THE LATJNDET

When inyitlng friends to vis ts of a week or more, try to fix the time for the visit to begin the day after the ironing is done. The girl feels a weight off her mind, has time to cook the meals better and is a much more willing attendant upon guests.

Do not have beefsteak for dinner on washing or ironing days — arrange to have something roasted in the oven, or else have cold meat also.

Do not have fried or broiled fish. The smell sticks, and the clothes will not be sweet; besides the broiler and frying-pan take longer to clean.

As for vegetables, do not have spinach, pease, string-beans, or apple-sauce. All these good things take time tp prepare, and can be avoided as well as not. Have baked white and sweet potatoes, macaroni, boiled rice, parsnips, sweet corn, stewed tomatoes, any canned vegetables in winter. For dessert, baked apples and cream, bread-pudding, or something easily prepared.

When removed from the person, clothing, if damp, should be dried to pre- vent mildew, and articles which are to be starched should be mended before placing in the clothes-baskpt. Monday is the washing day with all good housekeepers. The old-fashioned programme for a washing is as follows: Use good soft water if it can be had. If not, soften a barrel-full of well-water by pouring into it water in which half a peck or more of hard wood ashes have been boiled, together with the ashes themselves. When enough has been added to produce the desired effect, the water takes on a curdled appearance, and soon settles perfectly clear. If milky, more ashes and lye must be added as before, care being taken not to add more than is necessary to clear the water, or it will affect the hands unpleasantly. On the other hand, if too little is put in, the clothes will turn yellow. Gather up all clothes which are ready on Saturday night, and the rest as they are taken off; separate the fine from the coarse, and the less soiled from the dirtier. Scald all table linen and articles which have coffee, fruit, or other stains which would be "set" by hot suds, by ^iouring over them hot water froii- the tea-kettle and allowing them to stand until cool. Have the water in iho tub as warm as the hand will bear, but not too hot. (Dirty oloihes should never be put into very hot clear water, as it " sets " the dirt. Hot soap-suds, however, has the opposite effect, the wat^r expanding the fiber of the fabric, while the alkali of the soap softens and removes the dirt.) Wash first one boiler full, taking the cleanest and finest through two suds, then place in a boiler of cold water, with soap enough to make a good suds.

522 THE LAUNDRY.

This saves in soap nearly half. For laces, cambrics, etc., an extra quantity of the powder is used, and for crinolines (requiring to be made stiff), a strong solution is necessary. Borax, being a neutral salt, does not in the slightest degree injure the texture of the linen. Its eifect is to soften the hardest water. Another way to whiten clothes is to throw a handful of tansy into the boiler in which clothes are boiling. It will make the water green, but will whiten the clothes. l*et them boil, with cover off boiler, not more than five or ten min- uU8, as too long boiling " yellows" the clothes. (Some advocate strongly no boiling.) Remove to a tub, pour over them cold water slightly blued, and turn all garments, pillow-slips, stockings, etc., wrong-side out. (If there are more to boil, take out part of the boiling suds, add cold water, and fill not too full with clothes. Repeat until all are boiled. The removal of part of the suds, and filling up with cold water, prevents the suds from " yellowing" the clothes.) Wash vigorously in this water (this is called "sudsing"), wringing very dry by hand, or better with the wringer, as the clear appear- ance of the clothes depends largely on thorough wringing. Rinse in another tub of soft water, washing with the hands, not simply lifting them out of the water and then wringing, as is practiced by some, because all suds must be rinsed out to make them clear and white. Wring and shake out well and put into water pretty well blued, putting in one article after another until the first boilerful is all in. Stir up occasionally, as the blue sometimes settles to the bottom, and thus spots the clothes. (This time well-water may be used if soft water is d

THE LAUNDRY. 523

mittens for hanging out clothes, to be used for this purpose and no other. Cut them from clean flannel (white seems the most suitable), and line them with another thickness of flannel, or make them double, if the flannel is thin. These should be kept in a clean place ready for this particular business, and nothing else. A good and handy place to keep them is in the clotlies-pia bag. Turn all garments right side out, shake out thoroughly, sprinkle (re-starching shirt^bosoms, wristbands, and collars if necessary). Shake out night-dresses and under-garments so as to free them from creases, and if they are ruffled or embroidered, dip them in thin starcli, pull out smoothly, fold first, and then, beginning at the top of each garment, roll up, each by itseli", in a very tight roll, and place in the basket; fold sheets without sprinkling, having first snapped and stretched them, and lay on the rest ; over all spread the ironing blanket, and let them stand until next morning. Next day iron, beginninj? with the sheets (which, as well as table linen, must be folded neatly and carefully, so that the selvago edges will exactly come together. Or, another way to fold and iron a sheet is to bring bottom overtop, then bring back bottom edge to edge of middle fold, leaving top edge; iron the upper surface, then turn the whole sheet over, fold the top edge back to the middle edge, and again iron upper surface ; this leaves the sheet folded iu four thicknesses; now bring the selvage edges together and iron the upper surface, and the sheet is done) , and taking shirts next, cooling the iron when too hot on the coarse towels. In ironing shirts a "a bosom-board" is almost indispensable, and an ** ironing-board" is a

524 THE LAUNDRY.

If a machine is used in washing, it is better to soak the clothes over night in warm soft water, soaping collars and wristbands, and pieces most soiled. Have separate tabs for coarse and fine clothes. In soaking clothes for wash- ing Monday, the water should be prepared Saturday night, and all clothes which are ready thrown in, and the rest added when changed. If washing fluids are used, the recipes which follow are the best.

Another method is to half fill tubs Saturday night with clear, soft water, warmed a little if convenient, but not too hot, made into a weak suds ; in one put the finer articles, such as muslins, cuffs, collars, and shirts; in another put table-linen ; in another bed-linen ; in another the dish-cloths and wiping towels, and in still another the coarsest and most soiled articles : always put the most ^iled articles of each division at bottom of tub ; cover all well with water and press down. Rub no soap on spots or stains, as it will '^ set " them. Of course, articles which can not be had on Saturday night are put in the next day as they are changed. Monday morning, heat not very hot a boiler full of clean soft water, add to it water in which soap waa dissolved Saturday night by pouring hot water over it, and stir it thoroughly; drain off the water in which the clothes were soaked after shaking them up and down vigorously in it, pressing them against the sides of the tub to get out all the water possible. Then pour over them tlie warm suds, and wash out as before described, washing each class separately. If found impracticable to make BO many divisions, separate the coarse and fine, and the least soiled and the dirtiest.

