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SANITARY LAUNDERING 
 
 = OR - 
 
 The Story of "Through the Wash" 
 
 By Tudor C. Josselyn 
 
 A Semi-Scientific Treatment of Clothing 
 
 IN USING 
 
 Chemicals, Water, Soap, Wringing, 
 Rinsing, Bluing, Starching, Drying, 
 Ironing, Etc. ^ ^ ^ ^ 
 
 BESIDES OTHER 
 
 Valuable and Useful Information 
 
 The Importance Of Which Is Necessary To Know 
 IN ORDER TO HAVE CLOTHES PROPERLY CLEANSED 
 
 Price, One Dollar. 
 

 <^ 
 
 THE TURO ASSOCIATION, 
 CLOSTER, NEW JERSEY, 
 
 PUBLISHERS. 
 
 Copyright, 1916, 
 
 by 
 
 Tudor C. Josselyn. 
 
 All riuhts reserved. 
 
 ;i.A420547 
 
PREFACE 
 
 The object in writing these few pages has been two- 
 fold ; first, to awaken in the consciousness of those who 
 may read them a realization of the dangers in which 
 they are daily living in their liability of contracting 
 some one of the many forms of disease that may be 
 brought to their homes from some laundry; and second, 
 to put into simple and easy language a means of know- 
 ing how to best treat and clean all kinds of washable 
 fabrics, and if possible, to offer a better method for do- 
 ing laundry work by actual measurements of all 
 chemical substances that are used and that too, without 
 injury to the clothing while being put through the wash. 
 
 The criterion by which the purity of clothing has 
 been judged, and is judged, is that of WHITENESS, 
 never realizing that from within that bundle of white- 
 ness may be hidden the seeds of disease, sickness and 
 death. 
 
 Visiting more than a thousand homes it was found 
 that ignorance was the key to the real situation in re- 
 gard to the possibility of a laundry being a disease 
 breeding and disease lurking place; and, nowhere was 
 responsibility to be laid, therefore the necessity of each 
 individual home becoming a law unto itself and there- 
 by change their method of laundry procedure from 
 that which now prevails. 
 
 The information herein contained, in many instances, 
 was furnished to the author by housewives, who had 
 done some thinking, and is here given as the result of 
 their experience, wdiile other matter is the result of 
 observation, experiment and study. 
 
 T. C. J. 
 
THE DOING OF LAUNDRY WORK. 
 
 To most people, the doing of laundry work, to say the 
 least, is a disagreeable, and, generally speaking, thank- 
 less task; so much so that one can hardly be blamed for 
 wanting to ''get the whole business" out of the way in 
 the shortest possible time. Conscious of these condi- 
 tions when "wash-day" comes around with its hard 
 work — drudgery, it is to most women — when compelled 
 to stand, in a back-breaking position for hours over the 
 tub with its noisome odors, subjected to the extra heat 
 of summer and again to the colds of winter, it can weU 
 be understood how the sole object would naturally be 
 "to get it out of the way and over mth, just as soon 
 as possible." 
 
 No part of laundry work can be hurriedly done with- 
 out its being slighted. There is, in connection with it, 
 just so much to be accomplished and a corresponding 
 amount of time and labor is absolutely necessary, in 
 order that the work shall be properly done. It must 
 ever be kept in mind that a washing hurried, is a wash- 
 ing slighted and that, in a slighted wash, one should re- 
 member that they will be obliged to use clothing^ or 
 wearing apparel in which particles of dirt, perspira- 
 tion, odors, etc., may have come from some other per- 
 son's clothing. 
 
 Clothing, thoroughly washed and rinsed, gives to one 
 a sense of rest, is cooler in svimmer and warmer in 
 winter. The higher demands of nature are for "con- 
 stant cleanliness" for the full physical enjoyment of 
 every person and, in order that every one may live that 
 complete enjoyment, he should never live, through care- 
 lessness, indifference or through lack of appreciation, 
 beneath our daily privilege of thorough cleanliness. 
 
 5 
 
LAUNDRY MACHINES AND APPLIANCES. 
 
 It is almost the universal testimony that whatever 
 help and assistance women have received into the house- 
 hold, in the form of machines or labor-saving devices, 
 that such help has not been of her seeking but through 
 the exertions, influence and advice of men. 
 
 In nearly every department of man's labor his 
 strength, time, health and money are conserved by the 
 daily use of many kinds and varieties of machinery. 
 
 Everywhere, generally speaking, it has been found 
 that women have been and are exceedingly slow in 
 availing themselves of the use of labor-saving devices 
 in her field of work; this being especially true where 
 servants are employed. Right here it raay be said that 
 there is a measure of excuse for lack of progress or up- 
 to-date household conditions in many households, due 
 to the fact that, most servants or those emploj^ed by the 
 day, object and often strenuously, to anything l3eing 
 used or brought into the house that will lessen their 
 number of hours of work as, in such cases, the pay of 
 such laborer or help is correspondingly reduced. 
 Where such conditions are allowed to prevail the one 
 party who should direct her own household affairs, 
 gives way to the dictation of those whom she would 
 have serve her, with results that are always unsatis- 
 factory, owing to kitchen conditions and surroundings 
 being controlled by the help. 
 
 CLEANLINESS. 
 
 The great and imperative duty of cleanliness, not 
 only in the home and in our daily surroundings, but 
 more especially in one's clothing, was never better 
 understood by all well informed people than at the 
 present da v. 
 
 6 
 
Comparatively speaking, it is but a few years since 
 the subject of Microbes, Germs, Bacilla?, etc., was first 
 brought to the attention of the general reading public : 
 but today, most people have, to some extent, heard of 
 the existence of these health-destroying and disease- 
 breeding animalcules that thrive all about us, that they 
 are to be found in special places in well nigh countless 
 numbers, but almost wholly within the surroundings of 
 dirt or filth in some one of its various forms. 
 
 No subject has been given more careful attention 
 from the scientific world than has been given in the 
 search after micro-organisms ; and the beneficial re- 
 
 to 
 
 suits to the whole human race are almost be3'ond con- 
 ception. 
 
 As a result of these extensive and costly researches 
 made by science, the greatest and some of the most pro- 
 lific sources of sickness, disease and death have been 
 discovered and, in a large majority of instances, ade- 
 quate preventives or remedies have been provided. 
 
 The destruction of these micro-organisms should be, 
 not only a public necessity but a pi'ivate duty as well 
 It should be an individual, a personal obligation, in- 
 cumbent upon all, for the preservation and mainte- 
 nance of both public and private health. 
 
 The extermination of these disease-producing factors, 
 however, has not and is not receiving the thought and 
 attention that should be given to so important a sub- 
 ject, by the great masses of people who, we regret to 
 say, are too easily inclined to let old and established 
 methods or routine, no matter how antiquated, drift 
 along without protest, so long as they, themselves are 
 not personally incommoded. 
 
 In this respect, ''What is every body's business, is 
 no body's business," consequently, in most places the 
 
 7 
 
inclination among all classes of people is to shirk in- 
 dividual responsibility. 
 
 In our own private homes, pride argues, "There can 
 be no fear of deadly germs underminmg our health," 
 and so, in blind and fancied security we become a silent 
 prey to ill health, all unconscious of the fact that our 
 health is slowly but surely leaving us, the actual cause 
 undetected, unknown, not even suspicioned. 
 
 The necessary, preventive steps for the avoidance of 
 disease in many instances are easy, inexpensive and 
 effective but, lacking appreciation, are not made use of 
 by the individual, largely owing to indifference to their 
 real importance and, through this lack or w^ant of a 
 proper understanding of the real dangers that may lie 
 hidden all about us, in these health and life destroying 
 elements, nothing is done for their elimination. 
 
 National and State governments, however, both at 
 home and abroad, have reached a realizing sense of the 
 great importance of the subject and as a consequence, 
 have a regularly equipped service, devoted exclusively, 
 in many instances, to the maintenance of health and 
 healthful conditions, not only in public but in private 
 life as well, and millions of dollars are spent annually 
 for this purpose. There the best appliances, special 
 machinery, tools, implements, etc., are made use of and 
 improvements are being brought daily into use that 
 not only cleanse but thoroughly disinfect and deodor- 
 ize surrounding conditions or may be applied to 
 clothing as well. These improvements, brought by the 
 aid of science have done much to increase the general 
 average of life. 
 
 A thorough disinfection of all clothing that is worn, 
 if it could be done while going through the wash, w^ould 
 tend to the improvement of the health, comfort and 
 happiness of each individual member of the family. 
 
 8 
 
The subject of cleanliness, beyond the everyday 
 sweeping, dusting and the weekly wash, has received 
 little or no attention toward any betterment, judging 
 from the remarks made by many housewives. 
 
 Soap and water, as is well known, are chiefly relied 
 upon for cleansing clothing; but to what extent the 
 prevailing custom, in the average run of families, really 
 relieves the clothing of all forms of dirt, perspiration, 
 infection, microbes, etc., is a matter of consideration 
 that is quite foreign to the management of the general 
 household; yet, it is through this very lack of compre- 
 hension, of proper attention and thought upon the sub- 
 ject that one's health may become impaired and the 
 seeds of sickness find a fertile field that is easy of at- 
 tack. 
 
 Whenever clothing has been used by sick or diseased 
 persons, the mere use of soap, hot water and the wash- 
 board to cleanse them is, to say the least, an extremely 
 doubtful expedient as such cases require special treat- 
 ment. 
 
 By the use of linen provided at hotels, public resorts, 
 in railway trains, steamboats, at public dining tables 
 or restaurants, people using same are exposed to what- 
 ever of contagion or infectious disease there may be 
 lurking in the linen supplied, if there has been lack of 
 right cleansing. 
 
 Where cleanliness is maintained, refinement invari- 
 ably prevails. 
 
 DIRT. 
 
 Of the multitudinous forms of dirt that abound 
 everywhere, it is only necessary here to consider those 
 prevalent and peculiar to or pertaining "To the wash." 
 
 To the lay public there are but three chief kinds of 
 dirt to be considered in connection with their laundry; 
 
 9 
 
(lust that comes from the atmosphere, dirt that comes 
 from soft substances, such as soil the hands when com- 
 ing in contact with or in handling matter and prespira- 
 tion. 
 
 Dust and perspiration combined, plus that upon the 
 clothing coming in contact with extraneous substances, 
 is the main reason for putting clothing through the 
 wash. 
 
 Household linen, as a rule, needs much less atten- 
 tion than that required by bodily linen, for the reason 
 that through the pores of the body there is a steady 
 stream of effete matter pouring into the under gar- 
 ments, in the form of gases, acids, ]i<|uids, fats, etc., that 
 fill the meshes of the clothing to overflowing, and it is 
 within these bodily secretions that millions of animal- 
 cules spring into life, if the clothing is allowed to go 
 too long without proper cleansing. 
 
 These secretitious substances become poisonous when 
 exposed to contamination, either by infection or con- 
 tagion and prove a source of unhealthful conditions ; a 
 menace to all surroundings and at such times are liable 
 to prove unhealthful or injurious to any one coming in 
 contact with them. It is these conditions that are of 
 the most importance and are the ones that should re- 
 ceive careful attention while the clothing is going 
 through the wash and it is in the ivash, and there alone 
 that all possible disease-breeding conditions of clothing 
 should be thoroughly cleansed and disinfected. 
 
 It would be well if all clothing needing the wash 
 could be regarded and treated as though requiring 
 thorough disinfection by some simple and efficient 
 jiieans. 
 
 10 
 
HANDKERCHIEFS AND DIAPERS. 
 
 Diapers and handkerchiefs are used identically for 
 the same purpose — as depositories for exerementitious 
 substances; but they do not, however, serve the same 
 ends. The former is always handled with a great de- 
 gree of care and intelligence but always by the hands 
 of a more intelligent and enlightened person than the 
 user; but, unfortunately, this habit, so early and in- 
 nocently re(|uired in babyhood, in later years is made 
 a perm'ent accessory and as the human being grows to 
 maturity, this piece of infantile clothing is transferred 
 and transformed, when it is known as "A handker- 
 chief," and thereafter is raised to a higher position an(l 
 carried in the pocket, ready for instant use in case of 
 emergency but, unlike the former, the handkerchief is 
 not kept out of the general wash but goes in with the 
 table linen, tableclothes, napkins, etc. — bed linen, wear- 
 ing apparel and so on: a more filthy, noxious, disgust- 
 ing and pernicious piece of stupidity, as a habit or cus- 
 tom, can hardly be imagined as occurring among the 
 most uncivilized or unrefined peoples. 
 , Again, it should alwavs be remembered that washed 
 clothing IS NEVER ANY CLEANER but is always 
 less clean than is the water from which it has been 
 washed and rinsed. 
 
 In the absence of a proper machine in which handk:^r- 
 chiefs may be properly washed and rinsed a^^ "■ 
 thoroughly disinfected in a hot steam, a good p^an is ■' 
 follows: Into a pan of clean cold water ( + wo ^uarts. pu 
 four teaspoonfuls of ammonia) put in th" handkerchie-'s 
 and place over the fire and as soon as boiled, twenty 
 minutes or more, wash out. For handkerchiefs in ordi- 
 nary use, this length of time is sufficient, but when 
 extra heavy usage of the handkerchief has been made, 
 
 11 
 
tliey should be boiled eiglit or ten minutes longer in 
 order to destroy the disagreeableness of their first hand- 
 ling. Rinse in several waters and then they may be 
 put in to go through the regular wash. 
 
 LOCALITIES. 
 
 There are localities that require a very different 
 treatment of clothing from that given in other places, 
 owing to the fact that the water in some places is always 
 impregnated with chemical substances that affect it and 
 in other places a sediment is constantly floating in it. 
 
 The first matter of importance in a washing is to see 
 that the w^ater itself is all right. Sometimes it happens 
 that either hot or cold w^ater has an effect of causing the 
 dirt to become more firmly stuck to the fiber of the 
 goods. Water, in all such places needs doctoring, as 
 well as straining, by the addition of an alkaline sub- 
 stance to soften it. 
 
 WATER. 
 
 Water, everywhere, is used as the universal cleaner 
 throughout the world, whether among civilized or 
 savage peoples; but all ivater does not clean equally 
 well, owing to local and sometimes to general conditions 
 that abound. 
 
 Some water is hard and some soft while in other lo- 
 calities it is filled with mineral, vegetable, animal and 
 other substances, such as gypsum, lime, silica and iron. 
 
 Most water, to some extent is colored. Spring and 
 river waters contain more or less iron in some form and 
 when clothing is washed in it a yellowing of the goods, 
 sooner or later, will gradually appear and it makes no 
 
 12 
 
difference how much care is given or what preparations 
 are used to counteract it, the only remedy will he an 
 occasional bleaching. 
 
 Water never remains steadily the same. It is always 
 changing in hardness or softness or in its coloring, due 
 to the impurities that are always to be found floating 
 in it. 
 
 It is upon the purity of the water that much of the 
 success depends in doing laundry work. 
 
 Colored water, or any water containing a sediment, 
 should always be strained through one or more thick- 
 nesses of canton flannel, before it is used in washing; 
 the thickness of the cloth should depend upon the soiled 
 condition of the water. 
 
 All foreign matter contained in water, to a more or 
 less degree, interferes with and frequently prevents the 
 desired or expected action of either soap or soap- 
 powders upon the clothing. 
 
 To cleanse well, water to be used in washing must 
 first be softened if it is hard, by the addition of either 
 Ammonia, borax or soda or some reliable softener. 
 
 HEAT. 
 
 The expanding forces of heat, applied to clothing, 
 saturated with water pushes apart the dirt particles; 
 the heat causing them to swell, thus breaking up each 
 tiny atom of dirt; or, in other words, crumbles the dirt 
 in its expansion so that the dirt particles fall apart and, 
 in so doing, let go their sticky hold upon the fiber or 
 threads of the clothing, when the dirt may be easily 
 washed or rinsed out of the goods, that is, taken up in 
 the washing and rinsing water through which the goods 
 are passed while going through the wash. 
 
 13 
 
WASHING BY STEAM. 
 
 In none of the steam laundrieS; so called, with the 
 barest possibility, is washing of clothing done in steam, 
 instead of in water. Steam is used, chiefly for moving 
 the various kinds of machinery employed and it is also 
 turned into the water when hot water is required for 
 washing purposes; but steam is not directly used upon 
 the clothing as a means of cleansing and purifying 
 them. 
 
 Steam is one of the simplest and most inexpensive 
 of all purifying agencies. It acts Avith great effective- 
 ness, and of all cleaners is most thorough, sure and 
 (luick and as a sterilizer, is regarded of the highest 
 value. Without in any way doing harm to the cloth- 
 ing, it is the most powerful detergent known. Cloth- 
 ing, subjected to the penetrating power of a saturated 
 steam and to its great heat properties is thoroughly and 
 efficiently cleansed. Steam is destructive to all forms 
 of the low orders of life, to disease germs, to infectious 
 diseases, etc., to which clothing may have been ex- 
 posed. 
 
 The use of steam is far preferable to any form or 
 kind of disinfectant, when and where it can possibly 
 be used. 
 
 Steam, also, is the best, simplest, easiest, quickest and 
 most acceptable method for cleansing all washable 
 goods. Its use does away with the great wear and tear 
 and strain that is put upon clothing while going 
 through the wash and, when sufficiently steamed, a rins- 
 ing in warm water removes all dirt and leaves the 
 clothes soft, sweet and clean; and, besides, steam, even 
 at a comparatively low temperature, is considered by 
 medical experts as the very best disinfectant and is 
 never injurious to the clothing (exceptions, see article 
 on woolens). 
 
 14 
 
The sanitary principal of steam, the hygenic prin- 
 cipal o! great heat, the separation of the clothing, from 
 the dirt that has already been washed out of the cloth- 
 ing, and the theory of no rubbing, are features of the 
 greatest value to every one having clothing to wash. 
 
 STEAM FOR WASHING CLOTHING. 
 
 As to whether Ciothin:? should be boiled or, for that 
 matter, subjected to any great amount of heat, the 
 theories of the average housewives are ([uite divergent 
 and their practices equally so. 
 
 "An experience," says Mr. L., "of more than twenty 
 years, in washing clothing of all kinds and descrip- 
 tions, has demonstrated that the coarsest and dirtiest, 
 to the cleanest and finest of clothing, may be thoroughly 
 cleansed and disinfected, when subjected to the process 
 of forcing a saturated steam against and through the 
 fiber of the clothing, and this too, without perceptible 
 wear or tear upon even the most delicate of fabrics; 
 thus doing away with all forms of j^ounding, rubbing, 
 sloshing and jerking machines." 
 
 ' Some few concerns, salesmen and agents, in order to 
 sell a certain kind of soaps, acids, powders, etc., tell 
 their prospective customers that there is no necessity 
 or need for boiling clothing. 
 
 Clothing, to the inexperienced, careless or indiffer- 
 ent observer may appear to be white and clean. It 
 should be remombered, however, that whiteness is not 
 always a reliable sign of cleanliness or purity. Cloth- 
 ing not treated to the boiling process, from the very 
 nature of things, cannot be thoroughly rid of all dirt 
 and contamination as the microscope will testify, and 
 
 15 
 
such clothing is not in the least sterilized or disinfected, 
 the most important part of all the processes for getting 
 harmful substances out of the clothing. 
 
 DISINFECTION. 
 
 ^ The idea of regularly disinfecting clothing at the 
 time of the weekly wash has, in all probability rarely 
 ever engaged the serious attention of the womenkind; 
 yet, throughout the civilized world, of late years, the 
 subject of disinfection has been receiving the best 
 thought of scientific minds. 
 
 Regular and thorough disinfection is one of the most 
 important, if not the greatest preventive of disease, and 
 when taken in connection with the weekly washing of 
 clothing, would add greatly to the health of every one, 
 if all articles going through the wash could be 
 thoroughly sterilized. 
 
 PERSPIRATION. 
 
 All clothing that is subjected to or is filled with per- 
 spiration turns yellow in time; therefore, it is of the 
 first importance that these exudations should be wholly 
 removed from the fiber of the goods for the daily com- 
 fort of the person for, this effete matter, filling the 
 meshes of the clothing is a decided disadvantage to the 
 wearer as it helps to smother the heat of the body and 
 consequently surrounds the person with a disagreeable 
 beat making one much hotter on a summer's day; while 
 in the winter time matter allowed to remain in the 
 clothing is a rapid conductor of heat away from the 
 body, therefore making necessary more clothing in 
 order that one may keep comfortably warm. 
 
 16 
 
A thorough boiling or better still, steaming of this 
 class of clothing and a thorough rinsing in warm water 
 will remove these particles of dirt from the clothing 
 better than any other process. The steaming process 
 never injures the fiber of the goods and at the same 
 time adds no foreign substance that must afterwards, 
 in its turn, be washed out of the meshes of the cloth- 
 ing. 
 
 Where a stain has the appearance of iron rust which 
 is often the case with this class of goods, use a solution 
 of oxalic acid, one drop, to twenty drops of soft water. 
 
 Perspiration also has a tendency to make the goods 
 turn a dirty yellow which, if allov/ed to stand any great 
 length of time will wholly destroy the usefulness of the 
 goods for all future wearing. For another method of 
 removal of this condition, see articles on ''A Yellow 
 Color." 
 
 BLEACHING. 
 
 Bleaching at times is necessary in all laundry work. 
 The yellow tinge, so often found in clothing, is more 
 often due to bad soap or insufficient rinsing or to rins- 
 ing in too cold water. When the yellowness has be- 
 come permanent, recourse must be had to the bleaching 
 process. 
 
 A bleaching water is made from a number of sub- 
 stances. The articles generally used are chloride of 
 lime (used largely in laundries), sal-soda, javelle-water, 
 borax, ammonia and turpentine. The use of borax and 
 turpentine are favorably recommended for family use, 
 owing to their being more mild than the other sub- 
 stances. 
 
 Ammonia is somewhat stronger than either borax 
 or turpentine and in many places its use is preferable. 
 
 17 
 
Soda is caustic and if used too strong and is not 
 llioroughly rinsed out will cause the clothes to rot, that 
 is to break away into small and larger holes, besides it 
 is more than likely to discolor them. 
 
 Javelle-water and chloride of lime are used in obsti- 
 nate cases wdiere bleaching is required, but the article 
 should be treated at once with ammonia-water in order 
 to neutralize the strong effects of the acid, after which, 
 the clothing should be thoroughly rinsed. 
 
 Chloride of lime can not be recommended for bleach- 
 ing purposes. Where linen is sent to some professional 
 cleaners it is very apt to suffer all sorts of unfriendly 
 treatment and it would sometimes seem that everything 
 possible had been done to injure it 
 
 Bleaching is more severe upon linen goods and all 
 articles subjected to the process are short lived. The 
 chemicals in common use are very apt to be exceedingly 
 injurious to the fiber of the clothing. All laundries, as 
 a general rule, are quite inclined to use strong chemicals 
 in bleaching and, owing to the class of goods that goes 
 to them, if they must be whitened, there seems to be no 
 other expedient, in order to give the desired whiteness 
 to the goods, nevertheless, as before stated, the whiten- 
 ing and bleaching process is done at the expense of the 
 owner of the goods; and again, by the use of powerful 
 bleaching chemicals the work of the laundry is very 
 greatly lightened and, what is of more importance, the 
 desired appearance is given to the goods. 
 
 A good bleaching water is made as follows : 
 Into a pail of water (10 quarts) put three or four 
 (according to strength desired) tablespoonfuls of 
 caustic soda or borax (from our own experience we 
 much prefer the latter as explained elsewhere in this 
 work — article on Borax), and when thoroughly dis- 
 
 18 
 
solved, put the article to soak for twenty minutes anci 
 sometimes an hour may be necessary, according to the 
 soiled condition of the article to be cleaned. 
 
 As a rule, only a portion of the bod.y article will 
 need to be subjected to the bleaching process, such as 
 the edges of collars, collar-bands, cuffs, etc. 
 
 Where there is profuse perspiration or where a per- 
 son has been suffering from disease and the body exuda- 
 tions are highly colored, then the bleaching of the whole 
 garment becomes necessary. 
 
 All sucIt goods as last described, however, should 
 never be washed with other articles. Their cleansing 
 should be separate from all other articles needing to go 
 through the wash. 
 
 A YELLOW COLOR. 
 
