Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-03-30
Che Pouseholo.
VARIOUS HINTS.


wire about the carriage as it may prove
useful in mending the harness should it
break unexpectedly on journey.
Wrap fruit jars with paper to keep out
the light.
Never sun feather-beds. Air them
thoroughly on windy day in a cool
place. The sun draws the oil and gives
the feathers rancid smell.
Tin vessels rust and are often worth
less in few weeks, because, after wash
ing, they are not set on the stove for a
moment, or in the sun, to dry thor
oughly before they are put away.
Mix stove polish with vinegar and a
teaspoonful of sugar.
To brighten or clean silver or nickel
plated ware, rub with wooden cloth and
flour.
A dish of whiting should be kept by
every hOusekeeper. 1t makes nickel shine
like silver and removes grease and dirt
from paint without injuring it.
Saleratus or soda cleans tins beauti-
fully.
Clogged wcks can be cleaned by boil
ing them in soap-suds.
Spirits of ammonia rubbed over nickel
ornaments, by applying with saturated
wooden cloth, will keep them bright.
An old hoe or spade blade set into a
block of wood, in which a slanting slit
has been sawn to hold the blade in place,
will make a good boot scraper. The
block may be screwed by the doorstep
or along the boardwalk.
Have mats at top and bottom of cellar
stairs. or else carpet the steps with old
carpet. 1t will prevent carrying dirt on
your feet out of the cellar.
When your coal fire is getting low a
tablespoonful ofsalt thrown over it will
help it to come up.
Egg shells crushed into small bits and
shaken well in decanters, three parts fill
ed with cold water, will not only clean
them thoroughly, but make the glass
look like new.
We are thinking of spring house clean
ing and | have been frequently asked
how to make good color of whiting and
lampblack. and our method is to soak the
whiting awhile and add little Prussian
blue if French gray is required a little
-four paste and salt helps to make it
stick. Buff requires chrome yellow, and
good salmon can be made by adding
Venetian red.
Ingram carpets, worn beyond repair,
should be cut into lengthwise strips and
woven the same as rag carpet. 1t is
unnecessary to sew the ingram cuttings,
weavers generally preferring to overlap
the strips as they weave. Mats and car
pets assume quite a Persian look when
made in this way. and are very durable.
TO those who find lace curtains and
the necessary rods and rings too expen-
sive Il luxury, | would suggest using
plain white cheese-cloth curtains trim
med with lace and cretonne. Very pref
~ and dainty curtains can be made as
follows; For one window take six yards
I
tain three yards long. Make a ten-inch
hem at bottom of curtain and with WOW
en-, knitted or crocheted cotton lace five
inches wide ornament the bottom and the
entire length of inside of curtain. Across
the top of curtain sew two strips of ere
tonne, leaving fOur-inch space between
the strips. Sew lace across the lower
edge of lower strip and the curtain is
complete. For rods use well-shapad
broomsticks neatly painted with black
paint; the ends can be ornamented with
the fancy knobs, such as are used on the
more expensive curtain rods, and which
can be obtained at the furniture stores
at trlhing cost. Gilt, or scarlet and
gilt, HARNESS. rings can be used, also
cornice screws instead of brackets, on
which to suspend the rods. Loop the
curtains back with bands of cretonne.-
lGOod Cheer.
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