THE LEATHER OUTFIT.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18552, 26 April 1930, Page 10 (Supplement)

THE LEATHER OUTFIT.

Every woman knows that leather wears to the last thread, but quite a number are deterred from indulging in a leather outfit because they do not know how to keep it clean. Regular repeated visits to the dry cleaner’s seem the only way, and this is too expensive for the woman with a modest purse.

It is by no means difficult to keep the leather outfit spick and span at home. An expensive leather coat deserves to be thoroughly brushed every day with a clothes brush to keep it free from dust. Some women use an ordinary clothes brush; others prefer a wire brush; but the best of all is a rubber brush made expressly for this purpose, which is kept clean with soap and water, lasts indefinitely and is guaranteed not to hurt the suede in any way while it brings up the sheen miraculously. Never attempt to clean suede leather coats with petrol or benzine. When the collar begins to look soiled and unattractive, try rejuvenating it in this way: Take a knife that is sharp enough and carefully scrape the collar, taking great pains not to cut the leather. The nap will come off—often to the owner’s alarm—but when the •scraping is finished, take a piece of sandpaper, give the collar a good rubbing with this, and the nap will be restored.

The woman who drives her own car often finds her leather coat decorated with grease spots, generally in conspicuous places. Try this method of obliterating them: Lightly rub into the spot a little fuller’s eaith in a lightish shade, or prepared chalk, or powdered pumice stone, or even suede cleaner. Apply a warm iron to the spots and the grease will be raised into the chalk. Then brush the places very vigorously with the brush until the nap returns. If the coat has becomed stained through lying on wet grass or through spilt liquid, take some pastel crayons the shade of the coat. Rub the crayon into the stain, let it stand some ime and later brush off the surplus crayin. When the coat has faded in patches this its beyond home treatment and it should be returned to the maker, who will return it lik enew. WASHING-DAY HINTS. How many women realise the common cause of failure in laundering? This is usually due to a sudden lowering of the temperature of the water. Fibres expand when fibres are immersed in warm water, thus permitting the soap and water to loosen dirt in every part of the garments. But if they are taken from the hot soapy water and plunged into cold water the fibres quickly contract and become hard. In this sudden contraction the soapy substance, mixed with the dirt it has collected, is retained before it can escape in the rinsing water, and that is why after several rinsings a filmy grey substance sometimes clings to the fabric.

Then remember that the soaping should be quickly done, and the garment should not be allowed to soak in soapy water. According to the recent investigations of two domestic scientists, if this operation lasts more than seven and a half minutes the clothes become dirty again! The reason for this is that the chemical action of the soap is to dissolve the dirt into small particles, and so loosen them from the threads of the material; but as they divide into still smaller particles after the period mentioned, they again distribute themselves over the clothing and soil it again. It is therefore wise to remember that the essentials for successful washing are plenty of water of an even temperature, a good supply of soap, speed in its application, and thorough as well as speedy rinsing. These should render clothes spotlessly clean. Dry out-of-doors if possible.

CALENDAR FOR WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. In order to facilitate quick division of recipes, commit to memory, or tack up over your kitchen table, the calendar for weights and measures. Knowing what each measurement weighs helps materially in using recipes. Two teaspoonfuls equal one dessertspoonful. Two dessertspoonfuls equal one tablespoonful, or half an ounce. Six tablespoonfuls equal one small teacupful. One small teacupful equals one gill or four ounces. One breakfast-cupful equals half a pint. One pint equals four gills, or nearly two breakfast-cupfuls. Once ounce dry substance equals one tablespoonful. One ounce of butter equals one dessertspoonful. Quarter of a pound of flour equals one teacupful (small). Half a pound of flour equals one breakfast-cupful. Two ounces equal six penny pieces. One ounce equals three penny pieces. Half an ounce equals one penny piece and halfpenny piece. Quarter of an ounce equals one threepenny piece and a halfpenny piece. lODINE HELPS HOUSEWIFE. lodine is one of the chemical elements, and is obtained as a by-pro-duct and also from seaweed. It occurs in the purification of Chili saltpetre shining plates of a metallic appearance, which gives off a purple vapour when heated. lodine, in very small amount, is an essential constituent of the human body. It is, however, concerning the virtues of iodine as an indispensable antiseptic for household use that I propose to write. A busy housewife of my acquaintance says the writer, pricked her finger with a pin. It was such a trifling prick that she thought no more about it at the time. Nevertheless, the puncture was sufficient to admit the entry of a dead-lymicro-organism. It was only the prompt action of a dotor, who, by lancing, allowed the poison to escape, followed by the application of a correct dressing, that saved the woman’s arm, and possibly her life. This might have been avoided had a little tincture of iodine been applied to the prick immediately it was made. Tincture of iodine is what is known as an official preparation, whose precise composition is laid down in the British Pharmacopoeia. It consists of iodine dissolved in spirits of wine, with the addition of small quantities of distilled water and potassium iodide, and is made in two strengths, of which the weaker is the more suitable for household use.

