HEALTH AND HOME

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6383, 4 December 1907, Page 5

HEALTH AND HOME

SOME ‘USEFUL HINTS. Enooys. Soft breams la-si a much longer time if they are dipped weekly into a pail cf bailing soapsuds. This precaution sitecoeds in making them h:.rd but yet pl> ablc, and capable of collecting riul brushing up dust much more effectually than if they wore allowed to become too soft. House Ltste??.

Damp-spotted hqu<s>lineij or ennams should b? carried 'nto the open air and citl.er spread on the dry grass or'hung on a lino whenever th© stains arc first noticed. Should the spote of mildew not yield to tho sun'treatment, a slice of ripe tomato rubbed over tho stained surfat?, follower! oy rn application of salt and a few hours' blenching in 'sunshine, should remove ©wry trace if the damage is not of long rtanding, although two or throe applications may b? necessary before a satisfactory result has been obtained. Oir, Spots. Spots of oT which may have been dropped accidentally on leather-covered chairs can often be removed by means of a paste of fuller?/ earth and wat©/. This should bo spread ever the hetV.r, and leit until the past© in pavicctly dry, when the powder should be removed with a stiff brush. Tjjtv Staijts. Ink stains on leather can frequently b© entirely eliminated if a little sweet spirits of nitre is wo’ ked into the leather with a piece of flannel. Rinnoms. Black taffetas ribbon which has lost all it* stißno e may bo considerably improved by sponging it on both side* w‘th cold water, into which as much borax has been added as will readily dissolve, ’i ho ribbon ehou’d thon be di nwu out and spread on a flat board until nearly dry, end’ finally pressed with a mcd> rately hot iron over a slightly damp cloth. Shiny Clothes. Th* shiny eff ct on an did cloth or oergo costume Ls always difficult of removal, and in time sponging with ammonia, which is helpful at tho beginning, is not of permanent Some authoritios recommend the _ use of sandpaper in this case, tho paper being rubl>od over the most shiny parts and the cloth and oerge then brushed with a hard-bristlod brush. . Finally a Little benzino should be applied and the garment hung in. the open air for a few hoars. Sewing Machine. After oiling a sewing machine it npt infrequently happens that a. (Jroo cf o;l, which has pot been absorbed, stains tho material Which is being ctitchcd. To remove tho mark a lat.cr mads with soap, cold water, and a tnblcspconful of ammonia will usu-ily prove successful, but in the case of coloured linear, and ootton-s th© ammonia should be employed cautiously, hs it is apt to fado the .colour.

Straw Hat. j A few drops of olive oil sprinkled over an old nailbrush has on excellent ©ff ct on a block straw hat wMch ho® losb its colour. The brush -should be woikcd well into the interstices of the plait until th© straw is onoo more shining.

Tott-et Covers. Ihe fashion for discording tcHet covers on th© dressing-table in favour of th© plain polished surface is not always to be recommended where the tabic is of polished mahogany and is likely to ©how scratches. A glass table cover to fit it exactly represents th© wisest precaution whero good furnitur© is concerned, but if this is not possible curling-irons should always be heated on another table and scieeors and manicure instruments kept in cases. If a scratch has, however, unavoidably been made, th© experiment is worth • trying of dividing th© kernel of a Brazil nut in half and rubbing the cut surface over th© mark-< ings in th© wood.

Furs. Before the moment arrives for taking lure into us© one© more they should always b© overhauled in orrder to_ sc© if they are in good condition. To air them well is the first consideration, so as to remove every trace of th© odour of naphtaline or camphor, which is apt to cling pertinaciously to th© garment for weeks after its removal from its summer storaco. Where possible th© furs should be hung out on a line in tho open air, being first beaten well with a carpet whisk. after which they should be well brushed. Bren is a good cleaning medium . for most furs, although some light-coloured and white furs are more successfully treated with sawdust and plaster of Paris in equal quantities. Srr.R Blouses. Silk blouses can sometimes bo sponged with soap and wrter with impunity in order to restore colours which mar hare faded, but it is always w%rst to experiment on an odd remnant of silk or on a small piece which is Jiiddcn under th© waistline before subjecting the whole of th© blouse to this treatment. French Chalk. If it is evident that silk will not stand an application of tepid soapsuds, French chalk will often have almost as good a result. ■ The chalk should b© spread somewhat thickly over tho surface of the silk and then covered with a large piece of blotting paper, when a weight should b© placed on the top and the blouse left for two or three days, this pressing effectually removing dust stains, whilst grease spots will likewise b© eliminated at tho same time. Doormats. Among t th© many old-time bints of a useful nature which have survived till this day is that of sewing a tight roll of strong webbing or a small bag of sand at th© extreme corners of small doorin ts so as to prevent the edges from curling up. A more modern expedient is. lowcver, that of sewing a triangular piece of corrugated rubber on to the nnder surface of the mat. The rubber should be divided into small three-sided pieces of about four or five inches in length, and these should be sewn to th© canvas back of the rug with firm stitches. The latter—if carried out in to match the pile of tho rug —will be hardly varlbl# cm the right Bide.

Suede Shoes, Suede shoes in light colour© may be easily cleaned by means of French chalk, a better and more efficacious plan thou

fh*»f of mbluTur the chalk over the skin being: that of powdering an old stocking somewhat he.vily with the powder and drawing this over the shoes, the precaution having first been taken of fitting the 1 tter on trow. Eneh ohoe should then be bound up tightly in a piece of stout brown paper and loft for a couple of days, when the process should be repeated as before. If the powder is then removed the colour of the surd- unless very soiled should be greatly improved.