Part 11

Put the veil into a glass fruit jar, filled with wood alcohol, screw the top tightly on, and leave for about ten minutes. Then pour out a little of the alcohol, replace the top and shake the jar thoroughly. Squeeze the veil carefully, and shake partly dry (out of doors), then pin over a sheet on a bed or table, to dry in shape. Do not use alcohol near fire.

TO WASH VEILS

Dip the veil into a warm suds of Ivory soap, squeeze it carefully till clean, rinse in several warm waters, and pin on a sheet on a bed or table till partly dry, then press under a cloth with a warm iron.

TO FRESHEN BLACK VEILS

Stir a dessertspoonful of ammonia into a quart fruit jar nearly filled with alcohol, put a black veil in, cover tightly, and shake thoroughly. Remove from the jar, squeeze carefully, shake till nearly dry, pin on a sheet on a bed or table, and leave till perfectly dry.

TO FRESHEN BLACK LACE

Spread the lace on a flat surface, brush carefully with a soft brush, and shake out the dust. Mix in a saucepan one dessertspoonful of dry tea, one pint of boiling water and one teaspoonful of gum arabic. Simmer slowly, stirring till the gum is dissolved. Strain into a dish and soak the lace in it for thirty minutes. If the lace is silk, add a teaspoonful of alcohol to the solution. After soaking, squeeze the lace carefully, then put it in folds of cloth and squeeze. Then smooth it in shape, roll carefully in a dry cloth, let remain an hour and press over paper on a padded ironing board, with a paper on top of the lace which must be pressed on the wrong side.

TO STIFFEN LACE

Put a pinch of sugar in the last rinsing water.

TO CLEAN A BLACK WOOL GOWN

Sponge with ammonia and warm water, a tablespoonful of ammonia to a quart of water. Rub powdered French chalk into the spots, leave for half a day, cover the chalk with clean white blotting paper and set a warm iron on it. Then sponge again with ammonia and water, and press carefully under a cloth, on the wrong side where possible.

TO WASH A BLACK WOOL GOWN

Boil one ounce of soap bark solution in one quart of water. When thoroughly steeped, strain, and add to two gallons of hot water. Put the dress in this and dip up and down till clean. Rinse in warm water, squeeze carefully, shake out doors and let drip partially dry. Shake again, hang up again and when nearly dry, press carefully on the wrong side.

TO CLEAN COVERT CLOTH

Mix six ounces of water, one ounce of sulphuric ether and one ounce of ammonia. Sponge covert cloth with the mixture, then sponge with warm water, cover with a damp cloth and press dry, pressing on the wrong side where possible.

TO CLEAN SPOTS FROM CASHMERE

Make a paste of Fuller’s earth and cold water, and put on the spots and leave for several hours, then brush.

TO CLEAN MACINTOSH COATS

Dissolve a handful of the best gray lime in half a pail of water, and apply to the coat, with a sponge. Repeat, after three hours.

TO REMOVE GLOSS FROM CLOTHING

Rub carefully with fine emery cloth. After using emery cloth on very smooth surfaces, rub carefully the way of the nap with a warm silk handkerchief.

Sponging with hot vinegar is good for removing shine from woolen garments.

Black wool may be sponged with borax and water, then with clear water, to remove gloss.

TO DRY CLEAN WHITE CLOTH

Rub pipe clay into the soiled places, leave for a few hours, or a day or two, then brush off the pipe clay with a small scrubbing brush kept for the purpose.

TO CLEAN WHITE FUR CLOTH

Brush the cloth the way of the nap, shake, dip a clean sponge in alcohol and wash thoroughly in the direction the nap goes. Have mixed one part powdered borax and three parts powdered starch, and sprinkle on while the cloth is wet, all it will hold. Leave in a clean place for three days, then brush out all the starch.

TO WASH WHITE SWEATERS AND SHAWLS

Use a tablespoonful of Pearline to each pailful of warm water. Cover the garment with this, press down with the hands to squeeze out the dirty water. Let soak thirty minutes, pour off the water and repeat till clean. Rinse in several clean warm waters, but do not lift from the tub or bucket the garment is washed in. Take out of doors, pour off all the water possible. Squeeze the garment into a bunch in the two hands and dump quickly on a dry sheet on the grass in the hot sun. Spread the garment in shape and let dry. It will be perfect. If the sun is not hot enough to dry it on the grass, the garment may be spread on a sheet stretched on quilting or curtain frames across boxes or chairs.