 It is doubtful if the process of washing, in and of it- 
 self, pure and simple, ever has a tendency to cause 
 goods to become of a yellowish tinge. 
 
 It is not so, however, with the ingredients employed 
 to assist in cleansing clothing. Many of the substances 
 used for the purpose of cutting or dissolving the dirt, 
 at the same time set up a chemical action that firmly 
 sets a dirt coloring or coloring substance, into the cloth- 
 ing and this coloring generally remains permanent. 
 To use any bleaching process sufficiently powerful ti 
 remove this coloring Avould most likely severely injure 
 the goods. 
 
 Again, the yellow color of clothing is frecpiently 
 traceable to certain kinds of bluing that has been used, 
 contrary as this may seem to the almost universally un- 
 scientific housewife. It is, nevertheless, a demonstra- 
 ble fact; but, further back in the wash is the prime 
 cause for this yellowing of the goods, which is due to 
 
 19 
 
insufficient washing and a lack of proper wringing and 
 rinsing out of the soap water. (See article on Bluing). 
 Another yellow tinge, however, that is so generally 
 found in white goods, comes from the excretions, almost 
 wholly found in body-clothing. This includes sheets, 
 pillow-cases, etc., etc., and all articles coming in con- 
 tact with the person for any great length of time. This 
 yellow tinge is more often found in hand than m ma- 
 chine-washed goods because in the former case the 
 wash-water is used at a much lower temperature. For 
 the elimination of the yellowish tinge, see Article on 
 Borax, also see article on Perspiration. 
 
 TO KEEP CLOTHING WHITE. 
 
 The chief reason why clothing becomes yellow in 
 color is owing to its being IMPERFECTLY "WASHED 
 AND RINSED. 
 
 "In an experience of nearly twenty years," says Mi\ 
 C, "I have personally given nearly five thousand wash- 
 ings among families in the United States, from the At- 
 lantic to the Pacific and from the Gulf to the Canadian 
 border, and I have yet to meet that family or laundry, 
 with very few exceptions, that will thoroughly rinse 
 their clothing. Drying clothing in the sunshine, in the 
 open air, is one of the best possible methods for keeping 
 clothing white. 
 
 WEAR AND TEAR. 
 
 The true source of the chief wear and tear of wash- 
 able fabrics varies greatly in different garments. 
 Articles, such as collars, cuffs, handkerchiefs, bosom- 
 shirts, etc., are more than three-fourths worn out while 
 going through the wash. Some garments in their use 
 
 20 
 
are but little worn. From an economical point of view^ 
 it is of the highest importance to select a process foi* 
 washing that cleanses most thoroughly, tciih the least 
 amount of mechanical or chemical friction. 
 
 Next in importance to a non-friction (no rubbing) 
 washing machine, is the forcing through the fiber of the 
 clothing, moisture at a high temperature. 
 
 WOOLENS. 
 
 The cleansing of woolen fabrics causes more anxiety 
 than all the rest of the wash. This is due. to the fact 
 that in washing woolen goods there is a general tendency 
 to shrinkage. This feature is owing to the serrulation 
 of woolen fiber and any process of rubbing as used in 
 washing, will shrink the goods and no soap, powder, 
 liquid, theory or plan can possibly prevent this shrink- 
 age if the goods are rubbed on a washboard, rubbed be- 
 tween the hands or in any machine that rubs or presses 
 them together or rubs them between hard substances, 
 the goods will lose in dimension and softness and gain 
 in hardness and thickness. Lacking the serrated struc- 
 ture naturally belonging to wool, no felting of goods 
 could be obtained. These serrations are most numer- 
 ous in merino wool, there being something like 2,000 to 
 the inch and even in the lower grades of wool will be 
 found 500 and more serrations to the inch. A single 
 hair of wool, drawn between the fingers in one direc- 
 tion is rough, and smoothe when drawn in the opposite 
 direction, presenting a barbed feeling to the touch. 
 This roughness is because all the barbes point upward, 
 away from the root. In the washing of such garments, 
 pressure or rubbing pushes more firmly the goods to- 
 gether and forces interlocking of the hairs over the 
 barbs which locks it together. Naturally these serra- 
 
 21 
 
tions are so firmly cliitched that a permanent shrinkage 
 of the goods has been produced so that even long wear- 
 ing will not allow them to expand again. Thus, scien- 
 tifically is accounted for the shrinkage of woolens which 
 almost invariably occurs while they are going through 
 the wash. 
 
 In the absence of any proper machine for washing 
 woolens, without shrinkage, see article for "Washing 
 Blankets. ' ' 
 
 Hand wringing for blankets is decidedly objection- 
 able. Use a wringer as then the pressure will be across 
 and lengthwise of the fiber. Wrung in this position, 
 pressure will not cause a shrinkage. Woolens should 
 never be twisted in order to remove the water from 
 them. 
 
 If woolens can not be properly wrung out it is better 
 to hang them in a warm place and let them drain dry. 
 This latter plan is not so objectionable if proper and 
 sufficient rinsing has been done. 
 
 Should there be soiled places upon the woolens, use a 
 weakened solution of ammonia or borax water, the latter 
 is preferable if it will take out the stains and it will do 
 so in a large number of cases. Use with a cloth or brush 
 before the whole garment is wet. Do not soak woolens. 
 
 Another method is to first dissolve two large table- 
 spoonfuls of borax in water and also dissolve sufficient 
 bar soap to make one pint of soft water. Put these when 
 dissolved into a tub of cold water and put in the 
 blankets and let them remain ten or twelve hours and 
 then rinse out in warm water and wring very slightly 
 and hang to dry. This is a good formula for all 
 woolens, flannels, etc., when they have been used but a 
 few times and are only a very little soiled. 
 
 If one wishes to whiten their woolens, either those 
 for the bed or under garments, it may be done by using 
 
 22 
 
peroxide of hydrogen, which may he had at ahy drug 
 store. This should be diluted to about one-eighth its 
 normal strength. This amount is for one blanket only. 
 Have enough water to well cover and let soak over night. 
 Very many people, however, think it much better to 
 keep woolens always of a brownish color. This is done 
 by using strained coffee in the last rinsing water, about 
 one cupful of the coffee to four or six gallons of water, 
 according to the desired color. 
 
 BLANKETS. 
 
 In washing a blanket, the first thing to do is to take 
 it out into the open air and thoroughly shake and brush 
 out all dust and dirt. If there are any soiled spots 
 upon it (see article on woolens) treat these before 
 wetting the blanket. Do not rub soap on the blanket. 
 Right temperature is an important feature in blanket 
 washing. Water . at about 110 to 115 Fahrenheit is 
 about right. Water hotter than this is injurious to the 
 fiber of the blanket and will soon make it of little 
 value. Rubbing is injurious to any woolen fabric and 
 causes shrinkage. S<iueeze the water out between the 
 hands and by pressure upon sides and bottom of tub. 
 For each blanket, use three and a half to five gallons of 
 water. Use one-half pound of white soap, made into a 
 soft soap and pour this into the water, not on to the 
 blanket. Into this put two tablespoonfuls of ammonia. 
 This is about the right amount of mixture for each 
 blanket. If the blanket is very soiled, put in two table- 
 spoonfuls of ammonia to each gallon of water. Blankets 
 should be wrung only very lightly, should never be 
 twisted, but if possible, put through a wringer, other- 
 wise press out the water. It is much better to hang and 
 
 23 
 
dry than to twist-wring them. Rinse until there is 
 practically no coloring in the water. It takes time and 
 much patience to do blankets well but it will pay in 
 the better touch and feeling that is given to them. If 
 there are a number of blankets to be washed it is better 
 to do them apart from the regular wash, on a separate 
 day when there is nothing else to be attended to. Keep 
 in mind that woolen blankets, if subjected to too much 
 heat or hot water will be injured beyond repair; also 
 that washing soda or any form of lye is destructive to 
 woolens. It is better not to dry a woolen blanket di- 
 rectly in the sun's rays, yet dry it in the sunlight and 
 in the open air. 
 
 CURTAINS. 
 
 Curtains are a most prolific gatherer of dust and dirt. 
 Too many people are in the habit of washing their cur- 
 tains only twice a year, in the spring and fall. This 
 custom of infrequent washing, however, is a mistake for 
 a variety of reasons, chiefly that dirt becomes grimed 
 into the fiber, discoloring the material to such an 
 extent that its original neat appearance is never after 
 regained. 
 
 When curtains are about to be washed they should 
 first be placed upon the lawn or other suitable place and 
 gently switched with a slender stick, thoroughly shaken 
 and dusted with a feather duster. Should there be no 
 convenient place out of doors, this cleansing of dust 
 may be done in an empty room or, in cities, upon the 
 roof of the building. If the dust is not first taken out, 
 it will be very likely to color the fabric when it is wet. 
 
 When the dust has been thoroughly removed, clean 
 off all spots and soiled places that may be found upon 
 the curtains, before putting into the wash. 
 
 24 
 
Put a sufficient amount of water into a tub to cover 
 the curtains. For each pail of water, put one teaspoon- 
 ful of powdered borax and a sufficient amount of soap 
 or sioap powder to make strong suds ; put in the curtains 
 and let them soak from forty to seventy minutes, ac- 
 cording to condition, and wring (not with the hands, 
 but with a wringing machine) and carefully fold for 
 the washing. 
 
 Curtains should never be washed by any rubbing 
 process, either by hand or in any rubbing washing ma- 
 chine that pushes, punches or pounds them for fear of 
 straining the threads, also the certainty of pushing or 
 working the lines out of position or form, thereby de- 
 stroying the pattern or possibly making bad rents or 
 holes in them. Owing to the poor handling given to 
 many curtains few of them hang with all patterns in 
 the right shape due to their having been distorted while 
 going through the wash, twisted out of position in the 
 wringing and warped in the drying. 
 
 Work the curtains up and down, with the hands, 
 while in the tub. Never use a brush or board for such 
 washing. Rinse carefully and dry upon the grass if 
 convenient or, what is better, upon properly prepared 
 frames. 
 
 Spreading papers or a sheet upon the carpet and then 
 pinning the edges of the curtains to the carpet, is a 
 very good way to dry and stretch them at the same 
 time. 
 
 Use cooked starch with a very little bluing for cur- 
 tains. Make a thick starch and with the hands work it 
 thoroughly into the fiber. 
 
 25 
 
TABLE LINEN, TABLECLOTHS, ETC. 
 
 After all stains such as tea, coffee or fruit and the 
 many other numerous discolorations to which a table- 
 cloth is liable, have been removed, as per direction for 
 using chemicals given in another part of this work for 
 removing stains of different kinds (also see article on, 
 "Camphor for Stains"), the cloth may be put through 
 the wash in the regular way. Much of the annoyance 
 due to a soiled condition of the tablecloth can be pre- 
 vented by dipping the cloth in a thin solution of water 
 starch, working it well into the fiber of the goods. In 
 this way, each thread becomes enveloped with the starch 
 and when dried serves as a protection and will prevent 
 very many substances that ordinarily stain a cloth from 
 discoloring it. Where the fiber is thus protected the 
 cloth is much easier to keep clean. This dipping into 
 the Avater starch should be done just before the cloth 
 is hung on the line to dry. 
 
 In order to avoid the cross seaming that is so often 
 noticed in a tablecloth, it should be ironed as follows: 
 Take a curtain pole of the right length, one about two 
 inches in diameter, iron the edge of the cloth, iron on 
 the right side, and as fast as ironed, roll upon the pole 
 and continue the process until the cloth is all ironed. 
 If one seam would not be objectionable, the cloth may 
 be folded through the middle or cross-wise and com- 
 mence ironing where the fold begins and roll on the 
 poll as above described. A tablecloth, without a fold, 
 is much admired by many and certainly is effective in 
 setting off a well laid table. 
 
 26 
 
COLORED GOODS. 
 
 The washing of colored goods should be separate 
 from all others. It is always well to ([uestion the fast- 
 ness of all colors. 
 
 For all light colored goods and those of delicate 
 shades, put borax in the washing water as that helps to 
 hold the colors. (See article on Borax.) 
 
 The water should never be very hot for washing any 
 colored goods. The alkali of soaps has a tendency to 
 weaken the dies used in colored goods; therefore, it is 
 well to dip them in a solution of salt water (two table- 
 vspoonfuls to six quarts of water), 
 
 Do not soak, boil or steam colored goods of any kind 
 or description. Do not rub soap on colored goods for, 
 if such practice is permitted, a few times only, it will 
 certainly weaken the colors, no matter how strong they 
 may be. 
 
 Wash QUICKLY, in fairly warm suds-water, and at 
 once, rinse in two, three or more waters and hang to 
 dry. 
 
 Goods of delicate shade or weak colors, should be on 
 the line to dry within six or eight minutes from their 
 first dipping into the water. Such care will fully re- 
 pay one in the appearance of the goods and in the 
 longer duration of the brightness of the colors. Do 
 not dry in the hot sun as that will cause them to more 
 or less fade. 
 
 Prints, cottons, etc., on account of the poor colors 
 used in them, should never be washed in very hot water. 
 The weaker colored goods should always be put in the 
 last washings. Water that has been used in washing 
 flannels, if not too dirty, is very good for washing 
 colored goods. 
 
 27 
 
Colored goods are very likely to suffer from the use 
 of disinfectants, Sanitas, however, may be used in the 
 washing without injury. 
 
 WASHING. 
 
 In these days of improvement, that is, improvements 
 for bettering the working conditions of men and women, 
 by the aid of machinery, there is no excuse for any 
 woman giving away her strength, vitality and life, for 
 the benefit of other men and women as drudge or slave, 
 over the washboard and tub; two things handed down 
 from our ancestors and, I am glad to say, they are about 
 the two worst, most uncivilizing things that have been 
 inherited by posterity — ''The Rub of the Washboard." 
 The mistress of ''The Washboard" never gets even pity 
 and if the subject ever enters one's mind it is only as 
 a disagreeable incident to modern ( ?) civilization, some- 
 thing that must be endured by some (woman) one. 
 
 Often, when a woman is advised to better working 
 conditions in her household, for some unacountable rea- 
 son she seems averse to making any changes that would 
 vary her usual daily routine. It is this opposition to 
 progress, this spirit of mistrust regarding the new, the 
 untried, that too many women go through life's work, 
 going on with the slow, laborous, timeworn, bad-smell- 
 ing, health-destroying, sewer-like process which ought 
 to have been rejected as unfit for any civilized people 
 hundreds of years ago but, having inherited this task 
 of drudgery, Bunyan-like she has never thought it pos- 
 sible to ease her back of this load of sin that has been 
 fastened upon it, far back of the "third and fourth 
 generation. " 
 
 As the sewing machine is the only modern, scientific, 
 labor-saving, time-saving, money-saving, health-saving 
 
 28 
 
method for use in the household for making clothing, 
 so now, the use of a washing machine in the place of the 
 out-of-date rubbing process, is the only means that 
 should be allowed in any well regulated, well conducted 
 home if they would be classed with people who are cap- 
 able of being wiser today than they were yesterday. 
 
 So little value is placed upon the subject of washing, 
 by the general public that its practice is very gen- 
 erally placed in most unskilled and unscientific hands. 
 In fact, it is considered that any amount of ignorance 
 or stupidity is quite sufficient to act as Superintendent 
 over the wash-tub; consequently, "The Washerwoman" 
 is allowed to remain supreme over her field of work 
 "With none to molest or make afraid"; where science 
 and education is eliminated, where health is liable to 
 injury, where disease may be fostered. 
 
 In the laundry, the clothing of the delicate and re- 
 fined often lies side by side with that of the bum, and 
 the stench and filth of the unclean mingles with the 
 perfume of the rich. Garments, tainted and stained by 
 disease may snuggle close, close to those that were of 
 the purest kind. 
 
 Up to the present time, with rare exceptions, the gen- 
 eral, in fact the sole purpose of subjecting clothing to 
 the wash has been wholly on account of its appearance ! 
 There are, however, other features in connection with 
 the wash that are of far greater and more vital im- 
 portance and which makes the cleansing of clothing an 
 absolute and frequent necessity for, besides the dust 
 and dirt that is incessantly being collected or gathered 
 upon the outer and inner garment, there is another 
 source of contamination, that from tvithin the garment 
 in the form of perspiration, fatty substances, gases, etc., 
 etc., constantly oozing from millions of pores, into the 
 
 29 
 
clothing and it is this source of contamination that 
 should really receive the larger share of attention. 
 
 Unless this animal uncleanliness is properly cleared 
 from one's clothing, in time a low form of life will 
 come to infest such garments and a consequent un- 
 healthful irritant condition will envelope the person, 
 and malodorous conditions arise that might prove em- 
 barrassing, to sa.y the least. 
 
 All such conditions of clothing should receive proper 
 attention and treatment while going through the wash. 
 
 There are a great variety of methods used that are 
 supposed to cleanse clothing but in the minds of many 
 it would seem that the fact of clothing having passed 
 through water, that they had actually been wet, was 
 sufficient reason for pronouncing them clean. Water, 
 alone, however, will remove but a very limited amount 
 of dirt and less contamination from clothing that needs 
 the wash, particularly body clothing. 
 
 Clothing, to have all the desirable qualities of clean- 
 liness should be thoroughly sterilized or disinfected — 
 deodorized while going through the wash, before being 
 pronounced as fit or in a satisfactory condition for 
 Avearing. 
 
 WASHING MACHINES. 
 
 A great variety of inventions, devices, etc , have been 
 brought into use, ostensibly to lessen the hard labor of 
 washing clothing, such as pounding, sloshing and jerk- 
 ing and later w^ashing machines galore have been placed 
 upon the market. The idea of economy, however, 
 seems never to have entered into the consideration of 
 would-be improvers of laundry conditions, the object of 
 the construction of a washing machine being simply one 
 of money-making impulse. The representations as to 
 
 30 
 
what these so-called washers would accomplish were so 
 far from the truth that the consecjuence has been to 
 fill garret and cellar all over the land with discarded 
 machines and at the same time to leave a prejudice, iji 
 many instances, against any such labor-saving deviecj 
 for women. These prejudices and other home condi- 
 tions, fre(iuently act in preventing many women froir: 
 even investigating a really good thing when presented ; 
 but what is a far more important feature of the case, 
 few women or men are capable of telling or judging 
 of what really constitutes a good washing machine. If 
 it is a machine, that seems to suffice with many. 
 
 There are certain features involved and that are abso- 
 lutely necessary to a good laundry machine and with- 
 out which it is little or no better than the ancient 
 method of w^ashboard and tub of our grandmother's 
 day. 
 
 These essentials are Economy In Operating — a sav- 
 ing in time, an actual saving in labor required to 
 operate the machine and, more yet, a saving and greatly 
 lessening of the rubbing process which is so destructive 
 to clothing of any and all descriptions. 
 
 Knowing the hard work involved in washing, othei 
 devices besides machines have come into vogue, such as 
 the use of soaps, chemicals and numerous word-catching 
 schemes, advocating washing done by merely letting 
 the clothing soak for a time in their specially prepared 
 compound and then wrung out. This is an easy method 
 for either the laundress or housewife but as to how much 
 the goods are really cleansed, is later told in the color of 
 the clothing, after a few weeks of such washing and 
 the revelations of the microscope when applied to the 
 article in question. 
 
 31 
 
MACHINE RUBBING OR HAND WASHING. 
 
 Water in doing laundry work should be used as wariU 
 as possible and it should be renewed frequently in order 
 to maintain the required degree of heat. Clothing 
 should be wrung out of the washing water and rinsed lu 
 two, three, four or more waters if necessary, wringing 
 between each rinsing, never pouring off; then when 
 the rinsing water is quite clear, put the clothing into 
 the boiler of hot suds-water and boil for fifteen or 
 twenty minutes; then take them out of the boiler 
 (clothes should never be allowed to remain in the water 
 in which they have been boiling, as the dirt will then 
 settle back into the clothing and give them a dingy c\\) 
 pearance) and then rinse in two, three or more watera. 
 Be sure to remember what has been said about wring- 
 ing out of the clothes between each rinsing. 
 
 RINSING. 
 
 Too much cannot be said upon the subject of rinsing 
 as it is of very great importance. In fact it is the mosL 
 important feature of the whole washing, from begin- 
 ning to end; yet, in many laundries and especially in 
 the laudries of private families rinsing is that one 
 part of department work that is, above all others, most 
 thoroughly slighted, most carelessly handled and most 
 slovenly done, most inexcusably neglected. 
 
 When the rinsing has been slighted the results that 
 are sure to follow is a yellow or grayish colored linen, 
 streaks and black spots, because the cleansing ingredi- 
 ents or compounds that have been used in the wash- 
 ing have become thoroughly invested within the fiber 
 and meshes of the clothing, and when the clothing is 
 taken from the hot water and thrown into cold water, 
 
 32 
 
many of these substances are at once congealed and 
 stick to each little thread of the clothing. Soap, by 
 this treatment at once hardens within the meshes of the 
 clothing and must he remelted, before it can he gotten 
 out. Under such treatment, by use of the microscope, 
 one may see little pieces of soap particles, fat and dirt, 
 clinging to the minute threads. 
 
 Rinsing serves more than one object ; while, primarily, 
 it is designed to remove the loose particles of dirt, it is 
 of equal importance that the process should remove all 
 soap particles or other substances that have been pur- 
 posely put into the clothing for cleansing purposes. 
 Most people have an idea that everything of which 
 soap is made is cleansing. This, however, is a mistaken 
 notion. (See article on Rosin, Clay, Tallow, etc.) 
 
 When the goods are brought to the ironing table, the 
 soap that has been left in the clothing, is remelted by 
 the hot irons and is thus spread out over the goods and 
 it is often due to this fact that another form of yellow^ 
 tinge is given to the clothing, particularly is this the 
 case where yellow soap is used. 
 
 Prom the boiler, put the clothing into a warm rins- 
 ing water and, with the hands, thoroughly work the 
 clothes about in the tub, in order to force out all of the 
 SOAP as well as the dirt that has been loosened by the 
 boiling process. 
 
 Clothes should always be wrung out from each and 
 every rinsing water. There is one feature of washing 
 clothing that should be pounded into the head of every 
 one that has to do with it and that is that CLOTHING 
 IS NEVER ANY CLEANER THAN IS THE WATER 
 FROM WHICH IT HAS BEEN TAKEN. 
 
 Pouring off, or letting the rinshig water run off 
 should never be tolerated, under any circumstances and 
 never would be by anj^ thoroughl}^ neat housewife. 
 
 33 
 
l^insing should be tliroiigli a second, a third or even 
 more waters, if necessary, or until the last rinsing water 
 is quite clear and free from color of any description 
 and then only, can one be assured that the clothing ap- 
 proaches something like a thorough cleansing; eacii 
 time working them up and down in order to dislodge 
 and remove all of the dirt, wringing the clotlies out 
 from each rinsing water. 
 
 Clothing, having been washed, should never be al- 
 lowed to stand, either in the Avash or in the rinsing 
 water for, if ailov/ed to stand dirt will at once settle 
 back all through the clothes, thus giving a dingy ap- 
 pearance to them. 
 
 The last rinsing water should be comparatively clean 
 and, unless it is, bad coloring of the clothing may rc?- 
 sult; and if any dirt or coloring matter remains after 
 the rinsing, it often interferes in doing good starch 
 work, thereby affording ample proof that the rinsing 
 has been slighted. 
 
 RINSING MACHINES. 
 
 There aro several makes of good rinsing machines. 
 Experience has proven that those having both a hot and 
 cold water supply are much superior to any other, as 
 hot water is absolutely necessary in order to do the best 
 work. 
 
 When through rinsing, thoroughly rinse out with hot 
 water and dry. In large laundries a rinsing machine is 
 ahnost indispensible. 
 
 8i 
 
WRINGING MACHINE. 
 
 A good wringing machine is mneli to be desired in 
 connection with all lanndry work; not only to save the 
 hard and severe labor of wringing by hand, but to save 
 the great strain and Avear that hand wringing gives tf> 
 clothing. The cost of a good wringer will be saved 
 every year by its use in a family of six or eight per- 
 sons because of the destruction of clothing caused by 
 hand wringing. The daily wearing of clothing that 
 goes through the wash, generally speaking, is the least 
 injurious use to wiiich it is put. It is the ''going 
 through the wash" that is so harmful and destructive. 
 
 Before WTinging out the clothing wipe all parts of 
 the wringer with a damp cloth so that no dirt or soiled 
 part of the machine will come in contact with the wet 
 clothes. 
 
