HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 130, 10 September 1910, Page 9

HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

Rub a mudistained umbrella, with a ra.g dipped in methylated spirits, and the stains will disappear. Burning oil can 'be extinguished by throwing on it flour, earth, or sand. Water causes the flames to spread. When giving castor oil try beating it up with the white of an egg. This makes it entirely tasteless and quite palatable. The whites of eggs will beat to froth much more quickly if you add a pinch of salt to them, and stand in a draught while you are heatimg. After peeling onions, mustard-water will free the hands from all odor. A cup of strong coffee will remove the odor of onions from the (breath. A mixture composed of equal parts of turpentine and linseed oil will remove white marks on (furniture cau-cd by water; (rub it in with a soft ran- and wipe off with a perfectly clean duster. 'lf silk is pure, when you burn -a little i piece it will become a clear, grey, crisp! ash; if it smoulders and leaves a red-dish-brown ash it has been treated with chemicals, and will not wear.

When stewing meat use no more water than is .actual ly required to cook the meat. Keep the pot covered tightly to retain the steam and flavor. Shake" the pot occasionally to prevent anything sticking to it. * °

Mix equal parts of turpentine and linseed oil well together. With a small stiff brush apply a small quantity in any crevice of your furniture, rub'well with a soft duster, and you will be pleased with the result.

Take half a pound of cherry cake, cut into slices, soak in a wineglass of sherry; pour over one pint custard. A little cocoanut sprinkled on the top, and some whipped cream, make a very pretty and delicious dish of Trilbv cake.

The best way to keep any salad that is left over is to place a clean cloth or paper, which has been well moistened with cold water, over it, and exclude air with a saucer or plate turned down over it. This will keep it 'beautifully fresh and green.

To make Persian sherbert take 3y a oz of carbonate of soda, 2y 2 oz. tartaric acid, and 12oz. of castor sugar. Mix well in a basin, and add a few drops of essence of lemon. Put into bottle and cork closely. One dessertspoonful is sufficient for half a pint of water.

When a splinter has been driven deeply into the hand it can be extracted without pain by steam. Nearly fill a widemouthed bottle with hot'water, place the injured part over the mouth of the bottle, and press lightly. The suction will draw the flesh down, and in a minute or two the steam will extract the splinter and inflammation together. If ostrich feathers or tips have become .straight from having been in rain or heavy damp, hold them in front of—but not too near—a clear fire for a few minutes. Then bind them to the position in which they originally were. While held in this position, quickly paint the back of the stem with liquid glue, and let it dry while still held bent. Mirrors should never be hung in the sunshine or in a strong light or they will speedily become spotted. To make Transfer Paper.—Melt together two ounces of .tallow, a quarter of a pint of linseed oil, and half an ounce of powdered Macklead; adding sufficient lamp-black to make the mixture the consistency of cream. Take a sheet of white paper and rub in this mixture while hot. Leave to dry and it will be readv for use.

Mildew or stains of any kind may easily be removed from leather with a little pure vaseline. Rub in the vaseline until absorbed, and then polish with chamois leather.

A small piece of candle may be made to burn all night by putting finely powdered salt on it until it reaches the'black part of the wick. A email, even light, suited for a sick-room, may be kept in this way.

Sponging the neck and chest every morning with cold water is a very good way of preventing bronchitis and 'sore throats.

To remove tea stains from tablecloths rub the stained parts with 'glycerine, and afterwards wash in the ordinary way. Ginger is a very useful remedy. A few drops of the tincture of essence taken before meals is excellent for people with weak digestions.

If, immediately after a spot of candle grease has fallen on furniture or dress material, a drop of cold water is applied to the wax. the latter -will solidify, and can be pealed off- easily. Carbonate of soda dissolved in water will remove mud stains from dresses. Lay the soiled part on a cloth, and wash and rub the places with the water, keeping the dress quite smooth. To prolong the life of window cords they should be dusted and rubbed with a well-greased rag. The snapping of the cords is caused by friction, and they are further weakened by sun' and rain. The greasing makes them impervious to the elements and prolongs their use. Another method of blacking brown shoes is to clean the shoes thoroughly with a cloth dipped in soap jelly, and leave them to dry. They may then be brushed over with any good liquid black shoe polish. This generally has the desired effect. The polish will, of course, need .to Ibe renewed every now and then. When the bristles of your hair brushes turn soft, -wash them well in boiling water, to which a dessertsponful of ammonia has been added. Then dissolve a. large lump of salt in cold water, and dip the brushes in several times. Leave them to dry in the open air, and you will find that the bristles are quite stiff again.

To clean silver lace, magnesia is about the best thing than can 'be used for this purpose. If the lace is much tarnished, mix the magnesia to a paste with cold water, lay it on the lace, and when dry 'brush off. If the lace is not very bad, simply spread the magnesia on dry, fold in «, clean cloth, and put it under a heavy weight for a day or two. When cleaning windows put a little ammonia, into the water. It economises labor and gives brilliancy to the glass. All dried fruits should be soaked in cold water for twenty-four hours before cooking them. This brings out the flavor and shortens the time required to cook them.

To clean Japanese trays, rub with a cloth moistened with a little salad oil, and polisli with a soft duster.

When -buying apples Hie guided by their weight. The heaviest are the best. Ammonia will restore color taken from materials Iby lemon juice. Sponge the -pots as soon a* possible with a mixture of ammonia and water, one part of the former to three of the latter. For household linen that lias become yellow, a good blenching fluid is made as follows:- One pound of washing soda, four quart* of water, a small packet of chloride of lime. Boil all for ten minutes, strain and bottle.

To preserve eggs. —Pour si\- quarts of boiling water on three pounds of lime, one ounce of cream of tartar, and half a pound of salt. When quite cold, pour this carefully over the fresh eggs. whi?h should he arranged in jars, being careful that «11 are covered. Tie the. jars over with thick paper and stand them on a