Page:The White House Cook Book.djvu/614

 572 FACTS WORTH KNOWING.

To Preserve Bouquets: Put a little saltpetre in the water you use for your bouquets and the flowers will live for a fortnight.

To Destroy Cockroaches: Hellebore sprinkled on the floor at night. They eat it and are poisoned.

To Remove Iron Rust: Lemon juice and salt will remove ordi- nary iron rust. If the hands are stained there is nothing that will remove the stains as well as lemon. Cut a lemon in halves and apply the cut surface as if it were soap.

To Keep Bar Soap: Cut it into pieces and put it into a dry place ; it is more economical to use after it has become hard, as it does not waste so readily.

To Brighten Carpets: Carpets, after the dust has been beaten out may be brightened by scattering upon them corn meal mixed with salt and then sweeping it off. Mix salt and meal in equal propor- tions. Carpets should be thoroughly beaten on the wrong side first and then on the right side, after which spots may be removed by the use of ox-gall or ammonia and water.

Silver Tea and Coffeepot: When putting away those not in use every day lay a little stick across the top under the cover. This will allow fresh air to get in and prevent the mustiness of the contents, familiar to hotel and boarding-house sufferers.

To Prevent Creaking of Bedsteads: If a bedstead creaks at eadh movement of the sleeper, remove the slats, and wrap the ends of each in old newspapers.

To Clean Unvarnished Black Walnut: -Milk, sour or sweet, well rubbed in with an old soft flannel, will make black walnut look new.

To Prevent Cracking of Bottles and Fruit Jars: If a bottle or fruit- jar that has been more than once used is placed on a towel thoroughly soaked in hot water, there is little danger of its being cracked by the introduction of a hot liquid.

To Prevent Lamp-wicks from Smoking: Soak them in vinegar and then dry them thoroughly.

Eub the nickel stove-trimmings and the plated handles and hinges of doors with kerosene and whiting, and polish with a dry cloth.

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