 Do not screw the rollers too closely together as such 
 practice is not only injurious to the clothing but ruin- 
 ous to the machine; frequently causing one of the 
 rollers to become loosened on its shaft in which case 
 even a new machine becomes worthless. The last w^ring- 
 ing process before the clothes are put upon the line, 
 should be done slowly and with much care. Pass the 
 the clothes between the rollers evenly or all of the loose 
 water will not be pressed out of the fiber. This forcing 
 out of the water and making the clothing as dry as pos- 
 sible is highly important especially in case of all articles 
 that require to be starched. AH buttons should be 
 folded between the clothing as they pass between the 
 rolls. 
 
 35 
 
CARE OF THE WRINGER. 
 
 In the ''Clear-up," after the wash, little attention, as 
 a rule is given to the wringing machine. This is all 
 wrong for such neglect results, sooner or later, in plentj' 
 of iron rust which will make for bad future washings. 
 
 In the care of the wringer, after a day's washing, 
 first loosen the top thumb screws so as to relieve ail 
 pressure between the rollers or in time they will become 
 flattened if allowed to remain pressing against each 
 other. When once in a flattened condition their work 
 is always unsatisfactory and, besides, will wear out 
 much more rapidly. 
 
 Wipe dry, every part oi' the machine, giving particu- 
 lar attention to the iron rods that run through the rub- 
 ber rollers. At the ends of these rollers the rubber 
 frequently becomes loosened from the rods and the 
 water soaks in on the iron shafts and rust quickly fol- 
 lows; and the next time the wringer is put to use the 
 water from the wet clothing wets these rods and a 
 stream of \7ater, full of iron rust, flows dov\^n upon the 
 clothing which results in a permanent stain. To avoid 
 all thes3 annoying condilions, clean well and dry 
 thoroughly by a fire or in the sunshine, being careful 
 not to place it where there is sufficient heat to melt the 
 rubber rollers. 
 
 WRINGING CLOTHING. 
 
 In order that wringing may be properl}^ done, the 
 clothing should be folded out smoothh^ so as to fill about 
 the full width of the machine but so as to pass through, 
 between the rollers, without hitting the sides. To put 
 clothing through the wringer in lunq^s and bundles not 
 only gives the wringer an unnecessary strain but it is 
 
 36 
 
so injurious to it that, if such methods are continued, 
 the machine will, in a few months, get so badly out of 
 order that it will be impossible to wring clothes dry or 
 to do half decent work with it. Clothing should not 
 pass between the rollers any thicker in the middle than 
 towards the ends of the rollers. 
 
 Next to the importance of rinsing, attention is called 
 to that of wringing. As it is much easier to have bad 
 washing and poor rinsing, than right, so it is equally 
 much easier to have careless wringing of clothing. 
 
 There can never be any excuse for taking clothing 
 out of the rinsing w^ater and putting it into another, 
 without first wringing out, for the clothing ivill carry, 
 full of dirt, to the extent of the uncleanliness of the 
 clothing and water from which they are taken. 
 
 Always remember— clothing is never as clean as is 
 the water from which it has been taken. 
 
 The ancient and timeworn method of twisting cloth- 
 ing, with all the strength one can bring to bear, in order 
 to squeeze out the surplus water, is quite as destructive 
 to the fiber of the goods as is the rubbing and scrubbing 
 process of washing machines, hand rubbing, or the use 
 of strong chemicals that are employed to help force out 
 the dirt. 
 
 By the twisting process the threads of the goods are 
 strained, quite often to their utmost tension and it is 
 seldom that some of them are not severely weakened, if 
 not actually broken; and every time they are newly 
 washed and twisted, other threads give way in the 
 wringing more easily, and it is thus that the life of the 
 clothing becomes materially shortened. 
 
 After EACH operation of soaking, washing, boiling, 
 rinsing and bluing all clothing should be wrung out, 
 either by hand or machine as this removes a large 
 amount of dirt with the water thus taken out. A suf- 
 
 37 
 
ficient amount of wringing is quite as important as a 
 sufficient amount of washing or rinsing. Wringing, 
 more than any other part of the several processes of 
 washing, forces out the loose particles of dirt, grease, 
 perspiration, etc., along with the dirty water. With- 
 out these several wringings, the first dirty water in the 
 clothing, with continuous additions being made to it, is 
 carried, along in and with the clothing and is finally 
 left as a handicap to good starching. 
 
 DRYING CLOTHING. 
 
 If room is to be had, out in the open air and in the 
 sunshine, away from fl3ang dust and dirt, with few ex- 
 ceptions, it is far preferable for the purpose of drying 
 most vrashable fabrics. 
 
 Out ol doors the clothing receives the great benefit of 
 the sunlight and its attendant heat, the great purifier 
 of nature. 
 
 Silks should always be dried quickly, the quicker the 
 better, and ironed while slightly damp. They must 
 not, however, be dried before a fire or placed where the 
 heat is too great. 
 
 Linen or cotton goods may be dried as circumstances 
 permit, but by hanging up when it can be done is the 
 better way. 
 
 Flannels or woolens should be carefullj^ stretched in 
 all directions and, if pinned to a frame and quickly 
 dried, their appearance will be much improved. 
 
 Prints and most colored goods, linens or muslins 
 should be hurried in the drying process. 
 
 Rarely, if ever, will one see a sheet hung properly 
 upon a line. Instead of putting the sheet over the line, 
 with the edges hanging down, put the hems together 
 
 38 
 
and pin these to the line. This method prevents the 
 wind from whipping the sheet and tearing the corners 
 and such hanging greatly lessens ^.he heavy wear and 
 tear caused by switching about in the wind. 
 
 WET CLOTHING. 
 
 Clothing of any or all kinds or description should 
 never be allowed to remain bundled together while in 
 a damp or wet condition. 
 
 The colors of all goods are almost invariably in- 
 jured when allowed to remain in a damp state. 
 
 All colored goods should be hurried through the 
 soaking — through the washing — through the bluing — 
 and through the final rinsing — as fast as possible and 
 out on to the line as quickly as it can be conveniently 
 done, in order to get the best results that may be had. 
 
 FOLDING. 
 
 In passing clothing between the rollers of the wring- 
 ing machine or the mangle, all buttons should be 
 covered or folded within the clothing so as to protect 
 them and prevent their being torn off. 
 
 All linen in passing through the mangle should be 
 folded so that the edges will be even. 
 
 MANGLING. 
 
 Mangling is a process for smoothing clothing, instead 
 of ironing them, after they have been dried, by passing 
 them between heavy rollers, either of wood or iron. 
 The latter machine is so made that the rolls may be 
 heated. These machines do most excellent work. 
 
 39 
 
A mangling machine should always be worked slowly 
 and carefully in order to do fine work. Before using, 
 be sure that all dust or dirt has been wiped from the 
 rolls. 
 
 As a rule mangle all articles, except those that are to 
 be starched. All articles for the mangle should be very 
 slightly dampened. 
 
 Counterpanes, most of the body linen, napkins, pil- 
 low cases, sheets, towels, tableclothes and all household 
 linen should be run through the mangle. 
 
 Do not mangle rough goods, such as Turkish towels, 
 bath robes, towels, etc. Ironing or mangling such 
 articles takes away their natural touch or peculiar feel- 
 ing that would be destroyed if they were to be ironed. 
 
 A-":7^':^LES EEQUIRED FOR USE IN THE 
 LAUNDRY. 
 
 Insist upon having everything in the laundry that 
 will lighten labor, help to avoid drudgery, save time and 
 unnecessary expense. Do this whether it does the work 
 any better or not. It is the human being that is to be 
 considered, should be saved, should be helped in order 
 to make life more enjoyable and the monotony of work 
 lessened. 
 
 1. The requisite number of tubs for soaking, wash- 
 ing, rinsing and bluing. 
 
 2. A washing machine, the latest improved, one that 
 rubs or twists and strains the clothing the least, is the 
 most economical to buy. 
 
 3. A good wringing machine, one that works both 
 ways, that is, with either right or left hand as it saves 
 time and often can be put on either side of ths tub, in 
 a mort advantagious position for working. Get one 
 
 40 
 
with galvanized rods through the rubber rollers if pos- 
 sible as such will save much soiling of clothing, also 
 coloring of the clothing from possible iron rust. 
 
 4. Two washboards of different sizes (not needed if 
 a washing machine is used). One made of glass is 
 superior to all others. The washboard is, sometimes, a 
 source of iron rust from the iron nails in it. 
 
 5. Boiler, one all of copper is better and cheaper in 
 the end. Many boilers, after becoming worn, are a 
 source of soiling and coloring of the clothing from rust. 
 
 6. Clothes-stick. Get one that is forked at one end 
 as that aids one greatly in securing a good hold upon 
 the clothing in lifting them from the boiler. 
 
 7. Two or three light pails. 
 
 8. Sad or flatirons. Have one heavy weight, one 
 light and one sharp pointed and as many more as may 
 be necessary to easily and rapidly do one's work. Irons 
 heated by charcoal, gas, oil or electricity are great 
 labor-saving devices and are recommended highly by 
 those who have had considerable experience with them. 
 
 9. Rope. For convenience in handling the rope, 
 get a reel. This can be secured at some store or if not, 
 one can be easily made. The use of a reel saves much 
 time, is much more convenient and keeps the rope in 
 better condition. Never leave the rope out of doors 
 when not in use as the rains and dust soon color and 
 spoil it and as a consequence the clothing has to suffer. 
 
 10. Ironing board. Either one in combination or 
 one for general use and one each for shirts, sleeves and 
 bosoms. 
 
 41 
 
IRON BOARD. 
 
 A specially prepared board for ironing clothing is 
 desirable bnt, if one is not to be had, a table answers all 
 necessary purposes. A board eighteen inches wide and 
 five feet long will render very good service; but for 
 special work, other sizes can be used to good advantage. 
 The board should first be covered mth some thick sub- 
 stance, a woolen or cotton blanket, and this again 
 covered with a clean cotton cloth or an old sheet will 
 answer. 
 
 Draw the covering tightly over the board so as to 
 take out all wrinkles and fasten on the ^^n^ong side of 
 the board. A sh )rt, large headed tack will ansv/er all 
 purposes but a brass thumb tack is preferable. The 
 outer covering for this board should be sewed or laced 
 on with twine so as to be easily removed for washing. 
 
 This outer covering should be washed as often as 
 once a month and the other covering beneath it at least 
 four or five times a year or the dirt that naturally ac- 
 cumulates becomes rubbed into the covering and that 
 in turn, soils the articles to be placed upon it for iron- 
 ing. 
 
 DAMPENING PAD. 
 
 A pad, for dampening starched goods, instead of a 
 wet cloth, serves a much better purpose. One may be 
 easily made as follows : Take a piece of wood, four and 
 one-half inches long and two and one-half inches wide 
 and one inch thick. On one side fasten some form of 
 a handle. On the opposite side, the ends are cut down 
 or thinned to about a quarter of an inch in thickness 
 so as to make the wood rocker-shaped. Over this, 
 several thicknesses of white, heavy flannel or knit. goods 
 and cover this with a tightly drawn cotton cloth as 
 
 42 "^ 
 
a covering. This should be sewed or laced on, not 
 tacked, as no chance must be allowed for rnst. While 
 ironing, this pad should be dampened and kept in ^ a 
 saucer to preserve its moisture. If the pad is much in 
 use an occasional spoonful of water put into the saucer 
 will maintain its dampness. In using the pad, press 
 it upon the spot that is too dry and rock the pad up and 
 down. This will dampen sufficiently and evenly the 
 starched surface. The use of this device spreads the 
 moisture more satisfactorily and at the same time does 
 not weaken the starched surface as would be done with 
 a wet rag if rubbed upon the spot. 
 
 . 'v J 
 
 FREEZING OF WET CLOTHING. 
 
 To prevent a too rapid freezing of clothing when 
 hanging out on the line to dry, put a cup full of com- 
 mon salt into a half tub full of water for the last rins- 
 ing water, and also a proportionate amount of salt into 
 the bluing water. 
 
 CLOTHESPINS. 
 
 In freezing weather the removal of clothespins, with- 
 out tearing the clothes is often a difficult matter and 
 sometimes impossible, especially the finer clothes. All 
 this difficulty may be avoided by soaking the pins in a 
 strong solution of salt water for fifteen minutes and 
 then use, without drying or wiping. 
 
 CHILLING OF HANDS. 
 
 In cold weather, chilling of the hands may be greatly 
 lessened by rubbing the thumbs and fingers in kero- 
 sene before hanging the clothes to dry. 
 
 43 
 
PREPARATIONS FOR WASHING. 
 
 Carry into the room where the washing is to be done 
 all of the clothing that is to be washed and sort out into 
 separate piles such articles as are to be washed together, 
 as follows : 
 
 1. Table linen all that pertains to the table, to be 
 washed first, in the clean water. 
 
 2. Bodily linen, shirts, collars, cuffs, sheets, pillow- 
 slips, underclothing, etc. 
 
 3. Towels, etc. 
 
 4. Colored goods (fast colors only). 
 
 5. Socks, stockings, etc. (fast colors only). 
 
 6. Any other articles to be washed. 
 
 7. Colored goods of doubtful colors. 
 
 8. Socks and stockings of doubtful colors. 
 
 9. Handkerchiefs, etc., and articles of like character 
 should be washed separately. (See article entitled 
 ''Handkerchiefs and Diapers.") 
 
 SOAKING OF CLOTHING. 
 
 The soaking of clothing is a feature of washing that 
 deserves more attention than is given to it in most 
 cases. 
 
 The soaking, in the great majority of families, is done 
 very indifferently and less interest is manifested in it 
 than any other part of the washing. Most people do 
 not consider that the soaking of clothing needs any 
 special thought or care, and thus, it is right here, at the 
 very beginning, that successful washing is given a set- 
 back. 
 
 With many, simply cold water is all that is necessary 
 and it is just the same to them no matter how hard the 
 
 44 
 
water may be, no matter how full of sediment, silt like 
 substances or coloring matter there may be in it they 
 would hardly think of straining it in order to remove 
 such handicaps to good washing. 
 
 There is equally as much room or necessity for the 
 employment of intelligence in the laundry as there is in 
 the pantry. AYhiteness of the clothing seems to be the 
 criterion by which clothing is judged to have been 
 cleansed, but the microscope often tells a story quite to 
 the contrary. 
 
 There are many articles for the wash that "Should 
 never be soaked in the same water with other articles. 
 All body articles such as underclothing, etc., should be 
 put in one water and table linen, etc., should be put in 
 an other tub and so on. 
 
 In order that one may get the best results from their 
 work, a specially prepared water for soaking of cloth- 
 ing should be used. (See article on "How to Use 
 Chemicals.") Of ten-times a stain is permanently set 
 or a discoloration made fast by i^se of a wrongly pre- 
 pared soaking water. 
 
 It is only seldom that clothing should be soaked over 
 night and then it shoiild be under right conditions. 
 When the water has become cooled by setting over night 
 the dirt that has been loosened in the warm water will 
 have become set in the fiber of the clothing and in fre- 
 quent cases, it is this cooling that has made the dirt 
 more difficult of removal and the clothing is thus given 
 a grayish appearance; while at other times the cloth- 
 ing would receive a yellowish appearance. 
 
 It is only necessary to soak the more soiled clothes 
 any length of time and the water for all soaking should 
 be warm as then its penetrating power is many times 
 
 45 
 
doubled. Fifteen minutes soaking in water as hot as 
 the hand can bear will do more good work than six 
 hours in cold water. 
 
 Washing should be underway before the soaking 
 Water has cooled very much. 
 
 Into the soaking tub of warm water, put one table- 
 spoonful of powdered borax, dissolved, to ten quarts 
 of warm w^ater, and- one tablespoonful of ammonia to 
 one pail (eight quarts) of water. Have in the soaking 
 tub just enough water to thoroughly saturate the 
 goods. If too much water is used the strength of the 
 cleansing ingredients is materially weakened, conse- 
 quently less dirt removed by their chemical action. 
 Soap the more soiled parts of the clothing and rub it 
 well into the fiber and then let stand for twenty to 
 thirty minutes. 
 
 Dip the more soiled parts, such as collars, cuffs, wrist- 
 bands, etc., into a thick (specially prepared — one or two 
 quarts) heavy soap water, and with the hands, work 
 and rub it into the cloth. When fully saturated, put 
 to soak in the tub of suds-water, putting those more 
 soiled at the bottom of the tub, the cleaner clothes next 
 and so on. 
 
 After soaking twenty to thirty minutes, according to 
 the soiled condition, wring the clothing from the soak- 
 ing water, before commencing to wash as such wringing 
 takes out much dirt and the washing has proceeded to 
 quite an extent by this time. 
 
 Now, in soaking, as in washing, clothing should be 
 kept, according to its class, in separate soaking tubs 
 but, if one does not care to carry out the plan of neat- 
 ness or if their sense of taste and refinement will per- 
 mit, they may put all of the clothing into one soaking 
 tub. 
 
 46 
 
Should the latter plan be determined upon, put the 
 more soiled pieces at the bottom, those less soiled next 
 and so on with the table linen on top. 
 
 SOAP. 
 
 Cheap soap will never do good and satisfactory 
 laundry work. Bar soaps should always be dissolved, 
 no matter what kind it may happen to be, before using 
 upon clothing. Rubbing soap upon clothing spreads 
 it very unevenly, thick and thin in spots and in this 
 way only cleans but fairly well, that particular spot 
 so that at best the garment will be irregularly and 
 poorly cleaned. 
 
 Bar soaps usually contam foreign matter such as 
 rosin, tallow, clay and other substances that have in 
 and of themselves, no cleansing properties AvhateVer and 
 their use is simply putting so much more dirt into the 
 water to be filtered through and clog the fiber of th.- 
 clothing. 
 
 The question as to what kind or kinds of soap should 
 be used to best advantage in the cleansing of linen is 
 of great importance to every housewife and should be 
 given careful attention as the natural tendenc}^ or 
 an inferior soap is to tinge all white garments with a 
 bad color. 
 
 Soaps are made from a variety of substances such as 
 oils, vegetable, mineral and animal fats, saponified by 
 being mixed with an alkali. 
 
 The alkalies, when put into water come in contact 
 with the dirt that is in the clothing and at once a 
 chemical action is set up causing the dirt particles to 
 disintegrate or crumble and break apart. 
 
 The fats used in making soaj:), in and of themselves, 
 
 47 
 
have no cleansing power. The alkali has a burning 
 power or property and as such, when too strong, eats 
 or burns into whatever it comes in contact in the cloth- 
 ing line. 
 
 The adulteration of soaps is carried on in some 
 quarters to a very large extent. This is not only a 
 great waste but the ingredients used when not destruc- 
 tive, to say the least are often harmful to any washable 
 fabric as every application of it weakens the fiber of 
 the goods and if the process is continued finally makes 
 them useless. 
 
 Soaps that contain alkalies in excess, particularly 
 caustic alkalies, are very injurious to colors and will 
 also rot the clothing. A soap of sufficient strength to 
 take out dirt, which is also a color, will likewise take 
 out colors to a more or less extent or, at least will give 
 them a faded appearance, provided the colors are not 
 what are known as ''fast colors." 
 
 Soaps that contain free fats, combined with lime or 
 magnesia, an article that is found to a more or less 
 extent in most water, produces a deposit, which, if it 
 gets into the fiber of the clothing, will give it a gray- 
 ish appearance. 
 
 Yellow soap is made up of hard fat soap and a vari- 
 able amount, up to forty or more per cent., of resin 
 soap. 
 
 Clothing should not be washed with alkalies, caustic 
 potash or caustic soda or any of the species of cloth- 
 destroying substances. 
 
 Fats and grease are quickly saponified by caustic soda 
 or caustic potash and the latter, also, has a povv'erful 
 bleaching effect, and when too strong, destroys all fiber 
 of an animal nature, while vegetable fibers are injured 
 seriously and soon become brittle and break away into 
 holes. 
 
 48 
 
Caustic soda and potash liquors easily destroy most 
 fabrics and have the same destructive tendency in all 
 mixtures of soaps, lime or soda. These substances have 
 bleaching properties to a considerable extent but as dirt 
 removers they have no value. 
 
 Many washing liquors are of doubtful character as 
 frequently they are made up in a way so as to be injuri- 
 ous to all washable fabrics. A great many of them con- 
 tain soda or potash and lime in sufficient quantity to be 
 destructive to both animal and vegetable fiber and when 
 used too freely they not only bleach but will rot the 
 fabric. They are, however, less destructive to vege- 
 table than to animal fibers. 
 
 Some soaps and alkalies are certainly made to clean 
 clothing, but such cleaning is generally at the expense 
 of the owner. 
 
 The foregoing description of certain chemicals that 
 are used in the wash is that one may know to what their 
 clothing may be liable but not what always happens. 
 For further information see article on ''How to Use 
 Chemicals in the Laundry." 
 
 SOAP POWDERS. 
 
 There are quite a variety of good soap-powders to be 
 had in the market and there are also many cheap ones 
 that should never be used in doing any laundry work. 
 Good soap-powders dissolve readily and have less 
 foreign substances that in no way cleanse and, gener- 
 ally speaking, give equal or better results in family 
 washings than the general run of bar soaps while bav- 
 in the advantage of being more economical. 
 
 With an experience of about fifteen years in doing 
 family laundry work for more than three hundred 
 
 49 
 
families it was found that three cents worth of good 
 soap-powders was found to be about equal to five cents 
 worth of bar soaps, as was generally provided. Soap- 
 powders, however, should always he thoroughly dis- 
 solved and made into a liquid soap before using. 
 
 Different manufacturers use very dissimilar ingredi- 
 ents in the make-up of their soap-powders ; such as 
 calcined soda, ammonia, glauber salts, borax, potassium 
 carbonate, sodium silicate, oil of thyme, potassium per- 
 manganate, sodium hyposulphate and chloride of lime, 
 nuxed with other substances that have, as before said, 
 no cleansing value but, on the contrary merely add 
 more dirt to the clothing. 
 
 BLUES. 
 
 Liquid blues, generally, are stronger than solid blues. 
 Some blues are designed to be mixed in hot water and 
 others in cold water. Either form of bluing should 
 mingle quickly and spread rapidly through every por- 
 tion of the water and make no sediment or streakiness 
 ill the water. 
 
 Should bluing when put in the water and after stand- 
 ing a while, settle or separate, it is unfit for use and 
 should at once be thrown away. 
 
 A cube or ball of bluing (solid blues) should be of 
 I he same color in all parts, when broken open and, 
 siiould there be any variation in the coloring the indica- 
 tion is that this lump has been adulterated and that 
 good results could not be expected from its use. 
 
 Bluing should always be kept out of the light other- 
 wise it will lose in strength. 
 
 Of all the numerous varieties of blues, the analine 
 blues, although of comparative recent years in manu- 
 facture, are, for various reasons, preferable to all 
 
 50 
 
others. These blues will mix in either hot or cold 
 water; but, with all the advantages belonging to them 
 they require to be more carefully handled than some 
 others; yet, when rightly used, the results should be 
 entirely satisfactory. 
 
 BLUING. 
 
 Among the various branches of laundry work, that 
 of bluing is the most uncertain, the least understood 
 and the whys and wherefores of the results obtained, 
 whether good or bad, alike, are bej^ond the compre- 
 hension of most people. 
 
 The object for which bluing is resorted to, is to cor- 
 rect the yellowish or grayish tinge that comes, in the 
 course of time, to all clothing; but the real use or ad- 
 vantage of bluing is the correction of the yellow tinge 
 that IS CAUSED BY IMPERFECT RINSING OUT 
 of the soap water, which contains an alkali, from the 
 fabric. 
 
 The bluing of clothing, after the wash, while not 
 universally required in the country has become an al- 
 most inseparable adjunct to all city washing; and, in- 
 nocently enough, it is frequently an indirect cause 
 and source of annoyance, all unknown to the housewife. 
 
 In some blues there is a chemical compound contain- 
 ing iron, notably in certain soluble Prussian blues 
 which are the larger portion of blues manufactured and 
 which, for general use, are among the best obtainable. 
 This kind of bluing is all right, provided the washing 
 and rinsing has been properly done. If, however, the 
 alkali of the soap has not been fully rinsed out of the 
 clothing, it will cause a decomposition of the iron con- 
 tained in the bluing, thereby causing an appearance of 
 iron rust upon the clothing. 
 
