HELPFUL HINTS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 365, 5 March 1932, Page 20 (Supplement)

HELPFUL HINTS.

Useful Ideas for the Housewife. MOSQUITO BITES. MOSQUITOES. They are very bad just now! Rub soap on the bitefi. Allow the lather to dry on. It allays irritation and prevents swelling. A SEWING HINT. Buttonholes, which are to be subjected to strain, may be strengthened by outlining with a row of machine stitching before being cut out and worked. TO REMOVE SCORCH MARKS. Scorelx marks on linen are usually difficult to remove, but the most successful way is to dip a cloth in peroxide of lij'drogen, lay it over the scorched place, and then iron till dry. HOUSEHOLD HELPS. After you have finished starching, if you set the starch aside until the sediment settles, and pour off the water and leave the white substance for a day or two, it will harden into crystals again and may be used repeatedly. TO MEND A TORN MACKINTOSH. Get a patch of material similar to torn mackintosh, and stick on with rubber solution, and leave on for 24 hours before wearing. The rubber solution, is sold in tubes, and can be bought at any bicycle shop. TO CURE BUNIONS. Wear shoes with a wide toe. Never wear shoes too tight for the foot, as they arc mainly the cause of bunions and corns. Apply iodine to the spot every night until the skin becomes tenier, then stop it. A BATH MAT. Open up two clean sugar bags, join together and bind with red twill. Letter in pencil the word bath across centre. In twill, same as binding, the letters can be machined on. Thi* make*? a lovely mat and can be boiled when soiled. OLD PAINT OR PUTTY. To remove old paint or putty, make a paste with soft soap and a solution of caiastic soda; lay it on with a brush and leave on for several hours, when you will find the pain.t or pnttv has softened so that it can be easily removed. BANANAS. Bananas are especially good in soup. Slice them and add to the soup just before serving. Allow just a few minutes for them to cook. Slightly green bananas are tllic best, although any banana may be used without fear Jl failure. QUICK MODE. The best way to beat an egg quickly: Breuk it into a glass tumbler, place a clean piece of grease-proof paper on the top, and bold clown Jirmly to keep out the air, shake the tumbler for a few minutes; it is then ready for use, and iust as good as if beaten for ten minutes, TO CLEAN LINEN PLAYING CARDS. A good way to clean a pack of good linen plajing cards is to clean the 6ides of each card with a clean cloth dipped in petrol.__Lay each card out separately till petrol. Lay each card out sepk arately till dry. Then polish Hi with just a gentle rub on each B side with an ordinary sperm m candle. The cards are quite ” new and last quite a long time. BABY’S 818. A dainty bib for a tiny baby, which does away with the need of a pin to keep it in place, is made of organdi muslin, delicately embroidered. At tho bottom of the bib are two slots through which is threaded a band of pale pink or blue satin ribbon. This ties round the baby’s waist and keeps the bib down in place. TO TEST A PUDDING. One is sometimes puzzled as to whether a boiled pudding is done or not. It is a good plan to watch the cloth, and as eoon as it begins to wrinkle you may be sure that the pudding i*i done and ready to bo removed from the saucepan. HOW TO POACH AN EGG. To poach eggs so that they are neat in appearance when served, break the egg into a cup and drop it into a eaucepau of fast boiling salted water from the height of about a foot. The egg will flop into the water, which will resist it and push up tho white all round the yolk, 'the water should then be basted over the top of the egg, which, when set, should be served immediately. APPLES FOR THE TEETH. An applo eaten slowly is excellent for the teeth, and has a most beneficial effect on the liver. When the liver is in good condition the eyes will sparkle! Therefore eat plenteously of this fruit if you would have sparkling eyes. Apples cleanse the teeth of tartar deposits and thus help to keep them white and free from decay. An apple eaten after every meal will not only be beneficial for one’s health, but it wiil whiten the teeth and freshen the mouth.