Hints and Suggestions.

Otago Witness, Issue 3334, 6 February 1918, Page 51

Hints and Suggestions.

. Salt—a teaspoonfiil to a pint of warm water —rubbed into -weak anklea strengthens them. Soot Stains.—lf soot falls on your carpet, cover it with dry salt, and sweep it up carefully. If this is done qxiickly there will bo no trace of the scot left.* Before cutting the finger nails soak the fingei'-tips in a lather of soap and water, Avith a little almond oil in it. The naila thus softened are easily cut into a round shape, without having ugly corners. Wlien eggs crack while boiling, throw a teaspoonful of salt into the water, and the white will not boil out. To keep uncooked fish fresh, wring a cloth out in cold salted water and wrap the fish in it. Don't allow the fish to touch one anothei". Onion skins washed and put into soup will holp to brown it and give it a flavour. After being used for 'fish, frying-pans should be scoured out with salt and hot water. This removes the fishy smell better than soda and water. Before using any new tins it is advisable to take some fresh lard and rub it well over them, after first heating it in the oven. If treated in this way the tins will never rust. To Spoil a Hat.—Put the hatpin in in different places each time ypu wear it. Put it away without brushing, and wear it (still unbrushed) on a day when it drizzles. Put it on at the wrong angle, or' jump to the conclusion that the hat is wroiig, when it may be your way of doing your hair. To Wash Lace Curtains.—After shaking put them into a large bath., turn on the cold water, leave out the plug, and gently stir them about until most of the black dirt has disappeared. Squeeze out the water, and soap them thoroughly, in plenty of warm water, and let them soak all night. Squeeze again and well wash therm with plenty of good soap, using fresh water for each curtain rinsed, and starch them in very thin boiled starch, composed of "one part of cream to three of white •starch. Gather up ends, and pull gently, put them loosely, but evenly on the line, and iron smoothly when dry enough. Eabbitskin Mat.—Durable bedside mats can be made from rabbitskins. As soon as the skin is' taken from the animal slit it up to the head, and to the tail, and stretch it, fur downwards, on a board, and secure it in shape with tucks. Dissolve a teasipconful of salt and a teaspocwiful of alum in half a teacupful of hot water; moisten the skin with this; let.it dry, and repeat twice. Remove tacks, and'the skin will be quite hard. Three of four skins sewn together on an old piece of carpet make a nice rug. Washing-up Hints. —Saucepans . should be washed in plenty of hot water and soda and placed for a few minutes before thefire, so that they mav be thoroughly dried Frying-pans and cake tins should be wiped oiit with paper and then with a dry cloth. Borax for washing plates and dishes is to be preferred to soda, as it doa-3 not crack the skin .of the hands. Soap should be substituted for soda when washing silver and plated goods. The handles of knives must never be nlaeed in hot water. Coffee grounds, dried in the oven, or garden mould will remove stains from the blade.