Part 10

Wash and pick grapes from stems, press out the juice, measure, and put in a stone jar with three pounds of sugar to each gallon. Skim it for twelve consecutive days. Then strain, and add one and one-half pints alcohol to six gallons of juice. Pour in stone jars and cork tightly.

STRAWBERRY WINE

Proceed as for Grape Wine, using two and one-half pounds of sugar to each gallon of juice.

UNFERMENTED GRAPE JUICE

Have thoroughly fresh ripe grapes. Wash, remove skins, boil skins and pulp together in a little water till tender. Strain through cheese cloth, but do not squeeze. Hang up to drip several hours. Measure the juice, put it on to boil and as soon as it starts boiling, add half as much sugar as there is juice. Boil till sugar dissolves, put into jars and seal hot.

MAKING LEMON FLAVORING No. 1

Cut the rinds of two lemons in small pieces, put them into a four ounce bottle, fill with deodorized strong alcohol and let stand in a warm place for one week. Put two drachms fresh oil of lemon, four ounces of deodorized strong alcohol and the juice of half a lemon in a large bottle and strain into the contents of the smaller bottle.

MAKING LEMON FLAVORING No. 2

Cover small pieces of fresh lemon peel with brandy in tightly covered jars, and use the liquid later for flavoring.

DRIED LEMON FLAVORING

Put dried lemon peel through the food chopper two or three times, sift, and put the fine powder away for flavoring.

MAKING ORANGE FLAVORING

Proceed same as in making Lemon Flavoring.

MAKING VANILLA FLAVORING No. 1

With one ounce of finely cut fresh vanilla beans, rub two ounces of sugar and put in a pint bottle. Pour over this four ounces of distilled water and ten ounces of 95% deodorized alcohol. Let stand for two weeks in a warm place, shaking occasionally.

MAKING VANILLA FLAVORING No. 2

Proceed as in making Dried Lemon Flavoring.

Vanilla should be kept in the dark.

TO CLARIFY VINEGAR OR WINE

To each gallon of vinegar, pour in one pint or a little more, of new milk, and let stand one day. The milk will be curdled and caked in the bottom of the jar and all the sediment will adhere to it, and the vinegar may be drained off perfectly clear.

WATERMELON VINEGAR

Take the inside of very ripe watermelons, crush in a stone jar, strain the juice into glass jars, cover and set away to sour. Makes good vinegar.

A small button of garlic in a quart of vinegar gives a good flavor to salads with which it is used.

PERSONAL COMFORTS AND THINGS GOOD TO KNOW

GOOD COMPLEXION CREAMS

Plenty of buttermilk drank each day.

At least a tablespoonful of olive oil each day.

Tomatoes eaten daily.

Onions eaten three times a week.

Plenty of good drinking water.

Apples eaten daily.

CUTS, BURNS, ETC.

Put a few drops of carbolic acid in the water to wash cuts, burns and bruises.

Never close a cut with court plaster. When necessary to cover it to keep out dirt, or to prevent hitting it, fasten a soft piece of linen over it.

AN INSECT IN THE EAR

Hold a lighted lamp to the ear, and the insect will at once come toward it.

TO REMOVE A SUBSTANCE FROM THE EYE

To remove a foreign substance from the eye, slice a very thin piece from a raw potato, raise the lid and lay the potato on the eyeball. Leave for a little time, remove and the substance will be found adhering to the potato.

A moistened flax-seed may be used in the same manner as the potato piece.

TO PREVENT EYE-GLASSES STEAMING

Rub both sides of eye-glass lenses with soap or vaseline, wipe off with a soft cloth and polish with tissue paper or a silk handkerchief, and glasses will not steam in cold weather.

TO REMOVE A FISH BONE FROM THE THROAT

Swallow a raw oyster or a raw egg.

BLISTERED HEELS

If heels are blistered from slipping up and down in low shoes, paste four small half circles of velveteen smoothly to the side of the heel and the nap of the velveteen will prevent the foot slipping.

