Household Hints

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 222, 5 January 1910, Page 3

Household Hints

The Kitchen.—A cooling draught can be easily made by putting a tablespoonful of caster sugar into a glassful of cold wat«>.r. Add to this the juice of half a lemon and a pinch of bicarbonate of soda. Stir it well and drink it at once.

The Dressing Room. —A simple remedy for freckles is the following: Put one ounce of alum and the same quantity of lemon juice into a pint of rosewater and apply iit to the sun kisses at night. Another excellent lotion for the purpose is buttermilk.

The Wardrobe.—To freshen black or dark silk take three potatoes, wash them, and, having sliced thenfthinly, put them into a basin and pour a quart of boiling water over them. Stir this well and when it is cold pour the liquid off and take a sponge; or cloth, dip it into the liquid and thoroughly sponge the material all over, * It should then be rolled up for an hour or two and ironed with an old piece of black lining over the silk.

The Laundry.—To wash silk lace procure a good lather of soap on the hands and rub the lace gently until it is clean. Then roll it round a bottle which has been filled wtih hot water and the lace will be ironed and dry without the risk o£ being-scorched.

Pencil Marks from Paint. —Small pad cotton wool, damp with paraffin, circular motion; soon gone; will not injure paint; dry with clean cotton cloth.

Dry Cleaning Plush. —Grate some salt, put it into the oven, and when hot sprinkle it thickly over the plush. Rub with a soft brush in the direction of the pile. Renovating Black Felt. —Dissolve a little black aniline'dye in spirit of some sort, and- after having well brushed the felt in order to remove all dirt and'dust, sponge it the dye. Do not make it tbo wet; all that is needed is to revive the top surface. _V' ;

Violet Ink. —The simplest way of making violet ink is to boil eight ounces of logwood in three pints of water until the bulk of the liquor is reduced to half. Strain thoroughly, add an ounce and a half of gum arabic and two and a half of alum. Strain again, and bottle for use. Javelle Water.—Put two ounces of chlorinated lime in a large bottle, add a pint of water, shake well, leave until the next day, shaking well from time to time. Pour off the clear liquid carefully and bottle. This water can be bought ready made at the chemist's almost as cheaply as it can be made at home.

Borax, alone or dissolved in water, and used freely to pour down sinks and other pipes, removes all noisome smells, acting as a purifier and rendering even impure water wholesome. When sprinkled in the form of powder on places infested with insects, blackbeetles, etc., these troublesome pests will soon disappear.