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Classic
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page 392
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.
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 as above will always
come out clean and soft. A little bluing may be used in washing white
blankets.--North Star Woolen Mill, Minneapolis, Minn.
Blankets should be shaken and snapped until almost dry; it will require two
persons to handle them. Woolen shawls, and all woolen articles, especially men's
wear, are much improved by being pressed with a hot iron under damp muslin.
TO WASH LACE CURTAINS.--Shake the dust well out of the lace, put in tepid water,
in which a little soda has been dissolved, and wash at once carefully with the
hands in several waters, or until perfectly clean; rinse 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 they
will be dry and ready to put up. The whole process of washing and pinning down
should occupy as little time as possible, 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 easily, 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 quilting-frames, thickly studded
along the inside with the smallest size of galvanized tenter hooks, in which to
fasten the lace, and having holes and wooden pins with which to vary the length
and breadth to suit the different sizes of curtains. The curtains should always
be measured before being wet, and stretched in the frames to that size to
prevent shrinking. Five or six curtains of the same size may be put in, one
above the other, and all dried at once. The frames may rest on four chairs.
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 only two rows, it can be ironed after being smoothed (the first
process). Blonde or net that has become yellow can be bleached by hanging in the
sun or lying out over night in the dew.
TO WASH THREAD LACE.--Cover a bottle with white flannel, base 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
in the sun; when dry, unwind, but do not starch.
TO WASH 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, make a suds of the soap in
one tub, and use the other for rinsing, wash the 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 proceed with each piece, and when
about half done throw out the suds and make suds of the rinsing water, using
fresh water for rinsing.
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