In the summer, clothes may be washed without any fire by soaking over- night in soapy soft water, rubbing out in the morning, soaping the dirty places, and laying them in the hot sunshine. By the time the last are spread out to bleach, the first may be taken up, washed out and rinsed. This, of course, requires a clean lawn.

Before washing flannels shake out dust and lint; use soft, clean^ cold water, in winter merely taking the chill off. Let the hard soap lie in the water, but do not apply it to the clothes. Wash the whit.e pieces first, throw articles as fast as washed into blued cold water, let them stand twenty or thirty min- utes, wash them through this water after dissolving a little soap in it. wring hard, shake, and hang up. Wash colored flannels in the same way (but not In water used for white, or they will gather the lint), and rinse in se\'^ral waters if inclined to **run.'* When very dirty, all flannels should soak longer, and a little borax well dissolved should be added to the water. This process is equally good for washing silk goods and silk embroideries. Cali- coes and fancy cotton stockings may be washed in the same way, except that no soap should be used in the rinsing, Wash gray and brown linens in cold water, with a little black pepper in it, and tliey will not fade. For bluing, use the best indigo tied in a strong bag made of drilling.

To Cleanse Articles made op White Zephyb. — Rub in flour or magnesia, changing often. Shake off flour and liang in the open air a short time.

To Remove Ink-staix.— Immediately saturate with milk, soak it up with a rag, apply more, rub well, and in a few minutes the ink will disappear.

THE LA UNDBY. 525

To Clean Alpaca. — Sponge with strained coffee. Iron on the wrong side, having black cambric under the goods.

Take out Machine Oil. — Iluu with a little Inrd or butter and wash in warm water and sosip, or, simply rub first with a little soap and wash out in cold water.

To Stiffen Linen Cuffs and Collars. — Add a small piece of white wax and one tea-spoon brand v to a pint of fine starch. In ironing, if the iron, sticks^ soap the bottom of it.

Is Washing Children's Stockings, wooden stocking forms are a great help on wiiich to dry them. Obtain tliem at the furnishing store, or nave them made without much expense.

To Clean Wash Boilers. — Wash, when a little rusty, with sweet milk; or grease with lard. A better plan is to prevent rust by thoroughly dry- ing boiler, as well as tubs, before putting awajr for the week.

To Take out Paint. — Equal parts of ammonia and spirits of turpentine will take paint out of clothing, no matter how dry or hard it may be. Saturate the spot two or three times and then wash out in soap-suds.

To Restore Velvet. — When velvet gets crushed from pressure, hold the parts over a basin of hot water, with the lining of the dress next the water. The pile will soon rise and assume its original beauty.

Spots. — In cloth or calico, produced by an acid, may be removed by touch- ing the spot with spirits of hartshorn. Spots produced by an alkali may be removed by moistening them witli vinegar or tartaric acid.

To Prevent Blue from Fading. — To prevent blue from fading, put an ounce of sugar of lead into a pail of water, soak tlie material in the solution for two hours, and let dry before being washed and ironed; good for all shades of blue.

To Take Out Mildew. — Wet the cloth and rub on soap and chalk, mixed together, and lay in tlie sun ; or lay the cloth in buttermilk for a short time, take out and place in the hot sun; or put lemon juice on, and treat in the same way.

To Re.move Ink Stains from Clothing. — Dip the spots in pure melted tallow ; wash out tlie tallow and the ink will come out If articles are rubbed out in cold water while the stain is fresh, the stain will often be entirely removed.

For Washinw Red Table Linen, use tepid water, with a little powdered borax, which ser\'es to set the color; wash the linen separately ana quickly, using very little soan, rinse in tepid water, containing a little boiled starch; hang to dry in the stiade, and iron when almost dry.

To Clean Alpaca, — Put goods in a boiler half full of cold rain-water, and let boil three minutes. Have ready a pail of indigo^water (very dark with indigo), place goods in it, after wringing out of boiling water, let re- main one-half an hour, then wring out, and iron while damp.

How to Clean Velvet. — Invert a hot flat-iron, place over it a single thickness of wet cotton cloth, lay on this the velvet, wrong side next the wet cloth, rub gently with a dry cloth until the pile is well rai.sed; take ofl the iron, lay on a table, and brush it with a soft brush or cloth.

To Take Grease out of Silks, Woolens, Paper, Fix)or8. etc. — Grate thick over the spot French (or commcm will do) chalk, cover with brown paper, set on it a hot flatiron, and let it remain until cool; repeat if neces- sary. The iron must not be .so hot as to burn paper or cloth.

Substitute for Washino-Soda. — A German scientific journal recommends laundresses to use hyi)Osulphite of so<la in place of common washing-soda. It does not attack the fabric in any way, and at the same time exerts some bleaching actions which greatly improve the appearance of linen and calicoes.

Silver Polish for Shirts. — One ounce each of isinglass and borax, one tea-spoon white glue, two t€a-s|K>ons white of an e^. Cook well in two

aaarts of fine starch. Starch in this and dry. Before ironing, apply some of ^ to the bosom and cuffs with a cloth till well dampened. Iron at once with a hot glossing iron.

526 THE LAUSDRY.

To Clean Black Lace.— Take the lace and wipe off all the dusl care- fully, with a cambric handkerchief. Then pin it out on a board, insert- ing a pin in each projecting point of the lace. 8(Mit it all over with table- beer, and do not remove the pins until it is perfectly dry. It will look quite fresh and new.

To make Soap to do away wfth Ri'bbino. — Dissolve five bars of soap in four ^llons soft water, one and three-fourths pounds sal -soda, and three- fourths pound borax; stir while cooling. Use one cupful to make suds to soak clothes in ; wring out and put into the boiler; use same quantity of soap for boiling the same.

