The Home

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5, 1 February 1906, Page 29

The Home

By *Mauteen'

To Keep Plate Polished. Amongst the minor annoyances of housekeeping is the fact that, however carefully plate may be cleaned before putting it away, in the course of a week or so it becomes dull or tarnished. Tins may be avoided by the following means : After thoroughly cleansing and then polishing the plate with whiting, wrap up each piece in tinfoil, such, as is used for wrapping up chocolate, tea, etc., then put the articles in a dry cupboard or drawer, and at the end of many years you will find your plate as bright as on the day it was first packed. To Kindle Fires. Clean out your grate ; cover the bottom Avith a sheet of paper, cut or folded to fit ; place your coals in the grate to the level of the top bar, keeping Hie larger ones to the front to prevent waste Light your fue on the top, and allow it to burn downwards undisturbed. An ordinary fire, prepared and lighted in. this way, will, according to the size and form of the grate, burn four, six, or eight hours without any renewal of coal, burning brighter and warmer than if lighted from below, as fires are ordinarily made. The coal should be tolerably equal in size, large to the front and small to the back. Fires made like this effect a great saving of coal, besides the cheerfulness, warmth, ' and freedom from smoke. How to Make a Filter. The purification of water for drinking is now so strongly advocated, that a filter is regarded ab indispensable in almost eveiy household. At the same time it is well to remember that unless the greatest care is taken to keep the filter clean, it becomes in itself a dangerous source of contamination from the accumulation of impurities within it. The following simple filter has been tried and proved to be as efficacious as the most costly. In addition the filtering media in this case costs mothnig, so it can be changed very frequently. Take a very large flower-pot and insert a piece of sponge in the hole at the bottom. Place in the pot a layer of sand three inches thick, o\er that a layer of powdered charcoal. Place the filter on two flat sticks laid across a clean pail. Keep filled with water and use as it runs through. It is a wise precaution to boil the water before filtering it— and is recommended by experts, as one of the most effective means to be adopted during the prevalence of epidemics. The Care of the Piano. The temperature of the room in which the piano is Kept is one of the most important things to be considered. As moisture is absolutely necessary, see that the air in the room is not allowed to become too dry A growing plant will prove a good test ; if it thrives you may be sure that the atmosphere is suitable to the piano, if, on the other hand, the plant does not thrive it would be well to find out the reason. About .71) deg. is the proper temperature for the room m which the^ piano is kept. Do not allow it to stand where the sun's rays shine directly upon it, and be careful to'keep it closed and Avell covered while the sweeping and dusting of the room in which it stands arc in progress. To prevent the case of your piano from becoming smoky in appearance, wipe a small portion at a time with a fine sponge wet in tepid water, to which a little Castile soap has been added. Dry with a moistened chamois cloth, which has been wrung until it is almost dry When this has been ,done apply some reliable piano polish with a soft flannel cloth. Attention to these details will enable you to keep your piano bright and new looking for many years.