USEFUL HINTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20762, 24 June 1937, Page 12

USEFUL HINTS

To Knitters Paint or lacquer a jam jar, a wide, squat one for preference, and use it to keep your wool tidy when knitting. There will be no annoyance of the ball of wool “running away,” and knitting, If small, can be kept in the bottle when not in use.—M.S., Martinborough. To Freshen a Mattress Take four camphor squares and pound them to powder with a flatiron. After shaking the mattress well. open the ticking at one corner for a few inches, and then scatter the powdered camphor as far as you can inside. Sew up the ticking, and then give the mattress a good shaking to distribute the camphor among the filling. The odour will disappear in a day or two, and your mattress will be delightfully fresh and sweet, and any dampness will have disappeared. Obstinate Corks When the cork becomes stuck in the neck of the bottle and cannot be removed, try this bright hint. Place the bottle in a basin filled with enough hot water to reach the top of the neck. The heat will make the air in the bottle expand, and also the glass. Rejuvenating Brass Left-over lemon halves, which have had all the juice squeezed out of them, can be put to good use for cleaning badly tarnished copper and brass, provided the lemon halves are dipped first in rough cooking salt. Avoid Cracking Plates When plates and dishes have to be warmed on oven top or in oven, if a newspaper is put underneath it will break the heat and prevent plates from cracking. To Revive Furniture To revive dulled varnished wood, put used tea leaves in a basin, pour hot water over them, and leave for half an hour; then apply the liquid to the wood. Dry with a soft cloth, and the varnish will look as if freshly applied. Little Hints When beating eggs, rinse the bowl out in cold water, leaving a few drops in the bottom. The eggs will heat up more quickly, and will pour out cleanly. To prevent fish from breaking while cooking, place them on an upturned plate, salt them, and leave for a few hours before cooking them. If the screw top of a bottle or jar Is obstinate, try gripping it with a piece of sandpaper. A little blue added to the water when mixing whiting will make sandshoes snow white. To prevent stockings wearing at the toes, turn them Inside out, and tack a piece of soft silk around the toes. Do not remove when washing. If your cooking salt box is lined with white blotting paper the salt will keep dry. To keep dish cloths clean, wash them with common soap and borax, and dry in the open air. Hints About Honey Honey is invaluable in cases of impaired digestion, weak heart, and exhaustion. For heart attacks take one teaspoonful of honey in a warm lemon drink. Use honey in place of sugar when making cakes, using half the quantity stated for sugar. Not only will the cakes be more healthful, but they will keep ever so much longer. For throat and lung troubles take a teaspoon of honey several times daily for three months. Honey is not only soothing for the stomach and a greal healer, but is also an antiseptic.