 51 
 
Some portion of the clothing is generally more yel- 
 low than other parts. Such parts should be dipped 
 (the yellow portions only) in a stronger bluing water 
 than is used for the other portions of the goods. First, 
 put the article through the regular bluing water and 
 wring out, then gather together the yellow part and 
 dip into a stronger bluing water, wring again and hang 
 to dry. It is well to have two bluing waters, the regu- 
 lar and the stronger, as this will save time in the bluing 
 operations. 
 
 Some kinds of bluing will, sometimes, give^a streaky 
 appearance in the clothing. This appearance is often 
 prevented by the addition of a little washing soda to 
 the bluing water; about one-fourth teaspoonful to four 
 gallons of water. This amount of soda should be 
 lessened accordingly as the water is sioft or hard. 
 
 When a large amount of clothing has to be blued, 
 occasionally add a little more bluing to the water in 
 order to keep up its strength, thereby maintaining the 
 same degree of color for the whole wash. 
 
 All of those articles that need less bluing should be 
 put into the bluing water last, after the coloring has 
 become weakened by use. 
 
 Blue table linen least and body linen most. All 
 goods should be blued, according to the class to which 
 they belong. 
 
 Clothing should not be passed through the bluing 
 water too rapidly and sometimes one should let the 
 article remain in the bluing water for a few minutes 
 but in such cases the water should be kept agitated so 
 that there may be no settling of the bluing, then wring 
 out, putting each piece carefully through the wringer 
 so as to take out all of the water. 
 
 After the clothing has been put through the bluing 
 water do not let it remain in a wet heap, for by so do- 
 
 52 
 
ing, there is quite a possibility of its becoming streaked 
 or spotted. 
 
 A very little starch, added to the bluing water gives 
 good results and a better appearance to the clothing 
 With the exception of those to be starched, hang on the 
 line at once. 
 
 The starching may be done immediately after the 
 bluing has been finished and before drying. 
 
 Acids are not at all necessary in the bluing process. 
 
 Should the clothing be too blue in places, or streaked 
 when dried, it shows that the RINSING "WAS TOO 
 HURRIEDLY AND INSUFFICIENTLY DONE, or 
 that THE WATER WAS NOT EVENLY WRUNG 
 OUT OF THE CLOTHING. 
 
 It is impossible to have the best bluing effects, IF 
 THERE IS ANY SOAP WATER REMAINING IN 
 THE FIBER OF THE GOODS. Sometimes insuf- 
 ficient mixing of the bluing will cause a streakiness of 
 coloring in the goods. 
 
 Have a sufficient amount of bluing water so that the 
 clothing may be thoroughly soaked in it. This will 
 have a tendency to make the bluing effect more evenly 
 apparent. 
 
 CHEMICALS IN THE LAUNDRY. 
 
 Mixtures for use in cleansing clothing should be kept 
 on hand, just as much as soap, soap-powders, tub or a 
 wringing machine, etc. 
 
 Soda, as a softener of water is one of the best of in- 
 gredients: but, the right proportion to be used, varies 
 in almost every locality. (See article on "Localities.") 
 A good rule is as follows: Into the water, warm, to be 
 softened, dissolve a sufficient amount of soda so that, 
 
 53 
 
when' the fingers and thumb, in the water, are rubbed 
 together there is a feeling of smoothness or slipperi- 
 ness. 
 
 Into eight gallons of w^ater, if it is hard, soften by 
 putting in one of the following articles: 
 
 Turpentine, one tablespoonful. 
 Liquid soda, one tablespoonful. 
 
 Powdered borax, two tablespoonfuls dissolved in hot 
 water. 
 
 Ammonia, two tablespoonfuls. 
 
 Thoroughly stir and after standing a feAv moments, 
 skim off all white or grayish matter that rises to the 
 surface. In preparing for washing, this can be used 
 in the soaking tub to soften the dirt. If bleaching is 
 desired, put one of these softeners — and sometime it is 
 well to use two different ingredients, say ammonia and 
 borax or ammonia and turpentine as each has its own 
 peculiar action upon dirt, one ingredient sometimes 
 reaching what another would not. 
 
 For ready use provide the following: 
 
 Borax, if full strength, dissolve one teaspoonful in 
 four quarts of water. 
 
 Liquid soda, dissolve one pound of soda in one quart 
 of hot water. 
 
 Sal soda, for softening water, dissolve one pound in 
 one quart of warm water. For use, take one large 
 spoonful to four quarts of w^ater. 
 
 Keep these bottled, ready for use, thereby saving 
 much valuable time when not obliged to prepare them 
 on wash day. 
 
 Javelle water should always be kept on hand for the 
 purpose of removing bad stains and discolorations of 
 an}^ kind that may get upon the clothing. 
 
 54 
 
Ammonia used upon silks or woolens is very apt to 
 give them a yellow tinge and should never be used on 
 this class of goods. 
 
 PREPARING THE BLUING WATER. 
 
 Bluing water should be free from all dirt or any 
 coloring matter. Hard water makes a poor bluing 
 water ; therefore, if the water is hard, soften with borax 
 (see article on Borax). When the water is sufficiently 
 softenened it will give a smooth feeling when the thumb 
 and fingers are rubbed together in the water. 
 
 In order to obtain the best results in bluing, be sure 
 that no soap water is left in the clothing, to get into 
 the bluing water, due to insufficient rinsing or to poor 
 wringing. 
 
 Put the bluing, if it is not a liquid, into a piece of 
 stout cloth so that it may be strained as it is dissolved. 
 Tie the ends of the cloth fast so that the bluing will be 
 in a little bag and then dissolve in warm water. Rub 
 and squeeze the bag of bluing with the fingers to hasten 
 its dissolving. When enough has been dissolved to give 
 about the right coloring, pour it into the tub of water 
 for bluing, stir thoroughly and use immediately. Keep 
 the bluing water well stirred while it is being used or 
 good results cannot be obtained. (See article on 
 Blues.) 
 
 STARCHES 
 
 There are some twenty and more substances from 
 which starches are made. All of them vary greatly in 
 their stiffening powers. A number of starch substi- 
 tutes that are upon the market, owing to their requir- 
 
ing little if any skill in their use are preferred by som^ 
 people to the genuine. These substitutes, as a rule, 
 are much easier handled by most women than are the 
 pure starches. 
 
 Rice starch, for stiffening purposes, stands at the 
 head of the list. It is perfectly soluble and, to suit 
 any and all kinds of work, may be diluted to meet the 
 required demands. 
 
 Potato starch stands at the bottom of the list in 
 strength. It is, however, a valuable starch as it easily 
 penetrates the fiber and is never injurious to the cloth- 
 ing. 
 
 A comparison of the relative values of the different 
 ingredients in their stiffening properties as used in the 
 manufacture of starches may prove of interest to those 
 making much use of this article. They are as follows: 
 
 Pure, Dry Rice Starch 100 
 
 Rice Starch No. 2 95 
 
 Rice Starch No. 2 91 
 
 Corn Starch 85 
 
 Barley Starch 79 
 
 Potato Starch 65 
 
 For different kinds of articles to be starched it is an 
 excellent plan to have one of the lower grades to be 
 used where less stiffening is required, for instance the 
 potato starch. If, however, one of the high priced 
 starches is used it may be thinned down to suit all kinds 
 of requirements. 
 
 FLAT IRONS. 
 
 One should have a specially prepared board on which 
 to clean the irons from rust and all other substances, 
 before commencing to iron clothing. 
 
 56 
 
Sprinkle upon the board, table-salt and rub the iron 
 upon it until it is perfectly free from rust or rust spots, 
 soot or other foreign matter. 
 
 If the iron should be badly rusted, rub it with fine 
 sandpaper and then rub the iron upon the salt. 
 
 When not in use, never leave the irons about in the 
 open kitchen, as any dampness, or steam from cooking, 
 will cause them to rust and as a consequence, will only 
 do work poorly. 
 
 IRON STANDS. 
 
 The ordinary iron stands in general use for irons 
 are objectionable as their tendency is to help cool the 
 iron. A clean brick or soapstone is much to be pre- 
 ferred. This should be heated and the iron kept upon 
 that when not in use as in this manner the iron re- 
 tains its heat much longer and as a consequence saves 
 much loss of time in going back and forth to the stove, 
 lessens the time of ironing and indirectly is a saving in 
 the cost of fuel. 
 
 IRONS, HOT. 
 
 To determine when the irons have become sufficiently 
 heated for ironing purposes, wet the finger on the 
 tongue and tap the heating iron quickly but slightly, 
 upon the bottom, and if there is a snapping or crackling 
 sound it has become sufficiently heated for use. 
 
 Irons may be and often are made too hot for ironing 
 starched goods. 
 
 As soon as the iron is sufficiently heated and ready 
 for use, rub it on the salt-board (have fresh, clean salt) 
 to clean it, then wipe with a cloth and rub lightly with 
 wax, wipe again, and you are ready to commence work. 
 
 57 
 
SELF-HEATING IRONS. 
 
 Self-heating (so-called) irons, such as charcoal, gaso- 
 line, kerosene or electric are highly recommended by 
 most people who have used them for doing all kinds of 
 ironing. 
 
 Accidents have resulted in some instances while using 
 these irons, but the cases are few and far between 
 where the cause of the accident was not due to improper 
 handling by the user, instead of from any defect or 
 fault of the iron. The use of these self-heating irons 
 saves the making of and annoyance of a hot fire and a 
 consequent overheating of the house. It has been esti- 
 mated that not more than a one-thousandth part of the 
 heat from a stove is taken up in the old-style sad iron— 
 a useless waste of value — an extravagance, pure and 
 simple at any time of the year and under any and all 
 conditions. 
 
 A self-heating iron, as its name implies, can be used 
 continuously, thereby saving much valuable time in go- 
 ing to and from the stove which often is at some dis- 
 tance from the ironing table. Some of the more modern 
 irons will work continuously for three hours without 
 refilling, which time, used at ironing, would be equal 
 to at least four or four and a half hours use of the old- 
 style flat iron. The time, labor, fuel and other ex- 
 penses saved by the use of an up-to-date method for 
 ironing will more than pay for almost any self-heating 
 iron in less than a year. 
 
 The cost of running a self -heating iron is small, one 
 and a half cents to two and a half cents per hour, with 
 the exception of the electric which, it is claimed by 
 many can be run at a cost of about three to five cents 
 per hour for a five-pound iron and about one cent ad- 
 ditional, per pound for irons of greater weight. 
 
 58 
 
Soda used upon silks or woolens has a destructive 
 tendency and should never be used. 
 
 Borax, this is especially good to remove the yellow 
 tinge that time gives to white garments. This is used 
 in the washing water. It is also an excellent plan to 
 put a teaspoonful into the last rinsing water as it will 
 give an additional whiteness to the goods. 
 
 Borax should always be dissolved in warm water be- 
 fore using, in the proportion as above given. 
 
 Turpentine, like borax, helps to whiten or bleach 
 white goods. 
 
 DISINFECTANTS. 
 
 Disinfectants should be kept from the air as the 
 nature of their composition makes them particularly 
 liable to lose all value, through decomposition and 
 evaporation and in some instances, even the action of 
 sunlight is harmful. All disinfectants should be pro- 
 tected and preserved as much as possible and kept 
 away from all light or action of the atmosphere. When 
 not using keep them in a dark place. 
 
 ALKALIES. 
 
 The use of soda in washing, unquestionably, is a 
 great advantage. It acts quickly upon nearly all forms 
 or kinds of dirt, causing it to disintegrate rapidly. It 
 softens hard water and has a great value in its cleans- 
 ing properties and is quite inexpensive. Fatty sub- 
 stances are dissolved by it and then are easily washed 
 out of the goods. Its use, however, must be with a 
 great degree of caution. If used in large amounts it 
 is very destructive to woolens, linens or cotton fabrics; 
 
 59 
 
in fact, its action upon the fiber of all washable fabrics, 
 if too strong, would be destructive and the strength of 
 the clothing would be weakened. 
 
 Should there be any doubt as to the advisability of 
 its use we would suggest that borax be employed in- 
 stead. (See article on "Borax.") 
 
 A much less amount of soda should be used if the 
 goods are to be soaked over night. Soda should always 
 be fully dissolved in warm water before it is put into 
 the soaking tub of water as the solid soda coming in 
 contact and resting upon the wet clothing would likely 
 destroy that part — burn its life out. (See article on 
 "How to use Chemicals in the Laundry.") 
 
 Soda, as a softener of water, is one of the best — but, 
 the right proportion required to be used for a certain 
 amount of water varies in almost every locality. (See 
 article on "Localities.") 
 
 A good rule is as follows: Into the water that is de- 
 sired to be softened, dissolve a sufficient amount of soda 
 so that, when the fingers and thumb are rubbed to- 
 gether in the water there is a feeling of smoothsnes oi 
 siipperiness of the water. 
 
 A softener for water that is almost universally safe 
 is borax. This can be used under a great variety of 
 conditions. (See article on "Borax.") 
 
 PARAFFINE. 
 
 The use of liquid paraffine in the soaking tub is of 
 great assistance in the cleansing of clothing. It acts 
 directly upon dirt particles, separating them from each 
 other, thus making their removal much easier. 
 
 When paraffine is used in the soaking tub, before the 
 clothing is taken out, they should be tumbled and 
 
 60 
 
Squeezed between the hands for a few minutes and then 
 wrung out and at once put into the boiler where by 
 boiling from fifteen to twenty minutes, much of the dirt 
 may be rinsed out of the clothing. If the rinsing is 
 here thoroughly done there will be little if any smell 
 from the paraffine. 
 
 Should a scum appear upon the surface of the water 
 in the soaking tub, it should always be skimmed oif for 
 this is the dirt that has become attached to the particles 
 of floating paraffine and if it is allowed to remain in 
 the water it is liable to get back into the fiber of the 
 clothing where, without extra work, it will be difficult 
 of removal. 
 
 While the clothes are boiling they should be closely 
 watched and all scum that rises upon the surface of the 
 water should be taken off, lest it should work back again 
 into the clothing. 
 
 Colors are not effected by the use of paraffine in the 
 wash but on the contrary are generally benefitted. 
 
 Paraffine is not injurious to the fiber of goods, is not 
 effected b}^ any alkaline condition but acts inde- 
 pendently of all other ingredients in its relation to dirt, 
 and of all cleansing substances this is one of the most 
 powerful in the line of its particular^ action and is 
 highly recommended for laundry i)urposes by those 
 familiar with its merits. 
 
 LIME. 
 
 Hard water, almost invariably, is impregnated with 
 lime. This lime of the water, coming in contact with 
 the alkali of soap, forms a substance called lime-soap. 
 
 This new substance or compound thus formed in the 
 water is insoluble and in the boiling of clothing this 
 lime-soap settles all through the fiber, forming over 
 
 61 
 
each thread a thin coating. As a consequence of this 
 deposit, the dirt upon the clothing is peculiarly affected 
 in the process of washing and remains fast in the goods, 
 held there by its artificial covering and when the clothes 
 have dried they will have a grayish or dingy appear- 
 ance. 
 
 CHEMICAL ACTION IN WASHING. 
 
 Nearly all water contains foreign substances in one 
 form or another and when acids, soaps or other ingredi- 
 ents, designed to assist in cleansing, are put into the 
 water, a coloring compound is often produced. This is 
 particularly so in the case of fruit stains of all kinds, 
 also of mildew, etc. 
 
 Many shades of coloring are often discovered in cloth- 
 ing for which one is unable to account. These dis- 
 colorations are very frequently caused by the soap 
 used, which, in a great many instances, sets or makes 
 more or less permanent in the clothing some form of 
 discoloration found in the water, that only time will 
 remove. 
 
 GASOLINE. 
 
 Gasoline will remove grease spots from almost any 
 delicate fabric without injury to the article. Some- 
 times, when using it, a ring is formed about the spot 
 that was to be cleaned. Should this occur, hold the 
 spot in the steam coming from the spout of the tea- 
 kettle. This wdll cause an evaporation of any grease 
 that has been left in the goods and it will also help to 
 carry off any particles of grease or oily substances that 
 may have escaped notice. 
 
 62 
 
CLAY, UOSIN, TALLOW, ETC. 
 
 A soap, for convenience in handling, must necessarily 
 have a body to hold it up, otherwise in doing laundry or 
 other work requiring its use, it would be rapidly — dis- 
 sipated — washed away. 
 
 For the purpose of making a hard, bar or cake soap, 
 it is necessary to use substances that will stand a fair 
 amount of heat or water, and which at the same time 
 will not be too readily dissolved. 
 
 Substances of this character are best represented in 
 clay, rosin, tallow, ashes, silicate of soda, powdered 
 pumice stone and sand. Naturally, none of these in- 
 gredients have any cleansing power whatever, but on 
 the contrary, put just that much additional dirt into 
 the fiber of the clothing, discolors the linen and their 
 effect upon all woolens is always bad. 
 
 KEROSENE. 
 
 Kerosene is one of the most powerful of all penetrat- 
 ing liquid substances. It attacks dirt in all forms in a 
 most active and effective manner. It may be used to 
 advantage as follows: One tablespoonful to one gallon 
 of water for an average wash, but wiien the clothes are 
 very badly soiled, use two tablespoonfuls to a gallon 
 of water. 
 
 It is used, preferably, in the soaking tub of w^arm, 
 104 degrees Fahrenheit, but not cold water. It may 
 also be put in with the boiling clothes, but it must be 
 watched while the clothes are boiling and any scum thac 
 rises to the surface should be skimmed off or it will 
 be likely to work back into the clothing and then would 
 be diffcult to w^ash out. 
 
 63 
 
There will be very little or no odor from the use of 
 kerosene, after the clothes have dried. It is harmless 
 to the fiber of all white washable fabrics and has proven 
 to be one of the best of cleaners for that class of goods, 
 particularly so if they have become yellow from long 
 standing or out of use. 
 
 Colored goods, however, should not be subjected to 
 its use, except when the colors are known to be fast, 
 when it is very good, otherwise, if the dies are weak 
 the coloring matter will be likely to run or spread ouL 
 into the goods. 
 
 CRUDE SANITAS. 
 
 Although generally unknown to the average house- 
 wife and therefore unused, sanitas is one of the most 
 valued of all substances for the purpose for which it is 
 designed. 
 
 As a germicide and destro^^er of infectious spores, it 
 acts quickly and surely. It mixes easily with either 
 hot or cold water (making a milky colored solution) 
 for all washing purposes in the laundry. Its odor is 
 pleasant, it is colorless, it is not poisonous, does not 
 stain clothing, works nicely with washing powder or 
 soap, is used in washing machines or tubs with bene- 
 ficial results. 
 
 It is a powerful disinfectant and used to great ad- 
 vantage in closets, sinks, bedrooms, beds, sick rooms, 
 hospitals, etc. . 
 
 For infected clothing put one gill into two and one- 
 half quarts of warm water and into this put the cloth- 
 ing, let stand for ten minutes, stirring meanwhile. This 
 will destroy any germ life. 
 
 For general laundry use in washing clothes, if there 
 
 64 
 
is any sickness whatever in the house, use in the washing 
 water one tablespoonful to each ten quarts of water as 
 a precaution against spreading of disease. 
 
 If the li(iuid has not been used generally throughout 
 the washing into the last rinsing water, as a matter of 
 possible prevention, its use is recommended to ward off 
 any infection — use one tablespoonful of the liquid for 
 every twenty quarts of water for rinsing. 
 
 CHEMICALS. 
 
 All laundry chemicals should be kept in bottles or 
 boxes, properly labeled and set apart from all other 
 bottles, as most of them are of a poisonous nature. 
 
 Keep the bottles tightly corked at all times for when 
 the contents are exposed to atmospheric action they 
 (juickly lose all virtue and become useless for the pur- 
 poses desired. 
 
 As is well known by the best informed laundry 
 people, the use of chemicals in the laundry is for the 
 purpose of making clothing white and also for the 
 purpose of taking out of linen all objectionable spots, 
 discolorations, stains, etc. 
 
 For family use in the washing of clothing, borax is 
 first to be recommended for various reasons as set forth 
 in this work. 
 
 BORAX. 
 
 Few people realize the great benefits that are to be 
 derived from the use of borax in their laundry work. 
 The California borax is probably the best and most 
 valuable as it is richest in boron. 
 
 It may be used in the place of soda to advantage as 
 
 65 
 
it has great force in softening Avater and at the same 
 time it acts as a cleanser of great strength. 
 
 In addition to the foregoing features which are of 
 much value, it has another which is of still greater im- 
 portance in that it is a most effective disinfectant. The 
 element of horon, at once, actively attacks all forms ol' 
 dirt, germs and spores and many of the lower orders of 
 life so that such harmful and objectionable elements 
 are permanently weakened if not destroyed. 
 
 Borax can be safely used upon either linens, cottons 
 or woolens and it has no deleterious effects upon the 
 fiber. 
 
 Borax, unlike other cleansing substances, may b:3 
 used without harm, on colored goods and that too, to 
 great advantage. 
 
 A most desirable soaking water is made by putting 
 one tablespoonful of borax into one gallon of hot water 
 for badly soiled goods. 
 
 For colored goods, not too badly soiled, one table- 
 spoonful to two gallons of water. 
 
 The above measurements should be varied according 
 to the soiled condition of the clothing. 
 
 LEMON SALTS (POISONOUS). 
 
 In the treatment of colored goods with the salts of 
 lemon, first ascertain if the colors are fast. This test 
 is made by applying to some (out-of-the-way) part of 
 the goods, a little of the solution. If after an hour the 
 color remains the same, an application of the solution 
 may with safety be made, as per directions. (See 
 
 "Fruit Stains.") 
 
 66 
 
JAVELLE WATER. 
 
 This is a valuable and useful agent to be used in the 
 soaking of clothing. It may be made of different 
 strengths, and used according to the soiled condition of 
 the goods. This is one of the most powerful of mixtures 
 for dissolving dirt and bleaching or whitening of cloth- 
 ing. It is, however, destructive to the fiber if allowed 
 to remain too long. It must be most fully and com- 
 pletely rinsed out of the fiber of the clothing or it will 
 surely rot the goods. It may be used about twenty 
 minutes for soaking and then most thoroughly rinsed 
 out of the material. 
 
 This water may be used in the place of washing soda^ 
 or borax for cleansing purposes and in addition to its 
 cleansing properties, it is valuable as a bleaching 
 product. 
 
 It will cleanse almost the dirtiest of linen and at the 
 same time will whiten or bleach to a remarkable degree. 
 The best Javelle water is made as follows: 
 
 Four pounds of bi carbonate of soda 
 One pound of chloride of lime. 
 
 Put the soda into one gallon of boiling water, place 
 over a fire and boil for fifteen minutes, then add the 
 lime, being careful that no lumps get in. Thoroughly 
 stir until well mixed and then set away in a proper dish 
 to cool. 
 
 This mixture is used to remove fruit stains from 
 white underwear. 
 
 67 
 
WASHING COMPOUND. 
 
 A good washing compound is made as follows: 
 Into two quarts of water put two and one-half pounds 
 of good soap-poAvder and when thoroughly dissolved 
 add three tablespoonfuls of powdered borax, three 
 tablespoonfuls of powdered washing soda and one 
 tablespoonful of turpentine. 
 
 This mixture is prepared in warm water. After it 
 has become thoroughly mixed by stirring, let it cool. 
 AYhen it has hardened it can be cut into desirable size:^. 
 for use. This is a most excellent compound for cleans- 
 ing purposes. 
 
 AMMONIA. 
 
 To get the best results from ammonia in washing 
 clothing it should not be turned into hot water as it is 
 very volatile and especially so when it becomes heated. 
 At the boiling point, seven-eights of the ammonia will, 
 become dissipated, while, if used in cold water, ver}' 
 nearly the full effect or benefit is obtained from its use. 
 
 However, if the clothing is put into the boiler, in cold 
 water, and the boiler then placed over the fire, am- 
 monia may be used to decided advantage as, under such 
 conditions, there will be ample time for the ammonia to 
 act upon the dirt before evaporation sets in. 
 
 For cleansing glass, ammonia is far superior to any 
 soap on windows, mirrors, etc. It should not, however, 
 be use on copper or brass articles as it will dissolve or 
 eat into these metals if too strong. It is one of the best 
 of articles for cleaning the hairbrush. Use one tea- 
 spoonful to one quart of water. 
 
