Sweet ..smelling beeswax adds polish to the homeTHE French nobility perfected the ulti-

mate floor-polishing technique. They. had footmen skate over the beeswaxedoak floors of their chateaus each morning witha brush tied to each foot. Here and now, foot-men are in short supply. But the Renaissancecure for tired-looking wood - a thick paste ofbeeswax and turpentine - is the world's long-est-running furnitWe and floor treatment. And

Domestic ScienceFrances Litwin

it still works beautifully today.Virgin beeswax, the brownish-yellowish

kind, is traditionally used for candles in relig-ious ceremonies. Tallow candles -;- made fromthe fat of sheep or oxen - gave off an unplea-sant smell that was unwelcome in churches.The purity of beesw<l,'{,which has a pleas9-lithoney-like aroma, held symbolic importance invlacesof Christian worship. But around the~ouse, it has a multitude of practical uses.: Unfortunately, it is expensive. The pricejUmped 30 per cent last year and 15 per centthis year, according to Roger Clapham, theowner of Clapham's Beeswax Products in Ab-tbtsford, British Columbia. He blames the situ-

ation on parasitic bee mites that are devastat-ing honeybee populations the world over.Still, because of their aroma, beeswax can-

dles are very pleasant to have around, and notjust forthe dinner table.• Use them to make drawers slide smoothly,too; rub a solid candle vigorously a few timesalong the tracks. Ordinary paraffin serves thesame purpose, but it has no scent.• A simple beeswax candle will also freshena stuffy room. To make your own, start with ahoneycombed beeswax sheet and a 15-plywick from a crafts store. On~ sheet will suf-fice, or you can use three; the wick is suitablefor a candle that is 2.5 to 7.5 cm in diameter.Place the wick at the edge of the sheet andcrimp the edge over it. Roll up candle tightly.If using more than one sheet. overlap onesheet with another before you get to the end.The natural adhesive in the beeswax hold§"the candle together. Keep wicks trimmed to1.5 cm for cleaner burning.• Use beeswax to make sweet-smelling,homemade waxed paper to decorate pre-serves: Place a sheet of writing paper over ahot iron (the fewer steam holes the better)and rub with the end of a solid·beeswax can-dle or cake of beeswax until the paper is satu-rated. A fine airmail paper such as a G. Laloworks beautifully. Cut the paper into rounds

with pinking shears, larger than the lid byabout 1Yz inches, attach to jar top with anelastic band and tie with a few strands of raf-fia or ribbon.• Use melted candle beeswax as a sealingwax. Light a taper, then when it looks like.. you have enough wax melted at the top, tipover envelope to create a small puddle. Letwax firm up slightly before impressing withyour seal.A soft wax, beeswax furniture polish isn't

as hard and won't be as shiny as carnauba-based polishes. It melts into the pores ofwood, camouflaging tiny scratches, and pro-duces a soft lustre with very little rubbing.Wipe on polish, wait a minute for it to set,then use a clean cloth and rub with the grainto bring up the shine. Buffed beeswax re-mains slightly tacky to the touch, which isnot unpleasant but can 'be disconcerting topeople used to the silicone slipperiness ofspray furniture polish.Beeswax polish is compatible with all fin-

ishes, particularly natural lacquer, varnish,shellac and oil. It's not strictly necessary overfactory-applied polyurethane or water-basedvarnish, as these primary finishes have theirown shine. However, to tone down polyure-thaned wood and give it a satin finish, tryrubbing it with 000 steel wool - this gives

the wax "teeth" to cling to - then wipe offthe dust with a naphtha-moistened cloth.Apply wax, with one cloth and when it hashardened buff with another. Use a shoe brushto go over carved areas or ornamentation.Can beeswax polish pass the hot casserole

test? No. Heat melts beeswax, as it does anywax, but the finish is easily renewed withmore polish. Also, beeswax may be water re-sistant but it's not water impervious. If wateris allowed to puddle up, the moisture willseep into the wax and create a white mark.The mark should disappear in a few days, atwhich point you can reapply wax. If nec-essary, rub the mark with toothpaste and adamp cloth, then rewax when dry.There are several brands of quality bees-

wax polishes available at hardware stores. Irecommend Roger Clapham's traditional, lav-ender-scented beeswax furniture polish. Mr:Clapham and his wife, Anne, also make acompletely edible Beeswax Salad Bowl Fin-ish, which is excellent for wooden butcherblocks. For mail-order information, call 1-800-667-2939. .

•Frances Litwin's tips for the home appearevery other Saturday, alternating with LucyWaverman's recipes.