Notabilia

Miscellaneous

Nifty Knacks

326 through 350

Back to where you came from. The same text in Greek.

  1. Egg.
    Wipe off with a sponge dipped in cold, salt water and rinse with fresh water. Soak large stains in a solution of detergent, rub with a sponge and then wash with detergent as normal.

  2. Shoe polish.
    Wash by hand using liquid detergent and a few drops of ammonia. In the case of a very bad stain, use turps. Then wash with detergent.

  3. Iodine.
    Soak straight away in a solution of detergent for handwashing with a few drops of ammonia added to it. Then wash as normal.

  4. Coffee-Tea.
    Wash immediately with detergent. If necessary wash whites in a bleach solution and coloureds in a solution of Klinex Color.

  5. Wax.
    Scrape off as much as possble. Place the affected area between two sheets of blotting paper or absorbent kitchen paper. Iron over the stain until the wax melts. If any traces remain, rub with a sponge dipped in a little benzine and then wash as normal.

  6. Glue.
    First check the label to see what type of fabric it is. Ordinary glue can be removed with acetone. (But acetone damages the fibres of acetate, and synthetic fabrics.)

  7. Wine.
    Cover the stain with salt and leave for 30 minutes. Then rub the stain with a sponge dipped in hot detergent solution and wash in cold water.

  8. Oil-Grease.
    Dampen the area with benzine, sprinkle with talcum powder, brush off and wash as normal. If the fabric is not washable, sprinkle with talcum powder and brush off when absorbed. Repeat.

  9. Mud.
    Scape or brush off surface mud. Wash at the highest possible temperature setting for the fabric (check label) using the maximum amount of detergent.

  10. Make-up.
    First brush well. Spread liquid detergent on the stain, leave for a while and then wash as normal. If the stain does not come out, soak for 5 minutes in a weak solution of ammonia (a ratio of 1:100). Then wash as normal.

  11. Mould.
    Wash at the highest possible temperature setting for the fabric (check label). For white cotton fabrics use a solution of bleach and for colourfast cotton use Klinex Color.

  12. Ice-cream.
    Soak in a hot detergent solution. If the fabric allows, machine wash at a high temperature setting. Otherwise (for wool or silk) sponge clean with a tepid solution of 1.5% borax.

  13. Natural resin.
    Cover the stain with absorbent paper and spread benzine or eucalyptus oil on the underside of the fabric. Wash as normal.

  14. Tomato sauce.
    Soak for one hour in a solution of hot water and glycerine, in a ratio of 1:1. Then wash as normal.

  15. Rust.
    Rub with a mixture of lemon juice and salt. Leave for 1 hour. Wash with detergent. If necessary, try one of the special rust stain preparations available at supermarkets.

  16. Chocolate.
    Scrape and then rub with a sponge dipped in hot soap and water. If the stain does not come out, sprinkle a little powdered borax on it and rinse in hot water.

  17. Ball point pen or marking pen.
    Cover the area with absorbent paper. Rub on the reverse with a sponge dipped in spirits. Then rub the stain with a little soap. Wash as normal.

  18. Chewing gum.
    Put the garment in a bag and leave it in the freezer for an hour. Break the chewing gum and take it off. Remove any traces that remain with benzine. Wash with detergent.

  19. Fruit.
    Rinse immediately in cold water. Wash with detergent. If the stain is old, loosen it with a solution of glycerine and hot water, 1:1. Then wash as normal.

  20. Grass.
    Rub immediately with spirits. If the stain is old, soak in a solution of glycerine and hot water, 1:1. Then wash as normal.

  21. Get dust off lampshades.
    Get the dust off lampshades properly by rubbing them gently with slices of stale bread.

  22. Cleaning the coffee-maker.
    If you have not used your coffee-maker for some time, it is a good idea to give it a dummy run on plain water before using it again. That way the flavour of the coffee will not be spoilt.

  23. Cleaning candlesticks.
    Melted wax that has run down a candlestick and set, will come off easily if you put the candlestick in the freezer for a few hours. The wax will come away in lumps and you will not risk scratching the silver surface. You may also hold the candlestick under hot water and then rub with a soft cloth.

  24. Cleaning thermos flasks.
    Thermos flasks can be cleaned with chemical yeast and boiling water. Leave to stand for a few minutes and then rinse well.

  25. Put a sheen on silk.
    To put a sheen on silk shirts or other delicate garments which have to be washed by hand, add a dessertspoonful of sugar to the last rinse. It gives new life to colours and makes ironing easier, provided you iron while the garments are still damp.