More Household Tips To Save Money & Time

The most popular post I run.....for good reason! Save cash and time with one quick read. Enjoy!

A few tips from the book: Labour-Saving Hints and Ideas for the Home, 1924

1. If your antique white linen tablecloths or napkins have turned yellow from not being used, cut up 1 lb. of plain, unscented, white soap into 1 gallon of milk. Boil the mixture and when the soap is melted, add the linen and boil all for 1/2 hour. Then, take the linen out and wash it in a lather of soapy water. Rinse well twice in two batches of cold water. Gently wring out. Lay out, fold and roll linen into a size about 10" long, that will fit into a large plastic bag. Place in the refrigerator overnight, or for 2 days to dry out and get cold.


2. To press the crispest, most professional linen you have ever seen, take the rolled linen in the plastic bags out of the fridge the next morning (or a day later) and spread the linen out on an ironing board. Put the iron on its hottest setting. Simply iron the line. The iron will sputter and steam will rise. Don't be alarmed, but do be amazed at how nice the linen will press out!


3. Sweeten the stale sell of smoke from a fireplace overnight with a bucket of water in the room and shut the door. The next morning the air will be cleared and clean. Or, just sprinkle some dried coffee grounds directly onto the red hot cinders and the smell will vanish.
4. To keep apples for Winter use after picking in the Fall: layer the apples into bins and cover them completely with dry sand. Each layer should be covered. This preserves them from air, moisture and from frost.
5. To clean an antique flask: put some crushed egg shells and vinegar in the bottom of the flask. Shake well. Fill half the flask with water. Let it stand for a while. Shake again, empty, then rinse thoroughly. Turn the flask upside down and let dry. When bone dry, put away, but do not replace the cork as this may make the flask musty.
6. To keep vegetables fresher for longer, wash and clean them well in warm water.The warm water will rid the vegetables of any bugs. Dry them on paper towels. Place each separate type of vegetable in a zip lock bag surrounded in fresh paper towels. Stack and roll the lettuce. Replace the paper towels every few days or after each use. In the vegetable bin, your vegetables should keep for one week or longer.
7. Want to know the secret for telling if an egg is rotten before you crack it? Hold it up to the light. If it is fresh, it will be quite clear. If the egg is cloudy, it is stale.
8. To make fresh apple juice for the summer: Put one tart apple well baked and mashed into one pint of boiling water. One apple per one pint. Beat well, cool and strain. Add a little sugar. It is a nice cooling drink.
9. To clean paint brushes: wash in turpentine, followed by soda water. Rinse in clear water and shape with the fingers. Dry with the bristles standing up.
10. When trying to dye a bridal veil to look antique, soak the veil in a bathtub filled with cold water and cold coffee. Using coffee rather than tea will dye the veil evenly. Tea tends to dye unevenly.

Enjoy!