The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1905-08-24
HINTS TO HOUsEkEEPERs.
Budget of Domestic Lore From Which
Something Of Use May Be
Cleaned,

Pillows wear out just like anything
even though one may change the tick
covering from time to time: the feathers
become impregnated with dust and dir:
and lose the life that IS in all good
feathers at first Then, too, years ago
feathers were not prepared, nor pillows
made according to the scientific methods
that now obtain. A pair OF feather pill
lows bought to-day Of a reliable firm,
are not at all like the feather pillows OF
a1t grandmother's day, as one sooU
finds, and 1t would be wise for many i
housewife to go through her bed cham
bers and place new pillows on every
bed, renovating the feathers in the old
pillows, perhaps, but using them for
filling sofa pillows, for which purpose
they do very well, but not for affording
Comfortable rest and sleep at night
Half lemon placed III the water in
which dish towels and -kitchen-cldths
are soaked is said to sweeten them won
derfully.
The following recipe is highly recon-
tnended for its efficacy in cleansing fab
RIGS without injuring the texture OF
starting" the color. however delicate:
Crate two potatoes of ordinary size into
a bowl containing one pint Of clean. cold
water Strain carefully through sieve
allowing the liquid to fall into another
vessel containing an additional pint OF
cold water Let It settle and then pou1
off the water and bottle it for use. II
may be put into clean fruit jar. Rub
the soiled garment softly with sponge
dipped in the potato water, after which
wash it in clean water. Dry-carefully i'll
the shade and then iron It. Use the sed-
iment left after pouring off the water
for cleaning heavy clothes, rugs and car
pets.
Try poultice of tea leaves as cure
for burns and scalds. Pour boiling wa
ter over the tea, and as soon as the leaves
are soft, and after they have cooled of
a little, form poultice of them over the
burn and cover with cotton. The pain
it is said, will stop Immediately.
1t is said that thin silk stockings, il
worn under ordinary cotton stockings
will prevent chilblains as well as keep
the feet warm.
The various brushes used about the
household and for toilet purposes can
be made stiff and fresh by thorough
washing in good soap and cold water
and then drying, Dristles downward.
For the finer hairbrushes use borax in.
stead of soap. When brushes are hung
up let them hang with their backs to
the wall.
A good time housewife offers the
following rule for starch: Mix one ta
blespoonful of starch with four table,
spoonfuls of cold water and pour on this
three quarts of boiling water. Boil for
20 minutes. Then add one teaspoonful
of salt and piece of paraffine wax half
the size Of a nutmeg. Stir until the wax
is dissolved, then cool and strain
through cheesecloth. To add lustre, soak
the articles in this preparation for six
hours.
That salt possesses tonic qualities Is
well known, but it has remained for a
woman suffering from nervous prostra-
tion to use dry sea salt rub with bene
fetal results. She soaks a coarse wash
cloth in strong solution or the sea salt,
then dries IT, After her cold bath each
morning she wipes off the moisture with
q towel, then rubs with the salty cloth
till her skin is in a glow. She says she
has found this to be far more invigOrat-
Ing than the usual bath in salt water.
The persistent use of borax will de.
stroy cockroaches. Once week cover
the pantry shelves with powdered borax.
Sprinkle it plentifully in the closets and
about the kitchen, especially about the
sink and all pipes. When renewing.
sweep up the old, systematically clean
every nook and Granny, dry thoroughly.
then sprinkle fresh borax over the
shelves and line with clean paper. Per-
sist in this, and the bugs will go.