HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3180, 28 March 1911, Page 3

HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

To Purify Water. —In cases where it is -impossible to obtain a iiltei, untei To keep flat-irons clean and smooth rub them first with a piece of wax tied iu a cloth, and afterwards scour tnem on a paper or cloth strewn with coarse salt. may be purified by adding to it- powdered alum in the proportion of one tablespoonful to four gallons of water. Stir quickly and allow it to stand. All that is impure will then sink l to the bottom, and the pure water on the top may be poured off for use. To Remove Oil Spots from Leather Spots of oil which may have been dropped accidentally on leather-covered chairs can often be removed by means of a paste of Filler’s earth and water. This should be spread over the leather and left until the paste is perfectly dry, when the powder should be removed with a stiff brush. 1 ,, _ When cleaning boots, instead of adding water to the blacking, mix with cold tea. This produces a brilliant pok ish. Rooms with low ceilings will appear higher if curtains hang straight to the floor. If tea should chance to come to the boil by being placed too near the fire while infusing, the bitter taste may be removed by pouring a small quantity of cold water into the pot. If a fire requires blowing to give it a good start it will be found that blowing down into the flames wil make it

burn up more brightly and quickly than if blown from underneath.

Never trouble to grate chocolate sweets. Place the chocolate in the oven on a small tin for a few seconds, aud itwill become quite soft, and can be easily creamed with the butter or beaten tip with eggs or milk. Laundry tubs should always be made quite clean after they have been used. Wooden tubs are best preserved by leaving adit-tie cold water standing in them ; zinc tubs may be cleaned with ammonia, and must bo thoroughly dried to prevent rust.