HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3912, 5 March 1929, Page 65

HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS.

When the steel fittings of a stove become brown through heat, rub them with a rag dipped in vinegar before cleaning in the usual way. • Petrol will remove grease stains, but soap and water or a weak solution of ammonia and water are necessary for stains in which there is.-any sugar. > Before placing a sponge-cake in the oven, sprinkle a little fine white sugar over the top. _This forms a rich, brownlooking erust.

Old gramophone needles make excellent brads for making secure the backs of pictures and photograph frames. To prevent rain driving in under a sash window, nail to the underside of the bottom sash a strip of rubber piping such as is usually employed as a draught excluder on doors.

Thermos flasks should not be put away with the corks left in er they will become musty. A lump of soda dissolved in the water when rinsing clothes will prevent any blue stain remaining on the garments. Quite the best stain remover for fragile frocks is ordinary eucalyptus oil. A small boj-tle of eucalyptus oil and a clean rag will remove practically any stain and what is more, will leave no “ high -water ” mark.

To remove screws, apply a little vinegar, leaving it a few moments to penetrate before using the screwdriver. This method will often prove effective when oil fails.

To remove paint or piitty stains from window glass, dip a wet cloth in baking soda and rub well. Let it remain on for a quarter of an hour, wash off in warm water, rub dry and polish. Deck chairs are not always so comfortable as they appear, and one reason for lack of ease is the crossbar at the top, which invariably just catches one’s head. To prop up an ordinary cushion is no solution, for it is not only too bulky, but it will not stay put. That is why a new deck chair cushion which has just made an appearance, is sure of popular appreciation. It is rather like a longshaped tea cosy, and just fits over the top bar. It is sufficiently well padded to disguise the -wood, but is not so obtrusive that it will ruffle the smoothness of one’s shingle. Baby’s skin is very delicate, so use a little soap only and rub it on with a fine wash cloth. Never dry the skin with soap on it, but rinse off well. You should not rub a baby’s skin when drying it after washing, but just pa-t it lightly with a fine soft towel. All surfaces must be .well dried such as behind the ears, under the arms at neck and wrist, wherever there- are the pretty dimpled fat creases that might chafe. Soap and toilet powder should be of good quality so that there will be no chance of irritating the delicate skin especially in hot water. After such troubles as summer complaint a little olive oil should be used for cleaning instead of water.

Nowadays silk stockings are. our favourite extravagance. It behoves us to treat them with respect. Laddering is the principal trouble. If they are silk “ all the way up,” this starts very often from the top of the stocking under - the strain of tire suspender grips. It is therefore wise to strengthen this part of them before the trouble begins. One method is to run a row of machine stitching .round each top so that the suspender grips come above it. Or squares of silk may be tacked under the places where the grips usually come to take the strain. Most people complain that their stockings have a tendency to show wear at particular spots—the back of the heel, under the tread of the foot, or the toes. The weakness being known, it should be a simple matter to guard against it. Tack squares of net or old silk stocking the same colour across the places which wear thin, inside the new stockings. This is effective irr taking the hard wear. A large hole in the foot, beyond the aid of darning alone, may be almost invisibly mended if a piece of a discarded stocking of matching colour is tacked under the hole. The edges of the latter should be trimmed and neatly caught to the new surface beneath. This patch ought to be almost invisible if skilfully done. Particular care and attention in putting on and taking off stockings is of the most importance. Fine silk won’t stand dragging over the. heel or at the top, and the hand should never be run down inside them if there are gem-set rings on the fingers, or any roughness of the skin. A thread is so easily caught and expensive damage done.