Tip Tuesday # 4 Cleaning Cloth

In consideration of this past Saturday's Stitch In Time event, tip Tuesday this week will focus on remedies revolving around cloth! Some of these Victorian remedies are on the wackier side and would not necessarily be recommended for 21st-century use. However, they are still interesting to ponder upon, even if they are no longer practical.

For grease spots on silk, lay a blotter under the spot and then rub with some warmed flour on the stain. Brush off and renew until the grease disappears.

For blankets to wash: put two large tablespoonfuls of Borax and one pint of soft soap into a tub of cold water; when dissolved, put in a pair of blankets, and let them remain overnight; next, rub them out and rinse thoroughly in water and hang to dry; do not wring them out! This recipe also applies to the washing of all kinds of flannels and wools.

To remove mud from clothes, scrape with the edge of a penny. This will not destroy the nap of the cloth.

With that in mind, all traces of mud may be removed from black clothing by rubbing the spot with a piece of raw potato.

When cleaning delicate fabrics like laces, ribbons, etc., use a mixture and flour. Mix this as you would flour and water. Dip the articles in and scrub them thoroughly.

To restore velvet, steam over a hot iron covered with a damp cloth, but do not brush unless crushed badly.  

Tip Tuesday # 3 Baking

A few baking tips and tricks from pioneer days that may just come in handy in the 21st century! Have you tried any of these cooking hacks before? 

A teaspoon of cold water added to the white of an egg causes it to whip more quickly, as well as increases the quantity. 

Whip cream in a pitcher instead of a bowl to do it in half the time and without splatter. 

When a recipe calls for two eggs and eggs are scarce, use one egg and sift one teaspoon of cornstarch with the flour.

A simple cake icing is made by using orange juice or any other fruit juice and stirring in sufficient confectioners sugar to have it in the right consistency.

To keep cookies fresh and crisp in the jar, place crumpled tissue paper in the bottom. 

If the top of a cake is sifted with flour before icing, there is less danger of it running over the sides.

Tip Tuesday #2: Remedies

 

Medical doctors were rare in Northern Glengarry until 1865; households would make up their own remedies for common aliments passed down from generations. For example, the book shows a remedy for baldness that involves a hair tonic with glycerin and alcohol being two of the main ingredients.

To stop hiccoughs, give the patient a teaspoon of granulated sugar and vinegar; if necessary, repeat the dose. 

A poultice of fresh tea leaves moistened with water will cure a sty on the eye.

For earaches, roast a raisin and bind it as hot as can be borne on the ear.

A pinch of salt on the tough followed 10 minutes after by a drink of cold water often cures a sick headache. 

These four remedies come from a 1919 Household Calendar published by Barse & Hopkins in New York copyrighted 1913.

 

Tip Tuesday at the Glengarry Pioneer Museum! 

To clean fly specks from varnished wood, wipe with a soft cloth wrung with skimmed milk and water in equal parts. The fly specks should come right off the varnished wood with minimal scrubbing leaving the wood looking new and polished.