If ever you prick, cut or scrape your skin, always apply a little tincture of iodine. For cuts, a mixture of this with compound tincture of benzoin is even better. DON’TS FOR THE HOUSEWIFE. Fireproof Dishes. Don't take these out of the oven with a damp cloth. And, when new, try rubbing them all over with s nev onion. It does lengthen the: ' ?.s enormously. Heat the Oven. Don’t guess the heat of your oven before baking cakes or pastry, but place a piece of white paper inside for a minute or two. If the ’ aper turns a definite brown almost a e the temperature iu right. Grease on Soup. Don’t use blotting-paper; it’s oldfashioned and a very messy job. Try soaking a piece of muslin in cold votor and passing the hot soup )y through it into a jug. Rati-.-. w -J isn’t it? Cracked Eggs. Don’t be extravagant ar a new-laid egg that is cracker'. ing. You can boil it qr fully by wrapping it in j? tissue-paper. Clay Sail. “Don't bemoan it! U.sc _e equal quantities of the dust las accumulated at the bottom of the coal cellar and clay. Add sufficient water to make it into little balls. This will keep any fires going for hours. Do try it.

SANDWICHES-SAVOUBY AND SWEET. No article of diet possesses greater possibilities than the humble sandwich. It may be of the station-buffet order or, on the other hand, it may please the palate of a gourmet. If you are tired of the ordinary type of sandwich, try one of the following for your tea or after-the-theatre supper party. 1. Chop up a few peeled walnuts, mix with a little cream cheese, and use as filling between thin slices of brown bread and butter. 2. v Spread slices of brown bread with a little meat extract end put between them layers of chopped lettuce with a suspicion of finely shredded onion. Sprinkle with pepper, but no salt. 3. Mash a banana with a little cream and add rasberry jam. This is an excellent mixture for tea sandwiches to replace a sweet cake. 4. For a supper sandwich try a “three-decker” composed of three slices of bread, toasted on one side and buttered on the other. Between the first two place a sprinkling of chopped hard-boiled egg, and between the other two put either thin slices of cold chicken or a little meat paste. This can be varied by fish paste, made at home from a breakfast kipper, boned and mashed with dripping or butter. 5. For schoolroom tea a delicious sandwich can be made with a layer of condensed milk between thin brown bread. Or a sprinkling of coarse demerara sugar can take the place of the milk. ENGLISH POSIES. A wooden cut-out firescreen, painted j to represent a basket of delphiniums, i from misty light blue to deep royal ! blue and bblue-purple, would make a 1 lovely and most restful touch of colour j in a room. Another smaller basket of delphiniums can be had as a doorstep ! and the scheme might be completed by I a little golden waste-paper basket with ! blue and blue-mauve delphiniums j growing up its side, and a shade for I the standard lamp, of a goldeny parch- I ment with yet more delphiniums j around it, blowing and glowing up and ; down the whole gamut of blues, j mauves and violets. To prevent lamps smoking soak the wick in strong vinegar and dry it before using. The flame will then burn clear and bright.