Another way to prevent blistered heels from low shoes rubbing them, is to stick a strip of adhesive tape around the back of the heel at the spot where the shoe rubs.

HOT CLOTHS

Hot cloths may be quickly prepared by heating them in a steamer, which is easier than wringing them out of hot water.

HOT WATER BAG

Instead of the rubber bag for hot water, a screw top coffee can is a good substitute, as it never leaks, and keeps hot all night. Cover it with a washable case of outing flannel.

Another good hot bag is one made of strong muslin with a washable cover. Heat clean sand in the oven and fill the bag.

A bag filled with hot salt is also good.

LOCKJAW PRECAUTION

When a rusty nail or any other metal causes a wound, bathe it, and hold it for half an hour or more over a burning woolen cloth. A piece of wool may be burned over a shovel of coals, or in any other way, just so the smoke pours on the wound.

TO MAKE A MUSTARD PLASTER

2 teaspoonfuls mustard 2 teaspoonfuls flour 2 teaspoonfuls ginger water

Mix the mustard, flour, and ginger with enough water to make a paste, and place between two pieces of soft muslin and apply. If it burns too much at first, lay on an extra piece of muslin and remove it later.

TO STOP A SIMPLE NOSE BLEED

Press with the fingers on the upper lip beneath the nostril.

TO EXTRACT A NEEDLE FROM THE FLESH

Apply a magnet immediately.

POISONS

In case of accidental swallowing of poison, mix three teaspoonfuls of mustard with a cupful of warm water and swallow as quickly as possible.

TO REMOVE A SPLINTER

Fill a wide-mouthed bottle nearly full of hot water, place the part containing the splinter over the mouth of the bottle and press tightly. The suction will draw the flesh down and the steam will remove the splinter.

LAVENDER SMELLING SALTS

8 oz. carbonate of ammonia cut in squares 1 fluid ounce oil of cloves ½ oz. oil of lavender ½ oz. oil of bergamot ½ oz. oil of cassia

Put the ammonia into a smelling bottle, mix the oils thoroughly and pour just enough into the bottle to cover the ammonia, keeping the remainder to replenish the smelling bottle.

TO RELIEVE THIRST WITHOUT WATER

Keep a dry pebble or button in the mouth.

BATHROOM AND TOILET

TO CLEAN COMBS

Put a few drops of ammonia in a basin of water and let the combs remain in it a few minutes, rinse and wipe. Combs may also be cleaned in gasoline.

TO CLEAN A BATHTUB

Use kerosene, gasoline, or turpentine on an enameled tub.

FOR THE BATH

Mix four ounces of alcohol, one-half ounce of ammonia and one drachm of oil of lavender, and pour a few drops into a bowl of water to perfume and soften it.

FOR BATH BAGS

4 lbs. oatmeal 1½ lb. powdered orris root 1½ lb. almond meal 2 quarts of bran 1 lb. white castile soap 3 oz. violet sachet

Have the soap dried and powdered, mix all together and keep in glass jars from which to fill small cheese cloth bags to use as sponges.

Another pleasing softener and perfume is made with two and one-half pounds of fine oatmeal and four ounces of powdered orris root. Make cheese cloth bags about four inches square, and fill as wanted.

Two tablespoonfuls of powdered borax is good to soften the water in the bath.

A few drops of lavender and cologne in the bath are pleasing.

A few drops of camphor seems refreshing in a bath.

TO CLEAN BRISTLE BRUSHES

Wash in warm water in which a little baking soda is dissolved, and rinse in warm water and turn bristle side down to dry.

FOR THE HANDS

Immediately after washing and wiping the hands, dip in vinegar and rub together till dry.

Corn meal used with vinegar is good.

Lemon juice is fine for removing stains from the hands.

Putting salt into water for rinsing the hands after cleaning them in soapy water, will be beneficial.