 68 
 
TURPENTINPl 
 
 Turpentine should not be used in hot water if the 
 hands are to be put into it, as the turpentine, when 
 heated, is readily absorbed and, with some people would 
 result in injury to the hands. It may, however, be 
 used in cold water with perfect safety or to advantage 
 in the soaking tub when cold water is used. It may be 
 used in the soaking tub in hot water, if the hands are 
 kept out of it ; in which case the results upon the cloth- 
 ing are excellent. 
 
 SALT. 
 
 All articles having a color that may likely be injured 
 in the washing, should be soaked in a strong solution 
 of salt water. Use from three to five heaping teaspoon- 
 fuls of salt to each quart of water, and soak for ten 
 minutes, then wash in the usual amount of soapy water 
 and rinse, taking care to have the last rinsing water 
 well salted. 
 
 HOW TO DISINFECT LINEN. 
 
 All linen, used directly or indirectly in the sick room 
 or in connection with cases of measles, scarlet fever and 
 any and all other infectious diseases should be sprinkled 
 with a two per cent, solution of cresylene, immediately 
 it is taken from the person, bed or room and before it 
 is sent to the wash, in order not to^ further spread the 
 disease. This treatment strongly sterilizes in twenty- 
 four hours. 
 
 69 
 
STAINS. 
 
 How best to safely and satisfactorily remove stains 
 from clothing, to most people, is a perplexing problem. 
 
 Before washing look carefully over all of the articles 
 to be washed and lay to one side any stained pieces foi* 
 special treatment. 
 
 The removal of stains should always be before they 
 are wet for the reason that the commingling of hot 
 water and soap, with the stain, generalh^ sets the stain 
 and makes it more permanent and consetpiently more 
 difficult of removal. 
 
 In pouring water upon a stained spot, it is always 
 better to stretch the stained part over a bowl, as in this 
 way it is easily held in position and only a small iDortion 
 of the cloth becomes wet. 
 
 ACIDS. 
 
 Acids should be kept in bottles and tightly corked; 
 As some acids are poisonous it would be wise to label 
 ail bottles containing such solutions and mark them 
 plainly as POISONOUS. Use a medicine dropper 
 whenever acids are applied for the purpose of remov- 
 ing stains. In this way the acid is placed just exactly 
 where it is wanted and where it will do the most good. 
 
 ACID STAINS. 
 
 It often happens that acids of one kind or another 
 gets on one's clothing, thus destroying its color. At 
 the first opportunity spirits of aminonia should be ap- 
 plied; then, to restore the color, apply chloroform. 
 
 70 
 
OXALIC ACID (POISONOUS). 
 
 This is prepared for use as follows: 
 
 Oxalic acid, when kept in solution, should always 
 have a deposit of the crystals at the bottom of the bottle 
 in order to have, as near as possible, the full strength. 
 
 Into one gill and a half of soft water, dissolve one 
 ounce of the crystals of oxalic acid. Keep this in a 
 well corked bottle and labeled POISON. Use with a 
 dropper. When desired for use take equal parts of 
 water and solution and shake well together. This is 
 used for iron rust. After the use of this acid and rins- 
 ing, saturate the spot with a solution of ammonia. This 
 will remove from the cloth any possible injury that 
 might result from the use of the oxalic acid, then 
 thoroughly rinse again to remove the ammonia. 
 
 CAMPHOR FOR STAINS. 
 
 Fruit stains of all kinds, upon napkins or upon table- 
 cloths, may be removed by applying camphor. This 
 must be applied before the stain has been wet with 
 water. 
 
 INDELIBLE INK. 
 
 This stain upon white goods is often taken out by 
 soaking the spot in strong cider vinegar. When the 
 stain has been removed wash in warm suds water and 
 rinse. 
 
 IODINE. 
 
 This is one of the many stains to which towels and 
 bed linen are subject. As a rule this stain remains per- 
 manent. However, as nearly all iodine is of varying 
 
 71 
 
strength it is sometimes washed out in soft water when 
 not allowed to stand too long. That failing a soaking 
 for a few hours in milk and rubbing the spot with the 
 fingers will likely remove it. 
 
 Should either of the foregoing simple remedies prove 
 a failure, cover the stain with corn starch, wet in milk 
 and let stand until the stain has disappeared. Should 
 the stain resist under this treatment remove the paste 
 of corn starch and make a new application after three 
 or four days. No rubbing is necessary. This latter 
 treatment has been used successfully, after a stain has 
 remained for months. Should the stain be upon wood, 
 apply as above and after six or eight minutes, rub until 
 the stain is removed. 
 
 SUGAR, SYRUP OR MOLASSES STAINS. 
 
 First, try and remove with hot water. Stretch the 
 stained part, if the nature of the goods will permit, over 
 a bowl and pour on the hot water, manipulating oc- 
 casionally with the fingers. Should this treatment fail 
 use pure alcohol. If the colors are doubtful or poor, 
 use spirits of wine instead. If the color has been in- 
 jured apply chloroform to restore. 
 
 AXLE GREASE. 
 
 Axle grease upon any garment should first be re- 
 moved with a dull knife, also oil or other greasy sub- 
 stances, after which the spot may be treated by the ap- 
 plication of plenty of powdered white chalk and then 
 brushed out with a whisk or brush broom. Repeat this 
 operation until ail the grease is removed. 
 
 72 
 
Powdered borax having a cutting tendency when ap- 
 plied to dirt is sometimes nsed more advantagiously 
 and is preferred to the chalk. 
 
 Should there be any grease spot left, apply ammonia 
 and then chloroform to restore color if that has been 
 injured. 
 
 SPOTS ON CLOTHING. 
 
 In all attempts to remove spots of any kind upon 
 clothing it is very important that all rubbing should 
 be in a direction from the edge, toward the center of 
 the spot, that is, rub from the clean cloth, not toward 
 the clean cloth in order to avoid a possible ring of dis- 
 coloration all around the outer rim of the spot. 
 
 WATER STAINS. 
 
 If silk or an.y glossy article has been stained by water, 
 rub carefully with a soft silk handkerchief and then 
 turn and rub the stain with a polished iron on the 
 wrong side. 
 
 Should this treatment not be sufficient to remove the 
 discoloration, dilute pure alcohol fifty per cent., and 
 saturate a clean piece of flannel and rub the stain over 
 lightly and quickly, then turn the silk and iron on the 
 wrong side. 
 
 STAINS OF VINEGAR, WINE, FRUIT, JUICES. 
 
 Stains of vinegar, wine, fruit or juices upon violet, 
 black or deep red colors are generally restored by the 
 use of ammonia. If the stain is a slight one the am- 
 
 73 
 
monia sliould be diluted with water, fifty per cent. 
 Where the stain is upon goods of a color different from 
 those mentioned above spread over a bowl and care- 
 fully rub into the meshes of the cloth fine table-salt, let 
 rest and after ten or twenty minutes apply boiling- 
 water. 
 
 GRASS STAINS. 
 
 Stains from green grass or other vegetable substances 
 are, usually, difficult of removal. Stains of this char- 
 acter should be treated before they have become tod 
 dry, before the coloring matter has had time to become 
 set into the fiber of the goods. 
 
 Their treatment should be as follows: Into three or 
 four spoonfuls of buttermilk, put as much fine table 
 salt as can be dissolved, then rub this mixture into the 
 stain and lay it in the hot sun until dry, and then wash 
 out. Should there still be traces of the stain remain- 
 ing, repeat the operation. 
 
 Another method is to soak the stain in kerosene oil or 
 in alcohol, for an hour or more, as may be necessary, 
 then wash out in cold water, then wash out again in hot 
 water and soap. Unless the stain is of too long stand- 
 ing little if any trace of it will be found after a few 
 weeks. 
 
 COFFEE, MILK OR TEA STAINS. 
 
 Soaps of any kind should never be applied to a coffee 
 or tea stain because the coloring matter contained in 
 either tea or coffee, when combined with the alkali of 
 soaps, often makes a fast color. 
 
 While the cloth is still wet with a tea or coffee stain, 
 pour over it soft boiling water. Pour the water through 
 
 74 
 
the stain so as not to spread it out over the fabric 
 Should the color prove hard to remove, sprinkle upon 
 the stain, powdered borax, then dampen it and let stand 
 for a few minutes and again pour over it boiling water. 
 Be sure that the water is boiling as a less temperature 
 would tend to set the stain in some fabrics. 
 
 Another method is to use a mixture made as follows : 
 
 One teaspoonful of ammonia, 
 Two teaspoonfuls of glycerine. 
 Eighteen teaspoonfuls of water. 
 
 For removing coffee and milk stains this is excellent 
 It must be used before the cloth has been wet Avith 
 water. 
 
 As coffee and tea stains are of almost daily occurrence, 
 this mixture should be kept on hand, ready for use at 
 a moments notice. 
 
 If the stain is small, place it over a cup and with a 
 clean cloth w^et the stain with the mixture, rubbing 
 toward the center of the stain. Let the saturated spot 
 stand for two or three minutes and then pour through 
 it hot water. 
 
 Not having the above preparation at hand, take the 
 yolk of an egg and mix it in a little warm water and 
 rub it into the stain, let it set for an hour and wash 
 out. If trying to remove an old stain, add to this a 
 few drops of alcohol and treat as above. 
 
 FRUIT STAINS. 
 
 At once a stain is discovered it should receive im- 
 mediate attention by spreading it over a bowl and pour- 
 ing water over it and by rubbing with the fingers. In 
 this manner much or all of the stain can be worked out 
 of the goods. 
 
 75 
 
Another method is to spread the stain over a bowl 
 and rub into the meshes of the cloth the salts of lemon. 
 If the stain is fresh, this treatment will almost invari- 
 ably be sufficient. 
 
 Do not use soap upon the stain, as by far the greater 
 portion of fruit stains are natural dies and, when com- 
 bined with the alkali of soap, make a more or less per- 
 manent coloring. 
 
 For berry or fruit stains the fumes of sulphur 
 (matches will sometimes answer the purpose) will fre- 
 quently remove all traces and sometimes whiskey upon 
 a stain can be used to good advantage. 
 
 When a stain has become old and resists the hot 
 water application, make a little bag of that part of the 
 cloth where the stain is and put into that a teaspoonful, 
 more or less, according to size of the spot, of cream o'^ 
 tartar, put this into cold water and set to boil. 
 
 At the time of getting a fruit stain upon table linen, 
 if noticed, and while yet moist, sprinkle upon it table- 
 salt or powdered starch and as soon as convenient, pour 
 hot water through the stain if salt is used or brush out 
 if starch is used and then wash out in cold water, 
 (See ^' Juice Stains.") 
 
 The foregoing number of methods for the treatment 
 of fruit stains has been given because in different lo- 
 calities (see article entitled "Localities") the condi- 
 tions involved vary greatly in the nature of similar 
 stains but for the greater portion of fruit stains in all 
 localities (see article "Camphor for Fruit Stains"). 
 
 GREASE STAINS. 
 
 Grease, in some form or other, is a substance that is 
 ever present and always liable to get upon one's cloth- 
 ing. These grease spots may be removed by alcohol, 
 
 76^ 
 
turpentine, chloroform, benzine or ether. By the use 
 of any of these substances, however, there is always 
 the liability of a stain being left in the sha})e of a ring 
 about the former grease spot, unless the work is very 
 carefully done. 
 
 Before any at'empt is made to make use of the above 
 named articles, the grease spot may be sprinkled with 
 plenty of powdered chalk; let stand for a few minutes 
 to absorb the grease or oil, then brush the chalk out with 
 a whisk broom. This operation, repeated several times, 
 will remove most grease spots and does no injury to th(f 
 goods. After the above treatment to white goods put 
 them in water and boil for a few minutes. The heat 
 will melt out any remaining oil so that it will float on 
 the surface of the water. Skim or pour off the top of 
 the water before taking out the clothing, so as to avoid 
 getting them into the oil floating on the surface of the 
 water. Should there be any stain left, after a thorough 
 brushing, then some one of the above named liquids 
 may be used, as in dry cleaning, always rubbing toward 
 the center of the spot. 
 
 Ether or alcohol effect many colors. 
 
 Benzine or naphtha are preferable to use upon either 
 woolens or delicate silks. 
 
 Another excellent remedy or formula for removing 
 grease spots is to use alcohol, water, ether and strong 
 ammonia in equal parts. "With a cloth rub the liquid 
 toward the center of the stain. Be careful and not 
 have too much moisture. For every two or three 
 rubbings use another piece of cloth as it soon becomes 
 soiled and then will not clean properly. 
 
 Grease spots on carpets should be heavily sprinkled 
 with powdered chalk to absorb the fatty substances, but 
 in case the chalk is not at hand use finely powdered 
 starch. After sprinkling, let it stand awhile and then 
 
 77 
 
brush out with a whisk broom. Brush into a dust-pan 
 and, if necessary afterwards, treat with benzine as in- 
 dicated above. 
 
 Following is an excellent formula for removing 
 grease stains : 
 
 Dissolve one tablespoonful of salt in four tablespoon- 
 fuls of alcohol. Apply this to the spot with a clean 
 piece of flannel or sponge. This compound is very 
 frequently used to advantage when some form o? 
 grease remover has been used and has left a color 
 around the edge of the stain. This compound should 
 never be used when near a fire as it is exceedingly in- 
 flammable. Keep this mixture tightly corked in order 
 to prevent evaporation. (See article on '^Gasoline.") 
 
 INK STAINS. 
 
 By accident, ink may get upon one's clothing, upon 
 upholstered furniture or upon the carpet. In such 
 cases, while the ink is still wet, sprinkle liberally over 
 the spot, powdered chalk and let it stand for a mo- 
 ment or two to absorb the ink. Put on as much chalk 
 and more than can be absorbed by the ink, then brush 
 out with a whisk broom. Repeat the operation until 
 all of the ink has been removed. The use of chalk, 
 freely, upon wet ink, where it can be used, is probably 
 better than any other substance for the treatment of 
 the stain. 
 
 Chalk is highly porous, more so than the fiber of the 
 spot upon which the ink has fallen and it consequently 
 absorbes the ink moisture at once. The chalk should 
 not be brushed out if too damp but more chalk should 
 be spread on and brushed out when in a crumbly con- 
 dition. 
 
 (a) Immediately, while the stain is wet and fresh, 
 78 
 
dry cut with a blotter and if the article will permit, 
 soaking in milk will often remove all traces of the ink ; 
 but when it has once become dried it is difficult to re- 
 move the stain v,'ithout injury to the cloth. 
 
 (b) If the ink has dried, place the stain in boiling 
 water for five minutes, then stretch out and rub into 
 the stain salts of sorrel, then thoroughly rinse. 
 
 (c) Dry ink spots are sometimes removed by using a 
 teaspoonful of salaratus in a cup of hot water. Make 
 the strength of this »iiixture vary according as the spot 
 is new or old. 
 
 (d) Copying or marking ink should be treated with 
 a strong solution of bleaching powder and after this, 
 treat with a solution of oxalic acid and rinse thoroughly 
 in cold water and dry. 
 
 (e) Ink stains upon white goods; soak the spot over 
 night in a solution of salts of lemon (one-half pint of 
 water to a few drops of the salts of lemon). Let soak 
 for ten or twelve hours and then lift the cloth out of 
 the water to see if the water is colored or the ink spot 
 is disappearing. If not, add a few drops of the salts 
 and again put to soak. When the spot has somewhat 
 weakened, wash out in warm water and then in suds 
 water. Should traces of the stain still remain repeat 
 the operation in a weaker solution. 
 
 (f) Ink spots upon colored goods, where the colors 
 Avill not run, may be treated with salts of lemon. 
 
 (g) Many ink spots may be wholly removed by the 
 use of oxalic acid, rinse out and then use chloride of 
 lime. (See article "How to Use Chemicals.") 
 
 79 
 
MILDEW. 
 
 Mildew is one of the most troublesome of stains with 
 which the housewife has to deal. It attacks the fiber 
 of the goods more forcibly than most other stains and 
 frequently colors it permanently, while at other times 
 it wholly destroys it if not attended to in season. Mil- 
 dew seems to be more natural to some goods than to 
 others. 
 
 It is a vegetable or fungus growth, caused by warm 
 and damp air or where there is dead air or lack of 
 circulation of air, acting upon unclean spots of cloth- 
 ing, owing to lack of thoroughly washing and especially 
 to lack of rinsing. 
 
 Too great care in the case of mildew cannot be taken 
 because such stains are easily transferred to other 
 articles of clothing with which it may come in contact. 
 
 There are a number of methods for the treatment of 
 mildew, each with a varying degree of success, one 
 method working well while another Avill have little effect 
 in removing the stain so that more than one kind of 
 treatment is sometimes necessary to be given to the 
 same stain. The different conditions under which mil- 
 dew is brought about is, undoubtedly, responsible for 
 the necessity of different treatment for mildew found 
 in one locality from that found in another. 
 
 (a) To remove the stain, place the mildewed article 
 upon the table, draw out smoothly and, with a rag, rub 
 off as much as possible, then rub fine salt upon the dis- 
 colored part and places and over this freely sprinkle 
 powdered chalk, then moisten by a fine spray_ or 
 sprinkle and dry in the sun. In severe cases it may be 
 necessary to repeat the operation several times. Rinse 
 well, each time. 
 
 80 
 
(b) A mixture for pasting upon the stain is made 
 as follows: 
 
 One tablespoonful of salt, 
 
 Two tablespoonfuls of powdered starch, 
 
 The juice of one good lemon. 
 
 Two tablespoonfuls of soft soap. 
 Mix these ingredients thoroughly then, with a brush, 
 cover both sides of the stain and then spread out upon 
 the grass and let remain, day and night, until the stain 
 disappears. 
 
 (c) Soap and common white chalk in equal parts, 
 thoroughly mixed and rubbed into the mildewed spot, 
 will generally remove the discoloration, provided the 
 mildew has not already eaten out the life of the fiber. 
 
 (d) Rub mildewed spots thoroughly with as much 
 salt as can be dissolved in lemon juice and then expose 
 the spot to the hot sun. Delicate fabrics will not be 
 harmed by its use. 
 
 (e) The foregoing remedies are for the easier form 
 of mildew stains, but where the stain seems to be hard 
 and fast a more severe treatment is required in order 
 to remove the stain. 
 
 For this purpose use potassium permanganate by 
 dropping upon the soiled cloth with a medicine dropper, 
 AVash out with warm water and then, if necessary, ap- 
 ply oxalic acid: this will remove any brownish coloring 
 that may be left in the goods. (See article on "Potas- 
 sium Permanganate.") Also (see article on ''Oxalic 
 Acid.") 
 
 (f) Experiment in the use of acids should be made 
 upon some unexposed part of the cloth in order to find 
 out if the solution can be used full strength without 
 injury, if not dilute a little and try again. This is 
 necessary because the cloth resistance to acids would be 
 of an unknown quantity. 
 
 81 
 
(g) Use Javelle water with dropper, drop on the 
 spot and wash out with hot water. (See article on 
 ''Javelle Water.") 
 
 PAINT STAINS. 
 
 (a) While the paint is still unhardened, turpentine, 
 well rubbed in, will remove paint stains from all cloth- 
 ing; but when the paint has become dried, take equal 
 parts of ammonia and turpentine and with it saturate 
 the spot thoroughly and, when well softened, wash out 
 with strong suds. 
 
 (b) Paint stains of long standing, on cottons or 
 vroolens, may be softened by rubbing on butter or olive 
 oil. Let it stand two or three hours and then rub the 
 spot with chloroform. After the paint has been re- 
 moved, should there be a greasy spot remaining, rub 
 it with pure benzine. 
 
 MUD STAINS. 
 
 (a) In the treatment of mud stains, first wash out 
 as much of the mud as can easily be done, then wash in 
 a diluted solution of hydrochloride acid and after that 
 wash in a weak solution of chloride of lime. 
 
 (b) A simple way to remove mud stains on black 
 material is to rub the spot with a piece of raw potato. 
 
 (c) Muddy spots upon white dresses, remove by 
 washing in a solution of carbonate of soda, in water; 
 lay the soiled spot upon a white cloth and sponge, fre- 
 (juently changing the sponge cloth. 
 
 (d) The resistance of mud stains to treatment is 
 very largely due to the fact that all mud from the 
 streets is impregnated with minute particles of iron 
 
 82 
 
wliieli, upon being wet, forms an iron rust and this, 
 spattered npon the clothing, causes a discoloration. In 
 the event of any of the stain remaining, after treat- 
 ment as above, use oxalic acid. (See article on "Iron 
 Rust") 
 
 BLOOD STAINS. 
 
 Blood stains are among those that are most difficult 
 of removal. 
 
 (a) Prepare a starch in the usual form for use and 
 then lay a thick covering over the place, putting the 
 starch on quite wet. Let it rest until dry, then brush 
 out with a whisk broom or stiff brush. This method in 
 most cases will remove all traces of color but if not, re- 
 peat the operation. 
 
 (b) Wet the spot in warm water, hold it in a wash 
 basin and sprinkle over it a liberal amount of fine salt. 
 Have only sufficient water to dissolve about seventy- 
 five per cent, of the salt. After resting an hour or so 
 rinse in several waters, rubbing between the hands. If 
 the stain is sufficiently removed let the article go 
 through the regular wash if not repeat the treatment. 
 
 (c) Place the article stained in cold water to soak 
 for twenty-four hours. Rinse and wring out and then 
 put through the regular wash. 
 
 (d) By many a heavy salt water is used for the 
 soaking purpose. In some instances cold and in other 
 instances warm water gives the best results. A trial 
 will decide which is the better method to use. Different 
 situations require a longer or shorter time for soaking. 
 This is determined upon trial. 
 
 Whichever of the foregoing methods of treatment 
 proves most satisfactory should be adopted after trial 
 and adhered to in all future regular wash day cleaning, 
 
 83 
 
CREPE, RUSTY, ETC. 
 
 (a) Into equal quantities of skimmed milk and 
 water (four to eight quarts, according to stiffness de- 
 sired) put one teaspoonful of liquid glue, thoroughly 
 mix and put over the fire to boil, then dip in the article, 
 clap with the hands, pull to shape and dry the same as 
 with muslins. 
 
 (b) Another method is to brush out all dust and 
 dirt, fold lengthwise, roll smoothly and tightly and then 
 steam it until thoroughly dampened, then dry without 
 removing from the roll. 
 
 (c) Crepe is very effectively cleaned by rinsing in 
 ox gall water; this is to remove the dirt, then rinse in 
 clean water to remove the ox gall, then rinse in water 
 slightly gummed to crisp it, then slap between the 
 hands until dried. 
 
 TAR STAINS. 
 
 A stain resulting from tar is one of the most diffi- 
 cult of removal and in any event a discoloration will 
 very likely be left upon the cloth even after the tar has 
 been removed. 
 
 (a) First, take a table knife and remove as much 
 of the tar as possible, then rub the spot with benzine, 
 rubbing toward the center of the stain. In some cases 
 equal parts of turpentine and ammonia give better re- 
 sults. 
 
 (b) Although not found recommended by any au- 
 thority, repeated experiments have shown that kero- 
 sene applied to tar stains upon cloth or upon the hands 
 very satisfactorily removes many of the various com- 
 pounds of tar. Saturate thoroughly the soiled part 
 with kerosene and with the hands rub the spot until it 
 
 84 
 
lias loosened the tar and then wash out with hot watei" 
 and soap. Rinse in warm water. PY^llowing this treat 
 nient, ammonia may be nsed if there are traces of color 
 remaining and if the color of the goods has been in- 
 jured, restore with chloroform. 
 
 SEWING MACHINE STAINS. 
 
 While sewing, stains resulting from the oil used upon 
 the machine often get upon the cloth and then time 
 causes the spot to turn yellow. These stains, generally, 
 are the result of having used too much oil. Before 
 ])utting the goods into the general wash this oil should 
 ])e removed by rubbing the spot with liciuid ammonia, 
 a weak solution at first. If the stain is not fully re- 
 inoved use a stronger solution of the ammonia and 
 tlirow into the general wash. 
 
 VARNISH STAINS. 
 
 Varnish stains should be removed from any clothing 
 at the earliest possible moment Saturate the spot 
 thoroughly with alcohol, let rest for a few moments and 
 repeat the operation several times, until the varnish be- 
 gins to crumble, then sponge with a clean cloth. 
 Should the color of the cloth be weakened, sponge the 
 (;l()th with chloroform ; but in the case of a blue, sponge 
 with vinegar or acetic acid. These substances are very 
 harsh to the hands of some people and should be used 
 with much care. 
 