Enamel for Shirt Bosoms. — Melt togetlier with a gentle heat, one ounce white wax and two ounces spermaceti ; prepare in the usual way a sufficient quantity of starch for a dozen bosoms, put into it a piece of this enamel the size of a hazel-nut, and in proportion for a lai*ge number. This will give clothes a beautiful ])olish.

To Remove the Color from Buff Calico. — If some kinds of buff calico are dipj>ed in strong soda water, the color will be removed and the figures of other colors remain on a white ground. This is valuable sometimes, as buff calico spots easily. If pink calico be dipped in vinegar and water after rinsing, the color will be brighter.

To Remove the Stain of Nitrate of Silver — from the flesh, or white goods of any kind, dissolve iodine in alcohol, and apply to the stain ; then take a piece of cyanide potassium, size of a hickory-nut, wet in water, rub on the S])Ot, and the stain will immediately disappear; then wash the goods or hands in cold water. — G. W. Collins, Urhnnn.

Mother's Hard-times Soap. — Take all the bits of soap that are too small to be longer used, shave down, and let soak in soft water enough to cover them over night; in the morning add more soft water, and boil until thoroughly melted and of the consistency of taffy ; pour into molds, and you have a nice cake of soap. — Miss Addie Mnnsell.

Coffee Starch. — Make a paste of two table-spoons best starch and cold water; when smooth stir in a pint of perfectly clear coffee (made by pouring boiling water on the grounds left from breakfast and straining) boiling hot; boil five or ten minutes, stir with a spermaceti or wax candle, strain, and use for all dark calicoes, percales, and muslin.s.

To Remove Iron-Rust. — While rinsing clothes, take .such as have spots of rust, wring out, dip a wet finger in oxalic acid, and rub on the spot, then dip in salt and rub on, and hold on a warm flatiron, or on the tin or cop- per tea- kettle if it have hot water in it, and the spot will immediately dis- appear; rinse again, rubbing the place a little with the hands.

Erasive Fluid. — For the removal of spots on furniture, cloth, silks, and other fabrics, when the color is not drawn, without injury: One ounce castile soap, four of aqua ammonia, one of glycerine, and one of spirits of wine; dissolve the soap in two quarts soft water, add the other ingredients, apply with a soft sponge, and rub out. — A. Peabwbj, Cincinnati, 0.

To Clean White Satin and Flowered Silks. — Mix sifted stale bread- crumbs with powder blue, and rub it thoroughly all over, then shake it well and dust it well with clean, soft cloths. Afterwards where there are any gold or silver flowers, take a piece of crimson ingrain velvet, and rub the flowers with it, which will restore them to their original Ulster.

For Washing Goods that Fade, use crude ammonia instead of soap. Soiled neckties may be made to look like new by taking one-half a tea- spoon of spirits of hortshom to a tea-cup of water; wash well, and, if veiy much soiled, put through a second water, with less ammonia in. Lay it on a clean, white cloth, and gently wipe with another until dry.

To Clean Silk and Woolen Dress Goods. — Any silk or wooled goods may be washed in gasoline, rubbing as if in water, without injury. The dirt is quickly and easily removed, but no change takes place in tlie color of the uibric. Great care must be taken not to use the gajtoline near a store or iightf

THE LAUNDRY. 527

as there is a gas arising from it which is very inflammahle, and might take fire from a lamp set a foot or two distant.

In washing the dish-wipkrs, do not boil them with tlie fine white dresses, shirts, table-cloths, sheets, piliow-cases, napkins, or fine towels, but be as par- ticular to have tlie suds nice and clean. It is better to remove a part of the suds, and add clean cold water, so that the wipers will not become yellow by boiling in too strong a suds. On each wash-day wash thoroughly all that have been used the previous week. .

Silk and Thread Gloves are best washed by placing them on the hands, and washing in borax water or white castile soap-suds, the same &» if wash- ing the hands; rinse under a stream of water, and dry with a towel; keep the gloves on until they are about lialf dried, take off carefully, and fold them up so that they will look as nearly like what they were when new as possible, and lay between clean towels under a weight.

To Clean Ribbons. — Dissolve white soap in boiling water; when cool enough to bear the hand, pass the ribbons through it, rubbing gently so as not to iniure the texture; rinse through lukewarm water, and pin on a board to dry. If the colors are bright yellow, maroon, crimson, or scarlet, add a few drops of oil of vitriol to the rinse-water; if the color is bright scarlet, add to the rinse-water a few drops of the muriate of tin.

Brown Linen — May be kept looking new until worn out if always washed in starch-water and hay tea. Make nour starch in the ordinary way. For one dress put on the stove a common sized milk pan full of timothy hay, pour on water, cover, and boil until the water is of a dark green color, then turn into the starch, let the goods soak in it a few minutes, and wash with^ out soap ; the starch will clean the fabric and no rinsing is necessary.

To Wash Colored MusLiNS.-^Wash in warm, not hot, suds, made with soft water and best white soap, if it is to be had. Do not soak them, and wash only one thing at a time. Change the suds as soon as it looks dingy, and put the garments at once into fresh suds. Rinse first in clear water, then in slightly blued. Squeeze quite dry, but don't wring the dress. Hang in a shady place where the sunshine will not strike it, as that fades all colors.

To Wash Thread Lace. — Cover a bottle with white flannel, baste the lace carefully on the flannel, and rub with white soap; place the bottle in a jar filled with warm suds, let remain two or three days, changing the water several times, and boil with the finest white clothes on washing day ; when cooled a little, rinse several times in plenty of cold water, wrap a soft, dry towel around it, and place it in the sun; when dry, unwind, but do not starch.

Black Print or Percale Dresses, that have figures of white in them, may be washed liicely by putting them in the " boiling suds," after the other clothes have all been removed, and boiling for ten minutes; cool the suds, rub out quickly, rinse in lukewarm water, then in very blue cold water, and starch in coflfee starch. Aftor the dress is dried, it is to be dipped into cold water, passed through the wringer, rolled in a coarse towel or sheet and left for a couple of hours, then ironed on the wrong side.

