HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16582, 15 November 1921, Page 9

HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

A few drops of hot vinegar will remove the most, obstinate whitewash or distemper splashes. When Darning.—lt? mending stockings, when the dnrn is finished, if the loops a.re cut. a ridge will be prevented from forming, and fresh holes will not be torn when the wool shrinks after washing. Kettle Bust.—The inside of an enamelled kettle should either be dried whenever the contents have been emptied, or stood upside down in a dry place. J A few drops of water, if allowed to collect at the bottom of a kettle, soon cause rust spots, which cannot be removed, and which eventually penetrate into holes. Scorched Linen.—lf linen has been scorched the marks max' be removed by making a paste of fuller’s earth and white soap moistened with a little vinegar and the juice from a- boiled onion Tf this mixture is spread upon the marks they will disappear, and no stain should be visible after the linen has been washed. A Hot Weather Drink.—" Lemonade ! is made by putting the juice and thinly peeled rinds of three lemons with a pound and a half of sugar, and an ounce of tartaric acid into a. iug and pouring over them a pint, of boiling i water. Stir occasionally till cold, and j then bottle- A tablespoonful of this i in. a. tumblerful of water makes a rei freshing drink. I Hair Treatment.—Massage with the j tips of the fingers is one of the surest ! ways of beautifying the hair and pro- | moting its growth, as it stimulates the ' circulation of blood in the scalp. The ! treatment has the best results if the ; fingers are dipped repeatedly in cold water. This removes the dust. A Few Tit-Bits.—For paintwork and varnished woodwork bran is invaluable. Coloured goods usually fade when washed, but, if -washed in bran water they will not lose their colour. 1 H is excellent also as a. scalp cleanser, i making the hair glossy. Used instead |of soap, it softens and whitens the J hands. To prepare bran water, fill a small bag with bran, place in a bowl, and cover with boil in w water. To Improve Potato Salad.—Potato salad is all the bettor for the addition of a little fish paste. Use less onion Savouring in thi s «^se. hen making any kind of jam smear the bottom of the preserving pan with margarine, and the contents will not burn. Gas stoves should be constantly washed with hot water and soda. After drying, rub with a very little paraffin, and polish with bJacklead. An excellent remedy for a cut is raw starch. It should be wetted and applied to the cut as quickly as possibleDrying Wet Shoes.—lt is not advisable to put boot trees a*: once into shoes that have been soaked by the rain. The trees are liable to stick to the linings of the shoes, and when Forcibly removed the lining is apt to become disarranged. If the shoes are filled at once with paper or rags, the moisture will be absorbed, and the shoes will dry softOn Dietary.—Certain foods encourage decay of the teeth—white bread and all starchy foods, biscuits, sugar and all sweets, milky foods. and toffee. Cleansing foods, recommended for the end of a meal, are opoles, celery, watercress and lettuce. For a. cold on the chest, a. flannel rag wrung out in boiling water and

sprinkled with turpentine, laid on the chest, gives the Greatest relief. Use of Hot "Water.—Put a bag cou tabling hot water to rnnr feet when you have a cold ; to your back when you have a backache: or at the nape of your neck when von have a headache or feci sleepless. Put yourself in the place of your maid, you are more likely to keep her in your service. When you make pincushions, a piece of cardboard inserted half way will prevent needles from getting lost in the cushion, and will keep it in better shape. Let potatoes you mean to bake stand in hot water for a quarter of an hour, they will be more mealy and your gas hill will be less by half for baking them. Add a little hot milk to butter and sugar when they are to be creamed for a cake; they will blend more quickly and easily. Mint in Slimmer Drinks. drinks will soon be coming on. [Remember that a suggestion of chopped mint, added to a glass of lemon or orangeade, is a great improvement. Also that a strip of cucumber rind gives a piquant and copl flavour to an otherwise insipid drink. Tf there’s a little juice from tinned fruit going begging, this can also bo added with advantage.