REMOVING STAINS

TO REMOVE BLOOD STAINS FROM COTTON

To remove blood stains from cotton, wet the spots with cold water, sprinkle with salt and rub lightly.

Or soak the material in salt and water, afterwards washing in soap and water.

A spot on a starched garment may be removed by applying a thick paste of corn starch and cold water.

TO REMOVE BLOOD STAINS FROM SILK

Use strong cold borax water.

TO REMOVE CHOCOLATE AND COCOA STAINS

Wash first in cold, then pour boiling water through the stains.

TO REMOVE COFFEE STAINS

Spread the stained part over a basin, rub in powdered borax and pour boiling water through, and let soak.

TO REMOVE FRUIT STAINS

Spread the stained part over a basin, and pour boiling water through, let soak for thirty minutes and launder as usual. Let dry in the sun.

Another method is to moisten the spots with camphor before wetting with water, then launder as usual.

TO REMOVE GRASS STAINS

Rub the stain with molasses, laundering as usual, afterward. Another way is to saturate the spot with kerosene, and launder. Alcohol will remove grass stains in materials that will not launder.

TO REMOVE CANDLE GREASE

Use gasoline on a soft cloth.

TO REMOVE AXLE GREASE

To remove axle grease on washable garments, cover thickly with butter, let stand a few minutes, wash in gasoline, and then in soap and water.

Grease may be removed from overalls by putting them in cold water, with plenty of soap, and as soon as the water boils, add about three tablespoonfuls of kerosene and boil a few minutes. Do not pour kerosene from a kerosene can near a fire, but pour it from a can into a dipper away from fire, and then pour from the dipper quickly into the boiler.

Chloroform will remove grease from the most delicate fabrics, but it is apt to leave a mark and for that reason, ether is more universally used.

French chalk put around the edge of a spot before cleaning with gasoline on cloth, will prevent a mark from showing.

TO REMOVE INDELIBLE INK OR PENCIL MARKS

Dampen the spot with water, and rub with the head of a common match.

TO REMOVE INK STAINS

Cover the ink stain on any fabric with Hydrogen Peroxide, lay in the sun and air, and repeat till the stain disappears.

Ink may be removed from wash goods by melting a piece of tallow, putting the spot in the hot tallow and washing as usual. On colored garments that will not wash, drop melted tallow and scrape off with a knife. If the stain does not all come out, put a clean piece of blotting paper over it, and press with a hot iron.

TO REMOVE INK FROM WOODEN FLOORS

Use lemon juice and salt, without soap.

TO REMOVE RED INK

Use ammonia and water.

TO REMOVE IODINE STAINS

Cover the stain on cloth as soon as possible with a paste of corn starch and water. Change for fresh paste and repeat till stain disappears.

If the stain is on wood, apply the paste, let stand a few minutes, and rub with a soft cloth.

TO REMOVE IRON RUST FROM WASH GOODS

Wet the spot with lemon juice, sprinkle with salt, and hold over boiling water so the steam can go through. If very badly rusted, add three tablespoonfuls of cream of tartar to three gallons of water, and boil the stained garments in it for about one hour.

Another way is to boil pie plant in enough water to soak the dress, remove the pie plant and soak the dress in the water for some time, then wash as usual.

TO REMOVE LEMON JUICE STAINS

Mix one tablespoonful of ammonia in four tablespoonfuls of water, and sponge lightly.

TO REMOVE MACHINE OIL

Apply kerosene to the spots, and launder as usual.

Cover an oil spot on silk with block magnesia shaved in fine powder. Leave on for a time, shake off, and repeat if necessary.

TO REMOVE MILDEW

Cover the mildew on wash goods with molasses, then launder as usual.

Or soak the stains in buttermilk several hours, then wash.

TO REMOVE MILK STAINS

Wash first in cold, then hot water.

Apply absorbent cotton at once when milk is spilled on woolens.

Alcohol will remove milk on colored garments.

TO REMOVE MUD STAINS FROM CLOTH

Use water in which a sliced raw potato has soaked.

TO REMOVE PAINT

Rub turpentine thoroughly into the material. If the paint is very dry, mix a little ammonia with the turpentine. Keep all cleaning fluids away from fire.

Ether is also good for removing paint.

TO REMOVE PERSPIRATION STAINS

To remove perspiration stains from white waists, soak the stained part in baking soda and cold water. Repeat, if necessary, after thirty minutes.

For silk waists, sponge the spot carefully with a little cold water, and cover with powdered prepared chalk. When thoroughly dry, brush carefully with a soft brush.

