HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 21 June 1924, Page 3

HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

The best way to prevent cheese from becoming mouldy is to rub tho cut .mu face with butter and then cover tliclioese with white paper. encode should always bo kept, in a veiy uiy place, otherwise it deteriorates very quickly. , . . A good mixture for cleaning; pewto. is made by- pouring a pint ot boiling water over an ounce of soap and auc.uig an ounce of rotten stone and an ounce of ammonia. The mixture must bo thoroughly stirred and should be kept in a covered jar. A few drops should bo rubbed into the powter, after winch whiting can he used for polishing. A cake of pipeclay should be kept at hand when washing is in progress. A small portion of the pipeclay, shredded finely, will soften the water to which r has been added, and much less soap wu be needed. Tho clothes should bo vor; carefully rinsed to free them of particles. of pipeclay which may havo not dissolved. To prevent moths getting into the piano, or to exterminate them wlie: they have already made an entrance, a mixture should be made of seven parts ot benzoline to one of turpentine and a few drops of oil of lavender; this should _ be squirted inside the instrument with a scent spray or smil syringe. Piano key-s that are discoloured should be rubbed with lemon juice; then a rather stiff paste of lemon juice and whitening must he applied. The paste should be left on until it dries, and when perfectly dry, wiped off with a soft cloth, great c-aro being taken that none of the mixture gets between the keys. This will remove tho yellow tinge. ' Turpentine is excellent for removing tar marks on clothes. When the fabric is not too delieato the turpentine should be sponged freely over it: or the garment may he soaked in liquid. When dainty material is to bo treated, moisten a piece of cloth with the turpentine and rub gently-. As soon as the cloth becomes discoloured take a fresh piece "and in course of time the tar will become completely removed.

Many of the noises in a house can be prevented by attention to a few details. All the doors should be made to close easily; this can - usually be done by oiling the locks and hinges. Push an oiled feather into the kovliole and twist it round. Then smear oil on the part of the latch that projects and turn the handle backwards and forwards several times to carry iho lubricant inwards. Give the bingos a good oiling and the door will close so that it will hardly ever be left open.

Window shades will run smoothly; and without any noise if the inner part of the frame is well rubbed with a dry cake of soap. The same treatment ensures the free movement of drawers which often do not slide in and out readily. Furniture in rooms that are covered with linoleum often makes a good deal of noise when it is moved about. All this can be avoided by glueing discs of felt or rubber, cut from an old hot water bottle, on the bottom of the legs or by attaching silencers bought ready-made. Paint brushes used for home decoration should not be left standing in pure turpentine until required for use. as in this way- the hairs will be injured, and the cement which holds them in (he handle may dissolve.

Immediately after use a brush should be cleaned of' paint by washing it first in turpentine, then in mild soda water, squeezing out the paint yvith a piece of rag and finally rinsing it in warm water. Jf it is to be stored for some time it should be moistened with linseed oil.

M hen paint brushes aro hard with dried- paint they- should be soaked for a night in a teaspoonful of soda, dissolved in enough warm water to cover the hairs just below the handles, and washed the following day in' plentv of warm soapy water. If this fails to bring away the dried paint the brush must he soaked in equal parts of linseed oil and turpentine.