A piece of charcoal to be changed occasionally should be kept in
refrigerators as a purifier. Milk, butter and all strong-smelling articles
should be kept covered, especially when the water from the refrigerator
is used for drinking.
Old wall paper can be very much improved in appearance by simply
rubbing it well with a flannel cloth dipped in oat meal.
Carbolic acid may be used with satisfactory results during the sum-
mer months to destroy ants, and as a disinfectant.
Gum camphor is a speedy remedy to clear the house of cockroaches.
An oyster shell put into a tea-kettle will prevent its becoming furred.
Newspapers are good for cleaning stoves, tinware, knives, spoons,
mirrors, windows and lamp chimneys.
To prevent milk rapidly souring, put in a very small portion of bicar-
bonate of soda.
Apply a little soap to the hinges to prevent the doors creaking.
Kitchen floors painted with boiled linseed oil are easiest cleaned.
When water has once been made to boil, the fire may be very much
lessened, as but little heat is required to keep it at a boiling point.
There is no advantage whatever in making water boil furiously ; the
heat will escape in steam, without raising the heat of the water.
Kerosene lamps which are trimmed daily rarely explode. The care-
lessness of the housewife can be blamed for most of the lamp explosions.
Grease can be drawn from unpainted kitchen floors by putting plenty
of soft soap on the spot and rubbing a hot flat-iron through the soap.
One application is usually sufficient; sometimes another is required,
washing thoroughly afterwards.
Oil cloths can be kept like new if washed once a month in skim milk
and water, equal quantities of each ; rub them once in three months
with linseed oil ; put on very little, rub it in well and polish with an old
silk cloth, and they will keep for years.
Nothing is better to clean silver with than alcohol and ammonia ;
after rubbing with this take a little whitening or a soft cloth and polish
in this way ; even frosted silver, which is so difficult to clean, may be
easily made clear and bright.
To remove ink spots on floors : Rub with sand wet in oil of vitriol
and water. When the ink is removed, rinse with strong pearl-ash
water.
To clean brass, immerse or wash it several times in sour milk or
whey'; this will brighten it without scouring; it may then be scoured
with a woolen cloth dipped in ashes.
To remove the lids of tin cans, place a shovelful of live coals on the
top, which will speedily unsolder them ; they can then be removed by
SERVICEABLE SUGGESTIONS. 191
the aid of an old case-knife ; care must be taken or the side seam will
also open.
Take coach varnish and renew all the old oil cloths. Wash them
clean, wipe dry and apply a coat of varnish. Be careful not to step on
them until they are dry. If this is done once a year the oil cloths will
last twice as long as they will without it.
In washing windows a narrow bladed wooden knife, sharply pointed,
will take out the dust that hardens in the corners of the sash. Dry
whiting will polish the glass, which should first be washed with weak
black tea mixed with a little alcohol.
Page 169
Presented as published in 1886. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
A piece of charcoal to be changed occasionally should be kept in refrigerators as a purifier. Milk, butter and all strong-smelling articles should be kept covered, especially when the water from the refrigerator is used for drinking.
Old wall paper can be very much improved in appearance by simply rubbing it well with a flannel cloth dipped in oat meal.
Carbolic acid may be used with satisfactory results during the summer months to destroy ants, and as a disinfectant.
Gum camphor is a speedy remedy to clear the house of cockroaches.
An oyster shell put into a tea-kettle will prevent its becoming furred.
Newspapers are good for cleaning stoves, tinware, knives, spoons, mirrors, windows and lamp chimneys.
To prevent milk rapidly souring, put in a very small portion of bicarbonate of soda.
Apply a little soap to the hinges to prevent the doors creaking.
Kitchen floors painted with boiled linseed oil are easiest cleaned.
When water has once been made to boil, the fire may be very much lessened, as but little heat is required to keep it at a boiling point. There is no advantage whatever in making water boil furiously ; the heat will escape in steam, without raising the heat of the water.
Kerosene lamps which are trimmed daily rarely explode. The carelessness of the housewife can be blamed for most of the lamp explosions.
Grease can be drawn from unpainted kitchen floors by putting plenty of soft soap on the spot and rubbing a hot flat-iron through the soap. One application is usually sufficient; sometimes another is required, washing thoroughly afterwards.
Oil cloths can be kept like new if washed once a month in skim milk and water, equal quantities of each ; rub them once in three months with linseed oil ; put on very little, rub it in well and polish with an old silk cloth, and they will keep for years.
Nothing is better to clean silver with than alcohol and ammonia ; after rubbing with this take a little whitening or a soft cloth and polish in this way ; even frosted silver, which is so difficult to clean, may be easily made clear and bright.
To remove ink spots on floors : Rub with sand wet in oil of vitriol and water. When the ink is removed, rinse with strong pearl-ash water.
To clean brass, immerse or wash it several times in sour milk or whey; this will brighten it without scouring; it may then be scoured with a woolen cloth dipped in ashes.
To remove the lids of tin cans, place a shovelful of live coals on the top, which will speedily unsolder them ; they can then be removed by
SERVICEABLE SUGGESTIONS. 191
the aid of an old case-knife ; care must be taken or the side seam will also open.
Take coach varnish and renew all the old oil cloths. Wash them clean, wipe dry and apply a coat of varnish. Be careful not to step on them until they are dry. If this is done once a year the oil cloths will last twice as long as they will without it.
In washing windows a narrow bladed wooden knife, sharply pointed, will take out the dust that hardens in the corners of the sash. Dry whiting will polish the glass, which should first be washed with weak black tea mixed with a little alcohol.