To remove perspiration stains on white cotton from wearing black silk, boil the garment in one-half gallon of water containing a handful of peach leaves.

TO REMOVE SCORCH STAINS

Apply Peroxide of Hydrogen.

TO REMOVE TEA STAINS

Wash in cold, and then pour boiling water through the spot. Soak an obstinate tea stain in glycerine.

TO REMOVE VARNISH STAINS

Saturate in gasoline, then wash in cold water with naphtha soap.

TO REMOVE VINEGAR STAINS

Mix one tablespoonful of ammonia in four tablespoonfuls of water and sponge lightly.

TO REMOVE WINE STAINS

Moisten a red wine stain in cold water and keep covered with salt, and the wet salt will absorb the stain.

Wash yellow wine stains in cold water, then in warm suds.

FURS

STORING FURS

Beat the furs well but carefully, out of doors and hang, if convenient, on a line in the sun for an hour or more. Then lay in a box lined with newspapers, putting paper between parts of the furs that must lap over one another. Wrap the box in newspapers, putting a heavy express paper over all, sticking all edges of this last paper with mucilage.

CLEANING BLACK LYNX

Clean it with a stiff brush dipped in a solution of ammonia and water.

TO CLEAN CHINCHILLA

Make a paste of prepared chalk and water, put on the fur with a wide brush and let dry. Beat the fur lightly to remove the chalk.

If chinchilla fur gets wet, suspend it near heat, beating it lightly every few minutes. Harder furs require stiff brushes to smooth them, always stroking in the direction the fur lies.

If furs get wet, absorb all possible moisture by applying hot towels, before hanging to dry.

TO CLEAN ERMINE

Smooth starch with water till like paste. Dip a piece of clean white flannel in this paste, rub the furs well with it and leave near fire to dry. Then brush it with a stiff brush, and shake thoroughly to remove the flour.

TO CLEAN MINK

Brush thoroughly with dry corn meal.

TO CLEAN SEALSKIN

Spread sawdust over sealskin and spray benzine over the sawdust. When nearly dry, brush off with a whisk broom, then brush so the hair stands up, and let it air.

TO CLEAN WHITE FUR

Lay the fur flat on a table, take a clean white cloth and rub dampened corn meal into the fur, always rubbing the way the fur lies. Rub carefully till the fur is filled. Shake, and if not clean, repeat the operation, using plenty of dry corn meal to dry it at the last.

White fur may be cleaned by rubbing in a paste of corn meal and gasoline, repeating, if the fur is badly soiled. Shake well, and air. Clean all things out of doors when using gasoline.

DISINFECTANTS, SCENTS, ETC.

Essence of cinnamon evaporating in a shallow dish is an agreeable disinfectant.

A little charcoal mixed with water thrown in a sink will deodorize it.

A small piece of charcoal should be placed inside the refrigerator to insure a sweet interior. It should also be placed in dark closets. Renew every week or two.

Put a piece of camphor gum in a saucer and apply a hot poker.

Put a few pieces of dried orange peel on a hot stove, or in an old tin can or shovel, and allow it to smoulder.

Broken pieces of pumice stone may be saturated with oil of lavender to create a pleasant odor in a room. Or a few drops of the oil may be dropped into a bowl of boiling water, letting it stand till cold.

Eau-de-cologne may be burned in an old iron spoon made red hot; or it may be poured over block ammonia placed in an earthen jar.

A little oil of sandalwood dropped on a hot shovel will impart a delightful fragrance to a room.

The odor of paint, and of tobacco smoke in a room may be dispelled by setting a dish of cold water in the room.

A dish of ground roasted coffee is one of the best preservatives to leave in cellar.

LIME WATER

Put a piece of unslacked lime the size of an egg in an earthen vessel, pouring over it a quart of cold water. Allow it to stand a few hours, then filter it through clean white blotting paper. Pour it into a clean bottle, cork and keep in a cool dark place. A teaspoonful of lime water in a cupful of milk or water, almost destroys any deleterious substance there. It gives no unpleasant taste.

SCENTING LINENS

Underlinen is delightfully scented by placing broken orris root in the bureau drawers and hanging in small muslin bags in the closets.

A few drops of any preferred scent put on broken pumice stone and scattered through drawers and boxes, gives a delicious perfume.

Sachet powder mixed with powdered orris root in equal parts, preserves the fragrance much longer than by using sachet powder alone.

Pack away bed linen with leaves of dried rosemary or sweet lavender.

