AUNT DAISY'S MAIL-BAG

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 37, 24 February 1939, Page 20

AUNT DAISY'S MAIL-BAG

N her mail-bag this week, Aunt Daisy deals with such varied topics as preserving fruit, cleaning lead floors and fur coats, and removing an annoying smell of paint. Stewing Fruit Dear Aunt Daisy--I am writing to tell you how much I enjoy your session, always making it my business to be working around the breakfast room at the time it is on. I thought I would pass these hints on, the same as I have to my friends. Now, when there is so much fruit about for stewing, put the fruit into a basin, and pour syrup made of the necessary sugar and water lover it, and set the basin in a |saucepan about half-full of water and cook. This also has the advantage of keeping the fruit whole as well as stopping that wretched boiling-over problem. Rhubarb is

= lovely done this way. When CcOOKing prunes, wash them in hot water, and also put very hot water on to cook them, and they will leave the stones quite easily. About the woman whose preserves went wrong. Well, I had the same thing happen after having been successful for years. I found the cause to be that the i|dividing wall of my cupboard is also the wash-house wall, and through the temporary closing of the manhole in the wash-house, the steam hung about. When the cause was removed, the fruit was all right when put in the cupboard once more. I have known a pathroom which was the dividing wall of a pantry doing the same thing. At-"Another Link in the Chain"

(St. Martins). Lead Floors Dear Aunt Daisy,-I have a little problem which is troubling me. Could you tell me the proper treatment for a lead bathroom floor? Splashes of water leave white marks on the lead-Margaret" (Lyall Bay). I consulted the members of the Daisy: Chain, and here are two letters which I received: Dear Aunt Daisy,-Some one was asking how to clean a lead bathroom floor. You said Clever Mary. That is very good. Kerosene rubbed on with a rag is very good, too. f don’t know if it would take the white marks off. Do you think you would mind giving me a recipe for pavlova cake? Thanking you in anticipation. -"A Daisy Chain Listener,’ Auckland. This sécond letter would seem to clinch the matter: . Dear Aunt Daisy,-While listening to your session this morning, I heard you reading out a letter about the cleaning of lead floors. I have worked in a hospital until recently, and it was our duty to clean all lead surfaces, including floors and walle with Ierosene. This takes off

3 all dirt and dullness, and makes tne floors shine quite brilliantly.-‘‘An-other Link,’ Hawera. And now for the pavlova cake the lady from Auckland wanted: One medium-sized cup of ‘castor sugar-between a _ teacup and a breakfast cup. The whites of three eggs, beaten very stiff, one teaspoon of vanilla flavouring, and one teaspoon of vinegar. Beat the whites of the eggs till they are very stiff, Add the sugar teaspoon by teaspoon, beating all the time. Add the flavouring and the vinegar. Grease a piece of greaseproof paper, hold it under the cold tap for a second, shake the water off, then pile the cake upon it, either in a round or square shape, and \lpake in a very cool oven for about: one hour and a half. it can also be put into a cake tin, which has been lined with the wetted and greased paper. Then, just before it is to be eaten, it can be piled with whipped cream, and strawberries, or peaches, or cherries, or bananas, or any fruit

that is nicest. A truly delicious feast! Preserving Hint Dear Aunt Daisy,-After hearing all the different inquiries re bottling peas, I am tempted to tell you that my Canadian correspondent, who cans peas for "pinmoney," told me that the great secret of doing them was always to use soft water, preferably rain water; and after shelling, never let them stand, as they produce a milky fluid which sets up fermentation; so she used to pick,,shell, and can the peas immediately; and was always successful,-‘Blenhelm.," Thank you very much, "Blenheim," for this hint. It has certainly come a long way-all the way from Canada. Smell Of Paint Dear Aunt Daisy,-A very distressed person is writing to you. I have a very nice ice-chest, just like a refrigerator to look at, white

with nickel fittings. However, it was getting a little shabby looking, so my son enamelled it. He gave it three coats, sand-papering it first. The result is a brand new chest! T was delighted with the result. Now comes the problem -the smell! As it is at present, I could not possibly put food into it. T asked at the shop where I bought the enamel if it would be all right to paint an ice chest, and they said "ves." I have left the chest open, out in the air, day and night, for a week, with a bowl of water inside -as I have seen people place a pail of water in a newly-painted room, and so thought this might help the chest-but to no avail. I thought perhaps some of that wonderful Daisy Chain might come to my aid; I would be so grateful. Thanking you in anticipation-*"Ice Chest" (Auckland). That is indeed a problem. Try putting a vessel of water containing hay in the chest. That is a very old fashioned but effective method of getting the smell of paint out of a room-a bucket of water and hay. Here is a letter from a lady who has overcome a similar trouble in her bread-box by this method:

it Worked! Dear Aunt Daisy,-!I received your answer to my inquiry about my bread box which I have painted with enamel, and which tainted everything that ] put in it. 1 have done as you advised, putting hay in a vessel of water in the box, and I am very pleased to say that after a few days the box is as sweet and fresh as when it was first made. So | am just dropping you a line to thank you very much for your valuable advice.-Mrs. C.W.C. (Blenheim), Very nice of her to let us know, isn’t it? It is of the greatest possible help to get letters telling us of your experiences with various little tricks and "hints." Cleaning A Fur Coat Dear Aunt Daisy,-I am in desperate need of your so very helpful advice, My white fur coat has

become frightfully soiled and dirty -both the white fur and the lining. Could you possibly tell me of a way to clean it. On making inquiries : from the they told me the price for cleaning is 15/-- That seems atrocious to me. Do you know if an ordinary dry-cleaning firm would do this particular type of thing. -"Sun-tanned" (Wellington). You could clean your fur coat at home-to a certain extent; but it won't be nearly as satisfactory as if you sent it to the furriers. You know "Aunt Daisy" is always on the side of economy, and of trying to find out how to do things at home for oneself; but when it comes to cleaning a fur coat, I really believe in getting it done properly. As a matter of fact, fifteen shillings is quite reasonable-I used to pay a guinea and sometimes twentyfive shillings for a very light ‘thare™,.coat which I used to wear; but it ay ways came home so fresh and so new that I really thought it well worth it. However, if you want to try your hand, use hot bran for the fur. Make it as hot (in the oven) as you can bear your hand in, and rub it right deep into the fur. Be particular to see that every bit of the fur is treated. Leave it for some hours, then shake and gently beat it on the wrong side, and get the bran out again. It may need two applications. Some people use powdered magnesia. You might try magnesia after using the bran-just round the neck and sleeves and the dirtiest parts. For the lining, you can try rubbing with a cloth dipped in ordinary soapy water, just luke warm, with a few drops of ammonia in; and wring out fairly dry. Then go over it again, with a clean cloth. You may need a little carbon tetra-chloride just at the neck, which always seems to get a little more greasy and dirty. Will you write again and let me know how you geg on-it may help someone else? Thermos Flask Tea Dear Aunt Daisy,-I have just heard you tell someone about different ideas of keeping tea nice and a good colour in a thermos

flask. My husband takes his thermos flask of tea to work each and every day, and all I do is wrap a layer of silver paper around the cork. Any ‘silver paper will do. You can put both sugar and milk in straight away, and also cork the flask down straight away. The tea will be quite nice at the end of the day. I hope others will find this as satisfactory as I do"Jackie" (Morrinsville). Thank you véry much, "Jackie,’"’ for your helpful hint. [It is a boon to get tea in a thermos and know that it will taste as good as if it had been poured straight from the teapot. Washing Day Mishap Dear Aunt Daisy,-As I had the misfortune to have’ 2 small mishar on washing day, I thought it would be a good opportunity to write you and also find out if you, or anyone of the Daisy Chain, could help me with this problem. { have two arrass. cushion covers, on which are worked flowers, ranging from lemon te deep red (autumn shades), but

when | wasnea them, tne coiours ran into the arrass part of the cushions. [| apparently had too hot’ the water in which they were washed. 1! have washed them once before, with no mishap. If you could help me with a remedy, I should be thankful, as the cushion covers were a gift, and I treasure them. The flowers are intact, and the stain is only on the body of the cushion. The flowers are worked in silk-Mrs. M.S. Lyall Bay. Perhaps the baking soda remedy will work in this case, as it did when the lady washed her daughter’s white tennis frock without taking off the red buttons. This method took over @ week, but it was successful in the end. She laid the garment in a tub of water, with the stained parts uppermost, and she put ordinary baking soda on the stains. Of course, as the water seeped through the material, the baking soda dissolved, and she had to keep on putting more. * I think she washed it completely once or twice during the process, and hung it out to dry, and then repeated the treatment. "Salt in the water will generally stop a colour from running,