 CIGAR ASHES. 
 
 A most excellent article for removing ink stains upon 
 I'lirniture is cold cigar ashes, rubbed into the stain. 
 Use no moisture with it. Polish with a chamois skin. 
 
 85 
 
SCORCHED CLOTHING. 
 
 There is always a liability of clothing becoming 
 scorched while undergoing the process of ironing. Such 
 being the case, there should be kept, ready for instant 
 use means to counteract the injury caused from any 
 scorching. This is done b}^ the use of a mixture made 
 as follows : 
 
 (a) Bake, thoroughly, a good sized onion — do not 
 bake long enough to dry out — and squeeze out all of the 
 juice; into this put a tablespoonful of vinegar, one 
 tablespoonful of a good soap-powder and one ounce of 
 fullers earth. Heat this mixture until it is fully 
 dissolved, stirring Avell while on the stove. When 
 thoroughly dissolved, allow to cool and then put into a 
 large mouthed bottle or other receptacle convenient to 
 use, and when required rub all over the scorched place 
 and let it dry, after which, the cloth should go through 
 the wash. 
 
 (b) Traces of scorched or burnt cloth may be almost 
 wholly removed and frequently, entirely so, as follows: 
 
 One-half ounce of castile soap, cut into ver}^ thin 
 slices, or better, pulverise it if it can conveniently be 
 done; 
 
 Two ounces of fullers earth, such as may be secured 
 at the druggist, or if not to be had, the same amount 
 of Chinese clay; 
 
 The juice of two peeled onions (size, two inches in 
 diameter). 
 
 Put into pan and boil, frequently stirring until 
 thoroughly dissolved. When partially cooled, pour 
 into some suitable receptacle and set away to cool, when 
 it will be ready for use. With a smooth, clean knife 
 spread the paste over the scorched spot, working it into 
 the fiber and then let it remain on the cloth until 
 
 86 
 
thoroughly dry — six to ten hours — then wash out in 
 luke-warm water and hang to dry. 
 
 IRON RUST. 
 
 Iron rust is one of the most difficult of all stains to 
 remove from the clothing. The discoloration of cloth- 
 ing by iron rust is very common and is most difficult 
 to avoid with the methods prevalent in washing and to 
 the appliances in general use. How did it all happen? 
 The laundress is never quite able to decide and the 
 cause is never quite certain. If there is a rusty nail or 
 a speck of iron against which the wet clothing may rest 
 or rub, no matter where, in the tubs or while hanging 
 to dry, discolorations are sure to result. Rust stains 
 are of different kinds and qualities for which different 
 methods are employed for their removal. 
 
 (a) Lemon juice, mixed Avith table salt, thoroughly 
 i^ubbed into the fiber will easily remove some rust stains. 
 After being wxll rubbed into the cloth, let it get per- 
 fectly dry, then shake and dust out and the spot will be 
 found to have disaj)peared. 
 
 (b) Lemon salts are also used to advantage in the 
 removal of rust stains. 
 
 (c) Dip a cork in muriatic acid and touch the stain 
 with it. When the stain has turned yellow dip at once 
 into hot Avater, rinse slightly then dip into previously 
 prepared ammonia and Avater (a tablespoonful to one 
 quart of Avater), then thoroughly rinse and dry. 
 
 (d) Place the stain over a large boAAd and sprinkle 
 over it finely powdered oxalic acid and then slightly 
 moisten the powder wdth Avarm water and let stand 
 from one to two minutes, according to AAdiether the 
 stain is of long or short duration, then pour upon it 
 boiling AA^ater. 
 
 87 
 
(e) Spread upon or over several thicknesses of 
 ^/hite cloth, sprinkle with finely powdered oxalic acid 
 and then dampen the powder and over this place a wet 
 cloth, well wrnng out, and then on this place a fiat- 
 iron sufficiently heated (about 165 Fahrenheit) to make 
 a good steam. This steam will greatly help to force 
 the stain down through the lower cloth, that is, dis- 
 sipate it. 
 
 This last method for most stains is preferable. 
 
 TO PREVENT COLORS FADING. 
 
 The colors of many varieties of dress goods often 
 fade in the process of washing. This, in a large de- 
 gree, can be prevented by the following treatment: 
 
 (a) In one gallon of water dissolve one desert- 
 spoonful of ox gall and put the material to soak in it 
 for ten minutes before washing. 
 
 (b) Borax for washing any colored material is 
 hiuch to be prefered to any soap. (See article on 
 ''Borax.") 
 
 (c) The same amount of ox gall should be used in 
 each water through which the material is passed, wash- 
 ing, rinsing, etc., in order to hold the color. 
 
 (d) For materials having analine colors, put about 
 one-third of a cup of white wine vinegar into one gal- 
 lon of Avater. This use in the last rinsing water. This 
 treatment is good for greens and i^inks. 
 
 (e) For blue lawns, to set the color, dissolve one- 
 fourth pound of saltpeter in six quarts of water and 
 dip the goods in this and wring out from this several 
 times before washing. 
 
 (f) Stains of most all kinds, in delicate fabrics of 
 colored material may, often wholly and always in part, 
 
 88 
 
be removed by the use of soap-suds and a little am- 
 monia. The natural tendency of the ammonia, of 
 course, would be to injure the color, but the soap acts 
 as a preventive. Use a teaspoonful of ammonia to a 
 half pint of suds. 
 
 CURTAIN COLORING. 
 
 Many people do not care for a curtain that is purely 
 white, yet there are others who rarely change the color- 
 ing of their curtains from that given to them by time. 
 If a change is desired it is easily made as follows: 
 
 Put no bluing into the starch, but use water that has 
 been slightly colored with coffee for ecru. 
 
 Saffron may be used for coloring by mixing it in 
 with the starch, before starching. 
 
 A little logwood will give a delicate pink hue. 
 
 For a gray color, use raw umber with a very slight 
 sprinkling of lampblack. 
 
 For a tinted rose color, use vermillion and red lead, 
 three to one. 
 
 For a lavender color, vise indigo blue, tinted with 
 vermillion. 
 
 For a lemon yellow, use chrome yellow, with a 
 sprinkling of Spanish brown. 
 
 For a buff hue, use Indian yellow and brown sienna, 
 two to one. 
 
 For a lilac color, use Prussian blue and vermillion, 
 two to one. 
 
 Use a hot iron, and iron while the curtains are damp. 
 Iron over a piece of musin. Work the iron slowly. 
 
 When coloring curtains, in order to be sure of the 
 right tint or shade, start in with the above mentioned 
 proportions and if not to the liking change the color 
 
 89 
 
by the addition of water if the color is too strong and 
 if more color is desired, add more of the coloring in- 
 .gredient, nntil the right color is obtained. Try or test 
 the color by dipping in it some other article before 
 dipping in the curtain. 
 
 BLISTERING. 
 
 Blistering is generally due to bad starching, or to in- 
 sufficient wringing or to ironing the articles when too 
 wet. Any one of the above conditions or any two or 
 three of them will produce blistering. 
 
 PREPARATIONS FOR STARCHING. 
 
 Wipe clean the dish that is to be used in starching so 
 that no dust or dirt in any form may remain in the 
 dish to get into the starch. Use water that has no 
 coloring in it and water that is soft is much preferable. 
 
 The addition of a little bluing water to the starch 
 also gives more satisfactory results. 
 
 STARCH. 
 
 All articles that have been hot starched should be 
 thoroughly dried before being sprinkled, prior to iron- 
 ing, otherwise there will not be a uniform stiffness to 
 the goods, also, there would be a tendency of the starch 
 sticking to the iron. 
 
 90 
 
STARCHING. 
 
 If the goods to be starched are bulky, be sure to have 
 a pail or pan sufficiently large so that it will give room 
 to work the starch thoroughly into the goods. 
 
 Linen is starched, after having been dried or im- 
 mediately after having been blued and w^hile yet wet. 
 
 The starching is done by dipping the article into the 
 liquid starch, w^hile it is hot and then thoroughly work- 
 ing it into the meshes of the goods with the hands or by 
 running through a wringer and then wdth the hands 
 pressing and squeezing out as much of the starch as is 
 possible. 
 
 For table linen, etc., dipping into the starch and then 
 Avringing out will be quite sufficient; 
 
 Starch those articles that require most stiffness, first 
 and dilute the starch as less stiffness is required in other 
 articles, diluting with either hot or cold water, accord- 
 ingly as the starch is either hot or cold that is being 
 used. Immediately starching is finished hang to dry. 
 
 Table linen wall keep cleaner, have a better appear- 
 ance and last much longer and keep in better shape if 
 slightly starched. 
 
 The more thoroughly the rinsing and also the wring- 
 ing of all clothing has been done, while going through 
 the wash, the better the starching can be done, for if 
 too much water remains in the goods, especially soap 
 water, the strength of the starch will be weakened and 
 the clothing will, consequently, not have enough stiff- 
 ness. 
 
 Collars and cuffs are frequently starched a second 
 time, in order to give them a greater degree of hardness. 
 Colored goods should not be heavily starched and the 
 starch should always be boiled ; but to prevent the colors 
 from fading, the starch should be used when it is nearly 
 cold. 
 
 91 
 
For colored table linen, a starch water is generally 
 quite sufficient. Starch glazes are not advisable for 
 colored table linen. 
 
 Some kinds of common starches have a tendency to 
 make colored fabrics fade. To prevent this, use a 
 starch made from rice, boiled or steamed. 
 
 A starch made from rice will not effect the colors 
 of any material. 
 
 For black goods, a starch called mourning starch 
 should be used, treating the same as above. 
 
 To thin boiled starch, do not use cold but hot water. 
 
 Freezing weather or strong winds always have an in- 
 jurious effect upon starched goods, therefore it is ad- 
 visable to avoid having them out in either freezing or 
 windy weather. 
 
 MAKING THE STARCH. 
 
 In making starch, use only water and dishes that are 
 perfectly clean. 
 
 In dissolving the starch, use two tablespoonfuls of 
 cold water to one of the starch. When the required 
 amount of starch has been dissolved, put it into a large 
 pan and slowly pour upon it boiling water until the 
 whole mass reaches the desired consistency and then 
 place over a fire to boil for fifteen to twenty minutes, 
 stirring steadily all the while until it is done. 
 
 To a starch solution (about six quarts) the addition 
 of lard, butter, wax or white candle, about the size of 
 half or two-thirds of the thumb; or instead, two table- 
 spoonsful of kerosene oil, will prevent the irons from 
 sticking to the cloth. 
 
 The above named substances are in general use; but 
 a far better article is to be had by using a little borax 
 
 92 
 
in the starch. The amount of borax used by different 
 ironers is variable, but for two quarts of starch one 
 teaspoon, level full, for general use is about right. This 
 use of borax serves a double purpose in starching as it 
 whitens the clothing and also prevents the irons from 
 sticking. 
 
 If the clothing is required to be very stiff, use two 
 tablespoonfuls of starch, add four tablespoonfuls of cold 
 water and then dissolve, pour on it, one half pint of 
 boiling water and boil ten minutes, constantly stirring. 
 
 For dresses, shirts and like articles, use the same 
 amount of starch and one quart of water. 
 
 STARCH SURFACES. 
 
 Collars, cuff's, shirt bosoms, etc., should have laid over 
 them a piece of cheesecloth while, being ironed. When 
 the article is about half dried, remove the cloth and 
 with the hot iron, iron upon the starched surface. 
 
 STARCH GLAZES. 
 
 In order to secure a high gloss upon starched sur-^ 
 faces, a fat or wax is sometimes mixed with the starch, 
 while it is hot. 
 
 There are, however, several good makes of starcli 
 glazes that are perfectly safe to use, and besides, very 
 satisfactory results are to be obtained by their use. 
 
 Owing to their peculiar preparation, their use is 
 much easier than what are termed "home-made' 
 
 One should always buy those glazes that are easily 
 soluble in either hot or cold water. 
 
 93 
 
TO MAKE COLD STARCH. 
 
 Put the proper amount of starch into a pan, add cold 
 water, just enough to mix easily, stirring and working^ 
 out all of the lumps and specks of starch. Gradually 
 add more water, steadily stirring, until the right con- 
 sistency is obtained, then strain through fine muslin 
 when it will be ready for use. This preparation may 
 be further diluted if necessary for articles requiring a 
 different degree of stiffness. 
 
 After the starch has been used, put it away and let 
 it stand over night and in the morning, pour off the 
 water, doing it carefully so as not to disturb the starch 
 and this can be used as a boiled starch at the next wash- 
 ing. 
 
 A REASON FOR MANY STARCH FAHjURES. 
 
 (a) Clothes unevenl}^ dampened. 
 
 (b) Too much bluing used. 
 
 (c) Clothes insufficiently rinsed — consequence, soap 
 left in clothing. 
 
 (d) Clothes not washed clean — slighted in places. 
 
 (e) Clothes blister; starch insufficiently worked in- 
 to the fiber. 
 
 (f) Clothes starched and hung in snow storm, be- 
 come gray. 
 
 (g) Starch frozen after clothes have been hung to 
 dry. 
 
 SPRINKLING OF CLOTHING. 
 
 For ironing, clothing should never be made too wet, 
 only dampened, and this should be done about thre^.' 
 hours before ironing, with the exception of colored 
 clothing. 
 
 94 
 
Spread each article to be sprinkled upon a clean 
 table or board, pull into shape, then sprinkle, the finer 
 the spray the better; a whisk or brush broom, serves a 
 very good purpose, dipped lightly into the water and 
 shaken over the goods. Dipping the fingers into water 
 and with them trying to sprinkle clothing, is an ex- 
 cellent method, for doing the poorest possible kind of a 
 job. 
 
 After each piece is sprinkled, if it is rolled together 
 it will dampen more evenly and mil be less liable to 
 dry out in spots, than if folded flat. 
 
 Put the sprinkled articles as soon as rolled into a 
 basket, within which has been placed a dampened sheet 
 and in this wrap all of the sprinkled articles, in order 
 to keep them from drying out about the edges. 
 
 Starched articles, such as table linen, handkerchiefs 
 and thin articles, need a heavier sprinkling than do 
 towels, bed linen, etc. 
 
 Colored goods, if finely sprinkled, shoukl be ironed 
 within the hour. 
 
 If one is in a hurry to get at the ironing, much time 
 may be saved by the use of hot, instead of cold water 
 when sprinkling, as then the clothing will be ready for 
 the iron in ten to fifteen minutes after sprinkling, and 
 a further advantage is to be had because the iron does 
 not cool as rapidly. 
 
 IRONING. 
 
 As soon as the starched articles are sufficiently dried 
 and ready for the ironer, each piece should be taken 
 separately and, if too dry, dampened a little with a wet 
 sponge or pad, the latter being preferable. The heavier 
 articles should be ironed while they are damp, and the 
 lighter articles when only slightly so. At the first con- 
 
 95 
 
tact of the iron upon the goods, pass it rapidly over the 
 cloth. Do not iron sidewise with the iron but to and 
 from you. While at work, keep the irons hot and by 
 so doing time will be saved. Starched articles like 
 collars and cuffs that have to be turned down, should 
 be turned while warm and just as soon as, or a little 
 before, the ironing is finished or the}^ will be likely to 
 crack. 
 
 First, iron two or three towels, then a sheet or pillow 
 slip, then the starched goods, ironing between times a 
 towel or other article to tone or trim up the irons. This 
 will have a tendency to keep the irons cleaner and freer 
 from the sticking of starch. 
 
 Iron dry all starched articles or their stiffness will 
 be lost. 
 
 Iron colored goods upon the wrong side. 
 
 With practice (four to eight washings), patience and 
 perserverance, mosit any one can become a good ironer 
 and, it is well for any good housewife to know how ! 
 
 Many articles upon which an iron is used, should 
 always be ironed upon the wrong side, while there are 
 others that should be ironed under or between cloths. 
 All table linens, center pieces and doillies should be 
 ironed upon the wrong side, over folds of soft flannel, 
 and if there is any plain part, it may be ironed between 
 cloths but on the right side. Colored goods, Hamburgs, 
 etc., iron upon the wrong side. Muslins, dotted Swiss. 
 etc., iron between soft flannels. 
 
 WAXING IRONS. 
 
 Use a wax that can generally be had at any grocery 
 store. Put the wax into a cloth and tie tightly, into 
 a little bag, if one is not already provided with the Avax. 
 
 96 
 
This makes the handling of the wax much easier and 
 also keeps it free from dust and waste. 
 
 In using, rub lighth^ and quickly over the iron then 
 wipe and the iron is ready for use. 
 
 When the starch has been properly prepared and 
 when the rinsing, wringing and bluing have been 
 propei'ly done, waxing of the iron may be almost wholly 
 dispensed with. 
 
 TO IRON SILK HOSE. 
 
 After thoroughly drying, iron under a slightly 
 dampened muslin cloth. 
 
 IRONING FLANNELS. 
 
 In a large majority of cases, flannels, in order that 
 they may retain their natural softness and fluffiness, are 
 better not ironed. If, however, it is thought necessary 
 that they should be ironed, do so under a dampened 
 cloth, pressing heavily. The iron should not be too hot. 
 Too much heat kills the life of all Avoolen fiber, whether 
 from the iron or from hot water. 
 
 EMBROIDERIES. 
 
 Embroideries should be placed face down upon a 
 thick piece of flannel or, what is better, if the embossing 
 is heavy, upon a thick Turkish towel and iron upon the 
 wrong side. 
 
 This lets the raised work stand out; otherwise it 
 would be flattened down and its beauty and effective- 
 ness materially impaired. 
 
 97 
 
I>OLISHINa. 
 
 Iron the goods as elsewhere described, then with a 
 wet cloth, wipe the ironed surface (not too wet, nor too 
 dry), then use the polishing iron. Press hard and move 
 the iron quickly. Heat the iron to about one-half or 
 two-thirds that used in the regular ironing. 
 
 IRONING SHIRT-WAISTS. 
 
 Before ironing a shirt-waist that has been cold- 
 starched, turn the sleeves and iron them on the Wrong 
 side, iron the neck-band out straight, until it is dry^ 
 then iron the back and all around the band, armholes, 
 shoulders and front of the waist, then turn the sleeves 
 and iron them again, and when finished the work will 
 h.ave been easily and neatly done and in a manner that 
 vrill give satisfaction. 
 
 IRONING WET POPLINS, SILKS, ETC. 
 
 If a hot iron is used on wet poplins, silks, etc., their 
 color will very likely be changed; sometimes to a bad 
 crimson or to a very satisfactory pink; but what the 
 resulting color wdll be from such application it is never 
 safe to hazard even a guess. Yellow turns to a brown, 
 light green turns to a dirty blue, etc. Silks will shrink 
 and also change in color if a too hot iron is applied to 
 them while they are damp. 
 
 98 
 
IRONING MUSLINS. 
 
 No matter in what form muslins are presented to be 
 ironed, it should be most carefully done. Sometimes 
 better results are to be had by quickly pressing the iron 
 down upon the muslin and then lightly and rapidly 
 move the iron back and forth. 
 
 IRONING SILKS. 
 
 Silks should not be sprinkled for the reason that they 
 are easily spotted. 
 
 Iron them just before they are dry. 
 
 As a rule, this class of goods should be ironed be- 
 tween cloths as a much better appearance will thus be 
 obtained than if the silk came in direct contact with 
 the heated iron. A too hot iron, in contact with any 
 silk, is more than likely to injure it and the chances 
 are that it will be wholly spoiled. 
 
 Silks should be ironed when onh^ very slightly 
 dampened. Highly colored and delicate silks should b-3 
 ironed when nearly dry and great care should be taken 
 that the iron is not too hot or the color will be per- 
 manently injured. 
 
 Silks should first be ironed upon the wrong side and 
 with the iron only fairly hot, after which, turn the 
 article face up and place over it two or three pieces of 
 muslin and then iron on the right side. This last treat- 
 ment will give added luster to its surface. 
 
 If the silk has become too dry to iron well or if it 
 has become unevenly dried, reroll in a damp cloth as 
 before. 
 
 Silk underwear should always be pressed upon the 
 wrong side. 
 
 99 
 
It is always advisable to use a light cloth between 
 any silk and the iron, owing to the fact that the fiber 
 is animal and like that of wool, also animal, heat above 
 156 degrees Fahrenheit will destroy the fiber and at 
 this temperature, the iron must not be allowed to rest 
 upon any one spot but must be kept in brisk motion. 
 Sometimes a temperature at 145 wdth doubtful colors 
 would be preferable. 
 
 BLACK SILK. 
 
 A black silk, oftentimes might be used were it not 
 for the fact that its appearance is against it. Its con- 
 dition may be made much more satisfactory in many 
 instances as follows: 
 
 Dip an old piece of silk into a weak solution of 
 coffee water and wring it out and with it rub wherever 
 it is desirous of improving the appearance of the silk. 
 Care should be taken and not get the goods too Avet. 
 
 SILK HANDKERCHIEFS. 
 
 There is nothing equal to borax in Avarm w^ater for 
 washing siik handkerchiefs. In some cases a very mild 
 soap may bo added to the washing water. Do not rub 
 but squeeze and press the handkerchief and do not 
 twist-wring but squeeze out from all rinsing waters. 
 "Wringing would likely stretch parts of the silk out of 
 position. Drying between cloths is preferable. 
 
 WHITE SILK. 
 
 White silk may be greatly improved as follows : Take 
 the required amount of powdered starch or powdered 
 chalk and into this, only slightly, sprinkle a little blu- 
 
 100 
 
ing, then over the particular spots to be whitened, 
 rub this mixture and then brush out with a whisk or 
 brush broom. Do not use too coarse a brush in order 
 to avoid streaking of the goods. 
 
 PINK SILK. 
 
 Pink and like colored silks are best cleaned by using 
 white bread crumbs, by rubbing them carefully over 
 the soiled part and then lightly brushed out. 
 
 CREAM COLORED SILKS. 
 
 Cream silks being of the same character as pink 
 silks may be treated in the same manner. 
 
 SILK WAISTS. 
 
 Before silk waists are laid or packed away for any 
 length of time the shields should always be removed as 
 the rubber in them is very injurious when it comes in 
 contact with silk and after a time will cause the silk to 
 crackle and break up into small pieces with the result 
 that the article is ruined for use. 
 
 RAINDROPS 
 
 Light colored silks frequently have a shrunken or 
 shriveled appearance when exposed to raindrops. Such 
 silks are generally fully restored by ironing them on 
 the wrong side. A piece of muslin should always be 
 used between the silk and the iron. 
 
 101 
 
SATINS. 
 
 In the event of satins becoming greasy they may be 
 cleaned with benzine or a weak solution of borax water. 
 In sponging these goods the brushing should always be 
 lengthwise, never across the weave of the goods and 
 they should be ironed upon the wrong side and under 
 a piece of muslin. 
 
 PINK, WHITE OR CREAM SATINS. 
 
 The treatment for these goods should be the same as 
 that given for cream colored silk. 
 
 PINK COTTON. 
 
 Goodo of this color, after washing, frequently have 
 a faded appearance. This is owing to the fact that 
 some of the color has been taken out in the water 
 through which it has passed. This color, not too 
 strong, has been sufficiently weakened so that some- 
 times the value of the dress is nearly destroyed. This 
 class of goods should never be blued but, instead, a few 
 drops of red ink should be added to the rinsing water. 
 This treatment will have a tendency to greatly freshen 
 the garment. 
 
 CLEANING GLOVES. 
 
 Unless badly soiled, gloves may be rubbed with 
 powdered white chalk or stale bread crumbs but, should 
 there be stains upon them benzine may be used when 
 only spotted here and there. 
 
 If the whole glove requires to be cleaned; firsts tak? 
 102 
 
but tke stains as explained above and then dip them in 
 the benzine. If they are very badly spoiled dip them 
 in two or three times, press out, pull into shape, blow 
 in them and hang where they will slowly dry and just 
 before they are quite dry, stretch into the shape desired. 
 
 Another very successful cleanser for gloves is gaso- 
 lene. Place the glove to be cleaned upon the hand 
 then dip wholly into- the gasolene for a moment and 
 then with a clean cloth rub the soiled parts and hang 
 in the open air to dry. Any odor will soon disappear. 
 