To Wash DELirATE Colored Mislins. — Boil wheat bran (about two quarts to a dress) iii soft water half an hour, let it cool, strain the liquor, and use it instead of soan-suds; it removes dirt like soap, keeps the color, and the clothes only neeci rinsing in one water, and even stiirohing is unnecessary. Suds and rinsing water for coIofcmI articles should be used as cold as possible. Another way is to make thick corn meal mush, well salted, and use instead of soap; rinse in one or two waters, and do not starch.

To vVash a Silk Dress. — To wash a silk dress with gall soap, rip apart and shake off the dust ; have ready two tubs warm soft water, n\ake a suds of the soap in one tub, and use the other for rinsing; wash tlie silk, one piece at a time, in the suds, wring gently, rinse, again wring, shake out, and iron with a hot iron on what you intend to be the wrong side. Thus pro- ceed with each piece; and, when about half done, throw out the suda and make suds of the rinsing water« using fresh water for rinsing.

528 THE LAUNDRY.

A Washing FLrin.— Tho washing fluid made by thev following rule is invaluable in cleaning woolen goods, in washing woolen tidies, or worsted goods df any kind: One-half bar of Babbitt's or Bell's soap, one ounce salt- petre, one ounce borax, four quarts soft water. Dissolve all togetlier over a fire; when half cold, add five ounces spirits of ammonia. The compound may be bottled and is good for an indefinite length of time. It is used just as you would use soft soap. — Mrs. Judge West, Belief ontaiiie, Ohio.

To "Do Up" Black Silk.— Boil an old kid glove fcut up in small shreds) in a pint of water till the water is reduced to a half pint; then sponge the silk with it; fold it down tight, and ten minutes after, iron it on the wrong side while wet The silk will retain its softness and luster, and, at tJie same time, have the "body" of new silk.

Or, rip up and brush thoroughly, then sponge in ammonia water, and pin out perfectly straight, each width or piece where the sun will shine on it and let dry.

To TAKE OUT Scorch.. — If a shirt-bosom, or any other article has been scorched in ironing, lay it where bright sunshine will fall directly on it. Peel and slice two onions, extract the juice by pounding and squeezing; cut up half an ounce of tine white soap, and add to the juice; two ounces of fuller's earth and half pint of vinegar. Boil all together. When cool spread over the scorched linen, and let dry on : then wash and boil out the linen, and the spots will disappear unless burned so badly as to break the threads.

Flour Starch. — Have a clean pan or kettle on stove with one quart boil- ing water, into which stir three heaping table-spoons flour, previously mixed smooth in little cold water; stir steadily until it boils, and then often enough to keep from burning. Boil about five minutes, strain while hot through a crash towel. The above quantity is enough for one dress, and will make it nice and stiffl Flour starch is considered better for all cali- coes than fine starch, since it makes them stiflfer, and the stiflness is longer retained. *

Pocket fob Clothes-Pins. — A great convenience is the apron pocket for clothes pins. It takes nearly one yard of calico to make it, the apron or pouch l^ing fifteen inches in length, and nearly as wide. Round the cor- ner at the bottom. At the top. on each side of the front, two inches from the middle, cut out a strip nine inches long, and one and one-half inch wide for pocket.s. Bind them with lighter colored fabric than the apron, that they may be readily seen. Gather into a band and button at the back, or put on strings and tie.

How TO Wash Blankets. — All that is necessary is abundance of soft water, and soap without resin in it. Resin hardens the fibers of wool, and should never be used in washing any kind of flannel goods. Blankets treated sb above will always come out clean and soft A little bluing may be used in washing white blankets. They should be shaken and snapped until almost dry; it will require two persons to handle them. Woolen slwwls, and all woolen articles, especially men's wear, are much improved by being pressed with a hot iron under damp muslin.

Gall Soap. — For washing woolens, silks, or fine prints liable to fade : One pint beefs gall, two pounds common bar soap cut fine, one quart boiling soft water ; boil slowly, stirring occasionally until well mixed ; pour into a flat vessel, and when cold cut into pieces to dry ; or, a more simple way of using gall, is to get a pint lx)ttle fillea with fresh beefs gall at the butchers, cork tightly, add to the water when washing any material that is liable to fade; using more if articles are very liable to rade, and less if the liability is not great. When the bottle is empty or grows stale, get fresh.

Fruit-Stains — Colored cottons or woolens stained with wine or frnitshould be wet in alcohol and ammonia, then sponged off gently (not rubbed) with alt!ohol ; after that if the material will warrant it, washed in tepid soap- suds. Where white are used the stains may be easily removed oy using

THE LAUNDRY. 529

boiling water before the stains are soaped or wetted; pour it on until they mostly disappear, and then let goods stand in it covered till cold. Peaches, flome kinds of pears, and sweet apples make the worst stains ; and if boil- ing water is not sufficient, a little javelle water may be used and, if skill- fully managed, will not need to be used often. Silks may be wet with this preparation when injured by these stains.

TOE Use of Turpentine in Washing. — Turpentine should never be used when washing is done witli the hands, as it is very injurious to the health ; but when the clothes are pounded in a barrel in the old fashioned way, or when the rubbing is done by a washing-machine, a table-spoon of turpen- tine added to a pint of soft soap, taking enough of the mixture to make a good suds for each lot of clothes aids in removing the dirt. Care must be taken not to handle the turpentine with the hands, or to breathe the fumes of it, as it is very injurious to some persons, and great care should be taken to rinse the clothes very thoroughly, or the clothing may retain enough of the turpentine to be injuriDUs, when worn next the skin.

To WASH Flannels in Tepid Water. — The usefulness of liquid ammonia is not as universally known among housewives as it deserves to be. If you add some of it to a soap-suds maile of a mild soap, it will prevent the flannel from becoming yellow or shrinking. It is the potash ana soda contained in sharp soap which tends to color animal fibers yellow; the shrinking may also be partially due to this agency, but above all to the exposure of the fiannel while wet to the extremes of low or high temperatures. Dipping it in boiling water or leaving it out in the rain will also cause it to shrink and become hard. To preserve their softness, flannels should be washed in tepid suds, rinsed in tepid water, and dried rapidly at a moderate heat.

