HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IX, Issue 738, 20 January 1915, Page 7

HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

Silver never tarnishes if a ; piece ofi camphor i& kept in 1 the silver-chest.

A glass of very hot milk sipped when going bed is said to. b© a cure for temporary insomnia.

If the salt cakes in the cellar during damp weather, put a few grains of vice in with it.

If a ribbon slips out from the/lingerie beading, try sewing a tiny hutton on each end of the length.

' A. - few shreds of candied lemon-peel impart a delicious flavour to baked bread-pudding 1 . ,

An old felt hat cut to a proper size .and shape makes cosy soles for boots and shoes.

A few dry bay leaves thrown on to the fire will fill the room with a pleasant and lasting perfume.

Tooth-brushes should be occasionally dipped into boiling water to disinfect them. They will also last longer. -

A rusty iron can be speedily made smooth by rubbing well with a mixture of salt and beeswax.

When making flaky pastry pass the flour through a seive before mixing, and use water sparingly.

Try cleaning new brasses with furniture cream. You will find it keeps then', in splendid condition.

To prevent mustard from drying in the mustard-pot, add a little salt when making it. :

New china will not crack so easily if it is immersed in a pan of water and [brought very gradually to boiling point.

If you have a" soft-boiled ■ egg left over from breakfast boil it hard without loss of time. It will come in very handy for salad or sauce.

If you .would retain your shoes in good shape 'until the last day of thoir usefulness, keep "them on trees when they are not in use.

: When making, pastry that is to be served cold, milk should be used for the mixing, and "the pastry will keep short and crisp. longer than if mixed with water.

To clean knife handles or any bone article, it is a good plan-to use salt and .lemon-juice. First rub the article tvell with and., then with the salt. This will remove stains and grease spots.

To freshen, milk which is beginning to turn sour, add a very small quantity of carbonate of soda—enough to cover a threepenny piece to a pint of milk—■ and boil the milk, which v.-ill then be quite sweet and will keep.

In' drawing threads from hemstitching" or drawn'work, wet a small brush, rub it on a cake of soap and then on "the threads you wish to draw, and they vi 11 come out easily and without break-

To' whiten finger-nails and improve the hands, cut a fresh lemon in" two and rub in well at night. Wash in warm water the next morning. The same treatment is excellent for stains on the hands.

A simple and excellent way to remove dirty marks from a- mackintosh, is to cut a raw potato in slices and rub it well .on the marks. It will also remove mudstains from dress-skirts, children's coats, and gentlemen's trousers. . >

New boots are sometimes difficult to polish. To make them shine easily, brush off any dirt that" may be on them, and rub them- with lemon-juice. Let this dry in, then black and polish them in tlie usual way, and they, will shine beautifully.

Before scraping- new potatoes soak a little whilo with a small piece of .common soda- in the water, and you will find that they will scrape and clean easily. The fingers will not be soiled, as they are after scraping in the usual way.

To bake a cako well and with very little trouble have two cake-tins the samo shape and size. Put the cake mixture iiito one .tin and place the other over it so that the rinis' meet* Not so much gas is required, and the cakes rise bettor, rs the 'eoole-r air caused by opening the oven door is not allowed to penetrate.

To make cut flowers last, cut off the tips of all the stems and stand them in a bowl of warm water. Let them remain there until the water is quite cold, then arrange them in vases filled with lukewarm water to which a pinch of carbonate of soda has been added. . This will keep them fresh; for quite a long time. The seasoned pedestrian knows. that he runs far'less .risks of blistered feet if he wears thick stockings, and if the foot part of these is well soaped inside. A further precaution is to rub the feet we,ll with methylated spirit before starting- on a long tramp. To enjoy walking", and so gain the utmost benefit from the exercise, care should be taken to get well-fitted boots, made to measure, with stout soles.