Use crumpled newspaper instead of paper towels for lint-free results.

• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 cups warm water

Mix the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well to dissolve cornstarch. Spray liberally onto glass surface. Wipe dry with a clean cloth or newspapers, buffing to a streak-free shine.

The best defense against a dirty oven? Prevent spills before they happen. If you suspect a dish will bubble over during baking, place it on a cookie sheet before putting it in the oven. For tough, baked-on grease, use this remedy.

• 1 box baking soda (16 ounces)
• 1/4 cup washing soda

1. In a container, mix the ingredients well.
2. Wet the floor and walls of the oven (you can use a wet rag or paper towels) and generously sprinkle the mixture on the surface. Repeat and let sit overnight.
3. In the morning, wipe the mixture and the grease away, rinsing well to remove any filmy residue.
4. For stubborn, burned-on stains, scour with salt and an abrasive pad.

Dissolve in one gallon of boiling water a pound and a quarter of washing soda, and a quarter of a pound of borax. In washing clothes allow quarter of a cup of this to every gallon of water.

Stretch the stained part tightly over a bowl, and pour on boiling water till it is free from spot.

All mutton and ham fat should be melted and strained into a large stone pot. The practice of throwing lumps of fat into a pot, and waiting till there are several pounds before trying them out, is a disgusting one, as often such a receptacle is alive with maggots. Try out the fat, and strain as carefully as you would lard or beef drippings, and it is then always ready for use. If concentrated lye or potash, which comes in little tins, is used, directions will be found on the tins. Otherwise allow a pound of stone potash to every pound of grease. Twelve pounds of each will make a barrel of soft soap.

Crack the potash in small pieces. Put in a large kettle with two gallons of water, and boil till dissolved. Then add the grease, and, when melted, pour all into a tight barrel. Fill it up with boiling water, and for a week, stir daily for five or ten minutes. It will gradually become like jelly.