A little granulated sugar should be kept on the washstand to dip the fingers in after covering with soap. The sugar makes a fine lather and leaves the hands very soft. Do not keep much sugar on the stand, as it soon gets hard, but add to it as needed.

Rubbing the hands with a cut tomato once each day will remove stains and whiten the hands.

FOR A DISCOLORED NECK

Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in one pint of fresh milk, wash the neck with it at night, let it dry on, and wash off with warm water in the morning.

TO CLEAN A SPONGE

Rub lemon juice well into it, and rinse in several lukewarm waters, to remove a sour smell.

THE TEETH

Put a few drops of lemon juice in the water with which the teeth are brushed.

Occasionally brush the teeth with salt.

TO CLEANSE A TOOTHBRUSH

Wash toothbrushes occasionally in a strong solution of salt and water and dip them, once in a while, in boiling water.

TO MAKE A TOOTH POWDER

Mix two ounces of precipitated chalk with two ounces of powdered orris root, then add twelve drops of eucalyptus and mix again.

THE HAIR

A DRY SHAMPOO

Sift yellow corn meal till fine, and rub into the hair, brush thoroughly, and repeat.

AN EGG SHAMPOO

Beat two eggs, add the juice of a lemon, rub thoroughly through the hair, and rinse in several warm waters. Dry in sun and air.

Rub dry salt into the hair at night, wear a night cap, and brush out all the salt in the morning, to make the hair lustrous.

Washing hair in warm salt water is very good if not done too often. Always dry in sun and air.

A GOOD SHAMPOO

Lay a cake of Ivory soap in a pitcher, pour over it a pint of boiling water, and stir till there’s a good lather. Add one teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda, wash the hair and scalp thoroughly and rinse in several warm waters.

A SHAMPOO FOR AUBURN HAIR

Put five cents worth of Salts of Tartar in a pint of warm water, rub into the hair, making a fine lather. Leave it a short time, and rinse in several warm waters.

WASHING BLOND HAIR

After shampooing blond hair, to the last rinsing water, add the juice of half a lemon strained through a cloth. Dry in sun and air.

TO KEEP HAIR IN CURL

Put the white of an egg in a cup, beat to a froth, and fill the cup with rain water. Apply this to the hair, and roll on clean strips of old stockings and tie in bow knots.

TO REMOVE TANGLES

Put a little alcohol on the tangle.

GLOVES, PARASOLS, ETC.

TO MEND GLOVES

Sew over and over on the wrong side with cotton thread, or place court plaster of the same color on the underpart, smoothing till dry.

TO PRESERVE NEW GLOVES

Wrap in paraffin paper to prevent fading.

TO FRESHEN BLACK KID GLOVES

Cover with ink and polish with a soft cloth when dry.

TO CLEAN CHAMOIS LEATHER

Wash in a weak solution of soda and warm water. Soap the chamois skin with Ivory soap and soak it in the soda water for two hours. Rub it softly till clean, rinse in two soapy waters (not clear water), wring in a rough towel, dry in the air, and when nearly dry, pull carefully into shape.

TO FRESHEN SUEDE KID

Rub with a piece of emery paper.

TO DRY CLEAN WHITE GLOVES

Lay the gloves on a table, rub into them Fuller’s earth and powdered alum mixed in equal quantities, rub well, then brush well, and sprinkle with dry bran and whitening. Leave on a short time, then shake.

TO WASH WHITE SILK GLOVES

Wash at night with Ivory soap suds. Rinse well and let dry in the dark to prevent turning yellow.

TO CLEAN WHITE KID GLOVES

Put on the hands and proceed to wash them as though washing the hands in a bowl of gasoline. When clean, wipe dry on a clean white flannel or towel. Remove and hang out to air. Use gasoline out of doors.

TO CLEAN A WHITE PARASOL

Put in a tub of warm Ivory soap suds, and scrub inside and out, carefully, with a small scrubbing brush. Rinse well, and dry open, out of doors in the sun. If the parasol is white silk, dry in the shade.

