HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17342, 15 July 1924, Page 9

HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

The chief points to bear in mind fijien buying fish is that the flesh should be firm to the touch, the eyes bright and standing well out. To prevent cheese becoming mouldy, wrap it round with a piece of thin muslin wrung out in vinegar. As the clot-li dries, moisten it again. To prevent bread becoming stale, hang a wet cloth over the bread pan. If knives have obstinate stains, rub them with a cut potato. It is a good plan to mark all household linen with the name, date and number of the set to which it belongs Keep a corresponding list, and whenever an article is discarded cross it through on the list. When a window sash sticks, rub tho groove in which it runs with some blacklead. This is a simple but usually very effective remedy. Wash matting with lukewarm water and salt. Turpentine and warm milk mixed will make old oilcloth look like new. When polishing any kind of furniture. use a- hot duster. Place two dusters in an oven, and use them alternately. Before cleaning copper kettles, fill them with boiling water. They will then be found to clean much more easily. Paraffin, well rubbed into a polished table with a soft cloth, will remove the marks caused by hot plates if the treatment is continued regularly for a short time. When washing blankets or flannels, add two teaspoonfuls of glycerine to each pint of water. It softens the water and prevents the blankets becoming hard and felted. When aluminium saucepans are not in use, they should be kept dry and free from dust. A thin film of olive oil rubbed over them protects the surface. Rusty curtain hooks should he placed in a bowl and covered with cloudy am monia. Leave for half an hour and then stir. Drain away the ammonia arid dry the hooks, and they will look like new. To Clean Gilt Picture Frames. —Boil together a teacupful of vinegar and a pint of water. Allow it to cool a litHe and paint it on the gilt frames with a soft paint brush. Leave to dry, and polish with a soft duster. Leather Seats. —Polish the leather seats of armchairs with a little dairy cream, and rub well with a soft duster Paint Spots on Glass. —Remove these with a cloth wrung out of hot. strong soda-water. Rub the spots gently, and they will soften and come off with very i little trouble. \ To Preserve a Rubber Hot Water J Bottle.—The rubber will last much i longen if a little lard is rubbed into it occasionally. Always blow a little air j into the bottle before putting away, j This prevents the sides from sticking ' together. j After Peeling Onions.—lf you want ito remove from your hands the unpleasant smell which the onions leave ’ rub them with celery or j>otato parings. | Then wash in hot water, using no soap; dry. and rub with lemon-juice. A "White Table.—After scrubbing it in the usual way with plenty of hot water and soap, strew it lightly with salt. Then take a clean cloth, and rub well in the same direction as the grain of tho wood. If this is done once a week, your table will always look white. To Keep Alice Away.—To keep mice from pantries and cupboards, sprinkle cayenne x )e PP er on shelves. . In boxes and wardrobes, put lumps of camphor among the clothes, for mice dislike the smell of it. The camphor must be renewed every now and then for it evaporates in the air. Stained Knife-handles.—Rub with n cloth dipped in whiting or powdered chalk and lemon-juice mixed to a paste, and then with dry whiting. If this does not remove the stains, rub ivitli very fine sandpaper ; but, as this roughens the surface slightly, it is as well to try other means first.