HINTS AND IDEAS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 249, 20 October 1928, Page 4 (Supplement)

HINTS AND IDEAS.

WASHING CRETONNES. Bran is a great ally at spring-cleaning time if the housewife decides to wash her own cretonnes. Unlike borax and washing soda it has no injurious effect on colour, and it softens water. It can be made into a solution by using ljlb of bran to 3 gallons of water. Put the bran into a butter muslin hag about 18 inches square. Make your seams double to guard against bursting. The Ivan should half fill the bag. It swells when cooked, so leave it plenty of room to expand. Tie round the top of the bag with string, put it into a copper filled with cold water. Cover the copper and slowly bring the water to the boil. Allow it to boil gently for 20 minutes. Draw off the bran water. If more is

squired the same bran may be used with til of w **er- But after the second boiling the bra n is useltte. tkPL!® O " l s " Coe ? Bfnl method Is to use W * m itß strength with wther soap flakes or soap jeDy. Use ioz of soap flakes to 2 gallons of bran water. After washing rinse the 222* w ordinary warm water, but use bran water for the final rinsings. t ? ra ?.?? nsed » stiffening aaent Indeed it is much better than starch for heavy materials with dark backgrounds for starch often glazes and causes bS k# Bin d^l,bl^ green ' oiacK. Bran will stiffen material without marking it in any way. Use the second boiling of bran water for the washing, and the first boiling, which contains the starch, for the finil rinsing