TO CLEAN KHAKI TROUSERS

Use warm water, soap, and a scrubbing brush.

SHOES AND RUBBERS

TO BLACKEN SHOES

Use a discarded tooth brush to apply paste blacking. A few drops of paraffin added to shoe blacking will impart a good polish to damp shoes, and help preserve the leather.

TO CLEAN PATENT LEATHERS

Clean with olive oil, then polish briskly with a soft woolen cloth.

Wipe off dust and dirt, clean with sweet milk, leaving the milk on for a few minutes, then wipe with a soft cloth.

Wipe the patent leather to remove dust, then wipe with olive oil and polish with a soft cloth.

CLEANING TAN SHOES

Rub with the inside of a banana peel, then wipe dry with a soft cloth.

A flannel cloth dipped in turpentine cleans tan leather.

CLEANING WHITE CANVAS SHOES

Use a preparation purchased at the stores where the shoes are sold. It is much more convenient to use and costs no more than preparations made at home.

CLEANING WHITE KID SHOES

Dip a clean white flannel in benzine and rub the kid, dipping frequently into the benzine and rubbing quickly, then rub with a dry flannel.

A piece of Art Gum is also good for cleaning kid, but if badly soiled, plenty of benzine or gasoline is better.

FOR CREAKY SHOES

Have a cobbler drive a couple of small wooden pegs into the soles.

CARE OF NEW SHOES

If allowed to stand over night in a pan with enough olive oil to cover the soles, they will last longer, and never creak.

Rub new shoes with a slice of raw potato, and they will polish as easily as old ones.

Coat the soles of new shoes with three or four coats of copal varnish and they will seldom need resoling.

Rub new shoes occasionally with vaseline to prolong their wearing qualities.

If the soles of shoes are oiled with a little vaseline about twice each month, and let dry over night, rubbers will seldom be needed to keep out dampness.

Wet shoes should be stuffed with paper to absorb the moisture and prevent the leather getting hard.

INNER SOLES

Inner soles for shoes may be cut from old felt hats. Soles for bedroom slippers may be cut from old felt hats and glued to the ordinary sole, or bound and sewed to a soft top shoe.

SHOE LACES

If shoe laces are slightly waxed, they will not come undone.

Tie a shoe lace bow as usual, and before pulling the loops tight, slip a second loop through the center and tighten. This will never slip.

TO SAVE RUBBERS

Cut a heel shaped piece out of an old rubber and glue in the heel of the new one.

Always mark your initials inside your rubbers.

To varnish rubbers helps looks and wearing qualities.

When heels of rubbers are worn out, cut them into strap or toe rubbers.

Turn rubbers wrong side out to wash, and they will dry without rotting.

HATS, FEATHERS, RIBBONS AND LACES

TO CLEAN FELT HATS

Rub corn meal carefully into the felt, and remove with a soft brush.

Or scrub with corn meal and gasoline.

The inner part of a stale loaf of white bread rubbed into the felt is sometimes very successful in cleaning.

Rub the entire hat with fine sandpaper and it leaves the hat like new.

To dust a felt hat, use a piece of velveteen.

TO CLEAN STRAW HATS

Clean a black chip hat with a soft cloth dipped in alcohol.

To restore the color, use one-half pint hot water with one teaspoonful of ammonia. Cover the hat with a cloth wet in this mixture, let stand a few minutes, then place a warm iron over the cloth, and press into shape.

TO FRESHEN BLACK STRAW HATS

Mix one ounce of black sealing wax and one-half pint of alcohol. Leave the bottle in a warm place till the contents are creamy, shake the bottle well, and brush over the hat.

TO CLEAN WHITE STRAW HATS

Mix corn meal and gasoline, and scrub with a small scrub brush. Apply till clean, and brush dry.

