HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18011, 23 November 1926, Page 12

HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

When making pastry do not let the baking tins cover the oven shelf, as the heat cannot rise properly, and the bottom of the pastry will be burnt. To preserve books from damp and mildew, sprinkle a few drops of good perfume oil in the book case. This pre- i caution is unnecessary for volumes bound in Russian leather. Furniture and polished floors will never shine if polish is applied with a soiled cloth. . Grease can be removed from the hair by washing it in warm water to which a teaspoonful of borax has been added. White paper should not be used for wrapping up articles that are to be put away for some time. Yellow or blue is best. Tar stains can be removed from rugs and carpets if a mixture of equal parts of methylated spirit and ammonia be applied to them. Yolks of eggs"’' left over when the whites only are needed will keep for several days if they are covered with cold water. Before you use a new tooth brush, soak it in hot salt water. This cleanses it and makes it last twice as long. To stop hiccups, try a lump of sugar saturated with vinegar. Boiling hot salt and water is the best thing to use for flushing drains. When boiling an old fowl or tough meat add a pinch of soda to the water, and let it simmer gently. A blunt sewing-machine needle can be sharpened by rubbing it against the edge of a broken saucer or plate. Before using flour for pastry or pud dings, put it in the oven for a few minutes. This makes it lighter and more digestible. The juice of a lemon mixed with the beaten white of an egg and a little sugar will restore loss of voice. To Remove Glass Stoppers—When other methods have failed, stoppers that are difficult to remove can generally be unfixed with glycerine. Put. a few drops of it round the neck of the stopper so that it will penetrate between the neck and stopper. Grease oil Stone Floors—This can generally be removed in the following way: Cover the stain with a thick paste of fuller’s earth and water and leave for a day. Remove the paste and scrub well with hot, strong soda water. A baked milk pudding will not boil over while cooking if a small bowl of water is left standing at the bottom of the oven. Tight-fitting drawers will run smoothly if the upper edges are rubbed with soap. Enamelled pans can be thoroughly , cleaned by scouring with crushed eggshells and soapy water. The best way to clean suede gloves is to put them on the hands and rub them with a piece of flannel dipped in flour. Allow the flour to remain on for a few minutes, then brush off with a soft brush. Do not throw away the remains of boiled starch, but add it to the water with which linoleum is cleaned, as it makes it shine. When Laundering Cretonne—Cretonne covers and hangings that are not required very stiff may be passed through water in which bran has been boiled. The. quantity of starch present in the bran water is sufficient to give the desired stiffness. To Remove lodine Stains—Soak the stained fabrics in a solution of “hypo” or sodium thiosulphate. This process may have to be repeated more than once. After the use of any chemical the fabric should be thoroughly well rinsed, and if possible boiled. Renovating a W’aistcoat Pocket—Line the pocket with a piece of soft leather such as pliable nappa pr strong suede. Mend the hole and make a pocket from two pieces of leather so cut that when inserted into the pocket they <£o not come nearer the mouth than the ordinary lining. Top sew the leather lining firmly round the sides and bottom, and then secure in posi-