HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 11980, 31 January 1903, Page 3 (Supplement)

HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

To Make the Hair Fluffy.—To make the hair dry and fluffy this mixture is recommeenided— One ounce of eau-de-Oologne, two ounces of rectified spirits of wine, half-au-ovLnce of bdcairboniate of soda, and six ounces of distilled water.

A little salt in raw or boiled starch will prevent the irons from sticking, and make the starch whiter. If the irons are rough put some salt on a piece of brown paper, lay a piece of muslin over it, and rub the irons on it until they are bright and smooth. Gipsy Pudding.—Cut a stale sponge cake into thin slices, spread them with currant jelly or preserves, put two pieces together like sandwiches, and lay them in a dish. Make soft custard, pour it over the cake while hot; then let it cool before serving it. Cider Cup.—lnto a largo glass jug put a quart of sweet cider, two toblespoonfuls of brandy, a bottle of soda water, two tablespoomfuls of castor sugar, and a. slice of lemon. Break up some ice and put it into the jug. Let it stand to get thoroughly cold, and it will be ready for serving. Stained Fingers.—Lemon juice will remove most stains, and another good remedy is to moisten dry starch with a little glycerine, amd rub the paste thoroughly into the stain. Remedies otf this kind axe better than pumice-stone, whiob, if constantly used, is apt to coarsen the skin.

Claret Cup.—Put a bottle of light claret, half a pound of Broken ice, and a bottle of sodawater into a large jug. Add three tablespoonfuls of castor sugar, a liqueur glass of maraschino or brandy, a thin slice of lemon, and a sprig of borage. Let it stand on ice for about a quarter of -an hour, and it is ready for use.

A Good Shampoo.—A good shampoo is made up of the following ingredients:—Bonax, one ounce; bicarbonate of soda, half-ounce; camphor, one dram; glycerine, half-ounce; alcohol, two ounces; rose water, one quart. After using this shampoo the hair must 'be very carefully dried end the scalp well rubbed with a fairly rough towel. To Make the Most of Your Hair.—H your hair is fine and clinging you can make it look much more than it really is by fluffing each strand up at the back. Take a section of hair, hold it straight ou't from the head, and fluff it up at the back of the strand with the comb. Don't overdo the fluffing, or it will be difficult to get out of tangle. Treait each strand of hair in the s&ma way, then dress it as usual Greaßy hair can be greatly improved by rubbing a little alcohol occasionally into the scalp. Cutlets in Rice.—Cut into neat cutlets part of tiie best end of a cooked neck of mutton. Place on each a thin slice of hard boiled egg. On Shis put a little thick white sauce. Prepare « border of rice, moulded anH allowed to get pold. ' Turn it out, fill the centre with shredded lettuce, moistened witih mayonnaise, and arrange the cutlets on the top. Garnish. and serve.

Hot Water for Tiredness.—lf, after & hard day, you feel tired out and fit for nothing, have a hot bath to which ammonia has been added in the proportion of a teaspoonfu! to a gallon the last thing before getting into bed. Don't stay in the water more tha.n- ten minutes at the outside; then, after a brisk rubbing, jump into' bed a« quickly as possible.

A Simple Lemonade. —Take a glass jug that will hold two quarts and slice into it two lemons. Add four tablespoonfuls- of castor sugar and a teaspoonful of tartaric aedd. Fall the jug with cold water, stir it until the sugar is quite dissolved, and then set .aside for three or four 'hours. Either put some lumps of ice into the jug or stand it on ice before serving. Airing the Wardrobe.—Don't forget that all cupboards and wardrobes where clothes are kept need frequent airing. Choose 'a sunny day and leave the doors wide open for several hours. Always, altar wearing, air dresses «nd blouses before putting them away. Attention to little details of this kind -helps to keep on-e'e 'Jungs nice, and are worth taking a little trouble over.

Sleeping with Your Mouth Open.—lf you sleep with your mouth open you will get *bout half the benefit you ought lo from your wight's rest. This is frequently the cause of " ilha't tiTed feeling " an waking in the morning. If there be an epidemic floating about you double your chances of oatching it, and halve your chances of recovering, because the habit weakens the lungs. A very nice' perfume, and also a preventive against moths, may be made of the following ingredients:— Take of cloves, caraway seeds, nutmeg, and mace and cinnamon each one ounce, and then add as much orris root as will equal the other ingredients, and grind all well to powder. Make little silk or satin bags of any bits you may have, half fill each, sew up the ends, and place the little bag 3 among cloths, etc., that have to be put away for the summer. Cleaning and Finishing Mahogany.—Scrape and sandpaper the work as smooth as possible; go over every part with a brush dipped in furniture oil, <and let it remain all night;

have ready finely-powdered red brick, tie up in a cotton stocking, and sift equally over the work the next morning, and, with a leaden' or iron weight, in a piece of carpet, rub it well tho way of the grain, backward and forward,

ti'U it has a good gloss. If not sufficient, or if -tine grain appears at all rough, repeat the process. Be careful not to put too much of Jhe brickdust, as it should not be rubbed dry, but rather as a paste, upom the cloth. "When the surface is perfectly smooth, clean it off with a rubber of oarpet and fine sawdust. This process will give a good, gloss, and make a '.urfaca that will improve' with wear. Preparing "Whitewashed Walla for Painting. —lf there should be any oracks in the plastering, and the wash be sound around the cracks, plaster of Paris is the best thicng to fill them with, as it hardens quickly, doe 3 not shrink, and leaves the surface level with the wall. If the plaster of Paris sets before it can be worked, wet it with vinegar. The stronger th« acid, the slower it will set. If the oracks be filled with putty, and the walls be painted in gloss colour, the streaks of putty are very apt to be flat (no gloss), .and, if painted in flat colour, ihe streaks are quite sure to have a gloss. The streaks, of course, will spoil the beauty of the work, but do not affect its durability. When filled with plaster of Paris, the reversion of gloss never appears if done as directed below. If the cracks he omly in the wash, the latter is loosening from the walls; and if it has not begun to scale, it soon will, and all attempt* tc fasten it an and padnt it will bo total loss. If it be loose enough to scrape off, scrape the wall, taking care not to gouge into the original wall. If not loose enough, let it alone until it is. If the wash be thin, solid, and even, it can be painted to look and wear well. When the surface is lumpy, rub the lumps ofi with sandstone, or' brick. After a wall has been prepared, as in either of above oases, or it a wall that has never been washed is to be painted, size it with two coats of glue size (3oz glue to 1 gaillon of water). Be sure _ the glue is all dissolved before using any of it. Let the first coat dry before the second ooat is put on.