HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1509, 31 January 1901, Page 26

HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

Clean copper with half a lemon dipped in salt; wipe dry with a dry cloth, tflen polish with, a soft duster.

To clean glace lad shoes, dip a piece of soft rag in.milk, rub them lightly over with it, dry with a clean duster, and - olish with a piece of old velvet.

To remove stains from flower vases, wash them in water in which a piece of ammonia has been dissolved; a piece the size of a walnut to a pint of water. Vinegar and warm water will also remove some stains.

To keep a tin kettle bright, rub it when hot with a damp cloth, tiien with a ary one. Clean diamonds an- jewellery generally with a paste made of whiting and eau de Cologne; let tue paste dry on, then wipe over with a rag dipped in the eau de Cologne; polish witn tissue paper.

M hen a waterproof becomes soiled or muddy, it may be cleaned by first dipping m cold water and then scrubbing softly with a brush ana yellow’ soap after spreading flat upon a table. When the dirt is removed, dip repeatedly in clear cold water, to get rid of the soap, but do not wring it. Hang it up out of doors, or in an airy room, far from the fire, to dry. Paint or grease spots may be removed with spirits of turpentine. Never dip in hot water or put near the fire.

Moths in a Fur Cloak.—To get rid of the moths the cloak must be properly baked; and, as this is rather a risky thing for an amateur to do, the best plan is to send it to a good furrier, and have it properly seen to. Cream Tinted Curtains.—l wonder if you know that it is possible to buy cream stare—. This is much less fuss than using saffron or any of the old fashioned methods. ‘ If the cream tint is too deep, use half white starch and half cream, mixing it together before adding water. Of course, the proportions can be varied till you get the tint you want.

To Freshen a Felt Hat.—Ammonia and water is excellent for this. Put a little cold water in a saucer, add a few drops of Scrubb’s ammonia to it, and with this .sponge the hat thoroughly, after first brushing to remove all dust; then wring a fairly thick cloth out of cold water, lay it over the hat, and iron with a moderately hot flat iron till dry. Pulling the cloth away will raise the nap, and the hat, unless very dilapidated, will look almost v as good as new.

A Sewing Hint. —When you want a fresh piece of cotton, thread your needle before cutting from the reel, and begin working at the end just severed. By doing this you get the right end of the thread, and will not be annoyed by the cotton knotting. To Clean Steel Knives.-—lnstead of rubbing them on a board, try moistening the finely powdered bath brick with water, and rubbing it on the blades with a soft piece of rag; afterwards polish- in the same way with dry brick and a

duster. This cleans them just as well, and is not such hard work as cleaning on a board.

Kitchen Tape.—The broad tape used for binding spiced or salted meat should be washed and dried after using, then, kept for further use. Never drink water that has stood all night' in a bedroom, for, as the water absorbs the impurities of the air it is most unwholesome.

A brilliant varnish for grates may be made by stirring ivory black into ordinary shellac varnish.

Patotes that turn a bad colour in cooking may be greatly improved if a slice of lemon is boiled with them. To make a steak tender, let it lie for an hour before cooking on a dish which you have put two tablespoonfuls of salad oil mixed with one of vinegar; turn it once, so that both sides are covered with the mixture.

A cracked egg is usually considered unfit for boiling in the ordinary way, but if you put a tablespoonful of vinegar, and a saltspoonful of Salt in the water, it will cook as well without the white boiling out.