COLOGNE

½ oz. bergamot ¼ oz. oil of lemon ½ oz. English lavender ½ drachm neroli 1 quart alcohol

FILLING A ROSE JAR No. 1

Gather rose leaves in June, pack in a covered stone jar with alternate layers of salt, and keep in a dry cool place for a week after sufficient leaves are packed. Then turn out on a paper spread on a table, and mix very thoroughly. Add the following ingredients, mix well and put in the jar for six weeks before filling the rose jars. Leave rose jars uncovered for a short time only, as the perfume is easily exhausted.

½ oz. powdered violet ½ oz. powdered rose ½ oz. powdered heliotrope 1 oz. powdered orris root 4 drops oil of roses 10 drops oil of neroli ½ teaspoonful mace ½ teaspoonful cloves ¼ teaspoonful cinnamon 2 drachms pure alcohol 20 drops oil of eucalyptus 10 drops oil of bergamot 20 drops oil of lavender

FILLING ROSE JAR No. 2

Gather rose leaves in June and put a layer in a covered stone jar, then add a layer of salt; spread thickly over this stick cinnamon and whole cloves; pour over these a pint of alcohol, cover and allow to remain one week, then mix and fill into rose jar.

PESTS OF VARIOUS KINDS

ANTS

¼ cupful water 1 teaspoonful sugar 1 teaspoonful tartar emetic

Mix and place where ants congregate.

Wash a large sponge, press dry, then sprinkle with fine sugar and place where ants are thick. They will fill the sponge, which may be dropped in boiling water, squeezed out, and placed ready for them again.

A small cloth saturated with oil of sassafras will cause ants to leave.

RED ANTS

Several ways of getting rid of red ants are good. Use whichever is easiest for you in your locality.

The sponge remedy given for ants is good.

1 teaspoonful paregoric with one-fourth cupful water is effective when sprinkled around.

Sugar well mixed with pulverized plaster of paris sprinkled about will drive them away.

Sprigs of fresh parsley laid around food will cause ants to disappear.

RATS AND MICE

Put sprays of peppermint or peppermint essence where mice have been, and they will not return.

Or stuff pieces of sponge in holes where they enter.

Sprinkle sulphur about house and barn where rats come in, and they will be driven away.

To stuff the holes where they enter with soap sprinkled with cayenne pepper, will keep them out.

FLIES

Mix one-half teaspoonful black pepper and one teaspoonful of sugar in one teaspoonful cream and put on a plate, and flies will disappear.

Two teaspoonfuls formaldehyde in two cupfuls of water poured into shallow dishes and set around tables where flies are troublesome, will destroy them.

A little bit of sassafras on a small cloth laid in an old baking powder or other can cover, will drive flies away.

Flies dislike mignonette, and they despise hop vines.

ROACHES

Cucumber peel scattered around the haunts of roaches and left over night, gets rid of the bugs.

Mix a dough of corn meal and strong borax solution, shape into little cakes and place on pantry shelves to feed roaches so they will refuse to return.

A weak solution of turpentine might be poured down water pipes once a week to keep water bugs away.

SPARROWS

A little molasses put on their roosting places causes them to leave.

MOTHS

Blotting paper saturated with turpentine placed where moths are apt to work, will prevent their havoc.

Sassafras bark scattered among woolens and furs is a preventive of moths.

Saturate an old sheet with formaldehyde and hang in the closet containing moths, first stopping all possible cracks and keyhole, and leaving there for a day.

If moths get into carpets, draperies and furniture, use the just given formaldehyde cure.

Where moths are apt to injure carpets, boil a few camphor balls in water and sweep with a clean broom, dipping frequently in the mixture.

Or scatter powdered borax plentifully about.

An effective, quick way to rid carpets and furniture of moths, is to use an oil atomizer and spray them with one teaspoonful carbolic acid, mixed in one quart benzine.

SCENT BAGS TO HANG IN CLOSETS

¼ oz. ground cloves ¼ oz. caraway seed 1 oz. dry salt ½ lb. lavender flowers ½ oz. dried thyme ½ oz. dried mint

Mix well and put in small bags in closets and among clothes. This mixture is said to be a preventive of moths.

FLOWERS, PLANTS AND GREEN THINGS

Add a little salt, saltpeter or soda to the water containing cut flowers, or place them in cold soap suds, to aid in their preservation.

Another way is to fill a vase nearly full of fresh bits of charcoal, adding water till the vase is nearly full of water, place flowers in it, and change water daily.

Cut flowers with a sharp knife instead of scissors, if you wish them to keep for a longer time.

