Clean a brass kettle, before using it for cooking, with salt and vinegar.
456. Shaking Carpets
The oftener carpets are shaken the longer they wear; the dirt that collects under them grinds out the threads.
457. Saving Rags
All linen rags should be saved, for they are useful in sickness. If they have become dirty and worn by cleaning silver, &c., wash them and scrape them into lint.
458. Softening Washing-Water
If you are troubled to get soft water for washing, fill a tub or barrel half full of wood ashes, and fill it up with water, so that you may have ley whenever you want it. A gallon of strong ley, put into a great kettle of hard water, will make it as soft as rain water. Some people use pearlash, or potash; but this costs something, and is very apt to injure the texture of the cloth.