How To Clean A clock

The following DIY instructions were published in The Boy Mechanic in 1923:

How to Clean a Clock [119]

It is very simple to clean a clock, which may sound rather absurd. For an amateur it is

not always necessary to take the clock to pieces. With a little care and patience and

using some benzine, a clean white rag, a sable brush and some oil a clock can be

cleaned and put into first-class running order. The benzine should be clean and free from

oil. You can test benzine by putting a little on the back of the hand; if it is good it will

dry off, leaving the hand quite clean, but if any grease remains on the hand, it is not fit

to use.

The oil should be of the very best that can be procured. Vegetable oils should never

be used. Clock oil can be procured from your druggist or jeweler.

All loose dirt should be removed from the works by blowing with bellows, or a fan,

or dusting with a dry brush; in the latter case great care should be exercised not to injure any

of the parts. Dip the brush in the benzine and clean the spindles and spindle holes, and the

teeth of the escapement wheel. After washing a part, wipe the brush on the rag and rinse in

the benzine; this should be repeated frequently, until no more dirt is seen.

When the clock has dried, oil the spindle holes carefully; this may be done with a

toothpick or a sliver of woodcut to a fine point. Oil the tooth of the escapement wheel

slightly, using a fine brush.

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