Shaving Compound
Half a pound of plain, white soap, dissolved in a small quantity of alcohol, as little as can be used; add a tablespoonful of pulverized borax. Shave the soap and put it in a small tin basin or cup; place it on the fire in a dish of boiling water; when melted, add the alcohol, and remove from the fire; stir in oil of bergamot sufficient to perfume it.
Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette
Odoriferous or Sweet-Scenting Bags
Lavender flowers one ounce, pulverized orris, two drachms, bruised rosemary leaves half ounce, musk five grains, attar of rose five drops. Mix well, sew up in small flat muslin bags, and cover them with fancy silk or satin.
These are very nice to keep in your bureau drawers or trunk, as the perfume penetrates through the contents of the trunk or drawers. An acceptable present to a single gentleman.
Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette
Filed under Remedy | Tags: attar of rose, bag, bags, lavender, lavender bags, lavender flowers, musk, muslin, orris, rose, rosemary, satin, scent, silk, whitehouse | Comment (0)Camphor Ice
Melt together over a water bath white wax and spermaceti each one ounce, camphor two ounces, sweet almond oil, one pound, then triturate until the mixture has become homogeneous, and allow one pound of rose-water to flow in slowly during the operation. Excellent for chapped lips or hands.
Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette
To Take Rust from Steel Implements or Knives
Rub them well with kerosene oil, leaving them covered with it a day or so; then rub them hard and well with finely powdered unslaked lime.
Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette
To Keep Milk Sweet
Put into a panful a spoonful of grated horse-radish, it will keep it sweet for days.
Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette
Bad Breath
Bad breath from catarrh, foul stomach, or bad teeth, may be temporarily relieved by diluting a little bromo chloralum with eight or ten parts of water, and using it as a gargle, and swallowing a few drops before going out. A pint of bromo chloralum costs fifty cents, but a small vial will last a long time.
Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette
Toilet Items
Mutton tallow is considered excellent to soften the hands. It may be rubbed on at any time when the hands are perfectly dry, but the best time is when retiring, and an old pair of soft, large gloves thoroughly covered on the inside with the tallow and glycerine in equal parts, melted together, can be worn during the night with the most satisfactory results.
Four parts of glycerine and five parts of yolks of eggs thoroughly mixed, and applied after washing the hands, is also considered excellent.
For chapped hands or face: One ounce of glycerine, one ounce of alcohol mixed, then add eight ounces of rose-water.
Another good rule is to rub well in dry oatmeal after every washing, and be particular regarding the quality of soap. Cheap soap and hard water are the unknown enemies of many people, and the cause of rough skin and chapped hands. Castile soap and rain-water will sometimes cure without any other assistance.
Camphor ice is also excellent, and can be applied with but little inconvenience. Borax dissolved and added to the toilet water is also good.
For chapped lips, beeswax dissolved in a small quantity of sweet oil, by heating carefully. Apply the salve two or three times a day, and avoid wetting the lips as much as possible.
Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette
Filed under Remedy | Tags: alcohol, beeswax, borax, camphor, camphor ice, castile soap, chap, chapped, chapped skin, chapping, egg, egg yolk, face, gloves, glycerin, glycerine, hands, hard water, lips, mutton, oatmeal, oil, rose water, soap, soft, soften, sweet oil, tallow, toilet, toilettte, water, wax, whitehouse, yolk | Comment (0)Removing Tartar from the Teeth
This preparation is used by dentists. Pure muriatic acid one ounce, water one ounce, honey two ounces, mix thoroughly. Take a tooth-brush, and wet it freely with this preparation, and briskly rub the black teeth, and in a moment’s time they will be perfectly white; then immediately wash out the mouth well with water, that the acid may not act on the enamel of the teeth. This should be done only occasionally.
Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette
Scouring Soap for Cotton and Silk Goods
Mix one pound of common soap, half a pound of beef-gall and one ounce and a half of Venetian turpentine.
Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette
Barber’s Shampoo Mixture
Dissolve half an ounce of carbonate of ammonia and one ounce of borax in one quart of water; then add two ounces of glycerine in three quarts of New England rum, and one quart of bay rum. Moisten the hair with this liquid; shampoo with the hands until a light lather is formed; then wash off with plenty of clean water.
Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette