WHAT OTHER WOMEN HAVE FOUND OUT

Ladies' Mirror, Volume I, Issue 8, 1 February 1923, Page 16

WHAT OTHER WOMEN HAVE FOUND OUT

Housekeeping Helps THE proper preservation of food is one of the greatest aids to economical housekeeping. ' When a larder is available and the shelves are made of wood, a slate or marble slab, or even a sheet of metal, should be placed on one for holding milk, fish, and so on. Sheets of metal enamelled in a tile design are now obtainable which would be excellent for this purpose. To Keep Vegetables. Wire racks are best for holding these. _ j Fruit stands which consist of a framework of slated shelves are convenient. Netted bags should be used for onions, shallots and garlic, or for lemons. Spread tomatoes out on a shelf or dish; do not let them touch, q Marrows and cucumbers keep best when hung up by the stalk in a cool place. Meat and poultry should be hung and covered with muslin cages held out with wooden hoops. Wash and scald the hoops and the muslin covers occasionally. When there is no refrigerator, a fireless cooker can be used with good effect. For instance, in very hot weather, butter, if put in a basin standing in ; a larger basin full of cold water and placed in a fireless cooker, keeps perfectly. I If no larder be available, buy only small quantities of food. Hooks may : be fixed in the top of the cupboard from which to suspend meat. Vegetables should be kept in boxes or baskets on the floor of the cupboard. Onions in netted bags can be hung in the kitchen. ; New fireproof china should never j be used before it has been “seasoned.” Place the new dishes in a large pan of salt and water, bring this to the i boil, and allow the dishes to remain in it for at least ten minutes. Sea water often causes ugly stains on leather footwearespecially brown * shoes. To remove the marks dissolve j a small piece of washing soda in an I eggeupful of very hot milk. While | the solution is still warm apply it with a rag to the mark. Rub it in ■ well, and, after drying, clean the leather with the ordinary polish. Sea water stains on clothes should be rubbed away with plain water (if : rain water can be obtained so much the better) at the earliest possible ’ moment after they appear. It is advisable when laying linoi leum to place first a layer of sawf dust on the floor. The sawdust must I be free from chips of wood and per- : fectly dry. It should not be spread i all over the floor but placed as evenly ! as possible under each length of the ■ linoleum as it is fixed in position. With such a foundation, linoleum i will be much pleasanter to walk on, | and the sound of footsteps is dead- ■ ened. In addition, the wearing proj perties of the linoleum are enormously increased. I Hot water bottles that have become worn beyond repair need not i be discarded. When covered with flannel or some thick cloth they ; make excellent kneeling pads, which 1 will be welcomed when gardening, to uproot weeds that cannot be \ reached while standing. To remove fruit stains from a tablecloth or anything white, wet with peroxide and put it in the sun. Sometimes it is necessary to wet the stain more than once to get good results. | . Papering Floors ; TpEW people seem to realise the good effect that can be secured by papering floors. The first step

should be to soak some newspapers in a pan of water until a pulpy mass is secured. Next prepare a quantity of paste made in the ordinary way, except that, just before it boils, stir in a spoonful of powdered alum. This paste should be mixed with the paper pulp so that a liquid about the consistency of rather stiff batter is obtained. Roughly about a quarter of the amount of paste to that of the pulp should be mixed. When the floor has become quite dry, and is free from dust, proceed to apply the mixture all over the surface. Work it particularly into all the cracks between the boards. Then, when it is still sticky, place on the surface sheets of strong brown paper. Good wrapping paper with a glazed surface is the best, and this should be smoothed out with a cloth, so that it is quite free from any wrinkles. Allow the covering to dry, and then, to ensure a good wearing surface, brush over and spread out another layer of paper. Two layers of paper are not essential, but it is a good plan to have more than one in a room where there is any considerable amount of coming and going. When dry, the paper floor covering is much improved by giving it a coat of varnish. The bright brown paper looks very well indeed, but, if desired, the paper may easily be painted. Any paint of good quality may be used, and this should be put on to the paper before the varnish is applied. Dry Cleaning at Home QILK blouses and other garments k -' can be dry cleaned in this way: Obtain a cardboard hat box and put inside it a clean towel, spreading it out so that it lines the interior. Sprinkle fuller’s earth liberally on the towel and then place the article to be cleaned on it. A little fuller’s earth may be scattered here and there in the folds of the garment. Close the lid of the box and keep it shut for three or four days. At the end of that time shake out the garment, which will in most cases be found to be well cleaned. Look after the Music A PART from giving the drawingroom an untidy appearance, battered, untidy music is difficult to find when wanted. It is such an easy matter to repair a tear as soon as it happens. A reel of transparent gummed paper should always be kept in the music cabinet in case of accidents. It is a wise

precaution, too, to bind all backs of unbound and sheet music with gummed tape, as this materially strengthens the covers. Some people prefer to gum the covers on to cardboard foundations, but a better way, and much less trouble, is to have a series of “jackets” for different kinds of music. One might be labelled “Songs,” another “Dance Music,” and so on. These “jackets” can be bought at any larve stationer’s shop in practically any colour, and are made of thin cardboard. Or, of liked, home-made covers can be made from art cardboard, which can be purchased at an art shop. In a house where there is a very great deal of music, it will generally be found more convenient to have operas, and sets of songs, dance music, etc., bound in linen or leather, and special music cabinets should be kept for bound music. Box ottomans are excellent places to keep music. Cooking Hints "A/FANY economies can be effected ■ L ’-*'iii the use of fuel when cooking without much trouble or loss of time. The careful cook will never light her fire or turn on her gas or electricity before it is actually needed. Directly cooking is over the fire should be let die down and then made up with fine coal slightly damped. Much less heat is required where all utensils are kept scrupulously clean. When a layer of soot is allowed to accumulate on the bottom of pots and pans the heat takes much longer to permeate. The oven is the most extravagant part of any cooking stove. It is well, therefore, to arrange for all baking and roasting to be done together on one or two days in the week. Once the oven has been made thoroughly hot, in the cooking of a joint, for example, it retains its heat for some time. If baked custard or milk puddings are placed in the oven immediately a joint is taken out they will cook quickly with no additional heat. A bowl of water should always be placed in a hot oven if there is no further cooking to be done, as this provides washing up water without more expenditure. "W/TIEN the hot water supply is dc- ” pendent on the kitchen fire, baths should be arranged to fit in with the cooking, as it is useless to draw out oven and hot water dampers at the same time. Where many baths are likely to be required it is more economical to install a separate heater. When stewing fresh fruit add a tablespoonful of tapioca which has been soaked a few hours. The effect will be surprising, as it makes the dish much more delicious and economical. To Test Eggs for Preserving. Place the eggs, one at a time, in a basin of cold water. A new-laid egg will sink to the bottom, lying on its side. An egg that has been laid a few days will rise a little at one end, and a stale egg will assume a nearly erect position in the water. When icing a cake with a boiled icing it often becomes hard before the sides of the cake are covered. Add a little cold milk and beat well. The icing will be more creamy than at first. A small-sized steel knitting needle is invaluable for testing food when cooking. Use it instead of a straw for cake and instead of a fork for vegetables. If a dish is oversalted, add a little sugar and the damage will be repaired.

When cleaning kettles, pans, etc., to which food has stuck in cooking, use half a wooden clothespin instead of the wire dish mop. This is easily cleaned and will not mar your aluminium ware. Keep it handy on the shelf over the kitchen sink. If a little vinegar, not more than a few drops, is added to the water in which fish is being boiled, it will keep the flesh firm and white, a very necessary factor when preparing boiled fish. To Keep Salt Dry.—Salt readily absorbs moisture in damp weather, when it is not easily shaken from the container. When filling the pot with dry salt, put in also a few grains of rice. These grains will absorb much of the moisture and prevent the salt from becoming lumpy. With Needle and Thread —How to use up Ribbons "A7ERY often lengths of ribbon can ' be picked up from “ribbon trays” at greatly reduced prices. On the principle, however, that anything is expensive if you don’t know what to do with it, one frequently denies oneself the luxury of buying a bargain. It is a great mistake, for there are a variety of ways to use up odd lengths of satin or figured ribbon. A bride made three delightful underskirts out of ribbon. Lengths of black satin ribbon were joined with black lace, the top gathered on to elastic. The hem was formed by a straight band of ribbon, so that there was no danger of tearing the strands apart. The second creation was made of pale mauve satin ribbon of varying widths, joined with cream lace. The ribbon ran round, the widest at the hem and the most narrow at the top,' where elastic was again called into service. A figured ribbon, a pattern of roses on a brilliant green background, was joined by faggotstitching, and it made the gayest of underskirts. Of course, camisoles are easily made from short ' lengths of pale mauve or pink ribbon. The lace is sewn on one side, and forms the top of the camisole, while the ribbon is neatly hemmed to take the elastic at the waist. Another method is to join short strips with lace, also net embroidered with silk spots to match the ribbon. Odd lengths of dark ribbon make charming knitting bags, and would form an acceptable gift to a domesticated friend. Cushions, boudoir caps, bedroom slippers, and nightdress cases are all excellent subjects for the ribbon bargain hunter. Things most People throw away THIE backs of worn-out kid gloves 1 are most useful if cut out and joined together. Quite an effective “patchwork” tammy may be accomplished, or the skins can be dyed one colour and utilised in the same way as ordinary leather and worked up into fancy articles. It is sometimes difficult to know what to do with an old sweater. If the seams be undone and the wool unwound, a new sleeveless tunic might be made which would be useful for spring wear, when the days happen to be a little chilly. Sleeveless woolly knitted jumpers are so handy, as they can he worn underneath a coat with comfort, and don’t feel thick. Of course this only applies to sweaters that have not been washed, as washing usually has the effect of “welding” the wool together and it is not then easy to unravel.