A Housewife’s Diary

Southland Times, Issue 23378, 9 December 1937, Page 14

A Housewife’s Diary

Hints About The Home Chintz Covers. A stiff hair brush is most effective for cleaning chintz covers and drapings on light furniture. Flies. Mignonette in a vase will keep flies out of a room. Old Felt Hats. Pieces can be cut out to fit on legends of chairs to make “silencers.” Make small hole in chair-leg for tack; glue on felt and then well-hammer in tack. Mats. Clean matting with a cloth that has been dipped in salt and water; wipe dry with a clean rag. This prevents mats turning yellow. Red Tiles. Keep the starch used on “washing day” to put in the water for washing tiles. Result: very red tiles. Cool Hands. Rub a little talcum powder well into them. This is specially good for keeping the hands cool when sewing or knitting. Tea Waggon. Cover top with piece of lino. This is merely cut to shape; not fixed. Put tray cloth on top. It means no more scratches or stains. Knitted Garments. Sew tape across shoulders, neck edge to armhole, on wrong side. Prevents “dropped shoulders” after washing. Oil Paintings. Oil paintings should be rubbed over with a cloth moistened with a little olive oil. If this is done every month it will prevent the surface from cracking. Wooden Furniture. Wooden surfaces of furniture are brightened by rubbing with a furniture cleaner or by washing with light suds, and rubbing dry. Dusting Books. Books deserve dusting more often than at the annual spring cleaning. Take them out and dust them each month. It is wise to do just one shelf at a time so that the job does not become too tedious. Rose on Sunshade. Fasten a rose to the handle of your sunshade, or to your handbag instead of wearing it. The fashion is a pretty one. In the evening, instead of pinning a fresh flower to your frock, you may tuck it into your bangle, securing it with a clip. Or attach it to your wrist by means of a narrow ribbon band.