To Wash Lace Ruchings. — Wash with the hands in warm suds (if much soiled, soak in warm water two or three hours), rinse thoroughly, and starch in thick starch, dry out doors if the day be clear; if not, place between dry cloth, roll tightly and put away till dry; then, with the fingers, open each row and pull out smoothly (have a cup of clean water in which to dip the fingers or dampen the lace) ; then pull out straight the outer edge of each with the thumb and finger, and draw the binding over the point or .side of a hot iron. If the ruche is single, or onlv two rows, it can be ironed aftef . being smoothed (the first process). Blonde or net, that has become yellow, can be bleached by hanging in the sun or laying out over ni^ht in the dew.

To MAKE Fine Starch. — Wet tlie starch smooth in a little cold water, in a large tin pan, pour on a quart boiling water to two or three table-spoons starch, stirring rapidly all the while; place on stove, stir until it boils, and then occasionally. Boil from five to fifteen minutes, or until the starch is perfectly clear. Some add a little salt, or butter or pure lard, or stir with a sperm candle; others add a tea-spoon kerosene to one quart starch; this prevents the stickiness sometimes so annoying in ironing. Either of the above 'ingredients is an improvement to flour starch. Many, just before using starch mid a little bluing. Cold starch is made from starch, dissolved in cold water, bein^ careful not to have it too thick; since it rots the clothes, it is not ailvisahle to use it — the same is true of potato starcli.

Fob Washing the Lighter Woolen Fabrics that enter into the compo- sition of summer dres.ses, borax is one of the most useful articles for soften- ing the water and cleansing the material. This is used in the proportion of a table-spoon to a gallon of water, and, if dissolved in hot water, it makes a better lather. Of cours.e, no thoughtful fterson will attempt to wa.sh a woolen dress without first having ripped it apart, picked out all the threads, brushed the dust out, and marked t!ie particularly soiled places by running a thread around them. Wash one piece at a time, foil up and squeeze, or pass thn^iigh a wringer instead of twi.sting through the han<ls. Wash in several changes of borax water, and rinse in clear water, in which a well-beaten c^s has been mixed; shake thoroughly, and fold in sheets until evenly damp all through, then iron the wrong side with an ii-on hot enough to smooth nicely without icorchinfr

530 THE LAUNDRY.

Wash Silk Handkerchiefs by laving them on a smooth board, and nib- bing with the palm of tlie hand. Use either borax or white catstile soap to- make the suds; rinse in clear water, shake till nearly dry, fold evenly, lay between boards, and put a weight on them. No ironing is required. 8ilk hose and ribbons may be treated in the same way ; if there are colore that run, put as much sugar of lead as will lie on a quarter dollar, into » half gallon of water, and soak the goods half an hour, stirring frequently, then wash as above, and rinse in several clear waters, using sugar of lead in the last. Or, wash in cold rain-water with a little cuni soap ; thei> rinse them in rain-water — cold — slifrhtly colored with stone blue ; wring well, and stretch them out on a mattress, tacking them out tightly. They will look as good ns new if carofully washed.

Washing Light-Colored Puikts and Cambrics. — Take a table-spoon of alum, and dissolve it in enough lukewarm water to rinse a print dress. Dip the soiled dress into it, taking care to wet thoroughly every part of it, and then wring it out. Have warm, not hot, suds all ready, and 'wash out the dress quicklv; then rin?o it in cold water. (White castile soap is the best for colored cottons, if it can be conmianded.) Have the starcn ready, but not too hot ; rinse the dress in it, wring it out, and hang it wrong side out to dry, but not in the sun. Place it where the wind will strike it rather than the sijn. When dry, iron directly. Prints should never be sprinkled; but, if allowed to become rough dry, they should be ironed under a damp cloth.. It is better to wash them some* day by themselves, when washing and ironing can be done at once.

To Wash Flannels in Boiling Water. — Make a strong suds of boiling water, and soft soap — hard soap makes flannels stiff and wiry — put them in, pressing them down under the water with a clothes-stick; when cool enough rub the articles carefully between the hands, then wrinpr — but not through the wringer — as dry as possible, shake, snap out, and pull each piece into its original size and sliape, then throw immediately into another tub of boiling water, in which you have thoroughly mixed some nice bluing. Shake them up and down in this last water with a clothes-stick until cool enough for the hands, then rinse well, wring, siiake out and pull into sha^)e — the snapping and pulling are as necessary as the washing — and hang in a sunny place where they will dry quickly. Many nrefer to rinse in two waters with the bluing in the last, ana this is always an vi.S4ible when there are many flannels.

Care of Irons. — When irons iJecome rough or smoky, lay a little fine «alt on aflat surface and rub them well; it will prevent them sticking to any thing starched, and make them smooth ; or scour with bath-brick before heating, and when hot rub well with salt, and then with a small piece of beoswax tied up in a rag, after which wipe clean on a dry cloth. A piece of fine sandpaper is also a good thing to have near the stove, or a hard, smooth board covered with brick dust, to r^ib each iron on when it is put back on the stove, so tliat no starch may remain to be burnt on. Put l^ees- wax between pieces of paper or cloth and keep on the table close by the flat-iron stand. If the irons get coated with scorched starch, rub them over the paper that holds the beeswax and it will all come off. Rubbing the iron over the waxed paper, even if no starch adheres, adds to the glossiness of the linen that is ironed.

Washing Lace.— To make the starch properly, mix the dry particles with enough cold water to make a smooth jtaste, add cold water until it looks like milk and water, and boil it in a smoothly glazed earthen vessel until it is perfectly transparent. While it is cooling squeeze the laces through a soap-snds,* and rinse them in clear water. If you wish them clear white, add a little bluing; if ivory white, omit the bluing, and if yellow-tinged add a few teaspoons clear coffee to the starch. Run through the starch, saueeLv*, roll up in towels, and clap each piece separately until dry: pull gently into shape, from time to time, with the finger. •> and pin on the ironing taole or bosom-board or upon the pillows in the •' spare " bedroom. When dry.

THE LAUNDRY. 531

press between tissue paper with a hot iron, punch the openings with an ivory stiletto, and pick each pearl or loop on the edge with a coarse pin until it looks like new lace.

