Household Hints

Southland Times, Issue 22378, 18 July 1934, Page 5

Household Hints

To Restore a Faded Carpet. A faded-looking carpet can be freshened wonderfully by the following beauty treatment. Stir into a bucket of hot water a cupful of turpentine and a cupful of ammonia, then dip a flannel into the solution and rub the carpet all over. Rub well with a clean dry cloth and leave to dry. Do not walk on it until it is thoroughly dry, then brush well with a clean,' stiff brush. Longer Life for Stockings. To make your stockings last longer, take a piece of paraffin wax and rub it well over the foot of the stocking on the inner side, paying particular attention to the heels and toes. Do this quite frequently. The wax leaves a deposit which reduces friction, and thus helps to preserve the material. Silk, wool, cotton, and artificial silk can all be made holeproof in this way. To Keep Salt Dry. During damp weather it is a good plan to put a small piece of blottingpaper at the bottom of your salt-cellar. The blotting-paper absorbs the moisture and keeps the salt dry. The Uses of Charcoal. Charcoal has the power of absorbing gases and clarifying liquids. A teaspoonful of powdered charcoal in a glass of water will often relieve a sick headache and heartburn. Charcoal applied to a bum relieves the pain immediately, and for wounds and sores it forms a good poultice. To make it take |lb linseed meal and loz powdered charcoal. Mix Soz charcoal with the meal and make like an ordinary poultice. Spread the mixture on linen, shake over the remainder of the charcoal, and apply. To Renovate Velvet. The pile of velvet that has become flattened by constant wear may be restored in the following manner: Fill a basin with boiling water, then hold the material over it, pile downwards, so that the steam gets well into the pile. While ' steaming, rub gently with the palm of the hand against the pile. Place the velvet in the open air to dry, then straighten the pile with a piece f of chamois held tightly over the back of a brush. To Stop a leakage. A mixture of whiting and yellow soap made into a thick paste with a little water will act as a temporary stop for a leakage.