The Home.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 33, 29 October 1920, Page 12

The Home.

TO REMOYE VARnISH FROM POLISHED WOOD. Dissolve 31bs of caustic soda in half a gallon of water, stir into it 21bs of quicklime, and. add enough silieate of soda to form a paste. Apply by means of an old paint brush, and leave on until the varnish softens. It may easily be removed | by scrubbing with cold water. 2. Procure a little black ash from a chemist, and put a piece of about the size of an egg in a quart of boiling water. When dissoived, apply either hot- or cold water to the wood. Scrape as much off as possible, then wasli with hot wuter and give a coat of ordinary vinegax. RHUBARB WINE. Take the stems of full-grown rhubarb and bruise them in a mortai' to a pulp. But- the pulp into a tub, and to every lOlbs weight of the stems, add two gallona of cold spring water. Iniuse for four days, frequently stirling. Then press into a pulp, and to .every gallon of the liquor add 21bs of fine sugar, stirring nntil it is dissoived. Let it st-and turee or four days till the fermentatlon stops. Skim it well; put into a cask. but do not stop it, as it will ferrnent again. When the fermentation ceases add more loaf sugar to gweeten it, and stop it close. In two months it will be ftt to bottle, add a little brandy. It improves with age. TO PREVENT MILDEWfes JAM. 1. — -The jam must be kept in a place free from damp, and if tissue paper soaked in brown brandy is fitted close over the jam it will prevent miidew. The jam should he tlien covered well over with the gummed paper sold for this pnrpose, and which must be slightly wetted all round the edge for adhesion. This paper also obviates the use of st-ring, which sometimes is practically 6T no avail to keep out the air wKen tied up in the usual way. 2. — When boiling jam, add a piece of fresh butter aBout the size of a nutmeg to say lOlbs of fruit, and cover while hot

DOMESTIC HINT8. Meat taints quickly if exposed to moonlight. A good waterproofing for boots can be made by melting equal parts of beeswax and mutton suet. Rub tbis lightl^ on the soles and edges of tlie boots. For creaking shoes put a small quantity of linseed oil on a plate, and stand the sole of the shoe in it for a few hours. The creak will disappear, and the shoe 1 will also last longer V>n account of this treatment. | To clean a serge skirt, dissolve one -pennyworth of ammonia in a pint of water, and carefully sponge the skirt with tha mixture. Ali the spots and rusty appearance will then disappear, Hang the skirt in a warm room, but on no account before a hot fire or iu the sun. A white felt liat may be cleaned thus : Cet .some powdered magnesia from the chemist's, make it into a thick paste with cold water. With a paint brush, apply this evenly to the felt, and when dry, brush off with a clean soft- clothes brush. When tan boots are to be turned into black ones, first of all wash them m rather strong soda water (common wash-ing-soda), but do not saturate them with

it. Let them dry, and afterwards black them all over, and, instead of using a brush, employ the cut half of a potato. Lavender is one of thq best washing colours. After that comes pink and blue. When washing the latter add a littta vinegar to the last rinsing wqjer. Any article at all likely to shrink should be ca.refu.Uy pulled into shape before hanging out to dry. It is also an excellent plan to give such things a good shaking. If bright saucepans or kettles have to be used over a sinoky fire, by sjnearing a little grease over the bright part it will j prevent the smoke from blackening it. 1 If washed afterwards in hot water the j pan will be as bright as ever. Fresh lard 1 rubbed over new tinware and well heated in the oven before it is used will prevent it ever rusting afterwards. A few drops of lemon-juice rubbed oriskly on black or brown leather will give it I a brilliant polish. New tins should be set over the fire with boiling water in them for several hours before food is put into them. Knitters should provid© themselves with a tape measure for frequent reference. Rusty black lace, which may have been long in the family, can be revived and made as fresh as new by the steam of green tea. When baking potatoes, grease them first with a little butter, and when cooked they will be beautifully brown and crisp, with the glazed appearance that makes them so appetising.