The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-10-09
Miscellaneous.

TO keep lemons fresh, place them in
jar filed with water, to be renewed
every day or two.
Rubbing fiat-irons on sand-papel
will remove every bit of starch, and rem
der them very smooth.
To prevent moths in carpets, wash
the floor, before laying them, with spir-
its of turpentine or benzine.
To clean straw bonnets, first brush
them with soap and water, then with a
solution of OXalic acid.
Milk which has turned or changed,
may be sweetened or rendered fit for
use again, by stirring in little soda.
Dry paint can be softened and re-
moved by an application, with a swab,
of a strong solution of oXalic acid.
To make mustard plaster that will
draw well but not blister, mix with
the white of an egg instead of water or
vinegar.
If a shirt-bOsOm or any other article
has been scorched in ironing, lay it
where bright sun will fall directly on it.
1t will take it entirely out.
Grease can be drawn from unpaint-
ed kitchen floors by putting plenty of
soft soap on the spot and rubbing hot
fiat-irOn through the soap. One appli-
cation is usually sufficient; sometimes
another is required, washing thoroughly
afterwards.
Salt or beef's-gall, in the water,
helps to set black. A tablespoonful of
spirits of turpentine to gallon of water
sets most blues, and alum is very eff
ficacious in setting green. Black or
very dark calicoes should be stiffened
with gum-arabic-fve cents worth is
enough for dress. If, however, starch
is used, the garment should be turned
wrong side out.
There are various methods for re-
moving ink-stains from white fabrics,
but most of them attack the material
itself. With cOlored goods the difficulty
is increased, for that which will remove
the ink will destroy the color. An
European paper now states that if the
stain is dipped into hot melted suet or
tallow and washed when cold in hot
water it will remove the ink together
with the fat.
The lemon strip bought at stores
can be made at home much cheaper.
Take pound of Havana sugar, boil it
in water down to quart, drop in the
white of an egg to clarity it, strain it,
add one quarter of an ounce of tartaric
or citric acid. If you do not find it sour
enough after it has stood two or three
days, add more of the acid. A few drops
Of oil of lemon improves it.
TO wash fine laces, take large
necked bottle, fill with rain-water, put
in the laces with piece of CASTLE soap,
leave them to soak well, strongly shak-
ing the bottle now and then. When
well washed put the laces in clear water
with a little blueing and gum-arabic;
then wiring slightly. Do not iron, but
lay them in the sun on a stiff cloth with
a pin in each loop. For Valenciennes,
rinse them in weak coffee with little
gum-arabic; dry the same way.
-AlLwool dress goods or colored flan-
nelS should be washed out quickly in
tepid water, rinsed in water of the same
temperature, wrung dry, and then fold
ed up for a time, together with one or
two sheets, so that the moisture shall be
extracted by the cotton or linen; they
should then be ironed till dry. Apatent
wringer (made of India rubber rollers,
which can be adjusted) is almost indis-
pensable in washing. 1t does not wear
the clothes like the twisting and wrench
ing of hand-wringing, and saves the
most eXhausting part of the wash, be-
sides leaving the clothes drier than can
be the case with ordinary Handwriting
inc.