Here's Your

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 293, 2 March 1928, Page 5

Here's Your

THE SUN Service Bureau assist you with your problems, whether they relate to dress, health and beauty culture, cookery, homecraft, travel, sport or any other of the many things on which we are all constantly needing information. Whatever you* 1 particular puzzle may be, we will be glad to give our advice whenever possible. All communications must be accompanied by the inquirer’s name and address (not for publication), and sent to THE SUN “Service Bureau,” Women’s Page, THE SUN, Auckland. Answers will appear weekly in this column. TO DARKEN MAHOGANY Will you please tell me how to darken a mahogany table? Lime will generally darken mahogany. but the polish must first be removed. Benzole or methylated spirits will do this, whether the polish is wax or spirit. Then lime to the shade required and finally wax, etc. BROKEN GLASS A picture frame fell off my mantelpiece the other day, and I found it almost impossible to get up the very tiny pieces. Can you help me? Just put a piece of woollen cloth on the floor where the glass was broken. The small bits will adhere to it, and thus be removed. BROKEN STOPPER How can I remove a piece of broken stopper that has got stuck in the neck of a decanter? To remove the stopper, dip a feather in oil or vaseline and paint round the stopper and inside the neck of the decanter with it. Stand it near the fire until the decanter is warm. Repeat this a couple of times and you can remove the stopper. CLEANING SHOES Can you tell me the best way of

cleaning a pair of leather shoes, soiled by the rain?

First of all, wash the shoes with soap and water, and a soft nail-brush. Fill with paper, to dry, but don't put them in front of a fire. If the leather is hard when dry, give it a dressing of vaseline, leaving this to soak in thoroughly, Wipe it off before applying polish. BRANDY SNAPS Can you give me a good recipe for brandy snaps? The following directions, if carefully carried out, give excellent results: Melt 6oz each of butter, cane syrup and sugar in a pan, stir in 6oz of sifted flour, \oz of ginger, and a few drops of lemon juice. Pour the mixture into small rounds on a greased bakingtin, and bake for about 10 minutes in a moderate oven. Roll up the biscuits when they are just cool enough to handle. GREASE-STAINS How can I remove grease from wallpaper? Grease-stains on wall paper can be removed with a stiff, creamy mixture of pipe clay and water. Leave it on for a whole day and night and then brush it off. If the stain is an old one, use petrol instead of water. FOR SCORCH MARKS Is there any means of removing scorch marks from linen? Mix together i-pint of vinegar, 2oz of fuller’s earth, Joz of shredded white soap, and the juice of two onions, and boil them up until they form a thin paste. Spread this over the marks, allow it to dry, and then wash it out. The process may be repeated if necessary. The onion juice is obtained by peeling and slicing the onions and then pounding them in a dish. CLEANING BRASS The brass finger-plates in the house into which I have just moved are in a very dirty condi-

tion, and I cannot clean them satisfactorily. , You should rub them with paraffin, but before you begin, put some cardboard round the plates to protect the woodwork. After using the parffin, wash the plates with hot water and dry thoroughly, then polish with a leather or a soft cloth. MORE ELBOW GREASE White water marks and marks made by hot dishes frequently occur on polished tables. Many remedies have been suggested for these, but you will find that finely-powdered pumice stone, mixed with raw linseed oil, is, however, excellent and almost always successful. The pumice is mixed with the linseed oil to a smooth thin cream, this cream being rubbed into the affected parts with a soft cloth until all the marks have disappeared. Then wipe carefully with a dry cloth, rub over the whole surface with a little oil. and. finally, polish well with a soft, warm cloth.