Hints and Suggestions.

Otago Witness, Issue 2804, 11 December 1907, Page 74

Hints and Suggestions.

Bedroom floors that are covered with floorcloths- are easier to keep clean than if covered in any other way. One or two rugs that can be easily shaken give an air of comfort, and improve the look of the room.

It is not only more attractive but cheaper to serve butterballs. Since I discovered the butterball my butter bills have fallen off one-quarter, without the family noticing that they were using less butter.

To wash, a baby with, a tender skin you should take a teaspoonful of bran, tie it in muslin, and set it in the cold water of_ the bath overnight. In the morning take out the bag and add boiling water until you have the desired t«mperat ure. Salt sprinkled upon any substance that is burning will stop the smoke and blaze. Salt sprinkled upon coals that are blazing from the fat of broiling- chops will cause the flame to subside. Salt used upon carpets when sweeping will brighten them and act as a preventive of moths. For Shabby Leather. — Leather that has become dull and shabby-looking may be very much improved in appearance by being rubbed over with the white of an egg, well beaten. To remove scratches. — -To remove scratches from black walnut furniture, nib them with a cloth which has been moistened in paraffin oil ; this will alsogive a good polish to the wood. For Cane Chairs. — To restore the elasticity of a cane chair, turn upside down, wash the cane with hot water and a sponge until it is thoroughly soaked. If badly soiled, use a little soap. Dry in the air and it will be as' good as new.

To remove slight scratches from plate glass, first ilean the surface by gently rubbing with a pad of cotton-wool ; then cover the pad with cotton-velvet, charged with fine rouge. This will not only remove the scratches, but will also impart- a great brilliancy to the glass, which should be the object whenever the cleaning process is pursued. To Restore Colour to Mahogany. — Add half an ounce of alkanet root, cut small, to a pint of linseed oil, and when this has stood a week, add half an ounce of powdered gum arabic and one ounce ot shellac varnish. Let these stand in a bottle by the fire for a week, then strain. Wash the wood with soap and water, then polish with the above receipt. Bruised Furniture. — The dents may be taken out as follows : — Wet the part with warm water, double a piece of brown paper five or six times, soa£ it in warm water, and lay it on the place ; apply on that a warm, but not hot, iron, until the moisture is evaporated. If the bruife is not gone repeat the process. After two or three applications the dent will be raised to the' surface.

Raw nlea.t can be kept fresh several days during the hottest weather by putting it into an earthenware bowl, covering it wit hi nearly boiling water, and over this pouring enough oil to cover the entire surface of the water. The oil will float upon the heavier water and form a hermetical covering, which excludes the air, and acts as a preservative.. Meat can be protected from flies by smearing over with pepper or ground ginger, which can be washed off before lining ; this will also aid in preserving it where it has to be kept longer than usual. Powdered charcoal is a great help in keeping meat from becoming tainted ; indeed, it will even remove a slight taint. Washing with vinegar and water helps to make tough meat tender.

To remove stains and discolorations ot the finger nails, a little lemou-juice, or vinegar and water, is recommended. Should this fail, a pinch of salt should be applied. Occasionally, pumice&tone, or powdered cuttle-fish, " may be used together with water and a piece of washleather or flannel. The practice of scraping the surface of the nail with a pen-

knife is highly injurious. Blows on the nails, or violence- to them in any form, will distort them and mark them.

Glazed! chintz curtains never look the same after they have been washed, and the proper process of "dressing" is so expensive as to be put off as long as possible. This may be achieved by cleaning the curtains from time to time with warm, dry bran rubbed well in with a piece of flannel and left for some hours before it is brushed out. Silk curtains may also be kept clean by this process, though, if they are once allowed to become thoroughly soiled, it is not sufficiently efficacious. Egg Shells for Settling Coffee.— While eggs are plentiful and cheap save the shells. When .plenty have accumulated (they should have been washed before breaking), crush very fine and dry. Beat* half a dozen eggs, stirr^ the shells into the mixture, then spread and dry quickly. Put into a thin muslin bag and hang near the fire to keep the contents dry. When eggs are expensive and scarce, a ' tablespoomul of this mixture soaked in cold water for an hour will settle coffee as well as a whole egg.