HELPFUL HINTS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 661, 14 January 1933, Page 20 (Supplement)

HELPFUL HINTS.

Things That You Should Know. AT THE PHOTOGRAPHER’S. Make-up has to be very carefully applied before being photographed. The lips only want very slightly colouring; if too red, they will appear large and black in the photo. Rouge on the face shadows the cheeks, so that they appear sunken. Rouge, therefore, should be left off entirely and lipstick very sparingly used. Make-up for the eyes may include a delicate shading of the upper lids and the lashes slightly darkened, but see that the lashes do not stick together. Use a tiny comb to prevent this. Have the eyebrows nicely shaped and darken slightly if required. Use face powder very sparingly, and be sure that it lies very smoothly on the skin. Jelly Mould Substitute. If you want to make a fancy sweet with jelly, and haven’t a mould in which to set it, put a small basin inside a larger one and pour the jelly round it. When it has set, fill the smaller basin with hot water and leave it for a minute, when it should be quite easy to lift out without breaking the jelly. Fill the centre with sponge fingers set in custard, or with fruit and cream. Rainspots on Chiffon— Georgette or chiffon evening dresses which have been spotted with rain can be treated at home. Cover the dress with a clean sheet, wrung out of warm water, and then press with a moderately hot iron. This mild steaming process never fails to take out all traces of rain. —And Velvet. Much the same treatment can be given to velvet, but in order *to avoid crushing the pile, it is best to invert the iron, wrap a clean damp cloth round it, and then lightly draw the velvet across the steaming surface. Cork Mats. Obstinate marks on cork table mats, bathroom stools, etc., should be rubbed with sandpaper. Wrap a sheet of it round-a fairly stiff nailbrush and apply it with a scrubbing action. Dust the surface afterwards, and finally wash with warm soapsuds. Mincer Blades. When the blades of a mincing machine get blunt, put through two or three small pieces of bath brick; you will find that this sharpens them immediately. See that the machine is thoroughly clean again before use. A Revtver. White silk articles often become discoloured after much washing. They can be given a pretty yellow tint with saffron. Net curtains which have lost their whiteness can be treated in the same way. Should the colour fade after the first wash, add a little saffron to the last rinsing water; this will be found an adequate “ reviver." Scratched Wood. A scratch on dark wood can often be almost entirely hidden by rubbing with a Brazil nut, shelled and freshly sliced so as to give a moist surface. The scratch absorbs the oil in the nut and takes its colour. Leather Goats. Sea-water stains on leather coats can be removed with olive oil. Rub it in gently and sparingly with a soft cloth, and then polish with a clean duster. If the marks do not come off at once, leave the oil on for an hour or two before polishing. Cleaning Pewter. Never use strong abrasives to clean pewter. The safest cleaning mixture consists of whitening and cigar ash moistened with linseed oil; this cleans and polishes the metal without scratching it. Keeps Flowers Fresh. A little camphor added to the water in which flowers are placed helps to keeps them fresh and to revive any that are faded. Warm water is better than cold. Inside the Kettle. A kettle can be practically cleared of fur in the following way: Pour in enough vinegar to cover the furred parts, leave it for an hour or two, and then rinse thoroughly. Before the kettle is used again for ordinary purposes fill it with water, bring it to the boil, and pour the water away. Requires Stiffening. Any garment which requires just a little stiffening as distinct from starching, should be rinsed, in water to which a little borax has been added. Sugar can be used instead, if borax is not available, but see that it is very thoroughly dissolved, or particles may cling to the material and give it a sticky appearance when ironed. Rust on Steel. To remove rust from steel, rub the rusty part with an onion, and leave the juice on for twenty-four hours, then polish with bath brick and paraffin. For keeping steel in good condition when the rust is removed, use emery powder and sweet oil.