Classic Cook Books
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page 393
TO PREVENT BLUE FROM FADING.--To prevent blue from fading, put an ounce of sugar
of lead into a pail of water, soak the material in the solution for two hours,
and let dry before being washed and ironed; good for all shades of blue.
TO WASH COLORED MUSLINS.--Wash in warm (not hot) suds, made with soft wate 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 DELICATE COLORED MUSLINS.--Boil wheat bran (about two quarts to a
dress), in soft water half an hour, let it cool, strain the liquor, and use it
instead of soap-suds; it removes dirt like soap, keeps the color, and the
clothes only need rinsing in one water, and even starching is unnecessary. Suds
and rinsing water for colored 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.--Miss Juana James, West
Killingly, Conn.
TO BLEACH MUSLIN.--For thiry yrads of muslin, take one pound of chloride 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 rain water in which the chloride of lime solution has been poured.
Let it remain for about twenty minutes, lifting up the cloth and airing every
few moments, and rinse in clear rain water. This will not injure the cloth in
the least, and is much less troublesome than bleaching on the grass.
Or, scald in suds and lay them on the clean grass 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 snow. May is the best month for
bleaching. To whiten yellow linens or muslins, soak over-night or longer in
buttermilk, rinse thoroughly and wash the 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 procure 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 occasionally.
BROWN LINEN--May be kept looking new until worn out if always washed in starch
water and hay tea. Make flour 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 without soap; the starch will clean
the fabric, and no rinsing is necessary.
TO CLEANSE ARTICLES MADE OF WHITE ZEPHYER.--Rub in flour or magnesia, changing
often. Shake off flour and hang in the open air a short time.--Mrs. A. S. C.
HOW TO CLEAN VELVET.--Invert a hot flatiron, 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 raised; take off the iron, lay on
a table, and brush it with a soft brush or cloth.--Miss Alice McAllister.
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 injure
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
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