Another method is to make a paste of sulphur and lemon juice and scrub the hat with it, rinsing in clear water, very quickly.

And still another way is to pour peroxide of hydrogen on the hat and brush it with a small scrub brush. Repeat till clean, shape the hat, and dry in the sun.

TO CLEAN AND FRESHEN CHIFFON HATS

Mix equal parts of magnesia, French chalk and pulverized soap, sprinkle thickly on the hat, leave for a day, and brush off.

If a chiffon or flower hat is caught in a heavy shower, shake it well and suspend it bottom side up in some convenient place to dry. It will revive like new.

Any lace or flower or other hat may be dipped in gasoline entirely, and cleaned thoroughly. Always be careful to use gasoline out of doors.

TO CLEAN FEATHERS

Put one cupful of corn meal, one-half cupful of white flour and three tablespoonfuls of powdered borax into a paper bag and shake the feathers in this till clean, then remove and shake. This also cleans laces, etc.

Feathers are also cleaned by dipping in gasoline, rubbing the feathers toward the tip, then shaking dry. This does not take out the curl. Never use gasoline indoors.

TO CLEAN WHITE FEATHERS

Make a paste of flour and gasoline. Put the feather in it and rub carefully the entire length, toward the tip. Repeat till clean. Rinse in clear gasoline and shake dry.

TO CLEAN RIBBONS

“Wash ribbons” washed in warm soapy water, squeezed as dry as possible, smoothed, placed on an ironing board and held down with a warm flat iron in one hand while the other hand pulls the ribbon quickly under the iron till it is dry, will be like new.

This is good for cleaning ribbons. Dip in lukewarm water, spread on a table and scrub with a brush rubbed in Ivory soap. Rinse in clean warm water and press between folds of thin cloth.

TO WASH DELICATE RIBBONS

Immerse in salt and water, and dissolve shavings of Ivory soap in boiling water till like jelly when cooled slightly. To a little of this jelly, add warm water to form a good suds, add a pinch of borax, put the ribbon in and squeeze back and forth through the hands till clean. Then rinse in warm, then in cold water, roll smoothly in a towel and in about two hours, press between paper.

Gasoline is fine for cleaning ribbons. Do not use gasoline indoors.

Ribbons and silk may be scrubbed with Ivory soap and gasoline, rinsing in clean gasoline.

TO STIFFEN RIBBONS

Put a teaspoonful of sugar in a cupful of water and rinse ribbons, and when pressed between paper, they are like new.

TO CLEAN WHITE WINGS

Make a paste of naphtha and French chalk, letting it dry on the wings and remain for a day, then brush.

Ordinary white wings may be scrubbed with a small scrubbing brush and Ivory soap suds. Scrub in the direction the wings grow, rinse well and while drying, brush frequently.

TO CURL OSTRICH FEATHERS

Sprinkle salt over hot coals, and shake the feathers over them.

Or place the plume in a warm oven for a few minutes.

TO COLOR FLOWERS

Squeeze a little oil paint of the desired color into a cup. Pour in a little gasoline, and mix it with a stiff brush (about one-half inch in width) with the paint. Add gasoline a little at a time till the right shade is reached. Try a leaf in it, dipping in, then shaking dry. Drying makes the color several shades lighter. Ribbons, laces, gloves, etc., may be tinted in this manner.

TO PREVENT SILK FROM CRACKING

Press with a hot iron.

TO CLEAN BLACK SILK

Brush black taffeta with a piece of velveteen, pin it smoothly to the ironing board and sponge with one tablespoonful of ammonia in two quarts of strong black coffee. Sponge both sides and rub dry with a clean soft cloth. An old soft stocking makes a good sponging cloth. Equal parts of ox gall and boiling water are also good for sponging black silk.

Another sponging liquid is one teaspoonful of ammonia in a cupful of strong tea.

TO REMOVE BEESWAX FROM SILK

Put the spotted places between clean white blotting paper, and press with a quite warm iron, changing the blotters as the wax is absorbed.

