little ammonia has been added and then polish with a chamois
which has been dipped in water and wrung as dry as possible.
Cloths for Cleaning Windows Without Use of Water can be made
with a semi-liquid paste of benzine and calcined magnesia. The
cloth, which should be coarse linen or something free from lint,
is dipped into this mixture and hung in the air until the
spirits have evaporated and it is free from odor. This cloth may
be used again and again and is a great convenience. When soiled,
wash it and redip.
To Remove Paint from Window Panes--Paint can be removed from
window panes by applying a strong solution of soda.
To Clean a Glass Bottle, cut a lemon in small pieces and drop
them into the bottle; half fill with water, and shake well.
Old Stocking Tops for Dusters or Dustless Mop--Old stocking
tops make good dusters when sewed together. They also make good
polishing cloths for oiling and rubbing down floors and
furniture.
Several old stocking tops cut into strips and dipped in
paraffine oil make a fine dustless mop for hardwood floors.
Cheap Stain for Wood Floors--Ten cents' worth of permanganate
of potash will stain a wood floor. When dry polish it with some
beeswax and turpentine. It will look as though it had been that
color for years. Put the permanganate of potash in an old tin
and pour about one quart of boiling water over it; then, with a
brush, paint over the floor, after it has cooled. When thoroughly
dry, polish. The floor will look like oak.
Cheap Polish for Varnished Floors or Linoleum--Take equal
parts of kerosene, linseed oil and turpentine to make an
inexpensive polish for oiled or varnished floors. An application
of this polish to the kitchen linoleum with soft cloth or mop
will keep it like new.
Varnish for Linoleum--To make linoleum last much longer and
have a better appearance, give it a good coat of varnish every
few months.
To Make Wallpaper Waterproof--To varnish the paper back of the
sink, or other places, so it may be wiped with a damp cloth,
coat with a mixture made with one ounce of gum arabic, three
ounces of glue, and a bar of soap, dissolved in a quart of
water. This amount will coat quite a wide surface.
IN THE SEWING ROOM
When Hands Perspire and soil the sewing material, try bathing
them with strong alum water.
To Prevent Oil from Soiling Goods--To prevent a sewing machine
that has been oiled from soiling the material, try the following
method: Tie a small piece of ribbon, or cotton string, around
the needlebar near the point where it grips the needle.
When Scissors Get Blunt, sharpen them by opening and drawing
backward and forward on a piece of glass. This will sharpen the
bluntest of scissors.
To Tighten a Loose Sewing-Machine Belt, put a few drops of
castor-oil on it; run the machine a few minutes and the belt
will tighten.
To Remove Sewing-Machine Oil Spots:
(a) Wet the spots with spirits of turpentine and wash out with
cold water and toilet soap, or,
(b) Rub the spot with chalk as soon as noticed. Leave for a
short time, then brush, and the spot will disappear.
To Pair Stockings--For stockings with white heels or tops,
mark with indelible ink. For all-black stockings, use colored
threads, making a cross-stitch on one pair, two cross-stitches
on another, etc.
To Prevent Cutting of Stockings--If the covering of the button
on side elastics comes off, wind with a fine rubber band.
A Sewing Suggestion--A small, inexpensive flashlight should be
kept in the sewing machine drawer. It will not only save many
precious minutes, but will relieve eye strain when threading a
machine needle on a dark day or at night.
IN THE BEDROOM
To Clean Bed Springs--To clean the dust and dirt from bed
springs, set them out in the yard on a sunny day and turn the
hose on them freely. The sun and wind will afterward dry them in
a few minutes.
If Your Alarm Clock Rings Too Loudly, slip an elastic band
around the bell to diminish the noise. The wider the band that
is used, the greater will be the suppression.
Protection Against Spilled Water in Sick Bed--If water is
accidentally spilled in bed when attending someone who is ill,
it can be quickly dried by slipping a hot-water bag filled with
very hot water between the bed covers over the wet spot and
leaving it there for a few minutes.
To Clean and Polish Brass Beds--Brass bedsteads can be cleaned
by rubbing them with a cloth which has been slightly moistened
with sweet oil; then polished with a soft, dry duster, and
lastly with a chamois leather. If this is done occasionally, it
will keep them in good condition for years. But it is a better
plan to use the lacquer, given below, after cleaning.
Wooden bedsteads should be wiped every three months with a cloth
moistened with turpentine to keep them clean.