Lawn and Muslin Dresses that have faded may be whitened in the boiling suds, and bleached on the grass, and. when done up, are quite as pretty as dresses made of new white material. Delicate hued muslin and cambric dresses may be washed nicely by the follow^ing process: Shave half a pound of common hard soap into a gallon of boiling water; let it melt, turn it into a tub of lukewarm water ; stir a quart of wlieat bran into a second tub of lukewarm water, and have ready a third tub with clear water; put the dress into the first tub of suds, rub gently, or rather "souse" it up and down, and squeeze it out; treat it the sanie in the tub of bran water; rinse, dry and dii> in starch made the same as for shirts ; dry a^in, and then rinse tlioroughl y in clear water; dry again, and sprinkle with a whisk-broom or sprinkler; roll up in a thick cloth while the iron gets hot, and iron with them as hot as they can be used without scorching the dress. By taking a clear day, it is little trouble to do several dresses in a few hours.

To Remove Grease fi^om Silk, Cotton, Linen or Worsted Goods. — Rub magnesia freely on both sides of silk or worsted goods and hang away. Benzine, ether or soap will take out spots from silk, but remember the goods must not be rubbed. Oil of turpentine or benzine will remove spots of paint, varnish or pitch from white or colored cotton or woolen goods. After using it, they should be washed in soap-suds. Spots from sperm candles, stearine, and the like, should be softened and removed • by ninety-five per cent, alcohol, then sponged off with a weak alcohol, and a small quantity of ammonia added to it. Holding white cotton or linen over the fumes of burniitg sulphur, and wetting in warm chlorine water, will take out wine or fruit stains. The sooner the remedy is applied, after any of these spots or stains are discovered, the more effectual the restoration. ' From white linen or cotton by soap-suds or weak lye, and from calicoes with warm soap-suds. From woolens by soap-suds or ammonia. On silks use either yolk of egg with water, magnesia, ether, benzine, ammonia, or French chalk.*

To Press and Clean Silks. — All satin goods should be pressed upon the ri^ht side. To press and clean black silk, shake out all the dust, clean well with a flannel cloth, rubbing it up and down over the silk : this takes out all dust that may be left; take some good lager beer and sponge the silk, both on the wrong and right side, sponging across the width of the silk, and not down the length, and with a moderately-warm iron, press what is intended for the wrong .side. After sponging, it is better to wait a few minutes before pressing, as the irons will not be so apt to stick.

Or, sponge with hot coffee, thoroughly freed from sediment by being strained through muslin. The silk is sponged on the side intended to show, it is allowed to become partially dry, and then ironed on the wrong side. The coffee removes every particle of grease, and restores the brilliancy of flilk. without giving it eitncr the shiny appearance or crackly or papery stiffness obtained by beer or any other liquid. The silk appears thickened bj' the process, and this good effect remains.

To Make Hard Soap. — Place one gallon of good soft soap in a kettle to boil ; when it begins to boil, stir in a pint measure level full of common salt, stirring it all the time until the salt is dissolved, then set to cool. Next day, cut out the soap in squares, vscrape off the soft, dark part, that adheres to the lower side of the cakes, pour out the lye, and wash the ket- tle; place the soap, cut in thin slices in the kettle, with more weak !ye. If the lye is strong add rain-water, pint for pint; let it boil until the soap ■is dissolved. While boiling, again stir in a pint measure level full of sail, stirring it some as before, and set to cool. When perfectly hanl, cut it in cakes tlie size you wish, scraping off the soft lye part that adheres to the lower side, and lay on boards, top side down in the sun, turning it each day until sufficiently dry. Or, if you wish to make a twelve or four^

532 THE LA US DRY.

teen gallon kettle of soft soap into hard, three quarts of salt, stirred In each time, will be suthcicnt. But as soapdiflfers in strength, the quantity of salt must also (lifTiT. Tiie stronger the soap the more salt is requinnl. A good general rule is our old grandmother's: "When tlie stmp is iMjiling. stir in salt until it curdles and becomes whitish in color." It can be tested by placing some in a shallow pan to co«j1, as it cools in a few minutes sum- ciently to know if enough salt is in.

To Bleach Mitslin. — For thirty yards of muslin, take one pound of chlo- ride of lime, dissolve in two quarts rain-water; let cloth soak over night in warm rain-water, or long enough to be thoroughly wet; wring out cloth and put in another tub of warm ruin-water in wliich the chloride of lime solution has been pourod. Let it remain for alxiut twenty minutes, lifting up the cloth and airing evury few minutes, and rinse in clear rain-water. This will not injure the vUtih in the least, and is much less troublesome than bleaching on the grass.

Or, scnld in suds and lay them on the clean gra.<5s all night, or if this. can not be done, bring in and place in a tub of clean soft water. In the morning scald again and put out as before. It will take from one to two weeks to bleach white. May be bleached in winter by placing on the snow. Mav is the best month for bleaching. To whiten yelfow linens or muslins, soak over-night, or longer, in buttermilk ; rinse thoroughly and wash thcF same as other clothes. This will also answer for light calicoes, percales, lawns, etc., that will not fade. Some use sour milk when not able to pro- cure buttermilk. To whiten yellow laces, old collars, etc., put in a glass bottle or jar in a' strong suds* let stand in sun for seven days, shaking oc- casitmally.

To Wash Lace Curtains. — Shake the dust well out of the lace, fiut in tepid water, in which a little soda has been dissolved, and wash at once care- fully with the hands in several waters, or until perfectly clean; rin.se in water well blued, also blue, the boiled starch quite deeply and squeeze, but do not wring. Pin some sheets down to the carpet in a vacant, airy room, then pin on the curtains stretched to exactly the size they were before being wet. In a few hours thejr will be drv and ready to put up. The whole pro- cess of washing and pinning down should occupy as little time as j)ossiole, as lace will shrink more than any other cotton goods when long wet. Above all, it should not be allowed to '**soak" from the mistaken idea that it washes more ea-sily, nor should it ever be ironed. Another way is to fasten them in a pair of frames, which every housekeeper should have, made very like the old-fashioned quil ting-frames, thickly studded along the inside with the smallest size of galvanized tenter hooks, in which to fasten the lace, and hav- ing holes and wooden pins with which to very the length and breadth to suit the dilTercnt sizes of curtains. The curtains should always be measured before being wet, and stretched in the frames to that size to prevent shrink- ing. Five or six curtains of the same size may be j»ut in, one above the other, and all dried at once. The frames may rest on four chairs.

