Domestic

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 26, 1 July 1909, Page 1033

Domestic

By MAUREEN

. A Cheap Filter. The most impure water may be purified by filtering through charcoal. Take a large flower pot, put a piece of sponge or clean moss over the hole in the bottom, and fill three-quarters full of equal parts clean sand and charcoal; over this lay a' linen cloth large enough to hang over the sides of the pot. Pour the water into the cloth, and it will come out pure. Pointers About Milk. , A simple and effective test to determine whether water is present in milk may be made with an ordinary knitting needle if the needle is bright and well polished. Dip the needle into the milk and quickly withdraw it in an upright position. If the milk contains only a small quantity of water this will prevent even a drop of milk adhering to the needle. Everyone who has had occasion to heat milk knows how easily it may be scorched. When this does happen, the thing to do is to quickly remove the vessel from the fire and stand it in a bowl of cold water. Put a pinch of salt into the milk and stir. It will then be found that the disagreeable burnt taste has almost, if not entirely, disappeared. Milk makes an excellent cleaner for patent leather shoes. A sponge should be used to apply it, and the leather then be allowed to dry for a few moments. Then polish with -a soft cloth. - Household Hints. Potatoes baked in their jackets will always come out dry and mealy if a small piece be cut off one end to allow steam to escape in the cooking. When ironing, keep a cloth handy which has been • damped with paraffin, and rub the iron with it; 'it will clean the iron and give it a smooth Surface. Nothing cleans a straw hat better than lemon juice; therefore rub it over with a cut lemon- well, then rub over with a clean damp cloth, and dry in the sun. A jstrip of carpet glued to a piece of wood will remove mud from boots quickly, and without the slightest injury to the leather, and is far better than the usual brush. A mixture of equal partg of flour and salt well heated in the oven cleans furs admirably, well rubbed in. The furs must be shaken, hung over a line, and gently beaten to free from all particles. To Keep Teapot Sweet. ,A stone or crockery teapot is the best to use if tea is made in the kitchen, as is sometimes done when the hostess does not care for the trouble of making it on the table, as is more customary. If these pots are not in frequent use they are inclined to get musty, even when thoroughly scalded. This stale odor can be prevented if a lump of sugar is dropped into them. Do not let it stay too long without changing, as the sugar may absorb impurities. Equally important is to keep the coffee pot in good condition. Cooks should be impressed with' the necessity of not letting the grounds stand in the pot, and of boiling out the pot in cold water after each time of using. N This is not the trouble it sounds if, as soon as the "coffee pot is cleaned it is at once filled with water and returned to the back of thd stove. Insist upon its being taken off the fire after the water has come to a boil, or the cook may be tempted to keep it on until the next meal, and use water for the coffee that has not been freshly boiled. Coffee pots are more easily cleaned if the coffee mixture is^ put in thin cheese-cloth or lawn bags instead of being stirred in loosely. Nervous Children. Nervous children will not bear very much cold bathing; they have not got heat enough in their bodies to react against it. Do not demand too much exercise from them. Do not let them study too much, or go to school too early. Of- course their minds must be pleasantly occupied, and the kindergarten may be available after . they are three years old. Cultivate in them a love of nature ■ and outdoor life, especially in pleasant weather. This is the true, grand kindergarten. Do not forget they need companionship. Give them a good comfortable bed where, the air is pure, and do all you can to promote healthful , sleep. A little easily-digested food before bedtime — preferably a. cup of hot milk — often helps them to sleep moi*j soundly than they otherwise would.