To Keep Brass from Tarnishing--To keep brass beds and other
forms of brass work from tarnishing, and also to avoid frequent
polishing, the brass should be lacquered with gum shellac
dissolved in alcohol. Apply the lacquer with a small paint
brush. Ten cents worth will lacquer a bedstead.
Clear, hard-drying varnish is also good for this purpose.
IN THE PARLOR
New Way to Fasten Lace Curtains--The best way to secure lace
or net curtains in place over the poles is to fasten with the
very fine wire hairpins, known as "invisible" hairpins. These
are so sharp that they can be pushed through the curtains
without injury to the fabric, and are so fine that they are more
invisible than pins. They have the added advantage of never
slipping out of place like small-headed pins, or becoming
entangled in the lace like safety-pins. Put them perpendicularly
(up and down) in the curtain with the rounded head at the top.
Filling for Sofa Cushions--Cut a roll of cotton in small
squares and put it in a pan in the oven and heat it for half an
hour. Do not let the cotton scorch. Every square will swell to
twice its original size and will be as light and fluffy as
feathers for stuffing sofa cushions.
To Brighten Carpets--Wipe them with warm water to which has
been added a few drops of ammonia.
To Clean Picture Glass--Clean the glass over pictures with a
cloth wrung from hot water and dipped in alcohol. Polish them
immediately, until they are dry and glossy, with a chamois or
tissue paper.
Polish for Leather Upholstered Furniture--Turpentine and
beeswax mixed to the consistency of thin cream makes a fine
polish for leather upholstered furniture.
To Fasten Small Pieces on Furniture--For fixing on small
pieces of wood chipped off furniture, use the white of an egg.
Onion Water for Gilt Frames--Flies may be kept from damaging
gilt frames by going over the frames with a soft brush dipped in
a pint of water in which three or four onions have been boiled.
This is also good for cleaning the frames.
To Remove Fly Specks from Gilding--Old ale is a good thing
with which to wash any gilding, as it acts at once on the fly
dirt. Apply with a soft rag.
To Clean Gilded Picture Frames, use a weak solution of ammonia
and water. Go over the gilt gently with a moist cloth, and after
a few moments, when the dirt has had time to soften, repeat the
operation. Do not rub hard, and dry by dabbing gently with a
soft cloth.
IN THE BATHROOM
For Clogged Lavatory Basins--Mix a handful of soda with a
handful of common salt and force it down the pipe; then rinse
the pipe thoroughly with boiling water.
To Clean Bath Tub and Wash Bowl--Some housekeepers like to use
kerosene in the bath tub to take off the soapsuds and stain that
will gather, but the odor is sometimes objectionable. To clean
the bath tub and the wash bowl in a jiffy use a half lemon rind
turned wrong side out.
To Clean Mirrors--A little camphor rubbed on a mirror after
the dust has been wiped off will brighten it wonderfully.
To Clean and Purify a Sponge--Rub a fresh lemon thoroughly
into a soured sponge and then rinse several times. The sponge
can be made as sweet as a new one.
IN THE LAUNDRY
To Clean Dirty Clothesline--Wrap it around the washboard and
scrub it with a brush and soap suds.
Brick for Iron Stand--If a brick is used for an iron stand,
the iron will hold its heat much longer than when an ordinary
stand is used.
Lemon for Whitening Clothes--Put a slice of lemon, with rind
on, in your boiler of clothes and it will remove stains and make
your clothes white without injuring them.
To Prevent Starch from Sticking to the Iron--Borax and oily
substances added to starch will increase the gloss on the
article to be ironed and will also prevent the starch from
sticking to the iron.
To Make Water Softer for Washing--Use four ounces of alcohol
and one-half ounce of ammonia. If used for toilet purposes add
to this one dram of oil of lavender.
A couple of teaspoonfuls of glycerine to a small tubful of water
will soften the lather in which flannel pieces are to be washed.
To Protect Hand from a Gasoline Iron--When using a gasoline
iron, a little steam always rises from the iron and burns the
hand. Before putting on your glove, rub the side of the hand
well with vaseline and this burning can be avoided.
To Prevent Woolen Blankets from Shrinking--After washing
woolen blankets put them on curtain stretchers to dry and
prevent shrinking.
To Restore Flannels, which have become hard and shrunken, to
their former softness, soak them in gasoline.
To Make Linen Glossy--When a gloss is desired for linen goods,
add a teaspoonful of salt to the starch when making.
Quick Method of Sprinkling Clothes--Turn the nozzle of the
garden hose to a fine spray and sprinkle the clothes while they
are on the line. All plain pieces can then be rolled up and laid
in the basket as they are taken down. Starched pieces may need a
little further hand sprinkling.
