It was also the first comprehensive book on running a household, telling readers what to pay their servants and how to remove spots from lace.

There are two basic approaches to removing spots and stains.

Brushing is used to remove dried stains and spots.

Sand the front of the plate to remove rough spots.

Among the topics covered (which include removing spots from the face with mercury) were:

How do I remove black spots on my face?

Wash greens well, picking over them to remove brown spots or blemishes.

Sanding will remove rough spots and expose the bare metal.

Those ads changed their message during the 1970s and 1980s to talk about removing spots or blemishes, she said.

Do not peel the potatoes, but remove any eyes and dark spots.