HOME-CRAFT GLEANINGS

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 29, 31 January 1930, Page 30

HOME-CRAFT

GLEANINGS

By

GADABOUT

Saving the Women JA DOCTOR told me last week, in all seriousness, that there is no doubt that home electric appliances are saving-not making pleasanter or easier, mark you, but actually saving --the lives of the women of this country. _He was referring particularly to. washing machines and the various forms. of. electric cleaners,. which d2 away with the two forms of drudgery which have probably taken the heaviest toll of womanhood in the past. For the Mere Man. [AN overseas paper giyes-a necktie hint which seems worth passing on. It states that ties wear longer and keep fresher if, when putting the tie in the collar, it is reversed (tab outside) and the wide end, still on the right, is brought under to the left,. then over once, and up through the middle and. down. ‘The knot is less bulky but quite neat and.also easier.to adjust without straining and creasing. , Toast at Ease THERE is now no need to eat toast ‘ that has become Half-cold on its way from: the kitchen, for electric toasters haye nearly reached the perfection stage, and can: be operated at the breakfast table. One, indeed, will, by the adjustment of a small pointer, toast to-any degree required, lightly, golden brown or well-toasted, and needs the minimum of attention, tossing the slice to. the top of the toaster’ When done. — ar ‘ Bath Comfort "7 AZINESS," it is said, "is nothing unless well carried out," and I suspect that for every one of us who conscientiously performs "the ~daily dozen," there is a large army who prefer to linger in a comfortably hot bath, A deliciously comfortable rubber cushjon is now obtainable which can be clapped on to any part of the: bath, adhering by suction, which will sup-. port the head and neck, while the body remains under water. Bath comfort, indeed! Lengthening Tresses. TF you are letting your hair grow, by , the time it reaches the Straggly stage, the condition in which it seems to stay so long, you will probably be envying those of our sisters ‘whose locks are naturally wavy: If you are not one of the fortunate ones. there is an electric curling iron which will do all you ask it, It can be ob-

4 tained to- produce a fine-.or broad wave (‘the broad; deep ones, of course, look. the most natural) and. can> be fitted with a comb, which dries’ the hair perfectly after « ‘shampooing, seiting the waves at the same time. The cost is not prohibitive’ and works. tron any heating point. Electric Vacuum Cleaners LL are good,. some are better, .and nearly all’ will polish floors, keeping them in perfect’condition. The newest models are light ‘to handle, in-

expensive to work, and will’ keep aa average-sized home in. a state of -immaculate cleanliness with .expenditure of less time than it takes to -thoroughly sweep one ‘carpet in the’ oldfashioned way and with far less wear-and-tear. to. carpets and upholstery than is caused by beating and’ brushing. Moreover, no‘ dust is:raised. "to be. afterwards collected) or. wiped away. One firm shows a- particularly fascinating little’ model, "not much

larger than-a pistol, for cleaning upholstery, dusting mantelpieces, shelves and furniture. Your husband would be pleased with this to clean the car. W ashing-M achines HERE js now a multiplicity of choice. Some have self-adjusting wringers attached, others will spin the clothes to wringer-dryness, or even dry enough to wear or put away. In size, too, they range from those sufficiently small for an apartment to those large enough to take the washing of a large

household’ at one or two operations, If the: would-be purchaser is inclined to.econsider the initial outlay excessive, it should be taken into account that the ma¢éhines can be operated from any ordinary heating point at an infinitesimal cost (far less than. that of the. fuel for an ordinary copper ) and that the whole. operation. is completed in from’ 20 minutes to half an hour, leaving. the rest of the time usually devoted to"washing-day, to be spent

in profitable occupation, recreation or leisure. Further, nd wet clothes to handle, and no water to lift or carry, as the machines are filled by a ‘hose, and are self-emptying. Do it Yourself NE of the big storesis showing specimens of tapestry wool-work on canvas, just like those our great-grand-mothers used to produce, except that they are in more harmonious and softer colourings. They make gorgeous covers for seats of stools, chairbacks, ete, and would redeem any room from the ordinary. The readyworked ones are necessarily somewhat expensive, but there is nothing to prevent even the needlewoman of only average skill making them for herself. If you write, I will tell you where canvas, wools and designs can be obtaified. They really have a most old-world air. , Stiffening Dark :Chintzes T is often difficult, after washing dark chintzes or printed calicoes, to get them to the right stiffness and to get a finish on them again. ‘Try putting a piece of glue about, the size’ of the palm of your hand, broken into pieces, into saucepan with a gallon of rain water. Let it-boil over a fire until the glue is melted, then turn it into a large pan and leave it until it is ' only -luke-warm, Put the material into" it and stir it about until it has taken the glue-water. Squeeze it well, open it out, and dry as quickly as possible. Then sprinkle it evenly and iron as quickly as you can. The even damping and' the quick ironing make all the difference to the finish. ' ° ~a ° eh. PURE white lingerie is coming into its own again, and as some may have had some put away, while the coloured garments have been "le dernier cri,’’ you may like to know of the following. way of restoring them to their original purity of colouring. After’ washing and boiling, let the garments lie all day in excessively strong blue water, Lay them out all night on the grass if posisble to dry. Next day boil again with soap, but use no soda or blue, ‘Rinse well.and you will be delighted with the result. ae At a Discount. SUMMER has lagged so far behind that the big shops have decided to drastically reduce their prices to clear their stock,. and now is a favourable opportunity to get together a wardrobe for the hot days that we must still surely have to come, .Be prepared!

rr at — ame a At Your Service. If you are needing information or advice re- : garding electrical equipment, "Gadabout" is here to help you. Correspondence will be welcomed. Replies will appear in. the next issue that goes to _ press, or sent-by post if a stamped addressed envelope is enclosed, so do not hesitate to write.‘"Gadabout,’ "Radio Record-and Electric Home Journal," P.O. Box 1032, Wellington. ‘ f