When Laundering Sash Curtains, never starch the hem; the rod can
then be run through it without danger of tearing.
To Clean Wringer Rollers--Kerosene is excellent for cleaning
the rubber rollers of a clothes wringer. After it has been
applied rinse the rollers off with warm water.
When Ironing Calicoes--Dark calicoes should always be ironed
on the wrong side of the goods with irons that are not too hot.
To Make White Curtains Ecru or Cream Color--First soak
curtains over night in cold water to remove all dust. In the
morning wash in usual way and rinse thoroughly to remove all
soap. Then put them in boiler with a tan stocking and remove
when the desired color is obtained.
To Stretch Curtains Without a Curtain Frame--Fold the lace
curtain double lengthwise; then pin it on a tightly stretched
line with many clothes-pins and slip a clean pole inside the
folded curtain. This stretches the curtain satisfactorily and
saves considerable time and money when a curtain stretcher is
not available.
Right Way to Hang Skirts--In laundering skirts made of pique,
cotton or woolen pin them to the line by the waistband so they
will hang straight down. If pinned this way they shrink evenly
all around instead of sagging, as they do when pinned at the
hem.
Bleaching a Scorched Spot--If you scorch a piece of white
goods while ironing, immediately rub the spot with a cloth
dipped in diluted peroxide, then run the iron over it and the
cloth will be as white as before.
To Iron Over Buttons, Etc.--When ironing over blouses or
frocks with large buttons or hooks and eyes on, use several
thicknesses of blanket or Turkish towels to iron them on. Turn
the garment button-side down, and press on the wrong side. The
buttons will sink into the soft padding and leave a smooth
surface for the iron to run over.
To Restore Color--When color on a fabric has been accidentally
or otherwise destroyed by acid, apply ammonia to neutralize the
same, after which an application of chloroform will usually
restore the original color. The use of ammonia is common, but
that of chloroform is but little known.
To Set Color in Wash Goods before laundering: Any colored fabric
should have color set before washing, using the method below
which is best suited to the goods:
For green, blue, pink, pinkish purple, lavender and aniline
reds, soak for 10 minutes in alum water, using three ounces of
alum to a tub of water.
For black-and-white, gray, purple, and dark blue, soak in salt
water, using a teaspoonful of common salt to a quart of water;
soak one hour and rinse thoroughly.
Dry in the shade. If in doubt about the goods, first try a small
piece of it as above and note carefully the result.
Vinegar is also considered good for dark colors, using
one-fourth cup of vinegar to one quart of water.
Sugar of lead is best for delicate greens, blues and tans. Use
one teaspoonful of sugar of lead to one quart of water.
To Get Rid of Ants--To rid the house of ants, smear the cracks
and corners of the infested rooms with balsam of peru.
MISCELLANEOUS
A Cheap Floor Wax--A satisfactory and economical floor wax
which is excellent for use on hardwood floors: To one-half cake
of melted paraffin add one teacupful of turpentine. Apply to the
clean dry floor with a cloth; then polish with a woolen cloth or
weighted brush. It gives an excellent polish and keeps the floor
nice and light.
To Loosen Screws and Nails which have become rusted into wood:
(1) Drop a little paraffin on them, and after a short time they
can easily be removed, or,
(2) Hold a red hot iron to the head of the screw for a short
time and use the screwdriver while the screw is still hot.
To Put Hooks in Hardwood--When putting hooks in hardwood, use
a clothes-pin to turn them, or slip the handle of a knife or any
small steel article through the hook and turn until it is secure
in the wood. This will save your fingers from aching.
Insoles from Old Felt Hats--Cut out pieces from old felt hats
big enough to fit the inside of your shoes. This makes a fine
insole, and is a great help to keep the feet warm.
Novelty Candle-Holders--Rosy-cheeked apples, polished and
hollowed out to receive the end of a candle, make charming
candle-sticks at a children's party. Especially where a color
scheme of red and white is carried out, nothing prettier or more
suitable could be designed.
Lime for Damp and Musty Cellars--A few lumps of unslaked lime
in the cellar will keep the air pure and sweet and also absorb
the dampness.
Handy Ice Pick--If an ice pick is not available or is
misplaced for the time being, an ordinary hat pin gradually
forced into ice produces a crack and separates the ice without a
sound. Needles and even common pins are used in hospitals to
crack ice for patients.
Help in Freezing Cream Quickly--If the freezer is packed half
an hour before the mixture is put in the can the freezing will
be speedier. Allow three times the quantity of ice that there is
of salt. Mix before using, or put in the freezer in layers.
