Uses of Bran Water

Few housekeepers know the value of bran water in the household. Its uses are manifold and its cost but a trifle. As an effectual and harmless dirt remover it cannot be surpassed. In preparing it for use, place in a cloth bag some bran, upon which pour boiling water; let stand for several minutes; squeeze the bag out and remove, when the water is ready for use.

In washing woodwork, be it hardwood or painted, it will be found invaluable. The dirt is quickly removed and the original finish of the wood is retained.

For washing printed fabrics it has no equal, for it will not injure the most delicate colors.

If one would use bran water when washing the hair, she would find it not only cleanses the scalp thoroughly, but also imparts to the hair that beautiful luster so much desired.

Another important consideration is that the water does not injure the hands, like so many cleansing preparations; on the contrary, it has long been known that bran is an excellent skin whitener and beneficial when used in the bath.

Lastly, it will cure chronic constipation, by drinking anywhere from three to five cups of bran water at intervals before breakfast. A few drops of lemon juice make it more palatable to some people. For this purpose it is well to soak the bran over night in a covered receptacle and strain in the morning.

Source: 1001 Household Hints, Ottilie V. Ames

Uses of Ammonia

All housekeepers should keep a bottle of liquid ammonia, as it is the most powerful and useful agent for cleaning silks, stuffs and hats, in fact cleans everything it touches. A few drops of ammonia in water will take off grease from dishes, pans, etc., and does not injure the hands as much as the use of soda and strong chemical soaps. A spoonful in a quart of warm water for cleaning paint makes it look like new, and so with everything that needs cleaning.

Spots on towels and hosiery will disappear with little trouble if a little ammonia is put into enough water to soak the articles, and they are left in it an hour or two before washing; and if a cupful is put into the water in which clothes are soaked the night before washing, the ease with which the articles can be washed, and their great whiteness and clearness when dried, will be very gratifying. Remembering the small sum paid for three quarts of ammonia of common strength, one can easily see that no bleaching preparation can be more cheaply obtained.

No articles in kitchen use are so likely to be neglected and abused as the dish-cloth and dish-towels; and in washing these, ammonia, if properly used, is a greater comfort than anywhere else. Put a teaspoonful into the water in which these cloths are, or should be, washed everyday; rub soap on the towels. Put them in the water; let them stand half an hour or so; then rub them out thoroughly, rinse faithfully, and dry outdoors in clear air and sun, and dish-cloths and towels need never look gray and dingy–a perpetual discomfort to all housekeepers.

A dark carpet often looks dusty soon after it has been swept, and you know it does not need sweeping again; so wet a cloth or a sponge, wring it almost dry, and wipe off the dust. A few drops of ammonia in the water will brighten the colors.

For cleaning hair-brushes it is excellent; put a tablespoonful into the water, having it only tepid, and dip up and down until clean; then dry with the brushes down and they will be like new ones.

When employed in washing anything that is not especially soiled, use the waste water afterward for the house plants that are taken down from their usual position and immersed in the tub of water. Ammonia is a fertilizer, and helps to keep healthy the plants it nourishes. In every way, in fact, ammonia is the housekeeper’s friend.

Ammonia is not only useful for cleaning, but as a household medicine. Half a teaspoonful taken in half a tumbler of water is far better for faintness than alcoholic stimulants. In the Temperance Hospital in London, it is used with the best results. It was used freely by Lieutenant Greely’s Arctic party for keeping up circulation. It is a relief in nervousness, headache and heart disturbances.

Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette

To Clean Brass and Copper

Scrape a little rotten-stone fine, and make into a paste with sweet oil. Rub on with a piece of flannel; let it dry, and polish with a chamois-skin. Copper is cleaned either with vinegar and salt mixed in equal parts, or with oxalic acid. The latter is a deadly poison, and must be treated accordingly.

Source: The Easiest Way in Housekeeping and Cooking, H. Campbell

To Cleanse Silks, Woolens, and Cottons

Grate raw potatoes to a fine pulp in clean water, and pass the liquid matter through a coarse sieve into another vessel of water ; let the mixture stand still till the fine white particles of the potatoes settle to the bottom; then pour off the liquor from the sediment, and preserve it for use. The article to be cleaned should be laid upon a cloth on a table ; dip a clean sponge into the liquor, and apply it to the article to be cleaned, till the dirt is perfectly separated, then rinse it in clean water several times. Two middle size potatoes will be sufficient for a pint of water. Should there be any grease spots on the articles, they should be previously extracted.

Source: Valuable Receipts, J.M. Prescott