Fowlers Household Helps | Page 6

will save you the annoyance of meter readers and testers going
through the house to the attic.
Be sure and install control switches and telltale lamps on cellar and
attic lights.
Provide three-way switches in the halls so that the hall lights may be
controlled from either the first or second floor.
All ceiling outlet lighting, and wherever desirable, side bracket lighting,
should be controlled by wall switches. These switches should
preferably be of the push-button type rather than of the snap-switch
type. In general the best location for these switches is on the wall of the
room right next to the door which is the entrance most frequently used.
FUSES
Fuses on your electrical wiring act in the same capacity as a safety
valve on a steam boiler. Whenever there is an overload on the circuit or
a short circuit these fuses blow and relieve the strain on your wiring.

When in doubt or when in need of suggestions, 'phone the Sales
Department of your Lighting Company.
HOUSEHOLD HELPS
Look in the Index for the principal word of the article about which you
desire information. For instance, "To Open Fruit Jars", look under
"Fruit Jars"
IN THE KITCHEN
Use Sand Soap to Sharpen the Food Chopper--If the knives of your
food chopper become black and dull, run a piece of sand soap, or
scouring brick, through the chopper as you would a potato. It will
brighten and sharpen the knives and they will cut like new. Use
pulverized sand soap or the scouring brick with which you scour.
Kerosene for Water Bugs--A small quantity of kerosene poured down
the drain pipe occasionally will stop annoyance from this pest.
To Prevent a Glass from Breaking when pouring hot water in it, first
put a spoon in the glass. This method can also be used when pouring
hot soup or any hot liquid in any fragile receptacle.
When Butter is Too Hard to spread easily, turn a heated bowl upside
down over the butter dish for a few minutes. This will thoroughly
soften the butter without melting it.
To Open Fruit Jars--Strips of emery board, about one inch wide and
eight inches or so long, will be found useful to loosen obstinate fruit jar
tops. Just place the strip around the edge of the top, and give it a twist.
To Keep Refrigerator Sweet--A lump of charcoal should be placed in
the refrigerator to keep it sweet. When putting your best tea or coffee
urn away, drop a small piece of charcoal in it and prop the lid open
with a toothpick.
Currycomb for Scaling Fish--A currycomb is better than a knife for

scaling fish, as it protects the hands.
Cornpopper for Toasting Bread--The cornpopper can be used for
toasting odds and ends of stale bread which would otherwise be wasted.
To Prevent Stains Under the Nails--Dip the ends of the fingers in
melted tallow before beginning a task which is likely to stain them.
To Remove Stains from the Hands, rub them with a piece of lemon.
Starch to Prevent Chapped Hands--Use starch which is ground fine to
prevent chapped hands. Every time the hands are washed and rinsed
thoroughly, wipe them off, and, while they are yet damp, rub a pinch of
starch over their entire surface. Chapping is then not likely to occur.
Wisp Brush for Greasy Pans and Kettles--A small wisp brush is better
for cleaning greasy pans and kettles than the string mop you use for the
dishes. You can buy them two for five cents. A little soap powder
sprinkled on them makes a fine suds for the tinware and cooking
utensils.
Best Way to Strain Soup--When straining soup set a coarse strainer
inside of a fine one and pour the liquid through both; you will thus
avoid clogging the fine one with pieces of meat and broken bones.
How to Crack Pecan Nuts--Almost all housewives know how very hard
it is to crack pecan nuts and get the meats out whole. Pour boiling
water over the nuts and let them stand tightly covered for five or six
hours. The nut meats may then be extracted easily without a trace of the
bitter lining of the nut. Use a nut cracker and crack lightly all around
the nuts. The work is quickly done and is not at all like the tedious
process of picking out the meats from the dry nuts. The meats nearly
always come out whole.
Lemon Squeezer for Making Beef Juice--When one has to make beef
juice in small quantities which does not warrant buying an expensive
meat-press, use instead a ten-cent lemon squeezer. This can be
sterilized by boiling and kept absolutely clean. One can press out

several ounces in a very few minutes.
Quick Way to Peel Carrots--Use a coarse grater to peel