Household.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 982, 24 December 1890, Page 5

Household.

Warts can be removed by rubbing Beveral rimes with a piece of onion dipped in salt. Yellow piano keys may be made white by rubbing them gently with sandpaper and polishing with chamois skip. For cleaning brass use a paste made of plate powder, two tablespoonfuis of vinegar, four tablespoonfuis of alcohol. Rub with a piece of flannel ; polish with chamois. Chemists say that it takes more than twice' as much sugar to sweeten preserves, sauces, etc., if put in when they begin to cook, as it does to sweeten after the fruit is cooked.

In the first years of child-life a bath night and .morning is very desirable; but the morning bath, which is meant as a tonic and stimulant, Bhould be cooler than the evening one, which should have a sedative action.

Soft soap mixed with- juice of a lemon and a little salt will remove mildew from marble, and may also from bronze. Leave it for a few days, wash it off with clean water (waim), apply again, and wash it off; after a few applications, if not altogether removed, it will be much better. Sweet oil rubbed well on the bronze will probably prevent the mildew being observed.

Mustard should be mixed with water that was been boiled aud a’lowed to cool; hot water destroys its essential analities, and raw, cold water might cause it to ferment Put the mustard in a cup with a small piuch of salt, and mix with it very gradually sufficient water to make it drop from the spoon without beiog watery. Stir and mix well, and rub the lumps well down with the back of the spoon, as mustard properly mixed should be perfectly free from these.

Strawberries have the reputation of amelioraUug and even curing gout and rheumatism. The great chemist, J. B. Dumas, was particular y fond of this fruit, and regarded it as an agreeable medicine. Bercelius, the Swedish chemist, also considered it an antidote to maladies of a gouty nature, As certain compounds of lithium have the like property, M. Mcrmet has recently analyzed the strawberry, but even spectrum analysis has failed to detect the presence of lithium, except in certain cases, and in these a mere trace was observable. At the same time, and especially in the larger varieties, he discovered a considerable proportion of phosphates.

If you wish to keep French beans fresh for winter use you should procure a widemouthed stone jar ; lay on the bottom some freshly gathered Frcnoh bean?,' and over them put a layer of salt. Fill the jar up in this mi ner, with alternate layers of beacs and salt. The beans need not all be put in at the same time, but they are hotter if the salt is put on while they are quite, fresh. To ensure success, tbe jar and oeaps must be thoroughly dry, aud the jar kept in a dry place. They will keep good all through the winter. Before using them, steep them in fresh cold water for some hoars.

Ia washing hair brushes never U3e soap or too hot water, for both soften the bristles besides removing the polish off the backs. Fill a basin with a solution of soda or borax and water, or one teaspoonful of spirits of ammonia in about one quart of warm water. Comb the loose hairs from the brush, then dip it in and out of the water several times, taking care not to wet the back. Binse in cold water, and put near the fire or in the open air to dry.

To take impressions of leaves on silk, &c., prepare two rubbers by tying up wool or any other substances in washing leather ; then rub up with cold-drawn linseed oil the wished.for colours, as indigo for blue, chrome for yellow, &c. ; dip the rubbers in the paint and rub them one over the other so that too muoh may not remain upon them ; place a leaf on one of the rubbers and damp it with the other ; take the leaf off and apply it to the silk, satin, paper, or other substance you wished stamped ; place a piece of piper on the leaf and rub it gently and there will be a beautiful impression of all its veins. Leaves can only be used once ; they should be all nearly the same size, or the pattern will not look uniform.