Mystery blue powder from the 1920s for polishing crystal?
August 21, 2012 9:33 AM Subscribe
What is this mystery substance? In an episode of Upstairs, Downstairs, Rose and Daisy are cleaning crystals from the chandelier. Rose explains that "...then you give the pieces a wipe-over with this powder blue before the final polish and that gives the glass an extra sparkle." Screengrab here.
It's at about 23:15 from this episode, season 5/episode 5, if Netflix is helpful. Apparently it's also good for mirrors? I'm not Googling correctly and/or Mrs. Beeton doesn't cover this.
It's at about 23:15 from this episode, season 5/episode 5, if Netflix is helpful. Apparently it's also good for mirrors? I'm not Googling correctly and/or Mrs. Beeton doesn't cover this.
Best answer: Oh, what it is is very finely powdered iron. How it works is that adding a blue tint to a yellowed white makes it look bright white
posted by Sidhedevil at 9:40 AM on August 21, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by Sidhedevil at 9:40 AM on August 21, 2012 [3 favorites]
whoops! ...because blue is the complementary of yellow.
kerplunk is right that it was probably Reckitt's Blue that would have been used in an English house of that era.
posted by Sidhedevil at 9:43 AM on August 21, 2012
kerplunk is right that it was probably Reckitt's Blue that would have been used in an English house of that era.
posted by Sidhedevil at 9:43 AM on August 21, 2012
Response by poster: Wow! You guys are so fast and awesome that I'm afraid I just blue myself.
I'd thought it might be that, but somehow also thought it was only a liquid. Thanks!
posted by mimi at 10:03 AM on August 21, 2012
I'd thought it might be that, but somehow also thought it was only a liquid. Thanks!
posted by mimi at 10:03 AM on August 21, 2012
Blue is not the complement of yellow. It is the complement of orange. Purple and yellow are complementary colors.
posted by Dolley at 10:25 AM on August 21, 2012
posted by Dolley at 10:25 AM on August 21, 2012
Dolley, "yellowed" whites get that way because of orange from rust in the water. I appreciate your calling out my sloppy usage.
posted by Sidhedevil at 10:33 AM on August 21, 2012
posted by Sidhedevil at 10:33 AM on August 21, 2012
That was serious, no snark.
posted by Sidhedevil at 10:34 AM on August 21, 2012
posted by Sidhedevil at 10:34 AM on August 21, 2012
Not all that helpful in answering the question, but my Scottish grandmother added a few drops of "blue" from a tiny bottle when she was hand-washing whites. It's so lovely and old-fashioned!
posted by Savannah at 9:28 PM on August 21, 2012
posted by Savannah at 9:28 PM on August 21, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Sidhedevil at 9:38 AM on August 21, 2012 [2 favorites]