Cutting Off Old Bottles and Their Uses--A bottle may be cut
off by wrapping a cord saturated in kerosene oil around it
several times at the point you wish to cut it, then setting fire
to the cord, and just when it has finished burning plunge the
bottle into cold water and tap the end you wish to break off.
Odd shaped or prettily colored bottles make nice vases. The top
of a large bottle with a small neck makes a good funnel. Large
round bottles make good jelly glasses.
Many other uses will no doubt suggest themselves to your mind.
More Serviceable Umbrella Jars--Place a large carriage sponge
in the bottom of the umbrella jar to prevent umbrellas from
striking the bottom of the jar and breaking it. The sponge will
also absorb the water from a dripping umbrella.
Squeaking Hammock--If your hammock has an annoying squeak
where the rope or chain is joined on the hook, slip the finger
from an old glove over the hook before putting on the rope or
chain.
To Lubricate a Clock--If your clock stops on account of being
gummed with dust, place a small piece of cotton saturated with
kerosene in the clock, and leave it there several hours. The
fumes from the kerosene will loosen the dirt, and the clock will
run again as well as ever.
A Grape-Basket for the Clothespins, with a wire hook fastened to
the handle, will save much time when hanging out clothes; it can
be pushed along the line and will always be handy for use.
For Worn Carpet Sweeper Pulleys--To keep the wood pulleys on
carpet sweeper brushes from slipping after they have worn
smooth, wrap once or twice with adhesive tape. This will also
keep the pulleys from wearing unevenly with the grain of the
wood.
To Protect Clothing Spread on the Grass for Bleaching--When
linen pieces or small articles of clothing are placed upon the
grass to whiten, much trouble may be prevented by spreading a
strip of cheesecloth over them and fastening it down with wooden
pegs or hairpins. This does not prevent bleaching, but keeps off
worms and bugs, and prevents the articles from being blown away
by the wind.
To Soften Paint Brushes that have been used for varnishing and
not been cleaned, soak them in turpentine.
To soften brushes that have dried paint in them soak in hot
vinegar or in turpentine or gasoline.
Vinegar for Dried Mucilage--When mucilage has dried at the
bottom of the bottle, pour a spoonful or two of vinegar in it,
and let it stand awhile. The mucilage will be as good as ever.
To Remove Paper Labels, wet the face of the label with water and
hold it near a flame or stove.
To Separate Postage Stamps--When postage stamps stick together
do not soak them. Instead, lay a thin paper over them, and run a
hot iron over the paper. They will come apart easily and the
mucilage on the back of the stamps can be used as though it was
new.
Soap Application When Eyeglasses Steam--To prevent annoyance
caused by a deposit of moisture upon eyeglasses, when going from
a cold into a warm atmosphere, moisten the tips of the fingers
and rub them over a cake of soap. Then rub them over the lens,
and polish as usual. One application every day or two is all
that is necessary.
For the Invalid's Room--A few drops of oil of lavender in
boiling water is excellent for the invalid's room.
For Perspiration Odor--The unpleasant odor of perspiration often
causes much annoyance. Instead of using perfumery, wash the body
with warm water to which has been added two tablespoonfuls of
compound spirits of ammonia. This will leave the skin sweet,
clean, and fresh.
For a Sprain--Salt and vinegar, bound on a sprain, will
relieve the pain in a very little while.
To Prevent a Blister on the Heel--If shoes slip and cause
blisters on the heels, rub paraffin on the stocking. In a short
time the slipping will stop.
For Burns, Etc.--If you burn your finger or hand make a strong
solution of bluing water and soak the affected part in it for
ten minutes, or longer if necessary. The pain will quickly
disappear and no soreness will result.
For Insomnia--A heaping bowl of bread and milk, seasoned with
salt, and eaten just before retiring, is recommended as a sure
cure for the worst case of insomnia.
Sulphur to Rid House of Rats--Sulphur will successfully rid
the house of rats if sprinkled in bureau drawers, closets, and
around holes where they are liable to come in. The farmer, also,
will find that his corn will not be troubled if he sprinkles it
about the barn.
To Get Rid of Mice--Mice do not like the smell of peppermint,
and a little oil of peppermint placed about their haunts will
soon force them to look for other quarters.
Lumps of camphor placed about their haunts is another effective
method of keeping mice away.
To Kill Weeds--If annoyed with dock, dandelion, or other
weeds, fill an oil-can with kerosene. With a knife cut the weed
off at the ground, or just below, and put a drop or two of
kerosene on the heart of the weed. It will not grow again
afterward.
