HINTS AND RECIPES

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 47, Issue 2668, 10 September 1937, Page 2

HINTS AND RECIPES

USEFUL HOUSEHOLD IDEAS. Potatoes should not be cut into pieces for boiling; if this is done they lose half their flavour. To obtain the best results choose potatoes of equal size, and cook whole. The best way to clean upholstered furniture is to brush the article thoroughly and rub kitchen salt over every part. After the salt has been left on for a while, remove with a clean brush. Next time you want to put a nail into the wall, immerse it in hot water until it is thoroughly heated and then ■drive it in. The plaster will not break. Tar stains should be rubbed with fresh lard, left for several hours, and then washed with hot soapy water. Moisten tea and coffee stains with milk, cover with borax,' and soak in hot water. Glossy paintwork should never be washed with soap and water, as it usually leaves a smeary surface. A teaspoonful of turpentine in warm water will make the cleaning a simple matter and won’t scratch the paint. Paint the bottom of your dustbin on the inside and outside, and you will find it will last three times longer than a previous one which was not painted. The paint prevents any wet rubbish from rusting the metal, but make a point of burning everything that is damp and dusting only stuff that will not burn into the bin. To clean polished wood, use vinegar and water with a little turpentine added to it. If there are scratches on the surface of the wood, rub them with linseed oil and polish them with furniture cream.

FOR BETTER CAKES. When making sponges or any light cake, grease the tins and then slightly sprinkle with cornflour. The cakes will turn out more easily and be an even brown. Use a rubber plate-scraper for transferring to the cake tin. This method is both economical and labour-saving.