Grease spots are often removed in the same manner.

TO WASH PONGEE SILK

Wash in lukewarm Ivory soap suds, rinse in warm water, hang on the line and let drip dry, and press on the wrong side without dampening. Pongee sometimes shrinks when wet.

TO FRESHEN VELVET

Spread a cloth wrung from cold water on top of a not too hot range, or over an inverted flat iron, spread the velvet over it and brush lightly with a whisk broom. Velvet can be made to look like new.

TO CLEAN WHITE SATIN

To dry clean white satin, use dried bread crumbs finely sifted, mixed with an equal quantity of pulverized blue. Spread over the satin, let remain an hour or two, and brush off with a piece of soft clean linen. If gold or silver trimmings are on the satin, use a piece of clean white velveteen for brushing.

TO WASH WHITE SATIN

Use Ivory soap suds in lukewarm water, rinse in lukewarm water, and press on the wrong side.

Silks, satins and velvets may often be cleaned by using gasoline and corn meal, cleaning a small space at a time and rubbing with a soft clean cloth. By adding little salt, the gasoline will never leave a mark around edges.

TO CLEAN SILK GOWNS

Grate a large raw potato to each quart of soft water necessary to wash the dress. Cover the potatoes well with cold water, let stand two days without moving, pour off the clear water carefully into the tub or large pail in which the dress is to be washed, and dip the pieces up and down till clean. Do not wring, but hang out to drip nearly dry, when the pieces should be laid flat and wiped on both sides, and pressed between soft cloths or paper.

TO WASH LACES

Fine laces, handkerchiefs, doilies or trimmings, may be made like new by soaking them in lukewarm Ivory soap suds for a couple of hours, changing the water and repeating till clean. Squeeze them very gently, rinse in several warm waters and while quite wet (do not squeeze), pat them carefully in shape on a flat smooth surface to dry. Place them right side up and they will look exactly like new, and it is very easy to spread each tiny figure into shape when it is quite wet. A large piece of marble or glass, the bottom of a large platter, or the bottom of a flat porcelain bath tub is good to dry them on. Thin laces may be dried on the window pane, but heavier lace will not stay on the glass. Lace yokes are beautifully done in this manner.

TO DRY CLEAN LACES

Rub block magnesia or corn starch carefully into the lace, roll or fold and lay away for several days, when the powder may be shaken out. If not perfectly clean, repeat. Flat pieces of lace may be laid over a piece of white paper that is covered with block magnesia, the lace itself also well covered, another sheet of white paper laid on the lace and a heavy flat weight, like a large book, placed on top and left to press the lace for several days. Shake, or brush carefully with a soft brush.

TO CLEAN LACE YOKES

Sprinkle boric acid on a lace yoke, lay away for a couple of days, shake well, and the yoke will be clean without removing it from the waist.

TO CLEAN LACE WAISTS

Put a delicate lace waist into a two quart glass jar filled with gasoline with the top tightly screwed on, and let stand over night. Next morning pour out a little of the gasoline, shake the jar thoroughly, remove the waist, and shake carefully dry. If the gasoline is much soiled, rinse in clean gasoline. And do not use gasoline indoors.

TO DRY CLEAN LACE WAISTS

Put a lace waist in a pillow case, cover thickly with corn meal and flour mixed, leave for several days, take out of doors and shake well but carefully in the bag. Then remove and shake free from the flour and corn meal.

TO WASH LACE WAISTS

Shake the dust from a washable lace waist, immerse it in clean warm water, with a tablespoonful of ammonia stirred in, then lay it in a wash bowl, cover it with strong Ivory soap suds and set in the sun for three hours. Do not rub, but dip up and down, rinse well in several warm waters, starch if desired, and press on the wrong side, on a padded ironing board.

TO COLOR LACES

Proceed in same manner as To Color Flowers.

TO CLEAN VEILS