 Cleaning by use of gasolene, however, should always 
 be done in the daytime and thereby avoid all danger. 
 Owing to its volatile nature there is always danger of 
 serious accident especially if working where its fumes 
 are blo^Ti toward any light or fire; therefore, if the 
 cleaning can not be done where there is plenty of day- 
 light it had better not be attempted. The risk to which 
 one may be liable are not worth the price of the gloves. 
 
 CHAMOIS LEATHER. 
 
 To wash, first saturate the leather in a heavy soap 
 water; then with borax soften a sufficient amount of 
 water for use and into it put the article to soak for 
 forty-five to seventy minutes. 
 
 Give a thorough and careful rinsing and then wring 
 out in a thick cloth or Turkish towel and place where 
 it will dry quickly. The drying, however, should never 
 be near a fire. When it has dried, pull it into shape 
 and work it over and over between the hands to 
 soften it. 
 
 103 
 
SUMMER SUITS. 
 
 As all summer goods are more likely to fade than not, 
 particularly if there is any color in them, precaution 
 should be had by using a heaping tablespoonf ul of good 
 salt in each quart of wash water, to prevent fading. 
 
 It is better that soap, no matter how good it may be, 
 should never be applied directly to any goods having 
 the least color to them; in fact, soap should be used 
 indirectly upon all washable articles. This is done by 
 dissolving the soap and using in the wash water where 
 it comes in contact with the fiber evenly. "Wash and 
 rinse quickly. Turn and hang in the shade, all colored 
 goods. White goods may be hung in the sun or spread 
 upon the grass. Use thin starch and iron upon the 
 vfrong side. 
 
 COLD WATER WASHING. 
 
 Certain kinds of acids, fluids or compounds, used in 
 cold water have a powerful cutting and penetrating 
 force; in fact, the chemical friction or action that is 
 set up in the goods is far heavier and harder, not only 
 upon the dirt but also upon the fiber of the clothing 
 than any • rubbing or pounding machine and the de- 
 struction of the cloihing is correspondingly great, but 
 used carefully and properly they are of great assistance 
 to good washing, lightens the labor and saves time. 
 (See article ''How to Use Chemicals.") 
 
 DRY CLEANING. 
 
 Every housewife and every laundress should 
 thoroughly understand and know liow to do what is 
 called "Dry Cleaning." 
 
 104 
 
All articles of clothing that are worn are, at times, 
 liable to become stained from a great variety of causes. 
 
 Knowing how, and with a little patience, these soiled 
 articles of one's apparel may be fully restored to their 
 former appearance. (See article on '^How to Use 
 Chemicals.'' 
 
 CREASING TROUSERS. 
 
 Trousers may very easily be kept creased by ironing 
 them once a week as follows: 
 
 First, with a whisk broom remove all dust and dirt, 
 then with a damp cloth which has been rubbed slightly 
 upon paraffine or naphtha soap, clean off all spots, 
 when this has been well done, place the pants on a table 
 or ironing board, the whole front upward and smoothe 
 out flat one leg and pull into shape. "Wring out a wet 
 cloth (see article on "How to Sponge or Press Clothes") 
 the length and width of the pants leg and lay it 
 smoothly over the leg and press with a hot iron. 
 
 Treat the other leg in the same manner and hang to 
 dry. 
 
 When well dried, the next process is to place the leg 
 upon the ironing board, putting the seams together, 
 working out all wrinkles, then apj^ly the dampened 
 cloth as above directed and iron slowly, using the^ 
 proper amount of pressure upon the iron. 
 
 The iron should be hot enough so that when it comes 
 in contact with the damp cloth it will send a steam 
 down through the goods quickly. 
 
 Pants treated in this manner will be well cleansed, 
 will look fresh and clean and if careful will hold this 
 appearance often a week or more. 
 
 There is quite an advantage in first ironing out with 
 105 
 
the cloth dampened and drying, and after dry, creas 
 ing. The extra time required, over one operation, more 
 than repays one. 
 
 CLOTHING— FIRE-PROOFING. 
 
 The fire-proofing of clothing, especially for yonng 
 girls wonld, no doubt, on occasions prove of inestimable 
 value in preventing much suffering and possibly the loss 
 of life. This is inexpensively and easily accomplished 
 in any one's own home, at the time of the regular wash- 
 ing and is done as follows : 
 
 Into the starch, used for muslins or other light and 
 fluffy material used for dresses, etc., put an ounce of 
 alum or sal-ammoniac to about three or four quarts of 
 the starch when ready for use. This renders such ma- 
 terial uninflammable to a large degree and if set on 
 fire, would little more than smoulder. 
 
 All clothing of children should be treated; also any 
 one wdth loose, flowing or hanging garments working 
 around a cook stove or fire, would do well to arm them- 
 selves against any accident from fire. 
 
 TOWELS. 
 
 A towel or any article that is regularly used for dry- 
 ing the face and hands should be given more than usual 
 care to have it thoroughly washed but, important as 
 this may be, the drying is of still greater consequence 
 before it is put away in the linen closet. If it is not 
 fully dried in the ironing it should be laid out to dry 
 for, if it is packed away with other linen — while damp 
 • — it will gather moisture; and then oidium, a parasitic 
 
 106 
 
fungus, apparently a form of mould, may gather on the 
 towel. After, if this towel is used upon the flesh a 
 form of skin disease results in many cases. 
 
 CLEANING FEATHERS. 
 
 Before putting feathers to use, it is highly important 
 that the animal oils or fats should be removed from 
 them, otherwise they are very likely to become filthy, 
 especially if subjected to any continuous amount of 
 heat, in which case they will emit an unpleasant odor. 
 
 A good cleanser is made as follows: Into one gallon 
 of water, put one pound of chloride of lime and when 
 this is thoroughly dissolved, stir in the feathers. At 
 the end of three to five minutes, according to the con- 
 dition of the feathers, pour off the water and rinse them 
 in several waters and be sure to remove all lime that 
 should happen to be left upon them. 
 
 Feathers that are merely dirty from dust and the 
 like, may be cleansed in hot water and soap, afterwards 
 rinsing them out in hot water. 
 
 The addition of a little bluing to the last rinsing 
 water is to be recommended. 
 
 SWAN'S DOWN. 
 
 Swan's down is washed by tacking it on to strips of 
 muslin and then wash in a warm suds-water. Rinse 
 w^ell, then hang in the wind and when dry, cut care- 
 fully from the muslin and rub slowly between the 
 fingers, taking care not to break or injure the fiber. 
 
 107 
 
COAT COLLARS. 
 
 Coat collars may be cleaned by the use of benzine, 
 but it should be used sparingly, always brushing or 
 wiping away from the unsoiled part, that is, toward the 
 center of the soiled part or spot. If the soiling has 
 taken out the color of the goods, rub with a weak solu- 
 tion of borax or ammonia. 
 
 When a coat collar, dark cloth, has become very 
 badly soiled or spotted, kerosene oil will thoroughly 
 cleanse it of dirt. Wet the place to be cleaned and 
 then with a table knife, carefully scrape by sliding the 
 knife, flat down upon the cloth. This will take up the 
 oil or soap where it has been rubbed on and along with 
 it the dirt. Repeat the operation until the dirt is all 
 removed. 
 
 To remove any greasy effects left upon the cloth, rub 
 with ammonia. 
 
 HATS. 
 
 Men's dark hats may be cleaned around the sweat- 
 band, inside and out, in like manner as are coat collars. 
 (See "Coat Collars.") 
 
 WHITE SILK LACE. 
 
 If the lace has become yellow it may be fully restored 
 as follows: 
 
 Into four quarts of skimmed milk, put one table- 
 spoonful of powdered borax and, into that liquid, steep 
 the lace (do not boil) twenty to thirty minutes. Rinse 
 but do not rub. Squeeze out. 
 
 If more than the natural stiffness is required, dip in- 
 108 
 
to water to which a little gum arabic has been added 
 Iron upon a flannel and under a piece of damp muslin. 
 Use a hot iron. 
 
 PONGEE SILKS. 
 
 Pongee silk is generally considered to have ^ passed 
 its day of usefulness when it has become soiled or 
 wrinkled. 
 
 With a little patience and careful handling, this 
 article may be thoroughly renovated as follows: 
 
 First, soften a sufficient amount of warm water with 
 borax, then dip the article into this water and squeeze 
 it between the hands but do not rub. 
 
 Rinse in cool water and then hang to thoroughly dry. 
 When it is ready to be ironed, lay it over a flannel, 
 cover with a linen or cotton sheet and iron. 
 
 SHRINKAGE OF SILKS. 
 
 Oftentimes raindrops, falling upon silks, will give 
 them the appearance of a shrinkage about the spot 
 that was wet. This appearance may almost, if not en- 
 tirely, be removed by turning the dress and ironing the 
 spots on the wrong side. Use a piece of muslin over 
 the silk when ironing. 
 
 CLEANING SHAWLS. 
 
 First, thoroughly brush and shake out all of the 
 dirt, then sprinkle over it a finely powdered white 
 starch so as to evenly cover the goods and put away for 
 six or eight hours or over night will do. 
 
 The starch has a tendency to obsorb any fatty 
 109 
 
particles that may have gotten on it and also the durst 
 will adhere to it. "When ready remove the starch by 
 thoroughly brushing and beating and shaking until the 
 starch is wholly out of the goods. 
 
 RESTORING COLORS. 
 
 When the color of any garment has been damaged bv 
 acid it may be partly, and sometimes fully, restored by 
 the use of chloroform. 
 
 If a color has been destroyed, at once, or as soon as 
 convenient, apply ammonia. This will neutralize the 
 acid, when a free application of the chloroform will 
 often fully restore to the original coloring. 
 
 RENOVATING VARIOUS FABRICS. 
 
 Colored articles, died with either pink, blue or green, 
 etc., often turn to a bad yellow, when such dies have 
 come in contact with an alkaline substance. 
 
 Such colors may be almost wholly restored by di^oping 
 them in a weak solution of tartaric acid. Should this 
 treatment not prove sufficiently restoring, a very w^eak 
 solution of sulphuric acid may be used to advantage. 
 
 In using either of these solutions, it should be tested 
 on some unexposed part of the garment, in order to 
 get at about the right strength of the solution, before 
 the article is dipped into it. The strength of the solu- 
 tion should be varied to suit the occasion and to the 
 conditions required. 
 
 BLACK CASHMERE. 
 
 Black cashmere should never be rubbed while under- 
 going the process of cleansing. Put in a warm soap 
 water and dip it up and down, changing the position 
 
 110 
 
of the goods constantly. The only friction used upon 
 the goods should be by pressure between the hands. 
 The wash water is prepared as follows : One tablespoon- 
 ful of ammonia to about four quarts of water. The 
 rinsing and bluing water should be warm. Just before 
 the article is dry it should then be ironed upon the 
 wrong side. Use an ironing cloth over the goods. 
 
 WHITE CASHMERE. 
 
 The treatment of white cashmere is the same as that 
 for black, with the exception that, instead of using am- 
 monia, use one tablespoonful of powdered borax and 
 rinse in warm water that has been slightly blued. 
 
 Just before the article is dry it should be ironed upon 
 the wrong side. Use an ironing cloth over the goods. 
 
 SERGE. 
 
 Serge is cleansed as follows : Use a heavy suds-water, 
 nearl}^ warm and rinse thoroughly in several waters 
 that are somewhat warmer than was the washing water 
 and hang to dry at once. Just before the article is dry 
 it should be ironed upon the wrong side. Use an iron- 
 ing cloth over the goods. 
 
 MERINO. 
 
 Merino should be washed quickly, in a warm, thick 
 suds-water. Soap should not be rubbed into the goods 
 at all. Dip up and down and squeeze with the hands 
 instead of rubbing w^hich is injurious. Rinse in a num- 
 ber of waters and at once hang to dry. 
 
 Just before the article is dry it should be ironed upon 
 the wrong side. Use an ironing cloth over the goods. 
 (See article on '^Woolens.") 
 
 Ill 
 
PRINTS, CALICOES, ETC. 
 
 For washing cotton goods of a light color, prints, 
 calicoes, etc., use water just fairly hot. Do not rub 
 soap upon any part of the goods but put them into a 
 good suds- water and wash quickly, rinse in several 
 waters and immediately hang to dry. 
 
 Before washing as per above, read article on ''Colored 
 Goods." 
 
 EIDER DOWN. 
 
 Use luke-warm water and a suds of castile or some 
 other equally good soap. Rub between the hands. Two 
 waters in the washing should be used and sometimes a 
 third wash water is desirable. Rinsing should be very 
 thoroughly done. When well dried comb against the 
 nape, using a clean, coarse comb. In the first washing, 
 if not sure that the color is fast, sugar of lead may be 
 used to prevent fading. The soaking in this w^ater 
 should be determined according to the fastness of the 
 color, four to eight minutes and sometimes twelve min- 
 utes would be better. This, however, should be decided 
 b}^ keeiDing a close watch as to the color. 
 
 GINGHAMS. 
 
 (1) Into one gallon of water, a little more than 
 luke-warm, put one-third of a cup of table salt and 
 after it has fully dissolved, put in the material and let 
 it soak five minutes, then squeeze out the water between 
 the hands until it is cleaned satisfactorily. Rinse m 
 two or three waters and hang to dry. If the article 
 is very badly soiled, after it has remained in the soak- 
 ing water a sufficient time, it may be put into a soap 
 water and washed out. 
 
 112 
 
(2) Another method is as follows: For soaking the 
 garment, use one tablespoonful of turpentine to each 
 four quarts of luke-warm water. Put the garment in- 
 to this for one hour, after which wash in warm suds 
 and very thoroughly rinse. 
 
 IRONING CAMBRICS AND POPLINS. 
 
 Fine cambrics and poplins should be dampened 
 freely, before being ironed. Do not have the iron too 
 hot ; not above 156 degrees Fahrenheit, when ironing be- 
 tween cloths, and not above 145 if iron is in direct con- 
 tact — without the cloth, this ironing should always be 
 upon the wrong side. 
 
 If the iron is more than moderately hot, discoloration 
 will result. All delicate articles should be ironed be- 
 tAveen cloths. It is much better that the iron should 
 never touch such goods. (See article on "Ironing "Wet 
 Poplins or Silks.") 
 
 CAMBRICS. 
 
 The treatment given for ginghams, first paragraph, 
 can be given for cambrics. 
 
 SILK NECKTIES, RIBBONS, MUSLINS, ETC. 
 
 These articles should have the appearance of being 
 slightly starched or stiffened. This is done best by the 
 use of a little white gum arable or a little blued starch, 
 dissolved in warm water. Use this in the last rinsing 
 water which should be perfectly clear. 
 
 113 
 
LAWNS. 
 
 Lawns should be treated the same as ginghams, 
 article one. 
 
 The freshness of delicate lawns will be destroyed if 
 allowed to become too dry, as the wind blowing them 
 about will cause them to become limp. 
 
 VERY LIGHT FABRICS. 
 
 Fabrics, such as silk, etc., that need more stiffness 
 than naturally results from the ironing, should be 
 dipped into soft water, in which has been dissolved a 
 very little white gum arable. 
 
 POPLINS. 
 
 Should more stiffness be recjuired for poplins, dip 
 them into a weak solution of isingglass w^ater. (See 
 article ''Silk Neckties.") 
 
 MUSLINS. 
 
 If muslins require more stiffness, they should be 
 treated as for poplins. (See article "Silk Neckties.") 
 
 COTTON WAISTS. 
 
 This class of goods can be treated equally as well as 
 silk waists. (See article "Silk Washing.") 
 
 114 
 
COTTON GOODS. 
 
 Cotton articles should not be put away for any 
 length of time, for a winter or season if there is any 
 starch in the goods as the starch has a tendency to rot 
 the fiber or to weaken it if left in for any considerable 
 length of time. 
 
 VELVETS. 
 
 When light colored velvets have become more or less 
 soiled they may be much improved and freshened by 
 rubbing the soiled parts with fresh-cut stale bread. 
 Rub in the fresh bread as long as the bread continues 
 to become soiled and then brush out. 
 
 RIBBONS. 
 
 Some ribbons are advantageously washed, or rather 
 cleansed, by the use of benzine, but only where the 
 colors are fast. They should be ironed by covering 
 over with tissue paper. This will have a tendency to 
 absorb any greasy substance that may have remained 
 in the ribbon. 
 
 TO SPONGE OR PRESS CLOTHING. 
 
 Into one quart of warm water, put a very small 
 amount of white soap, when sponging clothing for iron- 
 ing or pressing. This will greatly improve the appear- 
 ance of the garment. 
 
 115 
 
WHITE FELT HAT, TO CLEAN. 
 
 LTse a paste made of cornstarch and gasolene and 
 thoroughly rub it into the felt and then hang to dry out 
 of doors. When thoroughly dried, brush out with a 
 stiff brush. This whole operation should be done away 
 from any light or fire. 
 
 SWEATERS— WASHING. 
 
 A sweater, after having been washed, is sometimes 
 found to have stretched badly. Instead of hanging it 
 on a line to dry put it inside of a pillow case or other 
 suitable bag and pin to the line to dry. In this man- 
 ner, stretching by the weight of the water in it, will be 
 avoided. Do not hold it in such a manner as^ to bring 
 a strain upon any part of it — rather, keep it bundled 
 together until put in the bag. 
 
 FLOUR SACKS— TO REMOVE LETTERING AND 
 CLEAN. 
 
 After the flour has been removed from the sack, rub 
 over the lettering a thin coating of lard, then roll the 
 sack tightly together and lay away for a week, then 
 wash in the usual way. These sacks make excellent 
 dish towels. 
 
 BLACK SPOTS 
 
 As to the cause of black spots appearing upon linen, 
 opinions are quite varied. However, this one fact has 
 been thoroughly established, that, after a second wash- 
 ing, such spots often entirely disappear. 
 
 This tends to show that the hot iron has been merely 
 116 
 
the means of making certain that all of the dirt, sweat, 
 grease, etc., had not been entirely removed from the 
 goods while passing through the wash. 
 
 These spots are more apt to appear in shirt bosoms, 
 cuffs and collars, although other starched articles are 
 sometimes badly spotted. 
 
 After a thorough washing of the articles having black 
 spots, give them a more thorough rinsing in order to 
 entirely remove any discolorations from the linen. 
 
 SOCKS AND STOCKINGS. 
 
 All colored goods should be allowed to remain in the 
 water the least possible length of time. 
 
 Into about one pail (eight quarts) of warm, heavy, 
 soap water, put two tablespoonfuls of salt. Do not rub 
 them with soap. First, wash the feet, then wash the 
 whole article, rinse in cold water and at once hang to 
 dry. 
 
 Silk socks should be treated in like manner, but care- 
 fully squeeze out the water instead of wringing by 
 hand. Otherwise, run through a wringer. 
 
 WASHING WOOLEN SHAWLS. 
 
 When washing shawls, knitted garments, capes, etc., 
 and more especially those garments made from wool, 
 soap should never be rubbed upon them. 
 
 To one gallon of water, add soap or soap-powders, 
 sufficient to make a strong suds, then add one table- 
 spoonful of kerosene oil and one tablespoonful of am- 
 monia. 
 
 Place over a fire and when the water is as hot as the 
 hands can bear put in the shawl and wash, squeeze and 
 
 117 
 
rub with the hands all soiled parts. Rinse in warm 
 and then in cooler water. Put a tablespoonful of salt 
 in the last rinsing water to brighten and fasten the 
 colors. Wring out wdth a wringer — never twist-wring 
 by hand, and fold carefully and hang to dry. When 
 nearly dry, iron under an ironing cloth. 
 
 Knitted woolens, bed covers, etc., may be treated in 
 the same manner. 
 
 CLOTH CURTAINS AND DECORATIVE 
 HANGINGS. 
 
 When it is undesirable to put these articles through 
 the wash, they may be nicely cleaned by the following 
 method: After shaking out all of the dirt that is pos- 
 sible, beat very carefully and thoroughly brush them, 
 then stretch the article upon a suitable table and rub 
 it with stale bread crumbs. Use white bread. Rub 
 thoroughly, every part of the goods. As fast as the 
 crumbs become soiled, throw them away and use new- 
 ones. In this manner, go carefully over every part of 
 the article. Sometimes it wdll be necessary to go over 
 the article a second time but it will repay in the better 
 appearance that will result. 
 
 Dark colors may be benefitted by rubbing with am- 
 monia, but they should only be dampened, never wet. 
 
 For light colors, use a strong solution of borax water ; 
 rub quickly and lightly and then hang to dry. 
 
 To take out any stains, dip the erasing cloth into the 
 solution, and commencing at the outer edge, rub toward 
 the center of the stain as this method will prevent the 
 color from spreading. Use a very little liquid in the 
 operation. To dry, soak up the moisture with a dry 
 cloth and then sprinkle with powdered white chalk and 
 brush out with a whisk broom, brushing lightly. 
 
 118 
 
WHITE ORGANDIES. 
 
 These with care may be washed at home much more 
 satisfactorily than is done at the average laundry. 
 Soap should not be applied directly upon the article but 
 a suds-water should be used instead. 
 
 First, put any soiled part into the suds and squeeze 
 the suds into the fiber, and let soak for five or ten min- 
 utes, according to condition, then the whole piece should 
 be put in and with the hands rub carefully until all is 
 thoroughly cleansed. Have the rinsing water warm 
 and use several of them. 
 
 Another good method is to wash fine dresses, if the 
 colors are fast, in naphtha soap in water that is barely 
 warm. Lawns, ginghams and nulls are very satis- 
 factorily treated the same way. 
 
 Dissolve five cents worth of gum arable in one quart 
 of water and dip the dress in this, put through the 
 wringer and just before dry, iron. This will add to the 
 appearance of the dress when a little stiffer. 
 
 Organdies should never be allowed to become too dry 
 or to be on the line too long as too much wind will 
 make them limp and take away all freshness. 
 
 DRAWN WORK. 
 
 Drawn work should never be rubbed while it is going 
 through the wash but it should be squeezed and pressed 
 between the hands. Put into warm suds to soak for ten 
 or fifteen minutes, then squeeze out in several rinsing 
 waters, put into a pail and pour boiling water upon it, 
 completely covering and let stand until the water has 
 become cool enough to squeeze out Use a blued starch 
 water, work it well into the goods and again squeeze out. 
 Smoothe out evenly and roll up in a dry cloth. This 
 
 119 
 
should be dry enough to iron in thirty or forty minutes, 
 ironing upon the wrong side, over a Turkish towel or a 
 thick flannel will answer all purposes. 
 
 Some prefer that the goods should be dried upon a 
 line. There is no objection to this if it does not hang 
 where the wind will switch it about as in such case 
 there is a liklihood of the article being damaged by 
 threads being unduly strained and often broken. 
 
 QUILTS. 
 
 If the quilt has a variety of colors it should first be 
 put into a strong salt water (test the strength of the 
 water by tasting) for three to five minutes, wash and 
 thoroughly rinse in a number of waters when it may 
 be spread to dry upon the grass. If, however, one can 
 only dry upon a line, spread the quilt across as many 
 lines as possible. This will give it very nearly a flat 
 surface and prevent the cotton from knotting and also, 
 should the colors prove weak they will not be apt to 
 run into each other and thus destroy the neat appear- 
 ance of the quilt. 
 
 After the quilt has been completely sun-dried (care 
 being taken that it is not placed too directly in the hot 
 rays of the sun as that would possibly fade the colors) 
 fold several times and lay out flat and beat it with a 
 stick or cane. Refold and beat until all parts have been 
 treated mth the stick. This will loosen up the cotton, 
 thicken the quilt, make it soft and fluffy which is quite 
 a desirable factor in any bed quilt. 
 
 120 
 
RED TABLECLOTHS. 
 
 A red color, as a rule, fades more readily than the 
 general run of colors and it is for this reason that 
 greater care should be taken when any of this class of 
 goods are to be put through a washing. 
 
 To wash table linen or other goods that are dyed red, 
 use one tablespoonful of powdered borax to about three 
 gallons of tepid Avater. Where there are colors the 
 washing should be rapidly done, one article at a time. 
 A very little soap should be used and this not applied 
 directly to the cloth, on account of fading, but should 
 first be dissolved and added to the wash water. All 
 rinsing should be done in warm water. 
 
 Into the last rinsing water put a little boiled starch 
 and hang in the shade and when it is nearly dry the 
 ironing should be done. 
 
