Thrifty Tips For The Home, By Flo, 1924

 

In 1924, a regular column titled "Thrifty Tips For The Home, by Flo", ran in newspapers across the nation.  It appears to have only run that one year.  I've found them to be interesting reading. A separate column, Etiquette By Flo, ran under a nearly identical heading, on other weeks.

"This newspaper will publish "Thrifty Tips" in this form at regular intervals.  We suggest you clip this column and paste it in your recipe book."

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May 8 1924

Vaseline Stains 

To remove vas line stains from wash material, soak a few minutes in wood alcohol. 

Scorch 

When you burn an article while ironing it, wet the material and rub cornstarch on the burned part. When dry, all traces of the burn will have disappeared

 Baked Potatoes

Before putting cold baked potatoes in the oven to heat them, try dipping them in hot water, then place in oven and warm through. They will taste like freshly baked potatoes. 

Mice 

A little oil of peppermint placed around will soon drive mice away. 

Grease 

When grease is spilled on the table, cover it at once with coarse salt. This prevents the grease sinking into the wood. 

Your nails 

Never use a knife or any sharp article to clean under the nails. This only roughens the surface, making it twice as easy for dirt to accumulate. An orange stick or nail file with a little wet cotton around the end is ideal. 

Glue 

Glue may be removed by soaking parts stained in hot water and vinegar of equal parts.

 Shoes

 Lemon juice will remove spots from tan or brown shoes. Rub it well into the leather and apply brown polish. 

Bread Crumbs

 It is better to use bread crumbs when covering things to be fried. Cracker crumbs absorb the grease. 

Coat Collars 

Ammonia is excellent for cleaning coat collars. 

Painted Floors 

To make painted floors of linoleum shine, add one-half cup of sweet milk to the water.

 Yellow Clothes

 To whiten clothes that are yellow add a large spoonful of cream of tartar to the water. Put clothes in and let the water come to a boil. They will come out very white.

 Cotton Dresses 

When washing cotton dresses, always put salt into the water to prevent the color from running, about one tablespoon to a quart of water. Vinegar, added to the rinsing water in the same proportion, will brighten the colors.'

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September 11, 1924

Mahogany;

 A very fine polish for mahogany is made by mixing a table spoon of olive oil with a tea-spoonful of vinegar. After dusting well, apply the fluid with a piece of soft flannel. Then polish with a clean soft duster. 

Cocoa;

 If pinch of cloves is added to cocoa when making a cake it will improve the flavor. 

Hair Brushes

If  hair brushes are washed with soda instead of soap, the bristles will remain stiff and white. Soap soften the bristles and does not clean as quickly as soda. 

Teacups:

 If you tea cups are badly stained:, try washing them in a mixture of salt and vinegar. It will remove all spots. 

Stockings: 

The colored silk stockings that are so popular now sometimes look very faded after washing. To avoid fading, use one tablespoon of borax to each two quarts of warm water. Wash quickly and rinse thoroughly in clear water. Do not hang in the sun.

 Clothes:

 If clothes are sprinkled with warm water instead of cold they will be ready to iron in a few moments. Roll them tightly in a damp towel and iron in ten or fifteen minutes. 

Burns: 

It is a good idea to keep a solution of alum and water bottled; in case of burns, etc. If applied at once, this solution will prevent blistering and also relieve pain quickly. 

White Stockings: 

If white silk stockings are washed and dried at night they will not turn yellow as quickly as they will if they are dried in the light. 

Saucepans:

After cooking oatmeal the pan can be very easily cleaned by filling with very hot water. Empty the hot water and fill with cold The meal will fall away from the sides. 

Cakes: 

To remove cakes from the tin try pacing it on a wet cloth for ten or fifteen minutes. The cake will come out without the aid of a knife and will not stick to the pan.

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September 25, 1924

SALT SHAKERS:
To prevent damp salt corroding the top of salt shakers heat paraffine and spread it inside the top. While the paraffine is cooling open the soles with a toothpick through which the salt will pass easily. 

TILED FLOORS: 
Warm water and soap is the best thing to use in cleaning tiled floors. After drying well with a soft cloth, rub with a cloth which has been dampened with linseed oil. An old piece of silk is better than cotton material

 BOILED POTATOES:

 If you want potatoes to look snow white after they have been boiled, try this. Lay a piece of white cloth on top of them, before putting on the lid. You will be pleased! with the results.

 BREAD: 
If, instead of greasing your bread after taking it out of the oven, it is greased before baking, it will be much softer.

GREASE:
 To remove automobile grease, tar or any ordinary grease spot soak the material in gasoline and then wash with soap in the usual way.

 MUSTARD: 
When mixing mustard add a drop of salad oil to it. This will greatly improve the flavor and' it will mix more readily. 

PIES: 

When baking pies that are juicy, put a very thin layer of fine bread crumbs on the lower crust before putting in the fruit. This will prevent the juice soaking through.

 LAMP CHIMNEYS: 
Never wash lamp chimneys in soapy water. Hold the chimney over steam and polish with a cloth. Then rub with a cloth which has been sprinkled with powdered whiting.

 IRON RUST:
 To remove iron rust put salt on the stain and squeeze a little lemon juice on it. Leave article in the sun. If it does come off the first time, repeat treatment. 

PIES: 

Instead of greasing a plate to prevent pies sticking, dust carefully with flour. The pie will slide out easily without the least difficulty. 

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