Ladies' Column.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 92, 24 July 1908, Page 4

Ladies' Column.

When hanging pictures, pierce the wall first with a darning needle to find the beam, and so prevent the disfiguration of the walls.

To polish new boots, first thoroughly black, then put a little castor sugar on the polishing brush, and with it do the polishing. The sugar will help to put a splendid polish on the leather.

To clean brass ornaments wash them oyer with strong ammonia. Rinse in clear water, wipe dry, and polish with a washleather.

Do not salt stock until you have done skimming it, as the salt prevents the scum from rising. Add very little at a time.

Mustard water is useful for cleaning the'hands after touching onions or other malodorous substances.

To clean plants never use oil of any kind on the foliage of palms. To give them a rich shining foliage wash them water containing one quarter of skim milk. This makes the leaves look as if varnished, and leaves no gummy substance behind to obstruct the pores.

Unbleached Linen.—Where economy is an object, the half-bleached damask should be bought, as it soon becomes white in use. If linen has to be stored, too, the great advantage of the half-bleach will soon be discovered.

Three uses for salt in the household.—Salt wetted with lemon-juice is an excellent brass polish. Salt added to soap and starch, and well rubbed into mildew spots on linen, then laid in the sun, will quickly remove all stains. Salt added to ammonia or benzine will effectually remove grease spots from clothing.

To restore a shabby skirt place 01: covered ironing board, and take two hot irons, rather heavy in weight. Now cover the portions to be pressed with a thoroughly wet piece of unbleached muslin folded double, and when pressing do not move the iron too quickly over it, but press until the material stops steaming. Should there remain dull or glazed spots, sponge lightly and press again. This re-pressing, when damp, forms steam that will remove such spots.

To fry flounders nicely, sprinkle the fish with salt and let them lie for two or three hours before cooking. Wash and clean the fish thoroughly, wipe very dry, flour well, and wipe again with a dry cloth. Dip in egg and bread-crumbs, and fry in plenty of fat.

White paper should not be used for wrapping articles that are to be put away. — Chloride of lime is used for bleaching it, and this will destroy the colour of the fabrics which it envelops- Yellowish, whitey-brown, or better still, blue paper should be used for this purpose.

To render clothes un-inilaminable add one ounce of alum to the last water used to rinse the fabric, and they will be rendered uninflammable or so slightly combustible that in the event of coming into contact with fire, they would smoulder away very slowly, and not burst into flame.

To clean white straw hats squeeze some iemoti [nice into a saucer, add to it some flour of sulphur, brush the hat over thoroughly with it, rinse in cold water, and then lay it on something quite flat to dry. The hat will dry quite white, all signs of sunburn being removed by the lemon.

A lump of sugar placed inside, and the lid left open, of the tea-pot which is only used on grand occasions, will prevent the unpleasant: musty odour which always issues from a metal tea-pot, when only occasionally used.

When drying lace muslin curtains it is better to double them before hanging them over the line, than allow them to get dry singly, or to fasten the hem to the line by means of a clothes pin.