How To Prevent Soot In Chimneys

Burn raw potato parings in the stove, or pieces of zinc to prevent having soot accumulate.

How To See Obstructions In A Chimney

Remove the soot-pan, place a hand mirror in the opening, and you can see to the top unless obstructed.

Vinegar will remove lime spots and soot from an open chimney.

How To Start A Fire

Keep ashes in an old tin can and pour over kerosene enough to soak them. Have the grate clean and wood laid on it ready to light. Place two spoonfuls of ashes on the wood, then lay a few sticks over the ashes, have dampers open, and light the ashes. Keep the can of ashes outside, away from fire and your kindling is always ready. A brick may be soaked in kerosene a short time and laid in a grate and lighted to start either coal or wood. When the kerosene is burned out and the brick cold, it may be soaked again.

To start a fire in the grate, first take a newspaper and insert in opening just above grate, then light paper; this will warm up the chimney flue and prevent smoke from coming into room after lighting fire. This also applies in starting hard and soft coal burners.

To free a grate from cinders, dump clam or oyster shells into the grate.

How To Keep A Fire

Soak two or three newspapers in clean cold water, squeeze out the water, and make the papers into good sized balls. Pack these tightly together on top of the red hot coal fire, and it will keep for hours.

When a quick fire is needed, tear a newspaper into quarters without unfolding, twist each one tightly, lay closely in the stove, and light one end.

Throw on a few pieces of coal and sprinkle table salt over them. At the end of several hours, there will be a good fire.

How To Waterproof Matches

Dip them in very hot melted paraffin and when cool, they are ready for use.

How To Clean Discolored Fireplace Brick

Rub into the bricks as much linseed oil as they will absorb, and repeat till they are clear.

Blacking A Stove

Use a paint brush to apply the blacking. Just before using stove polish, mix a tablespoonful of gasoline with a saucer of polish. Be sure the stove is cold and never use gasoline around heat.

Turpentine is also good to use with polish.

Clean the steel parts with boiled linseed oil on a woolen cloth, and clean the nickle with whiting and ammonia.

If a stove is washed, then rubbed well with a few drops of linseed oil on a woolen cloth, it will never need polishing.

In The Oven

Paint the inside of the oven with aluminum paint and it is a pleasure to be able to see every article in it.

A little salt sprinkled on the bottom of the oven will prevent cakes burning.

When possible during the winter months, do the baking in the furnace.

When the hinges on the oven door are worn and the doors fail to catch, put washers of iron on the bolt.

How To Cut Stove Pipe

Cut stove pipe easily with a can opener.