Before there were Hints from Heloise, Good Housekeeping magazine, and Martha Stewart, cleaning advice sometimes came from a rather unlikely source—packs of cigarettes. In the 1880s, tobaco manufacturers began adding blank paper cards into their packaging to add stiffness and strength. Soon they turned these utilitarian cards into a clever marketing ploy by issuing sets of collectible cards themed around different topics ranging from actors and actresses to recipes to champion dogs to flags and, yes, household tips. The New York Public Library has 125,000 cigarette cards, including more than 3,000 complete sets, in its collection—almost 50,000 of which are digitized for you to explore.

The cigarette cards below all pass on how-tos and tips for cleaning things around your home. They are a fascinating glimpse into a time when advice wasn't a few taps away on your computer, when everyone knew what a mackintosh was, and when potatoes were apparently much more versatile.

How to Clean Oil Painting

"The picture shows a very effective method. Painting should first be well dusted and then rubbed gently with flat surface of a cut raw potato, the lather being wiped away with a soft rag. Dirty part of potato must constantly be pared off in order to keep clean the surface applied to picture. Finish off with a rub o pine linseed oil."

How to Detect Dampness in Beds

"In order to detect dampness in a strange bed and so be warned of the danger, a small hand-mirror should be slipped between the sheets and left for a few minutes. Any mistiness or blurred appearance of the mirror's surface when withdrawn is an indication of dampness, and the bed should not be slept in."

How to Clean a White Straw Hat

"The hat should be well brushed to remove any loose dust, and then rubbed with half a lemon. This will clean the straw in a surprising fashion. Finish off with a glaze of clean gum carefully brushed all over, and your hat will look like a new one."

How to Clean a Mackintosh

"A simple and ready method of taking out stains and dirty marks from a mackintosh is to rub the soiled places well with a raw peeled potato. This same treatment will also remove mud stains froms skirts, coats, trousers, and other articles of attire." 

Dents in Furniture

"The removal of dents or bruises in polished furniture is a simple matter. If the bruise is small soak it with warm water, and hold a red-hot poker near the surface. Keep the bruise continually moist and it will soon disappear. Bigger dents should be treated as follows: Lay a piece of staut brown paper over the bruised part, cover with a piece of wet flannel with excess moisture squeezed out A; and apply a fairly hot iron B. Repeat at intervals of two or three hours until the crushed wood swells to the surface. If it is necessary the surface of the wood may be repolished." 

Fighting the Clothes Moth

"Woolen articles, eiderdowns and furs not in use during the summer months should be wrapped in new unbleached calico or newspaper. In the former case the edges should be sewn, and in the latter pasted together, or sealed with gummed paper as shown in the picture B. Fur coats may be conveniently stored in bags of glazed linen or unbleached calico, suspended by means of coat hangers, C; all seams being machine-stiched. Before storing treat the articles with one of the proprietary Moth Repellents, or sprinkle with napthalene, Epsom salts, or with a mixture of ground cloves, dried rosemary, dried mint, thyme and tansy."

How to Mend Broken China

"To mend broken china so that the mended article will stand washing in hot or cold water, some common alum should be heated in an old iron spoon until it melts, and then applied to the broken pieces. The pieces should be retained in position by string and allowed to thoroughly set." 

Cleaning a Thermos Flask

"Beverages carried in a thermos flask cannot be enjoyed to the full unless the flask is kept scrupulously clean. To cleanse a stained flask, crush some egg-shells and drop them into the flask. Add a little vinegar and shake vigorously; then half-fill with water and allow flask to stand for some time. The flask should be shaken again before being emptied, and thoroughly rinsed. When standing it upside-down to dry, there is less risk of the flask being knocked over if it is stoo inside a jug. Thermos flasks, when empty, should always be left uncorked, as this prevents them becoming musty." 

Destroying Worm in Furniture

"Worm havoc in furniture is mostly caused by the larvae or grubs of the Common Furniture Beetle (Anobium punctatum). As the bettle lays its eggs chiefly in May or June, the treatment of furniture with paraffin or turpentine at regular intervals, and at this time of year particuarly, will greatly help in rendering articles immune. Special attention should be given to the back and undersides of the furniture, especially joints and unpolished parts. When the furniture is already infected, the grub's activity is indicated by fresh holes, sometimes with powder falling from them. In such cases, benzene or carbon tetrachloride may be injected into holes, as shown. These inflammable liquids should be handled carefully."

How to Clean Real Lace

"To clean real lace, lay the lace on a sheet of blue or white tissue paper, and well cover with powder of calcined magnesia. Cover with more paper and place under a weight for a few days. The lace will be found to be quite clean after shaking out the powder, and the most delicate texture remains uninjured.

Want to see more? Explore the How To Do It collection of cigarette cards from Gallaher and the Household Hints collection from Wills.