IN A NUTSHELL

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 243, 4 January 1928, Page 6

IN A NUTSHELL

To clean grimy hands use sand and soft soap mixed with paraffin, afterwards wash with warm water and any good soap. Light skin rugs may be restored to freshness by first thoroughly brushing, then rubbing warm bran well into them. Plenty of bran should be used, and it should be rubbed into the skins for quite ten minutes. After being well shaken, the rugs will look like new. When baking a custard stand the dish in a tin of cold water. This will ensure it cooking slowly, and so prevent curdling. To save wasting the ends of candles, procure a cork which fits the candlestick tightly. Drive a nail through the cork so that the pointed end extends for about three-quarters of an inch. Then insert the cork with the point upwards into the candlestick, heat the end of the nail and press the candle on to it. In this way the candle can be burned completely. • • * Knife cleaning can be simplified by tacking a strip of old carpet on the knifeboard and sprinkling with bathbrick. The washing-up of greasy plates and dishes can be much simplified by rubbing them over first with a piece of newspaper. Gi'ease spilt on a kitchen table should be sprinkled at once with salt; this prevents the grease from sinking into the wood.

, If a chimney is damp a fire will not burn readily. When this is the case roll up a piece of newspaper lightly, light it and allow it to burn as it goes up the chimney, just as the fire is lighted. When a Wallpaper needs patching, tear the paper irregularly and apply; the edges will be less noticeable than if the paper is cut with the scissors. To prevent new pie dishes, etc., from cracking, put them in cold \vatei\ bring to the boil, and leave them in this water till cold. They can then be taken safely into wear. Never bang the oven door when cakes are being baked; cold draughts always prevent a cake rising properly. The extra expense of covering the shelves of kitchen cupboards with white oilcloth, instead of paper, is always worth while, as they are so easily kept clean.