THINGS WORTH KNOWING.

Southern Cross, Volume 2, Issue 1, 7 April 1894, Page 9

THINGS WORTH KNOWING.

Cx’eam-colqured Spanish laces and dainty knitted articles in wool, which would be spoiled by washing with soap and Avater, may be cleaned by rubbing them in dry flour. Rub as if you were Avashing in water. If not perfectly clean, rub again. The flour must be very thoroughly shaken from, the laces, &c., else the result will not be entirely satisfactory.

To make steak tender, put threetablespoonsful of salad oil and one tablespoonful of vinegar, Avell mixed together on a large, flat dish. Let it

lie on the tender-making mixture for at least half an hour. Salt before cooking, and it Avill be found that the toughest steak aaull succumb to this treatment.

Varnish to make Avood look like ivory is made as follows Take of isinglass one half-ounce, boil gently in one half pint of Avater until dissolved, then strain and add flake white poAvder till it becomes as Avhite as cream. Give the wood (carved on plain) three or four coats of this,, letting each coat dry before another is put on, then smooth it with a bit of damp rag\ It has quite the appearance of ivory. If, when mixed, it looks too white, add a few grains of carmine (which will give it a pink look) or chrome yelloiv. -Either of these colours, if used very sparingly, improve the ivory paint. To prevent shoes from creaking apply little warmed olive oil about the waist and ball of the shoe.

A transparent paste is made bymixing' rice flour thoroughly with cold water and then gently boiling it. It is beautifully white and dries into transparency.

To clean very dirty paint, mix together one pound of soft soap, half pound pumice stone (powdered), and half pound of pearlash, with hot water into a thin paste. Take a large paint brush and lay this mixture upon the paint that is to be cleaned, and in five minutes wash off with boiling water.