The Book Of Hints And Wrinkles: Advice on offer to households of the 1930s

The ability to run our house and our daily life smoothly, economically and with the minimum of worry and fuss is of fundamental importance if we wish to achieve a happy and contented existence.

So begins the Introduction to The Book Of Hints And Wrinkles, published in Britain in 1939.

My late grandfather bought a copy and the little blue book has become something of a family heirloom.

It not only contains advice on everything from the benefits of using coke instead of coal to “the right ways to iron”, but also provides us with a fascinating insight into a very different world.

Seventy-eight years ago, traditional gender roles dominated.

Women did the cooking and the housework; men went out to work.

Few homes had central heating and the washing machines that did exist were of the hand-worked variety.

While some of its recommendations may seem dated, there’s still much in the book that is of use to us today.

Let’s then take a look at some of its “hints and wrinkles”.

GENERAL FURNISHING HINTS (don’t forget the ashtrays!)

The all-important task of furnishing your home should only be embarked upon after the most careful preliminary planning.

Here are some things that are often overlooked: Kitchen utensils generally. Coal buckets. Lamp shades. Curtain fittings. Bathroom shelves. Waste-paper baskets. Garden tools and furniture. Ash-trays.

THE LAUNDRY

It is a good thing to get the laundry off your mind on the first day of the week.

But if the laundry work is to be done properly on Monday, the housewife must be prepared to do the sorting on Saturday or Sunday and to put the whites in soak then.

In cases where there has been some entertaining over the weekend, Tuesday will probably be found the more convenient day.

Monday can then be utilised for a general clear up of the house.

HEATING AND HOT WATER SUPPLY

A small coke boiler is probably the best and most economical means for providing the home with hot water.

The stove, together with boiler costs about £10.

The cost of installation and piping is about £40.

Coke is a cheaper fuel than coal. It does not make so much dust, ash and soot.

On the other hand it does not produce that cheerful, crackling flame of the coal fire.

Its heat is rather intense, and people with sensitive eyes should sit at a distance of four to six feet from it, to prevent their eyes from smarting.

APPORTIONING FAMILY INCOME

A sane understanding about money between husband and wife is one of the secrets of married happiness.

To make a success of the money side of marriage, it must be arranged upon a partnership basis, with all the cards on the table, so that both husband and wife can see that the other is playing fair.

Keep detailed accounts of all expenditures.

This is not pointless drudgery, but the necessary routine of a well-managed household.

POINTS TO REMEMBER WHEN SHOPPING

Let nothing ruffle you. A happy home will be achieved from happy shopping.

If worn out and overtired, go away. Losing the temper never helps and to display it to those inferior to you (salesmen and so forth) is unfair.

CLEANING TIPS

Mackintoshes: Stains can be removed with eucalyptus oil, or if they are mud stains, with methylated spirits.

If the mackintosh has become stiff, dissolve a handful of grey lime in a basin of water and sponge the stiffened parts.

Leave for three hours and repeat. Silk dresses: A silk dress can be freshened up by placing it on a wooden table, sponging it with curd soap-suds – as dry as possible – and rubbing it with a dry cloth.

Black silk can be freshened and rejuvenated if sponged with beer, slightly diluted with water.

BABY’S EARLY DAYS

High-heeled shoes must be discarded because they are a strain upon the abdomen and may harm the baby.

If you can give up smoking during pregnancy so much the better.

In any event limit yourself to three cigarettes a day.

HOUSE PESTS

If mice are already in the house, efficient and humane mouse traps can be installed or a cat introduced into the family.

Even the advent of a kitten has been known to clear a house of mice in days.

Cayenne pepper sprinkled thickly over the shelves and scattered near the haunts of mice will help keep them away.

THE PROBLEM OF OUR PETS

When choosing a dog, the first thing to do is to make sure that the breed you choose will fit in with your domestic space and arrangements.

It would be unfair to coop up a Great Dane or any dog of similar size in a town flat or small town house.

Few people realise, until they have experience of it, that it costs about 25 shillings a week to feed such a dog as a St Bernard, a mastiff or a Newfoundland.

HINTS FOR USING OLD NEWSPAPERS

Save all newspapers. They have many uses in the home.

Here are three of them: (1) Firelighters can be made by rolling a sheet of paper in a long tight cylinder, and folding it into a concertina shape.

(2) Tear newspapers into convenient sizes and hang in the kitchen. Use for such tasks as wiping the stove, mopping up spilt milk or grease, cleaning the frying pan and so on.

(3) Fold newspapers into pads and use for cleaning windows or mirrors.

KITCHEN MANAGEMENT

A boiling fowl can be quite an economical dish, if properly cooked and its “remains” used in one of the many appetising dishes to which chicken lends itself.

It is often a great surprise, if you have not tried using an oldish bird in this way, to find out what a lot of eating there is on it.

GENERAL RULES ABOUT PAYMENT

Pay the milkman weekly, also the grocer who supplies you with your favourite brands of tea, coffee and dry stores. But preferably pay cash for perishable goods and if at all practicable bring them away from the shop with you.

THE HOUSEWIFE’S PERSONAL APPEARANCE

Try to look cheerful. Your outlook on life is closely interwoven with your personal appearance, so watch yourself and cultivate the habit of looking happy, contented and cheerful.

Smile and don‘t frown or scowl or worry over trifles.

A smiling countenance is always attractive and a far better safeguard against the onslaught of age than all the physical jerks and cosmetics in the world.

CLOTHING HINTS FOR MEN

Always have one dark suit in your wardrobe either a blue or a dark grey.

A dark suit is suitable for all occasions except where dress clothes or sports clothes must be worn, whereas a light suit sometimes looks out of place.

Useful extra clothing: two coloured sports shirts to wear with flannels and sports coat; one light sweater and one pair of white flannel trousers and two or three white tennis shirts if you play tennis or cricket, or for wear in hot weather.