HOMELY HINTS

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3376, 2 March 1920, Page 7

HOMELY HINTS

Horse-raddish root put into a jar of pickles will prevent mould from forming.

Common vinegar in the proportion of one tablespoonful to a quart of rinsing-water preserves the colour of washing materials.

To obtain a brilliant polish on a stove, dissolve some bla'cklead with some methylated spirits, and add a little boiling water to make it into a paste. Apply this to the stove and polish in the ordinary way.

When about to roast a joint, cover it with rind saved from a piece of ham or bacon, and cook with it on. This will save the trouble of constant blasting and will prevent the joint from burning or drying.

Do not forget to clean out the cistern periodically. To do this, tie up the ball valve to a stick placed across the top of the cistern to prevent )the water running in; then empty the cistern, scour it out thoroughly with diluted disinfectant, and wipe out all impurities.

Before grating lemons, it is well to wash them in a t.asin of lukewarm water, for on examination it will be found that the outside of a lemon is anything but clean, and if put under a misroscope it will be discovered to have tiny black specks on it, which are the minute eggs of an insect.

If there is any doubt as to the bed being damp, put a hand-glass between the sheets lor a few minutes. If it is damp, the surface of the glass will show. This should always be done when travelling, as clamp beds have laid the foundation for many diseases. * * * If you want to break off a glass bottle or jar quite evenly, soak a piece of string in turpentine, tie it round the jar exactly where you want to break it, and fill to just that point with cold water. Then set fire to the string, and the glass will snap off all along the heated line. • • • Grass cut while the dew is still upon it is excellent to use in place of tea leaves when sweeping carpets. It prevents the dust from rising, and gives the carpet a beautifully fresh appearance. After sweeping, all furniture should be first dusted with a damp cloth, then polished with a dry one. » * * Spirits of turpentine will remove most spots from silk, but care must be taken to see that the dye is fast. It is as well to experiments first on a spare piece of the fabric. Failing this, powdered French chalk, mixed to a mustard-like consistency with lavender-water, should be rubbed into the stain, left till caked, and a hot iron—laid on a sheet of blottingpaper—finally passed over the top.