How TO i>o vp Shirt-Bosoms. — To fine starch add a piece of "Enamel" the size of a hazel-nut; if this is not at hand use a table-spoon gum-arabic solution (made by pouring boiling water ui)()n gum-arabic and standing un- til clear and transparent), or a piece of clean mutton-tallow half the size of a nutmeg and a tea-spoon of salt will do, but is not as good. Strain the starch througli a strainer or a piece of thin muslin. Have the sliirt turned wrong side out; dip the bosoms carefully in the fine starch, made according to recij>e, and squeeze out, repeating the operation until the bosoms are thoroughly and evenly saturated with starcn; proceed to dry. Three hours before ironing dip the bosoms in clean water; wring out and roll up tightly. First iron the back by folding it lengthwise through the center; next iron the wristbands, and both sides of the sleeves; then the collar-band; now place the bosom-board under the bosom, and with a dampened napkin rub the bosom from the top towards the bottom, smoothing and arranging each plait

THE LAUNDRY, 53

neatly. With smooth, moderately hot flat-iron, begin at the top and Iron downwards, and continue the operation until the bosom is perfectly dry and shining. Remove the bosom-board, and iron the front of the shirt. The bosoms and cuffs of shirts, indeed of all nice fine work, will look clearer and better if they are first ironed under a piece of thin old muslin. It takes off the first heat of the iron, and removes any lumps of starch.

Washing Fluid. — The very best known, as it saves time, labor, clothes and soap : One pound sal-soda, one-half pound stone lime, five quarts soft water, (some add one-fifth pound borax); boil a short time in copper or brass kettle, stirring occasionally, let settle and pour off the clear tluiu into a stone jug, and cork for use ; soak white clothes over night in simple water, wring out and soap wristbands, collars, and dirty stained places ; have boiler half filled with water, and when at scalding heat put in one common tea- cup of fluid, stir and put in clothes, and boil half an hour, rub lightly through one suds only, rirysing well in the bluing water as usual, and. all is complete. Instead or soaking clothes over night, they may soak in suds for a lew hours before beginning washing. For each additional boiler of clothes, add half a cup only of the fluid, of course boiling in the same water through the whole washing. If more water is needed in the boiler for the last clothes, dip it from the sud.sing tub. This fluid brightens instead of fading the colors in calico, and is good for colored flannels. It does not rot clothes, but they must not lie long in t/ie water; tlie boiling, sudsing^ rinsing and bluing mttst follow each other in rapid snxcessiony until clothes are hun^ on the line, whichshould be by ten o'clock in the morning. Sonie of this fluid, put in hot water, is excellent for removing grease spots from the floor, doors and windows; also for cleansing tin- ware, pots, and Kettles. — Mrs. Rose Sharp, Kingston, 0.

To Wash Woolen Goods. — Dissolve a large table-spoon borax in a pint boiling water. Mix one-quarter of it in the cold water in which greasy woolen goods are to be washed. Put in one piece at a time, using soap, if needed; and if necessary add more of the borax -water. Wash and rinse in cold water. Shake welland hang where the goods will dry quickly.

Flannels can be washed in the same way. The important thing in wash- ing flannels is to have all waters of the same temperature. If you begin with cold, go through with cold ; if with hot, have all waters equally hot. They must not be allow^ed to freeze in (frying. Some add a little salt to the last rinsing water. In washing flannels be careful that the soap used has no resin in it. When flannels are nearly dry, take in, fold carefully, roll up in a damp cloth so that they will iron smoothly.

In ironing heavy woolen goods, especially pants, vests, etc., it is well to le*. them get dried, th?n spread them out on an ironing-board (not on a table), wring-a cloth out or clear water and lay over the article, tlien iron with a hot iron till dry; wet the cloth again and spread it just above the part already ironed, but let it come a half inch or so on that which has been pressed, so that there will be no line to mark where the cloth was moved, continue this till the whole garment lias been thoroughly pressed. Woolen garments thus ironed will look like new; but in doing this«care must be exercised that every spot that Icjoks at all "fulled" or shrunk should be stretched while being pressed under the wet cloth. Bring the outsiilc to fit the linings, as when new, but if not (jviite able to do this, rip the lining and trim off to match. All the seams, es})orially on pants, must be first pressed on a** press board," then fold the pants as they arc found in the tailor's shop, and go over them with the wet cloth and hot iron.

To Dry-starcii, Fold and lRf>x Shirts. — In doing up shirts, wrist- bands and collars should be starched first if the collars are sewed on. Dip them into the hot starch, and as soon as the hand can bear the heat (and dipping the hand in cold water often will expedite the work) rub the starch in very thoroughly, taking care that no motes or lumps of starch adhere to the linen. Then starch the shirt-bosom the same wa}**, keeping the starch

534 THE LAUNDRY,

hot all the time bv setting* the dish in a deep pan of water. Rub it into the linen very carefully, puss the finger under the plaits and raise them up so that the stiircii slmll i)enetrate all through evenly. Some rub it into the plaits with a piece of clean linen, but we think the hand does the work more thor- oughly and evenly. When perfectly starched, shake out tlie shirt evenly. Cold both sides of the bosom together and bring the shoulders and siae seams together evenly ; that will lay tlie sleeves one over the other, and after pulling the wristbands into shape smoothly they can thus l)e folded together and the wristbands rolled tightlyand, with the sleeves, be folded and laid even on the sides of the shirt. Then turn the sides with the sleeves tner on the front, and l>eginiung at the neck roll the whole tightly together, wrap in u towel and let it remain so several hours before ironing — all night if starched and folded in the evening — and in the summer put in a cool place where the starch will not sour, and in the winter keep warm enough to prevent freezing. To do up shirt-bosoms iif the most perfect wav. one must have a " |K>lishin^ iron — a small iron rounded over and high fy pol- ished on the ends and sides. Spread the bosom on a hard and very sinoofh board, with only one thickness oi cotton cloth sewed tight across it. Spread a wet cloth over and iron quickly with a hot iron, tnen remove the cloth and with a poli.shing iron as hot as it can be used without scorching, rub the bosom quick and hard up and down, not crosswise. Use only the rounded part oi* the front of tne iron, that puts all the friction on a small part at one time, and giv

