SMALL ECONOMIES The reason many things are wasted in every household is that the family has not formed the habit of making uses for them. The following ways to use string, paper bags, wrapping pa per and newspapers, lard pails, and various cans and bottles that come into the house every day from the grocers and other merchants, will be found not only useful small econo mies but also valuable household con veniences.
Uses of Common Twine.—Save all bits of string or twine, and teach the children to sort them and knot the different sizes together. Roll the com mon white twine up into a ball, drop it inside a box, with the end protrud ing through a hole in the lid. Or use the accumulated twine to knit or Chet dishcloths eight to twelve inches square. Bath slippers can also be made of it.
Wind coarse twine on a roller or fishline reel and hang it up on the back of the pantry door.
Paper Bags.—These are not only convenient to wrap up articles, but are especially useful to polish stoves and lamp chimneys, to wipe up milk, grease, or what not, as they can be quickly disposed of by burning when soiled.
Tissue Paper.—This is useful for polishing glass, wrapping up laces, ribbons, and other delicate articles.
Oiled Papers. — Oiled papers that come over butter and lard may be used for papering cake tins. The waxed papers that come on the inside of cracker or biscuit boxes are useful to wrap up cheese and other articles which will deteriorate if exposed to the air, also for wrapping lunches, for school and factory lunch pails, and picnics.
Wrapping Paper.—This may be used to slice bread and cake upon, roll crackers, pare apples or potatoes, and dress chickens on, after which it may be rolled up and dropped into the garbage pail.
Or it may be spread over the gar bage pail and all garbage placed on it to save trouble in cleaning.
Flour Bags.— Large paper flour bags are useful for bleaching gloves and other small articles with the fumes of sulphur, and dry cleaning with magnesia, corn meal, and similar substances. The cloth sacks may be used for dish towels and dishcloths.
When emptying flour sacks, a small amount of flour will adhere to the sack. Turn the sack inside out, lay it
over the molding board, and knead the bread upon it. This will cleanse it effectually.
Newspapers. — Spread clean news papers under the carpet, especially if the floor is rough. They make a smooth surface, prevent wear, and also check draughts through the floor cracks. Also use them for polishing windows, mirrors, lamp chimneys, stove tops, and nickel.
Spread a newspaper before the stove when taking up ashes. Light news paper in the open grate when taking up ashes, or shaking down a grate fire. The resulting draught will carry the dust up the chimney.
Cover plants on frosty nights with newspapers, or if indoors, put them between the plants and the windows. Fold a newspaper across the chest and attach with safety pins under the cloak or coat when exposed for a long time in cold winds, as in sleigh riding.
Also use newspapers for wrapping furs, velvets, and other articles when storing them to protect them from moths.
Tin Cans. — Lard, kerosene, and other oils are sold in various parts of the country in five-gallon cans. These can be obtained from the grocer for a small sum and make excellent boil ers to wash out small articles too dainty for the regular wash. They can also be used with a small wash board as tubs.
Or they may be used as flour bins, bread or cake boxes, and the like.
Or, by removing the top and making holes at each side and attaching short pieces of copper wire with a broom handle between, convenient pails may be made out of them. These pails may be made of any desired depth by cutting off the can with Lt cold chisel and hammer and turning back the sharp edges.
Such cans are also convenient to salt down pickles, steam fruit, etc.
Lard Pails.—These may be used for storing sugar, coffee, cereals, and rice. Or for potting plants, especially as hanging baskets. They are also use ful both in five- and ten-pound sizes for steaming brown bread and Indian puddings. A five-pound lard pail placed inside a ten-pound pail, and slightly raised from the bottom of the latter by small stones or otherwise, forms a good substitute for a double boiler.