
crushed eggshells, or half a dozen buckshot into decanters, carafes,
jugs, and narrow-mouthed pitchers, with a little warm soda or ammonia
water, and shake vigorously till all stain is removed, rinse and dry.
The water in which glass is washed must be kept absolutely free from
greasy substances. If milk, ice cream, or custard has been used, rinse
off with cold, then blood-warm water before washing. Cut glass must
never be subjected to marked differences in temperature, and for this
reason should not be held under the faucets, as the heat cannot be
regulated. Glass with gilt decoration must be washed quickly and
carefully with water free from either soda or ammonia, which attack the
gilt, and dried gently.