Household Hints.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 712, 14 October 1914, Page 3

Household Hints.

• To stiffen delicate laces use a little whito sugar in hot water—two lumps to a basinful. , Rice has a finer flavour if washed in hot water instead of cold beforo cookings The smaller a roast of meat, the hotter 'should be the oven at first, that the least possible juice 'may escape. Enamel baths can he thoroughly cleaned with a flannel dipped in paraffin, and should not be scrubbed with soap, as this cracks the enamel. To remove a fishbone from the throat cut a lemon in half and suck the juice slowly. This will dissolve the fishbone and give instant relief. 9' ' ' Hot lemonade is one of the best remedies in the world for a cold. It acts promptly and effectively, and has no. unpleasant after-effects. The small paper bags that fine groceries come in are. a better protection to. the hand than the gloves mad© purposely for blacking stoves. When a broom begins to show signs of wear, do not throw it away; soak it in hot suds, put it out in the sun to dry, and then cut the bristles so that they are all even lengths again. Instead of always folding tablecloths and sheets lengthways, fold them the other way occasionally, as they are less likely to wear out if the folds are sometimes changed. ■

Cheese may be kept from going mouldy by' wrapping it in a cloth dipped in vinegar and wrung nearly dry. Cover the cloth with a wrapper of paper, and keep in a cool place.

Tar may be removed from the hands by rubbing with .the outside of fresh orange or Ic-inon peel and drying immediately. The volatile oils dissolve tar so that it can be rubbed oil'.

"When candle ends are too small for further v ligliting purposes, they should be placed in a jar and melted down, then mixed with sufficient turpentine to make a soft cream, and used for polishing linoleum and stained floors.

To clean knife handles or any bone article, it is a good plan to us© salt and lemon-juice. First rub the article well with' the lemon-juice and then with the salt. This will remove stains and grease spots.

An ordinary pie-chimney, placed in the centre of a pan of milk, prevents it boiling ovor. When it commences to boil it does so through' the little chimney, and there is not the slightest chance of its boiling over.

Always empty the water out of A teakettle after using it, and before filling it with fresh water again rinse it our thoroughly. This helps to prevent the thick white sediment from forming into hard clinkers at th© trottom of the kettle.

-To clean oak furniture, ii is not accessary to have expensive polishes. The best, way of treating it is to dust it thoroughly and wash it, if necessary, with vinegar and water; then rub it well with a few drops of paraffin oil on a cloth, and finally with a clean cloth. ,

. "When coal is dear throw a pailful of Btrong.salt and water over nil you have in the cellar. Tar water or resin tfateir will also help the coal to. burn mote slowly, and give a bettor heat. Seep all your cinders and ashes, and mix coal-dust with sawdust and clay* The latter make excellent fire-balls.

Glasses which' are used for milk' or any milky substances should always, be washed in cold water .in preference to hot, as the latter is apt to a cloudy appearance and necessitate a great deal more labour in the washing. The same rule applies to perfectly new glasses which have not been used.

* By this method it is only necessary-to blacklead a grate every three months: First blacklead and polish in the ordinary way, tlien rub with turpentine and polish with a piece of velvet, when a beautiful lustre wift be the result. All that will then bo .required is to rub the grate well over each week with turpentine, and polish with the velvet. This will be found much easier than blackleading each week.

Mildew stains on linen can often be removed quite successfully in the following way: Mix a small quantity of soft 3oap with the same proportion of powdered starch and salt, and the juice of a lemon. Apply this mixture to both sides of the stain with a small brush, and, if possible, let the article lie on the grass all day and night, until tha stains have quite disappeared. Then Wash in th.6 usual manner*

iWhile starch is still h'ot drop into it a lump of alum, and stir slowly until it is dissolved. A lump ,the size of the end of your little finger to a quart of starch is ab.out the right proportion. Your irons will not stick, and aprons and blouses and so forth will keep clean longer, as this starch gives the fabric somewhat of a waterproof nature. Spots can often bei rubbed off before the material has had time to hbsorb the dirt* f- .