iSoAP FOR Family Use. — Much of the toilet and laundry soaps in the market are adultenited with injurious, and, to some persons, poisonous sub- tances, by which diseases of the skin are occasioned or grcatl3' aggravated, and great sutfering results, which is rarely traced to the real cause. The fat tried from animals which have died of disease, if not thoroughly saponified, is poisonous, and sometimes produces death. If in making soap the mass is heated to too high a degree, a lilm of soap forms around the particles of fat; if at this stage resin, sal-soda, silicate, and other adulterations are added, the fat is not saponified, but filmed, and if poisonous or diseased, it so remains, and is dangerous to use. A bar of such soap has an oil^ feeling, and is unfit for use. If it feels sticky, it has too much resin in it. The slippery feeling which belongs to soap properly made can not be mistaken. Another test of pure soft or hard soap is its translucent or semi-transparent appear- ance. Soft soap that is cloudy is not thoroughly saponified, or else has oeen made of dirty or impure grease. It is not only safer but more economical to buy pure soap, as the adulterations increase tlie quantity without adding to the erasive ixiwer. Some of the brown soaps sola in the market are sev- enty-five percent, resin, and the buyer gets only twenty-five per cent of what he wants for his money. Fifteen per cent of resin improves the quality, but any excess damages it, and is worse than useless. Almost any ramily may make excellent soft soap with very little expense by saving grease,^nd using lye from pure hard wood ashes or pure potash. Never use concentrated lye.

To set the leach^ bore several auger holes in the bottom of a barrel ; or use one without a bottom; prepare a board larger than the barrel, set barrel on it, and cut a groove arouna just outside the barrel, making one groove from this to the edge of the board to carry off the lye as it runs off, with a

? groove around it, running into one in the center of the board. Place two eet from the ground, and tip so that the lye may run easily from the board into the vessel below prepared to receive it. Put half-bricks or stones around the edge of insine of barrel, place on them one end of sticks one or two inches wide, inclining to the center; place straw to the depth of two inches, over it scatter two p)unds slacked lime ; put in the ashes aoout a half bushel at a time, pack well by using a pounder, spade, or common ax ; con- tinue to pack until barrel is full, leaving a funnel-snaped hollow in the center large enough to hold several quarts of water. Use soft or rain-water, and

THE LAUNDRY. 535

boiling hot. I>et the first water disappear before adding more. If the ashes are packed very tightly, it may require two or three days before the lye will begin to run» but it is much better as it will be stronger. If a large quantity of lye is needed, prepare a board long enough to hold two or more barrels, one back of the other, with a groove in the center the entire length of the board ; on this place the barrels prepared as above.

Sun or Cold Soap is made by adding one pound of cleansed grease, spoiled lard or butter, to each gallon of lye strong enough to float an egg. Set the vessel in the sun and stir thoroughly each day until it is good soap. This gives it a golden color, and produces an exceHont soap for washing. It inay be used in washing even laces and fine cambrics with perfect safety.

To cleanse grease. -^Vlace all grease of whatever kind, soup Ixmes, hani- rinds, cracklings, or any refuse fat into a kettle, with weak lye enough to boil it until all the particles of fat are extracted ; let it cool, then skim off the grease, which is now ready to make the *' Sun Soap.'* I would add here that no fat should be put away for soap grease until fried thoroughly.

Boiled Soap. — ^There is no romance or poetry in making boiled soap, only patient hard work; yet w^ithout this useful article, what an unpresentable people we should be. Place the grease, consisting of soup-bones and all Kinds of fat that accumulate in a kitchen, in a kettle, filling it only half full ; if there is too much fat, it can be skimmed off after the soap is cold, for another kettle of soap. This is the only true test when enough fat is used, as the lye will consume all that is needed and no more. Make a fire under one side of it. The kettle should be in an out-house or out of doors. Let it heat very hot so as to fry, and stir it to prevent burning; now put in the lye, a gallon at the time, watch closely until it boils, as it iM^metimes runs over at the beginning. Add lye until the kettle is full enough, but not too full, to boil well. Soap should boil from the side and not the middle, as this would be more likely to cause it to boil over. To test the soap, to one spoonful of soap add one of rain-water; if it stirs up very thick, the soap is good and will keep; if it becomes thinner, it is unfit for use.

This is the result of one of three causes: it is too weak, there is a deposit of dirt, or it is too strong. Continue to boil for a few hours, when it should flow from the stick with which it is stirred, like thick molasses ; but if after boiling it remains thin, let it stand over night, removing the fire, then drain very carefully into another vessel, being particular to prevent any sediment frorn passing. Wash the kettle, return the soap and bring to a boil, and if the cause was dirt, it will now be thick and good, otherw^ise it is too strong and needs rain-water added. * This can safely be done by jwuring in a small quantity at a time, until it becomes thick. These are the usual causes that arise to trouble soap-makers. If other difficulties appear, they must use good common sen.se to meet and overcome them.

It might not be amiss to add to this, the most economical way of saving soap grease. Have a kettle standing in the yard in summer time (or if there is not a yard, in cellar), and as you save a little grease put it in, but do not put in raw grease. If there are* any pieces of fat left after using a hnni or lumps of suet not used in C(X)king a steak, put them in a skillet and fry them brown, then put all into the kettle of lye; thus every particle of fat will be saved, and no fear of insects, rats or nlice getting into and destroying the grease. Keep the kettle covered during night or when raining, but un- covered in the sunshine, stirring occasionally. In the fall, all that is neces- sary is to make a fire under the kettle, and' let it boil a short time, adding more lye or grease if needed. If there are too many bones in it, or any par- ticles that have not become consumed, skim them out and put them in a |)0t of weak, hot lye, .stirring them with the skimmer to rinse off all the soap, then skim out and throw away, and the pot of lye which has become almost soap, may now be added to the kettle of good soap. A few beef bones left ih the barrel will sink to the bottom, and are said by some good housewives to improve the soap. Soft soap should be kept in a dry place in cellar, and is better if allowea to stand three months before using.