NASTURTIUMS

After picking, put them in rather hot water and the stems soon become stiff, so the blooms will stay up.

By tying a soft thread around buds, they may be kept from opening for several days.

A FLOWER CENTER PIECE

Cover any size embroidery hoop with mosquito netting, placing over a low bowl, and stick short stemmed flowers through it.

A GROWING CENTER PIECE

Plant a five cent package of old fashioned portulaca seed in your fern dish for beautiful greenery.

A flower pot may be covered with a straw sleeve protector or made attractive by decorating in green oil paints in leaf designs.

GROWING GREENS

Mix mustard and turnip seed and sow thickly in odd spots in garden or yard. They grow rapidly, can be cut off and will grow again. Horse radish is also good to have growing.

MINT

Grow fresh mint for cooking, in less than a week in a glass jar of water. Do not change, but add to the water each day or two, and keep the sprays short by pinching off the tops.

VINES

Vines should be trained on a strong black thread in a window garden.

A sweet potato, not kiln dried, placed in a bowl containing a few inches of water, will grow beautiful greens.

TO HASTEN GROWTH

Thoroughly dissolve one tablespoonful epsom salts in one-half gallon cool water, and pour over plant roots.

FLOWERS FOR WINTER

Save the most perfect buds of the desired flowers, cut with a three inch stem and cover the end immediately with sealing wax. When they have shrunken some, wrap each one in a piece of paper and keep in a dry box. When ready for them in winter, take them at night, cut off the ends, and place in water containing a little niter of salt. The following day the flowers will bloom as though just picked.

PRESERVING FOR DECORATION

Gather red berries like pods of roses, and bright red berries and dip in melted paraffin for decorating in winter.

HYACINTHS

Plant four or five bulbs in October in a six inch pot, and place in the cellar till six weeks before Christmas, then bring gradually to the light. If about to bloom too soon, put in a darker cooler place; if too slow, put in a warmer lighter place.

TO KEEP CYCLAMEN BLOOMING

Do not cast it aside after repeated blooming, but in the spring, dig a hole in the ground, set the pot in and water as usual. In the fall, place it in a sunny window, keep moist with warm water and it will bloom like new.

TO ROOT OLEANDERS

Cut off a strong slip, cut a slot in the end and fill full of cotton, wrapping paper around it so it will not touch the bottle, and put it in a bottle of water in a dark place for a week. It should have plenty of roots by that time, and is ready to plant carefully in rich soil.

Other woody plants may be rooted in this way.

SLIPPING GERANIUMS

Insert an oat or a grain of rye in the bottom of the slip, put in a pot, keep moist, and the result is wonderful.

FERNS AND PALMS

Do not place ferns on windows or in a draft.

Moisten the soil around them each week with not too strong cold tea.

When the fronds droop, the fern is usually root-bound.

Two tablespoonfuls of olive or castor oil poured on the roots of large ferns and palms once a month, does wonders. Use less quantities for smaller plants.

PALMS

Keep palms washed clean with luke warm water and milk and give them from one to two tablespoonfuls olive or castor oil, according to their size, once a month.

A fresh green pineapple top may be planted and grown into a fine palm.

RUBBER PLANTS

Give them oil as advised for ferns and palms. If the leaves become spotted, turn yellow and drop, give the roots some sweet skim milk once or twice each week.

FROZEN POTTED PLANTS

Turn boxes or other covers immediately over them, covering them with blankets, papers, or anything to entirely keep out light; or set them in a perfectly dark closet to thaw naturally, without light. Bulbs frozen in water should be set away from a ray of light and brought out on a milder day.

TO KILL BURDOCKS

Cut off close to the ground and drop a few drops of gasoline from an old kerosene can on the roots.

PLANT BUGS

One teaspoonful ammonia to one quart warm water on roots of plants destroys worms and bugs.

To rid plants of lice, spray with two tablespoonfuls oil of sassafras well stirred in one quart of lukewarm water.

TO SHARPEN LAWN MOWERS

Spread a mixture of emery dust and black oil as thick as molasses, on the concave cutter bar beneath the knives. Remove the cast head covering on the outside of one wheel and place a crank on the end of the axle, and turn backward. This turns the knife cylinder rapidly and draws the knife edges through the emery and oil. The kitchen range shaker or clothes wringer crank may be utilized for the crank.

BOTTLES, GLASS UTENSILS, MIRRORS, ETC.

TO CLEAN BOTTLES

Wash first in cold water, then in hot water with baking soda.