 Any red tablecloth should never have a very hot iron 
 placed upon it for the reason that there is a tendency 
 of the color to weaken or gradually fade out every time 
 the process is repeated. 
 
 A very good way is to fold the cloth and put it under- 
 some board and put the irons upon it for an hour or 
 so leaving it under pressure. 
 
 WASHING FLANNELS. 
 
 Flannels should never be rubbed, scrubbed or twisted 
 while suffering the washing process. If a person is at 
 all particular they will never put them into a washing 
 machine that will bring them between too hard rubbing 
 substances such as rollers, pins, cross-bars and the like. 
 
 Flannels should never be soaked, if the process can 
 be avoided or rubbed as such treatment, almost invaria- 
 bly, will cause a shrinkage of the goods. If badly 
 
 121 
 
soiled, kowever, ten to fifteen minutes soaking in warm 
 water is permissable and when they have been washed, 
 rinse them in warm water, never in cold water, and 
 hang to dry in a warm place. 
 
 For washing flannels the water should be softer than 
 when washing other goods or linens. As far as pos- 
 sible, soda or potash should not be used in washing flan- 
 nels as these articles have a tendency to turn them to a 
 yellowish tinge. 
 
 Soap of any kind should never be rubbed on flannels, 
 neither should soap powders be sprinkled or allowed to 
 come in direct contact with them. Always wash them 
 in soapy or in a suds water. 
 
 All rubbing, squeezing or hand wringing, tends to the 
 shrinkage of woolen goods. 
 
 The use of water too hot is always an injury to 
 woolens and to hot will utterly destroy them. 
 
 The shrinkage is not due as many imagine to some- 
 thing that may be added to the washing water but as 
 above stated. 
 
 LACE WASHING. 
 
 A very satisfactory method for washing genuine 
 laces is to fill a glass fruit jar about half full of suds of 
 a strength, according to the soiled condition of the lace, 
 put the lace in the jar and then place the jar in a kettle 
 of warm water (not warm enough to break the glass), 
 place the kettle over the fire and bring it to a boil for 
 an hour, then squeeze out the water, rinse in warm 
 water thoroughly and then roll in a Turkish towel or 
 flannel t$ dry and when nearly dry, instead of ironing, 
 pin on to an ironing board that is padded, cover with 
 several thicknesses of clean cloth and over this place a 
 board and weight it, so as to press the lace out smoothly 
 and let stand for an hour or two. 
 
 122 
 
To wash small pieces of delicate lace or strips of lace, 
 use a light suds-water and rinse in warm water. To 
 dry, fill a bottle full of hot water and wind the lace 
 around the bottle. 
 
 Only in rare cases should lace be rinsed in blumg 
 water. Rinsing in skimmed milk will give it a soft 
 creamy color. 
 
 LACE CURTAINS. 
 
 When the condition of the curtain will permit it may 
 be washed and hung out. Instead of ironing stretch 
 them out over papers spread upon the floor, the figures 
 and lines being brought into place and pinned down to 
 hold them in position. In many instances this method 
 of treatment proves very satisfactory and is easily done 
 by any one. 
 
 HANDKERCHIEFS. 
 
 As is well known, the handkerchief is an article for 
 personal convenience, for use in sudden emergency, for 
 either the nose or for the mouth. This receptacle, 
 owing to the nature of its use, should be either de- 
 stroyed — burned — or thoroughly disinfected, at least, 
 every time it goes through the wash. 
 
 Its disinfection is easy and simple, as follows: Into 
 four quarts of warm water put one-half gill of crude 
 sanitas, stir well and then drop in the handkerchiefs, 
 after they have been cleansed as directed ^sewhere, 
 let them rest ten minutes in the solution, occasionally 
 stirring them, wring and hang to dry. 
 
 Should there be the least suspicion that the hand- 
 kerchief has been exposed to contamination it should 
 
 123 
 
never be carried about on the person but at first op- 
 portunity drop into a solution as above stated and 
 afterward washed. 
 
 LACE HANDKERCHIEFS. 
 
 Lace handkerchiefs may be easily washed by using 
 castile or other equally good soap in warm water to 
 which has been added six or eight drops of ammonia. 
 Do not rub but work the water into the fiber thoroughly, 
 between the fingers and hand, until every thread is 
 soaked through, then let it remain in the water eight 
 to fifteen minutes, then w^ash out by squeezing out of 
 the water again and again, then rinse through several 
 waters. It is better not to iron but spread on marble or 
 like smoothe surface, pulling into shajDe. When nearly 
 dry, spread out and fold evenly and place between dry 
 cloth and place under a weight of three or four pounds. 
 
 BLACK LACE. 
 
 In washing black lace use one teaspoonful of borax 
 to one pint of warm water. Do not rub but squeeze 
 out the dirt with the hands. Black lace should never 
 be dried before a fire as to do so would more than likely 
 turn its color giving it a rusty appearance. 
 
 Roll between a dry, clean cotton cloth to dry, being 
 sure to have the ends covered so that the edges do not 
 dry out. 
 
 If the lace is to be sponged, use a piece of black kid 
 glove. 
 
 Another method for washing black lace, and which 
 is claimed by a great many people as superior to any 
 other, is to wash it in stale beer, drying as above. 
 
 121 
 
SILKS. 
 
 The soaking of silks should be attended with great 
 care and they should be watched over closely for any 
 possible change in color. 
 
 The soap used should be quite mild and the water 
 barelj^ more than warm. 
 
 Rubbing is quite apt to disarrange any lines, there- 
 fore it is a better plan to squeeze out many times with 
 the hands. 
 
 Fine table salt should be used to fix the colors, two 
 or three tablespoonfuls to each four quarts of water. 
 (See article on "Salt.") 
 
 Salt should be added both to the washing and to the 
 rinsing water to hold the colors in all light blues, green 
 or black silks. 
 
 For blacks, use one or two tablespoonfuls of ammonia 
 in about four gallons of water. This amount should be 
 varied according to the strength of the ammonia and 
 also to the soiled condition of the garment. 
 
 For pale green, pink or red silks use pure cider vine- 
 gar, two to four tablespoonfuls to four quarts of water, 
 the am^ount depending upon the strength of the vine- 
 gar in both the washing and rinsing water. Work 
 rapidly and keep the goods in the water the least pos- 
 sible time. 
 
 SILKS— WASHING. 
 
 Silks, handled rightly, are easily cleaned. Soaps of 
 any kind should never be rubbed upon silks of any de- 
 scription; neither should silks ever be boiled as to do 
 so would utterly ruin them. The use of washing soda 
 in water for washing silks would, almost invariably be 
 injurious. If a silk has become soiled to such an ex- 
 
 125 
 
tent tliat it needs cleansing, use a very mild, fine quality 
 of soap which should first be dissolved in warm but not 
 hot water: into this, dip the silk and when thoroughly 
 saturated by pressing it between the hands, let it soak 
 for an hour or two, according to its condition, then 
 rinse in several waters, each a little cooler than the 
 former. Silks should never be sprinkled or hand 
 wrung. Merely press out the water between the hands 
 or wring through a wringer and dry by rolling in a 
 dry towel. A little gum arable, dissolved and used in 
 the last rinsing water, gives to silks, laces, crepes, etc., 
 a stiffness and luster that is quite pleasing. 
 
 White pongee and colored silks may be similarly 
 treated. 
 
 If white silks are unusually soiled, borax water, one 
 tablespoonful to two gallons of water, can be used to 
 advantage in the washing suds. 
 
 Another method for washing silk waists and which 
 is preferred by many is as follows : Grate three potatoes 
 about the size of an egg, into a pint of soft, milk-warm 
 water; let this stand, stirring occasionally, for a couple 
 of hours and then strain through a coarse sieve or cloth, 
 into four quarts of water and when this has settled 
 pour into a bowl and in this wash the waist. Rinse in 
 clear water and dry as above. This process often gives 
 a newness and finish that is very gratifying. 
 
 TO CLEAN FURNITURE. 
 
 The general appearance of furniture may be much 
 improved by rubbing well with a soft rag dampened 
 with kerosene. An extra amount of rubbing should be 
 given to any stained spot. Polish with a chamois. 
 
 126 
 
ZINC MATS. 
 
 Zinc mats are easily cleaned with a mixture of wood 
 ashes and kerosene. A substitute for wood ashes ma}^ 
 be had in any fine grit that will not scratch. It also 
 may be found in some makes of soap or scoureen. Polish 
 with a soft rag. 
 
 CHOCOLATE STAINS. 
 
 Chocolate stains should first be washed out in warm 
 water until the bulk of the stain is removed, then wash 
 in suds-water. 
 
 COCOA STAINS. 
 Cocoa stains should be treated as for chocolate stains. 
 
 TO CLEAN CORSETS. 
 
 Corsets are cleaned with a mixture of ammonia and 
 soapy water (care being taken not to have too much of 
 a suds). Apply with a stiff brush, rinse off and dry. 
 
 PARAFFINE SOAP. 
 
 A good paraffine soap may be made at home very 
 easily and at little expense as follows: 
 
 Cut into thin slices, one pound of good bar soap. Put 
 this into just enough water to dissolve thoroughly ; keep 
 this on a warm stove until it is thoroughly melted, then 
 add four tablespoonsful of paraffine (liquid), mix well 
 and then set to cool. Later, cut into sizes to suit con^ 
 venience. 
 
 127 
 
POTATOES. 
 
 Take a potato, the size of a hen's egg, grate it and 
 then add a half pint of water. Stir well and let stand 
 for twenty-four to forty hours when it will be ready 
 for use. Laces, ginghams, sateens, silk garments, sum- 
 mer waists, children's frocks, sashes and black or white 
 la\^Tis may be cleansed or stiffened by use of this 
 mixture. It is a most excellent article for such use and 
 gives a fine effect. 
 
 GALL. 
 
 The use of a little gall in the last rinsing water for 
 purple and yellow colors is beneficial. 
 
 SALTS OF SORREL (POISONOUS). 
 
 Salts of sorrel, although poisonous, are not injurious 
 to fabrics of any kind of white goods. (See article 
 '^nk Stains.") 
 
 CLEANSING FLUID. 
 A good cleansing fluid is made as follows : 
 
 Two ounces of good soap, dissolved in 
 
 One pint of boiling water and when dissolved add 
 
 Two ounces of powdered borax and when nearly cool, 
 bottle and set aside until next day: then add 
 
 Two quarts of water. 
 
 One ounce of ether and 
 
 One ounce of alcohol. 
 
 Stir, or better still, shake until thoroughly mixed. 
 Keep tightly corked. This is good for many stains of 
 
 128 
 
grease, dust, coat collars, etc. In applying, use equal 
 parts of compound and water. Use brush or cloth in 
 cleansing. Hang until nearly dry and then iron under 
 clean thin cloth. Have iron about 160 degrees Fahren- 
 heit. 
 
 (Finis) 
 
 329 
 
INDE 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Acid Stains 70 
 
 Acids, oxalic 71 
 
 Action, chemical in washing 62 
 
 Alkalies 59 
 
 Ammonia 68 
 
 Articles Required in Laundry 40 
 
 Ashes, cigar 85 
 
 Axle Grease « . 72 
 
 Black Cashmere 110 
 
 Black Lace 124 
 
 Black Spots 116 
 
 Black Silk 110 
 
 Blankets 23 
 
 Bleaching 17 
 
 Blistering 90 
 
 Blood Stains 83 
 
 Blues 50 
 
 Bluing 51 
 
 Bluing Water, preparing 55 
 
 Borax 65 
 
 Board, ironing 42 
 
 Calicoes 112 
 
 Cambrics 113 
 
 Cambric Ironing 113 
 
 Camphor for Stains 71 
 
 Care of Wringer , 36 
 
 Cashmere, black 110 
 
 Cashmere, white Ill 
 
 Chamois Leather 103 
 
 Chemicals 65 
 
 131 
 
PAGE 
 
 Chemical Action in Washing 62 
 
 Chemicals in Laundry 58 
 
 Chilling Hands \ 48 
 
 Chocolate Stains 127 
 
 Cigar Ashes 85 
 
 Clay 63 
 
 Clean Corsets 127 
 
 Clean Felt Hat 116 
 
 Clean Furniture 126 
 
 Cleaning, dry 104 
 
 Cleaning Gloves '-. 102 
 
 Cleaning Shawls 109 
 
 Cleanliness 6 
 
 Cleansing Feathers 107 
 
 Cleansing Fluid 128 
 
 Cleansing Trousers 105 
 
 Clothespins 48 
 
 Cloth Curtains and Decorative Hangings 118 
 
 Clothing, dampening 64 
 
 Clothing, drying 88 
 
 Clothing, fire-proof 106 
 
 Clothing, freezing, wet 43 
 
 Clothing, scorched 86 
 
 Clothing, soaking 44 
 
 Clothing, sponge, press 115 
 
 Clothing, sprinkling 94 
 
 Clothing, steam for washing 15 
 
 Clothing, spots on 73 
 
 Clothing, wet 39 
 
 Clothing, to keep white 20 
 
 Clothing, wi'inging 36 
 
 Coat Collars 108 
 
 Cocoa Stains 127 
 
 Coffee Stains 74 
 
 132 
 
PAGE 
 
 Cold Starch, to make 94 
 
 Cold Water Washing 104 
 
 Collars, coat 108 
 
 Color, yellow 19 
 
 Coloring Curtains 89 
 
 Colored Goods 27 
 
 Colored Silk Cream 101 
 
 Colors Fading, to prevent 88 
 
 Colors, restoring 110 
 
 Compound, washing 68 
 
 Corsets, to clean 127 
 
 Cotton Goods 115 
 
 Cotton, pink 102 
 
 Cotton Waists 114 
 
 Cream Colored Silk 101 
 
 Cream Satin 102 
 
 Creasing Trousers 105 
 
 Crepe, rusty 84 
 
 Crude Sanitas 64 
 
 Curtain Coloring 89 
 
 Curtains 24 
 
 Curtains, lace 122 
 
 Curtains, decorative hangings 118 
 
 Dampening Clothing 94 
 
 Dampening Pad 42 
 
 Decorative Hangings 118 
 
 Diapers 11 
 
 Dirt 9 
 
 Disinfect Linen 69 
 
 Disinfection 16 
 
 Disinfectants 59 
 
 Doing Laundry Work 5 
 
 Do Not Mangle 40 
 
 Do^vn, eider 112 
 
 133 
 
PAGE 
 
 Down, swan 's 107 
 
 Drawn Work 119 
 
 Dry Cleaning 104 
 
 Drying of Clothing 38 
 
 Eider DoAvn 112 
 
 Embroideries 97 
 
 Fabrics, light 114 
 
 Fading Colors, to prevent 88 
 
 Failures, starchy 94 
 
 Feathers, cleaning 107 
 
 Felt Hat, to clean 116 
 
 Fire-proof Clothing 106 
 
 Flannels, ironing 97 
 
 Flannels, washing 121 
 
 Flat-irons 56 
 
 Freezing Wet Clothing 43 
 
 Flour Sacks, remove lettering 116 
 
 Flour Sacks, to clean 116 
 
 Fluid, cleaning 128 
 
 Folding 39 
 
 Fruit Stains 73-75 
 
 Furniture, to clean 126 
 
 Gall 128 
 
 Gasoline 62 
 
 Ginghams 112 
 
 Grass Stains 74 
 
 Grease, axle 72 
 
 Grease Stains 76 
 
 Glazes, starch 93 
 
 Gloves, cleaning 102 
 
 Handkerchiefs 123 
 
 Handkerchiefs and Diapers 11 
 
 Handkerchiefs, lace 124 
 
 Handkerchiefs, silk 100 
 
 134 
 
PAGE 
 
 Hats 108 
 
 Hands, chilling 43 
 
 Hangings, decorations 118 
 
 Heat 18 
 
 Hose, iron silk 97 
 
 Hot Irons 57 
 
 How to Disinfect Linen 69 
 
 How to Use Chemicals in Laundry 58 
 
 Indelible Ink 71 
 
 Ink Stains 78 
 
 Iodine 71 
 
 Iron Flat 56 
 
 Ironing 95 
 
 Ironing Board 42 
 
 Ironing Cambrics and Poplins 118 
 
 Ironing Flannels 97 
 
 Ironing Muslins 99 
 
 Ironing Shirt Waists 98 
 
 Ironing Silks 99 
 
 Ironing "Wet Poplins, Silks, Etc 98 
 
 Iron Rust 87 
 
 Iron Silk Hose 97 
 
 Iron Stands 57 
 
 Iron Hot 57 
 
 Iron Waxing 96 
 
 Irons, self -heating 58 
 
 Javelle Water , 67 
 
 Juices, Stains 78 
 
 Keep Clothing White 20 
 
 Kerosene 63 
 
 Lace, black 124 
 
 Lace Curtains 123 
 
 Lace Handkerchiefs 124 
 
 Lace Washing 122 
 
 185 
 
PAGE 
 
 Lace, white silk 108 
 
 Laundry, chemicals in 53 
 
 Laundr}^, articles required 40 
 
 Laundry Machines and Appliances 6 
 
 Laundry Work, doing 5 
 
 Lawns 114 
 
 Leather, chamois 103 
 
 Lemon Salts 66 
 
 Light Fabrics 114 
 
 Lime 61 
 
 Linens, how to disinfect 69 
 
 Linen, soiled table 26 
 
 Localities 12 
 
 Machine Rubbing or Hand Washing 32 
 
 Machine Stains, sewing 85 
 
 Machine Wringing 35 
 
 Machines, laundry 6 
 
 Me.chines, rinsing 34 
 
 Machines, washing 30 
 
 Make Cold Starch 94 
 
 Making the Starch 92 
 
 Mangle, do not 40 
 
 Mangling 39 
 
 Merino Ill 
 
 Mats, zinc 127 
 
 Mildew Stains 80 
 
 Milk Stains 74 
 
 Molasses Stains 72 
 
 Mud Stains 82 
 
 Muslins 113-114 
 
 Muslins, Ironing 99 
 
 Neckties, silk 113 
 
 Organdies, wiiite 119 
 
 Oxalic Acid 71 
 
 136 
 
PAGE 
 
 Pad, dampening 42 
 
 Paint Stains 82 
 
 Paraffine 60 
 
 Paraffine Soap 127 
 
 Perspiration 16 
 
 Pink Cotton 102 
 
 Pink Silk 101 
 
 Pink Satins 102 
 
 Polisiiing 98 
 
 Pongee Silks 109 
 
 Poplins 114 
 
 Poplins, ironing wet 98 
 
 Poplins, ironing 113 
 
 Potatoes 128 
 
 Preparing the Bluing Water 55 
 
 Preparations for Starching 90 
 
 Preparations for Washing 44 
 
 Press Clothing 115 
 
 Powders, soap 49 
 
 Prevent Colors Fading 88 
 
 Prints 112 
 
 Quilts 120 
 
 Raindrops 101 
 
 Red Tablecloths 121 
 
 Renovating Various Fabrics 110 
 
 Restoring Colors , » . . 110 
 
 Ribbons 113-115 
 
 Ribbons, silk 113 
 
 Rinsing 32 
 
 Rinsing Machine 34 
 
 Rosin : 63 
 
 Rust, iron 87 
 
 Rusty Crepe 84 
 
 Salt 69 
 
 137 
 
PAGE 
 
 Salts, Lemon 66 
 
 Salts of Sorrel 128 
 
 Sanitas, crude 64 
 
 Satins 102 
 
 Satins, cream 102 
 
 Satins, pink 102 
 
 Satins, white 102 
 
 Scorched Clothing 86 
 
 Self -heating Irons 58 
 
 Serge Ill 
 
 Sewing Machine Stains 85 
 
 Shawls, cleaning 109 
 
 Shawls, washing woolen 117 
 
 Shrinkage of Silk 109 
 
 Shirt Waists, ironing 98 
 
 Silk, black 100 
 
 Silk, cream colored 101 
 
 Silk Handkerchiefs 100 
 
 Silk Hose, to iron 97 
 
 Silk Neckties, Ribbons, Muslins, Etc 113 
 
 Silk, pink 101 
 
 Silk Waists 101 
 
 Silk, white 100 
 
 Silk, white lace 108 
 
 Silks 125 
 
 Silks, ironing 99 
 
 Silks, ironing wet 98 
 
 Silks, pongee 109 
 
 Silks, shrinkage of 109 
 
 Silks, washing 125 
 
 Soaking of clothing : 44 
 
 Soap 47 
 
 Soap Paraffine 127 
 
 Soap Powders ; 49 
 
 138 
 
PxVGE 
 
 Socks 117 
 
 Soda (see Alkalies) 59 
 
 Soiling of Table Linen and Other Linen 26 
 
 Sorrel, salts of 128 
 
 Sponge Clothing 115 
 
 Spots, black 116 
 
 Spots on Clothing 73 
 
 Sprinkling or Dampening of Clothing 94 
 
 Stains 70 
 
 Stains, acid 70 
 
 Stains, blood 83 
 
 Stains, camphor for 71 
 
 Stains, chocolate 127 
 
 Stains, cocoa . 127 
 
 Stains, coffee 74 
 
 Stains, fruit 73-75 
 
 Stains, grass 74 
 
 Stains, grease 76 
 
 Stains, ink 78 
 
 Stains, juices 73 
 
 Stains, mildew , 80 
 
 Stains, milk " 74 
 
 Stains, molasses 72 
 
 Stains, mud 82 
 
 Stains, paint 82 
 
 Stains, tar 84 
 
 Stains, tea 74 
 
 Stains, sewing machine 85 
 
 Stains, sugar 72 
 
 Stains, syrup 72 
 
 Stains, varnish 85 
 
 Stains, vinegar 73 
 
 Stains, water , 73 
 
 Stains, wine 73 
 
 139 
 
PAGE 
 
 Starch 90 
 
 Starch, cold, to make 94 
 
 Starch Glazes 93 
 
 Starch Making 92 
 
 Starch Surfaces 93 
 
 Starches 55 
 
 Starching 91 
 
 Starching, preparations for 90 
 
 Starchy Failures 94 
 
 Steam for Washing Clothing 15 
 
 Steam, washing by 14 
 
 Stockings 117 
 
 Sugar Stains 72 
 
 Suits, summer 104 
 
 Summer Suits 104 
 
 Surfaces, starch 93 
 
 Swan 's Down » . . 107 
 
 Sweaters, washing 116 
 
 Syrup Stains 72 
 
 Tablecloths, red 121 
 
 Table Linen, soiling 26 
 
 Tallow 63 
 
 Tar Stains 84 
 
 Tear and Wear 20 
 
 Tea Stains 74 
 
 Towels 106 
 
 Trousers, creasing 105 
 
 Turpentine 69 
 
 Varnish Stains 85 
 
 Velvets 115 
 
 Vinegar Stains 73 
 
 Waists, cotton 114 
 
 Waists, ironing shirt 98 
 
 Waists, silk • 101 
 
 140 
 
PAGE 
 
 "WsLshing 28 
 
 'Washing, chemical action 62 
 
 Washing, cold water 104 
 
 Washing, colored goods 27 
 
 Washing Compound 68 
 
 Washing Flannels 121 
 
 Washing by Hand 32 
 
 Washing Laces 122 
 
 Washing Machines 30 
 
 Washing, preparations for 44 
 
 Washing Silks 125 
 
 Washing by Steam 14 
 
 Washing Sweaters 116 
 
 Washing Woolen Shawls 117 
 
 Water 12 
 
 Water, preparing bluing 55 
 
 Water, javelle 67 
 
 Water Stains 73 
 
 Waxing Irons 96 
 
 Wear and Tear 20 
 
 Wet Clothing 39 
 
 Wet Clothing Freezing 43 
 
 White Cashmere Ill 
 
 White Clothing, to keep 20 
 
 White, Felt Hat, to clean 116 
 
 White Organdies 119 
 
 White Satins 102 
 
 White Silk 100 
 
 White Silk Lace 108 
 
 Wine Stains 73 
 
 Woolens 21 
 
 Woolen Shawls, washing 117 
 
 Work, drawn . 119 
 
 Work, laundry 5 
 
 141 
 
PAGE 
 
 Wringer, care of 36 
 
 Wringing Clothing 36 
 
 Wringing Machine 35 
 
 Yellow Color li) 
 
 Zinc Mats 127 
 
 142 
 
^ The ^. 
 ^ Democrat ^y 
 
237 90 
 

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