To Take Mildew Out of Leather--Mildew on leather may be
removed with pure vaseline. Rub a little of this into the
leather until quite absorbed, and then polish carefully with a
clean chamois leather.
To Destroy Earthworms--To rid the earth in flower-pots of
worms, mix a small quantity of finely-pulverized tobacco with
the earth in each.
To Induce a Canary to Take a Bath, sprinkle a few seeds on the
water. This added attraction will make the bath become a habit
with the little pet.
A Cure for Leaky Pens--Empty the fountain pen and clean it
thoroughly; fill with ink and apply some soap to the threads of
the screw.
If Your Fingers Become Stained with Ink, wet the head of a match
and rub it on the spots. Then rinse the fingers with soap and
water and the ink will quickly disappear.
A Handy Pen or Brush Holder for Your Desk--A sheet of
corrugated paper is a handy thing to have on your writing desk
to hold wet pens or brushes. The paper will absorb the liquid
and the corrugations will hold the pens or brushes in convenient
position.
A Novel Match Scratcher--To avoid matches being scratched on
the wall-paper almost as much as on the match-scratch, try the
idea of removing the glass from a small oval or square picture
frame and framing a piece of sandpaper just as one would a
picture. Put a small screw-eye on top of the frame, thus
allowing it to hang perfectly flat against the wall. The frame
prevents the match from being carried over the edges of the
sandpaper onto the wall.
Emergency White Glove Repair--If your white glove rips or
tears accidentally just as you are putting it on to go out, and
there is no time to mend same, put a small strip of white
adhesive plaster over the spot and it will never be noticed.
To Keep Rugs from Slipping--Cut a three-cornered piece of
rubber sheeting to fit each corner and sew it firmly in place.
Another way is to take a piece of heavy, rough sheathing paper a
bit smaller than the rug and lay the rug on that.
For Sagging Chair Seats--When cane-seated chairs sag they can
be tightened by washing the bottom of the cane in hot water
and soap; then rinse in clean water and dry out-of-doors.
Two Uses for Velveteen--Old velveteen, fastened over a firm
broom, is excellent for wiping down walls.
To polish furniture, use a piece of velveteen instead of chamois
leather. The former is much cheaper than the chamois and serves
just as well.
Saltpeter for Icy Steps--Ice on marble or stone steps can be
thawed by sprinkling several handfuls of saltpeter on it.
An Easy Fly Exterminator--To drive out flies put twenty drops
of oil of lavender in a saucer and dilute it slightly with hot
water. The sweet, heavy odor of the lavender is very disagreeable
to the flies, and the house will soon be rid of them.
To Avoid Mistakes with Poison--When poison is kept in the
house, push two stout, sharp-pointed pins through the corks
crosswise. The pricking points remind even the most careless
person of danger.
To Pick Up Broken Glass--Even the smallest pieces of broken
glass can be easily picked up by using a bit of wet absorbent
cotton, which can afterward be destroyed by burning.
For Leaky Vases or Other Ornamental Bric-a-Brac--If a valuable
flower vase leaks, take some melted paraffin, such as is used
over jelly-jars, and pour it into the vase and let it harden
over the spot where the leak occurs. It will not leak again.
Polish for Floors--Rub polished floors with a mixture of
one-third raw linseed oil and two-thirds paraffin. Afterward
polish with a dry cloth.
To Prevent a Rocking Chair from Creeping across the room while
rocking in it, glue strips of velvet on bottom of chair rockers,
and the annoyance will cease.
To Mark Place for Picture-Nail--When just the right position
has been found to hang the picture, moisten your finger and
press it against the place where the nail should go. This does
away with the awkward reaching for hammer and nail while holding
the picture against the wall.
An Unbreakable Bead Chain--A violin string makes an excellent
chain for stringing beads. It will stand a great amount of wear
and tear and will practically last forever.
When Packing Flowers for Transportation--When flowers are to
be sent some distance it is a good plan to place the ends of the
stems in a raw potato. They will keep as fresh as if in water.
(1) To Keep Flowers Fresh--To keep flowers fresh put a small
piece of sugar in the water.
(2) To Keep Flowers Fresh, place a pinch of bicarbonate of soda
in the water before putting them into a vase.
(3) Cut flowers with woody stems will last much longer in water
if the stalks are scraped for about three inches up.
When Taking Down Pictures in House-Cleaning Time a stick with a
deep notch in the end, to lift picture-cords from hooks, is a
great convenience.