Domestic / Household

The stains of tea are very stubborn and not at all ready to give way to simple applications. A weak solution of chloride of lime is an effectual remedy but it often removes the colour of the material as well as the stain. Stir half a teaspoon of chloride of lime into a pint of hot water, when cold and the sediment has settled at the bottom, pour off the clear liquid and dip the stain into it once or twice, not letting it lie. Rinse in clear water. Read more......

Never scrub lacquered or varnished brass. Apply a paste of lemon juice and cream of tartar. Leave on for five minutes. Wash with warm water and dry thoroughly with a soft cloth.

Before putting emulsion or paste in a bucket, line it with a plastic carrier bag. This saves the work of cleaning the bucket later. You can throw out the bag.

Add a few drops of vinegar to the water when boiling sprouts, cabbage or cauliflower. This reduces the smell considerably. Mrs E. Meikle-John Read more......

A good method of restoring discoloured brown shoes is to paint them with iodine. Let them dry after the painting process, and then polish in the usual way. To blacken brown shoes rub them all over with a raw potato, then blacken with ordinary shoe polish.

Fitted sheets can be a problem to fold. But its easy if you place the sheet on a table, fold in three lengthwise and then just roll it up.

To clean electric bulbs, use methylated spirits instead of water. There is then no danger of dampness getting onto the fixtures, as the spirits evaporate quickly. Read more......

I seldom use shoe polish for brown shoes. I take a banana skin and rub them with the side next to the fruit. This also removes spots or dark marks. I learned about the banana method in 1903. We got banana's at 9d a dozen then, and a fellow home from Jamaica gave us this tip. Read more......

The life of a pair of rubber gloves can be greatly prolonged by proper care. Wash and rinse thoroughly after each using, dry by patting with a soft towel while on the hands, and dust with talcum powder to remove the last traces of moisture. Then turn wrong side out, and again dust with talcum to absorb all traces of moisture due to contact with the hands. Any tears or cuts should be mended immediately with patches of adhesive tape applied to the under-side. Read more......